Full name David Catala Jimenez Years Team Career start 1999 Number 6 Height 1.84 m | Playing position Role Footballer Place of birth Barcelona, Spain Name David Catala | |
 | ||
Date of birth (1980-05-03) 3 May 1980 (age 35) Current team AEK Larnaca F.C. (#6 / Defender) | ||
David Català Jiménez (born 3 May 1980) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Cypriot club AEK Larnaca F.C. as a central defender.
Contents
After beginning his career at Espanyol, he spent most of it in Segunda División, representing six teams over nine seasons in the division, mostly Salamanca and Celta. He totalled 274 games and 15 goals in the category.
Football career
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Català began his career at hometown club RCD Espanyol. He made his senior debut on 16 May 1999, playing the entirety of the reserves' 3–0 home win over Palamós CF for the Segunda División B championship; he first appeared in La Liga with the first team the following 6 May, as a 43rd-minute substitute for Cristóbal in a 0–2 away loss against CD Numancia.
After leaving for Xerez CD of Segunda División in 2003, Català spent each of the next four seasons at a different team in that level, culminating in Lorca Deportiva CF's relegation in 2007. He remained for two years in the same league with UD Salamanca, before joining fellow league side Celta de Vigo on a three year-deal on 23 June 2009; he was recommended by Miguel Torrecilla, the sporting director who made the same move earlier in the summer, and was the second player to be acquired that window after Cristian Bustos.
On 15 April 2012, Català scored in the Galician derby seven minutes after entering in place of Hugo Mallo, albeit in a 2–3 loss to Deportivo de La Coruña at Balaídos. The campaign nonetheless ended in promotion, with him contributing with 18 games and two goals to the feat.
On 28 July 2012, after recently signing a new contract, Català rescinded it and moved abroad for the first time, signing a three-year deal at AEK Larnaca F.C. of the Cypriot First Division.