Josemi facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Miguel González Rey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 November 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Torremolinos, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Torremolinos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Torremolinos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Málaga B | 67 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Málaga | 93 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Liverpool | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Villarreal | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Mallorca | 53 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Iraklis | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Cartagena | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Levadiakos | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Skoda Xanthi | 16 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Atlético Kolkata | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 371 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
José Miguel González Rey (born on November 15, 1979), known as Josemi, is a Spanish former footballer. He mostly played as a right back, but could also play as a central defender.
Josemi played in 178 matches in La Liga, Spain's top football league, over nine seasons. He played for clubs like Málaga, Villarreal, and Mallorca. He also spent time playing for Liverpool in England, where he won important titles, including the UEFA Champions League in 2005. Later in his career, he played professionally in Greece and then in the new Indian Super League.
Contents
Josemi's Football Journey
Starting Out in Spain
Josemi was born in Torremolinos, a town in Málaga, Spain. He began his professional football journey at Málaga CF. He joined the club in 1998 from a local amateur team called Torremolinos Club de Fútbol.
He first played for Málaga's reserve team, called Málaga B. Josemi made his first appearance for the main Málaga team in 2001. He quickly became a key player in their defense. He helped Málaga win the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, which is a European football competition. His strong performances caught the attention of bigger clubs in Europe.
Playing for Liverpool
In the summer of 2004, Josemi became the very first player signed by Rafael Benítez when Benítez became the manager of Liverpool. Liverpool paid about £2 million to bring him to England.
In his first season, 2004–05, Josemi played in 15 games in the Premier League, England's top league. He was sent off (given a red card) in a game against Fulham in October 2004. This led to another player, Steve Finnan, taking over as the main right-back.
Josemi played in seven matches during Liverpool's amazing Champions League winning season. Even though he was part of the team that won, he found it harder to get into the starting lineup or even on the substitutes bench during the later stages of the competition. By the middle of the 2005–06 season, it seemed likely he would leave Liverpool.
Back to Spain
On December 29, 2005, Liverpool and Villarreal CF agreed to a player swap. Josemi moved to Villarreal, and Jan Kromkamp went to Liverpool. Josemi started well at Villarreal, playing in 22 league matches in the 2006–07 season. However, he played in only one league game the following season, even though Villarreal finished second in La Liga.
In July 2008, Josemi signed with RCD Mallorca. He scored his first goal as a professional player on November 23, 2008, in a 2–2 draw against his old club, Málaga. In his second year at Mallorca, he played in 28 games. His contributions helped the team finish fifth in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
Later Years and Retirement
In August 2010, when he was almost 31, Josemi left Spain again. He signed a three-year contract with Iraklis Thessaloniki FC in Greece. After just one season, he returned to Spain and joined FC Cartagena in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division.
After playing two more seasons in Greece for Levadiakos F.C. and Skoda Xanthi F.C., Josemi moved to India in August 2014. He was chosen in the first-ever draft for the new Indian Super League by Atlético de Kolkata. He played in the very first match of the league, helping his team win 3–0.
Josemi became a strong defender for Atlético Kolkata. He even became the team captain in the 2014 Indian Super League final, which his team won. He was also named the Fittest Player of the Match in that final.
After his successful first season, Josemi signed a new contract with Atlético Kolkata for another year in June 2015. However, he was released from the team in November 2015 due to an injury that kept him from playing for the rest of the season.
On September 22, 2016, Josemi, at 36 years old, announced he was retiring from playing football. In February 2017, he returned to his former club, Málaga, to work as a match delegate.
Honours and Achievements
Josemi won several important titles during his football career:
Málaga
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002
Liverpool
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
- Football League Cup: Runner-up 2004–05
- FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005
Atlético Kolkata
- Indian Super League: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Josemi González para niños
