Jonás Gutiérrez facts for kids
Gutiérrez with Newcastle United in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jonás Manuel Gutiérrez | ||
| Date of birth | 5 July 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Sáenz Peña, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2001 | Vélez Sársfield | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2005 | Vélez Sársfield | 99 | (2) |
| 2005–2008 | Mallorca | 96 | (5) |
| 2008–2015 | Newcastle United | 187 | (11) |
| 2014 | → Norwich City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Deportivo La Coruña | 15 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Defensa y Justicia | 18 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Independiente | 20 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Defensa y Justicia | 2 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Banfield | 14 | (0) |
| 2021 | Almagro | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 461 | (18) | |
| International career | |||
| 2007–2011 | Argentina | 22 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jonás Manuel Gutiérrez (born on 5 July 1983) is an Argentine former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was known for his energy on the field. He earned the fun nickname "Spider-Man" because he would put on a superhero mask when he scored a goal! He also called himself "El Galgo", which means "The Greyhound" in Spanish, showing how fast he was.
Jonás started his football journey with Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina. In 2005, he moved to the Spanish club Mallorca. Three years later, he joined Newcastle United in England. With Newcastle, he helped them win the Championship title in 2010. He even scored a very important goal in 2015 that helped Newcastle stay in the top league, the Premier League.
During his time at Newcastle, Jonás faced a serious health challenge, but he bravely fought through it and made a full recovery. He played in 205 matches for Newcastle, scoring 12 goals, before leaving the club in 2015. Jonás also played for his country, Argentina, from 2007 to 2011. He played in 22 international games, including the 2010 World Cup. The famous coach Diego Maradona thought Jonás was a key player for the national team.
Contents
Jonás's Football Journey
Starting in Argentina: Vélez Sársfield
Jonás Gutiérrez was born in Sáenz Peña, a city in Argentina. He played for Vélez Sársfield from 2001 to 2005. The best part of his time there was helping his team win the Primera División Clausura Tournament in 2005. This was a big achievement for him early in his career.
Moving to Spain: Mallorca
After winning the championship in Argentina, Jonás moved to Spain in 2005. He signed with the Spanish club Mallorca. He played there for three years, gaining more experience in European football.
Becoming a Star: Newcastle United
On 2 July 2008, Jonás joined Newcastle United in England. He signed a five-year contract. He told the club that he wanted "Jonás" on the back of his jersey instead of "Gutiérrez" because he liked his first name.
Jonás played his first game for Newcastle on 17 August 2008. It was against the champions, Manchester United, and Newcastle drew 1–1. Many people were impressed by how well he played in his first match.
He scored his first goal for Newcastle in a friendly game against Darlington on 18 July 2009. He usually played on the right side of the field. However, after another player left, he started playing on the left side. He worked well with his Spanish-speaking teammate José Enrique.
His first goal in a real competition for Newcastle was against Peterborough United on 7 November 2009. He dribbled past five players before scoring! He scored another amazing goal against Barnsley, hitting the ball from far away into the net. After this goal, he celebrated by putting on his famous Spider-Man mask.
Newcastle won the Championship and got promoted back to the Premier League. Jonás was very happy and wanted to stay with Newcastle for many years. Even World Footballer of the Year, Lionel Messi, praised Jonás as one of the best players in the Premier League.
In the 2010–11 season, Jonás scored against Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He signed a new four-year contract with Newcastle in September 2011. He continued to play well in the 2011–12 season, scoring a great solo goal against Wolves. He also scored a winning goal in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers in the 95th minute! He celebrated with his Spider-Man mask again. During this season, Jonás also started playing in a central midfield role, showing his versatility.
Newcastle finished fifth in the league, which meant they qualified for the Europa League. Jonás played in six games as Newcastle reached the quarter-finals of the competition. In February 2013, he scored a header in a 3–2 win against Chelsea.
Loan to Norwich City
After facing a health challenge, Jonás found it hard to get playing time at Newcastle. So, on 13 January 2014, he joined Norwich City on loan for the rest of the season. He only played in four games there due to an injury.
Returning to Newcastle United
On 28 February 2015, Jonás was back with the Newcastle United team after his recovery. He made his official return to playing on 4 March 2015 against Manchester United. When he came onto the field, his teammate Fabricio Coloccini gave him the captain's armband, which was a very special moment.
On the last day of the season, Jonás was a hero! He helped Newcastle win 2–0 against West Ham United by assisting the first goal and scoring the second. This win meant Newcastle stayed in the Premier League. Even though he was later told he would be leaving the club, Jonás always had a strong connection with the Newcastle fans.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Newcastle, Jonás signed with Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain in September 2015. He played 17 games for them.
In September 2016, he returned to Argentina and joined Defensa y Justicia. The next year, in July 2017, he signed with Independiente. He even won the Copa Sudamericana with Independiente in 2017! He later rejoined Defensa y Justicia in 2018.
On 16 November 2021, Jonás Gutiérrez announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Playing for Argentina
Jonás was part of the Argentina national under-20 team that won the South American Youth Championship in 2003.
He played 22 games for the senior Argentina squad. His first game was against France in February 2007. He scored his first goal for Argentina in a friendly match against France on 11 February 2009. Because Argentina had many great wingers like Lionel Messi, Jonás often played as a right back for his country, showing how adaptable he was. He represented Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Personal Story and Recovery
On 16 September 2014, Jonás shared that he was being treated for a serious illness. He had experienced pain after a match in May 2013. After some time, a tumor was found, and he had surgery in Argentina in October 2013. He returned to Newcastle a month later.
After a holiday, he felt unwell again and started chemotherapy treatment. Jonás chose to keep his treatment private at first, with only a few close friends knowing about his condition. These friends included fellow footballers Gabriel Heinze, Martín Demichelis, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and his Newcastle teammate Fabricio Coloccini.
When his friend Steve Harper heard about Jonás's illness, it inspired him to help raise awareness for men's health through a clothing brand called OddBalls.
On 3 November 2014, Jonás was discharged from the hospital, having completed his recovery. He made his amazing return to the Newcastle United team on 4 March 2015. When he came on as a substitute in a home match against Manchester United, the fans gave him a huge standing ovation. After recovering, he got a tattoo on his arm with lyrics that meant "I am alive again, more alive than I have been in my whole entire life." This showed how strong and positive he was.
In April 2016, Jonás won a lawsuit against Newcastle United. He argued that he was not chosen to play because of his health condition, which meant he missed out on bonuses. This case highlighted important issues about how clubs support players facing health challenges.
Honours and Achievements
Jonás Gutiérrez achieved many great things during his football career:
Vélez Sársfield
- Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2005 (This means he helped his team win the championship in Argentina in 2005.)
Newcastle United
- Football League Championship: 2009–10 (He helped Newcastle win this league and get promoted to the Premier League.)
Independiente
- Copa Sudamericana: 2017 (This is a major international club competition in South America.)
Argentina U20
- South American Youth Championship: 2003 (He was part of the winning team for young players in South America.)
