Junior Firpo facts for kids
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Firpo with Leeds United in 2021
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 August 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | ||
| Height | 1.84m | ||
| Playing position | Left-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Leeds United | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Atlético Benamiel | ||
| 2012–2013 | Tiro Pichón | ||
| 2013–2014 | Puerto Malagueño | ||
| 2014–2015 | Betis | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2015–2018 | Betis B | 45 | (2) |
| 2018–2019 | Betis | 38 | (5) |
| 2019–2021 | Barcelona | 24 | (2) |
| 2021– | Leeds United | 87 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | Spain U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2024– | Dominican Republic | 10 | (3) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Héctor Junior Firpo Adames (born August 22, 1996), known as Junior Firpo, is a professional footballer. He plays as a defender for Leeds United in England. Junior also plays for the Dominican Republic national team. He is usually a left-back, but can also play as a centre-back. Junior holds both Dominican and Spanish citizenship. He has played for Spain's youth national teams.
Contents
Junior's Football Journey
Starting at Real Betis
Junior Firpo was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. When he was six years old, he moved to Spain. He joined the youth team of Real Betis in June 2014. He was 18 at the time.
Junior started playing for the reserve team, Betis B, on February 15, 2015. He played regularly for the B-team. On April 17, 2016, he scored his first goal for the team.
In August 2017, Junior signed a new contract with Real Betis. He made his first team debut on February 12, 2018. This was in a La Liga match against Deportivo La Coruña. He was the first player born in the Dominican Republic to play in La Liga. Junior scored his first goal for the main team on March 17, 2018. It was in a game against Espanyol.
Playing for Barcelona
On August 4, 2019, Junior Firpo joined Barcelona. He signed a five-year contract. He made his first appearance for Barcelona three weeks later. It was in a 5–2 win against his old club, Betis.
On September 28, Junior scored his first goal for Barcelona. It helped his team win 2–0 against Getafe. He also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time on November 27. Barcelona won that game against Borussia Dortmund. Junior scored his second and final goal for Barcelona on February 13, 2021. It was in a big 5–1 win against Alavés.
Moving to Leeds United
On July 6, 2021, Junior Firpo signed with Premier League club Leeds United. He signed a four-year deal. This move made him the first Dominican player to play in the Premier League. He was expected to play as a left-back for the team.
Junior made his debut for Leeds United on August 14, 2021. He came on as a substitute in a match against Manchester United. He scored his first goal for Leeds in an FA Cup match on January 28, 2023. This was against Accrington Stanley. On February 25, 2023, Junior scored his first Premier League goal. It was the winning goal in a 1–0 match against Southampton.
In the 2023–24 season, Junior didn't play as much at first. But later in the season, he became the main left-back. He helped his team by assisting four goals in three league games.
International Career
Junior Firpo has lived most of his life in Spain. He has citizenship for both the Dominican Republic and Spain. In 2015, he played in a friendly match for the Dominican Republic national team.
In 2018, Junior was called to play for the Spain under-21 team. He made his debut for Spain U21 on September 7, 2018.
On February 28, 2024, Junior announced he would play for the Dominican Republic national team. He made his official debut for them on March 23, 2024, in a friendly game against Aruba. He has since scored three goals for his country.
Achievements
Barcelona
- Copa del Rey: 2020–21
Spain U21
See also
In Spanish: Junior Firpo para niños
