Place of birth A Coruna, Spain Name David Miramontes Career end 2010 Years Team Career start 1994 | 1990–1994 Deportivo La Coruna Height 1.73 m Playing position Role Footballer Position Forward | |
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Full name David Fernandez Miramontes Date of birth (1976-01-20) 20 January 1976 (age 39) | ||
David Fernández Miramontes (born 20 January 1976) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker, and a current scout for Manchester City.
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He began his career with Deportivo, but spent most of his career in Scottish football. He had a successful spell with Livingston, which earned him a move to Celtic.
Spain
Born in A Coruña, Galicia, Fernández began his career with hometown club Deportivo de La Coruña. In 1995 he helped the reserves promote to Segunda División B, then was immediately promoted to the first team by manager John Toshack, making his official debut in a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup tie against APOEL F.C. in Cyprus, on 14 September (0–0); his first La Liga appearance came on 26 November against Real Valladolid (3–1 home win), as he (again) came on as a substitute for Txiki Begiristain late into the second half of the match.
Fernández finished his first season with Depor with 25 official games and four goals, three of those coming within less than one month: against Real Sociedad (1–1 home draw), Atlético Madrid (2–2, home) and Real Zaragoza (1–0 Cup Winners' Cup triumph). He was eventually unable to break through to a regular starting place, being loaned twice to Segunda División clubs, starting with Sevilla FC in the first part of 1997–98; he spent the entire 1999–2000 campaign with CD Toledo, appearing regularly but suffering team relegation, after which he was released by Deportivo.
Scotland
In the summer of 2000, former FC Barcelona and Scotland player Steve Archibald was negotiating a deal to take control of Scottish First Division side Airdrieonians. Using his contacts in Spain he enticed a number of players from there to try their luck in Scotland, with Fernández among those accepting his offer. Due to financial problems relating to the takeover, the Spanish imports all had to be released in March 2001, but as one of those whose performances for Airdrie had impressed, he (along with teammate Francisco Javier Sánchez Broto) was signed up by another club in the category, Livingston, who were on the verge of promotion to the Premier League.
In the 2001–02 season, Fernández featured prominently as the Livi Lions finished in third place and subsequently qualified to the UEFA Cup. His form prompted Celtic manager Martin O'Neill to spend £1 million to sign the player for the Glasgow giants, on a four-year contract.
Despite this investment, however, Fernández struggled to establish himself at Celtic, possibly because his thoughtful style of play did not fit in with the often direct approach of O'Neill's team. He scored his first and only goal for the team against FK Sūduva Marijampolė in the UEFA Cup, on 3 October 2002. After a first season spent almost exclusively on the bench, his future looked to lie away from Celtic, and he was loaned back to Livingston for 2003–04, where he was part of the side that won the League Cup after beating Hibernian 2–0.
Upon his return to Celtic Park, Fernández was confined to reserve team football and, in August 2005, he was released from his link but remained in Scotland, signing a three-year deal with Dundee United. However, in April 2006, following a change in management at the club, he was informed by new manager Craig Brewster that he would be allowed to leave the club at the end of the season.
On 18 August 2006, Fernández agreed a severance package with United and promptly signed a two-year contract with Kilmarnock. On 29 October, after a mistimed tackled by Celtic defender Gary Caldwell, he suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury, going on to miss the remainder of the campaign.
Fernández was released by Kilmarnock when his contract expired in May 2010. The 34-year-old subsequently returned to A Coruña, training with amateurs Silva SD to keep fit.
Post-retirement
In the 2012 summer, Fernández was appointed scout at Premier League side Manchester City.