Full name Esteban Andres Suarez Playing position Years Team Role Footballer Weight 70 kg Current team Real Oviedo (Goalkeeper) | Place of birth Aviles, Spain Number 1 Name Esteban Suarez Height 1.79 m Career start 1994 | |
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Date of birth (1975-06-27) 27 June 1975 (age 40) | ||
Esteban Andrés Suárez (born 27 June 1975), known simply as Esteban, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Oviedo as a goalkeeper.
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He started and finished his extensive senior career, which spanned more than two decades, at Real Oviedo. He appeared in 280 games in La Liga during 13 seasons, also representing in the competition Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, Celta and Almería.
Early years
Born in Avilés, Asturias, Esteban began his career with hometown's SD Navarro CF in 1993, but soon moved to local giants Real Oviedo after a stint at Real Avilés Industrial. During five seasons with the first team – four of those spent in La Liga – he only missed 12 league games combined, and moved to Atlético Madrid in the 2002 summer as the Colchoneros had just returned to the top flight after a two-year absence, finishing the campaign as starter after beginning as understudy to Germán Burgos.
Esteban joined fellow league club Sevilla FC in August 2003. After two solid seasons with the Andalusians (two sixth league places, as first-choice) he signed for Celta de Vigo, backing up José Manuel Pinto in the second division side until the latter moved to FC Barcelona, in January 2008.
Almería
In the summer 2008, Esteban joined UD Almería in the top level, where he initially was second-choice to Diego Alves in his first year. However, profiting from injury to the starter in late March 2009, he was put between the posts, and remained there until the end of the season even when the Brazilian recovered.
In the 2009–10 campaign, Esteban's league output consisted of 30 minutes – the last round notwithstanding– after Alves was sent off in a 0–3 home defeat against Valencia CF. At the season's end, however, the 35-year-old renewed his contract for another year.
Esteban continued as Alves' backup in 2010–11. He was first-choice, however, in Almería's Copa del Rey run, which saw the club reach the competition's semifinals for the first time ever. In the final stretch of the campaign, as Almería was already relegated and Alves announced his departure to Valencia, he appeared in four matches and conceded eleven goals, including eight in a 1–8 loss at Real Madrid.
Subsequently, at 36, Esteban became Almería's first-choice. He played all 42 league games during the second division season, conceding 43 goals as the club finished seventh.
Esteban did not miss one single game in the 2013–14 campaign, as the Rojiblancos were again in the main category of Spanish football and managed to stay afloat. On 13 May 2014, he announced he was returning to Oviedo twelve years after leaving the club.