Samuel San José facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel San José Fernández | ||
| Date of birth | 1 March 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Santander, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Escobedo (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rayo Cantabria | |||
| Racing Santander | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2006 | Racing B | 31 | (4) |
| 2005–2008 | Racing Santander | 8 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Sporting Gijón (loan) | 33 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Las Palmas (loan) | 21 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Las Palmas | 68 | (2) |
| 2011–2014 | Ponferradina | 90 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Racing Santander | 22 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Atlético San Luis | 16 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Llagostera | 34 | (1) |
| 2017–2020 | Formentera | 89 | (2) |
| 2020–2023 | Escobedo | 67 | (0) |
| Total | 479 | (10) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023– | Escobedo | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Samuel San José Fernández (born on March 1, 1984), often called Samuel or Samu, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a central defender, which means he helped protect his team's goal. After his playing career, he became a manager and currently leads the team UM Escobedo.
Contents
Playing Career: Samu's Journey in Football
Starting Out in Santander
Samu was born in Santander, a city in Cantabria, Spain. He grew up playing football in the youth teams of his hometown club, Racing de Santander. He worked hard and eventually made his first appearance for the main team on September 11, 2005. This was in a game against Cádiz CF. During that season, he played seven games and helped his team avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Loan Spells and New Teams
After playing for Racing Santander, Samu spent a season on loan with Sporting de Gijón. A loan means a player temporarily plays for another team. He then returned to Racing, but soon after, he was loaned again to UD Las Palmas. He and his teammate, Christian Fernández, were very important in helping Las Palmas stay in their league.
Making a Home at Las Palmas
After his loan, Samu decided to stay with UD Las Palmas permanently. He signed a three-year contract. For the next three seasons, he played in about 23 games each year. His team always managed to stay in the second division, which is a good achievement.
Moving Around and Promotions
Samu continued his career, playing for different teams in Spain's second and third divisions. He played for SD Ponferradina and also returned to Racing de Santander for another period. With Ponferradina, he helped the team get promoted to a higher league in 2012. Later, in 2015-2016, he even played football in Mexico for a team called Atlético San Luis.
Finishing His Playing Days
After his time in Mexico, Samu came back to Spain. He played for a few more teams in lower leagues, including UD Llagostera, SD Formentera, and UM Escobedo. He played until he was 39 years old, showing his dedication to the sport.
Coaching Career: Leading the Team
Becoming a Manager
Right after Samu stopped playing football, he became the manager of his last club, UM Escobedo. This happened in 2023. It's common for experienced players to become coaches or managers after they retire.
Success with Escobedo
Samu quickly found success as a manager. On May 19, 2024, his team, Escobedo, won their group in the Tercera Federación league. This meant they were promoted to a higher league called Segunda Federación. Because of this great achievement, Samu signed a new contract to continue managing the team for another year. He is still the manager of Escobedo today.
See also
In Spanish: Samuel San José para niños
