Number 3 Height 1.79 m Career start 2010 | Playing position 2007–2009 La Floresta Weight 79 kg | |
 | ||
Full name Francisco Manuel Vélez Jiménez Date of birth (1991-06-23) 23 June 1991 (age 25) Current team UD Almería (#3 / Defender) | ||
Francisco 'Fran' Manuel Vélez Jiménez (born 23 June 1991) is a Spanish footballer who plays for UD Almería as a central defender or a right back.
Contents
Club career
Born in Tarragona, Catalonia, Vélez began playing football for Club Esportiu La Floresta. In the 2009 winter he signed a contract with local giants Gimnàstic de Tarragona, where he spent his last year as a junior.
On 10 April 2010, Vélez made his official Nàstic debut, starting against Albacete Balompié in a 1–1 away draw. He made three more appearances during the season in Segunda División, against Real Betis, Cádiz CF (where he was sent off) and UD Las Palmas; in the following campaign he represented CF Pobla de Mafumet, the farm team.
In August 2011, Vélez was loaned to UD Logroñés in Segunda División B. He scored his only goal of the season against Real Sociedad B, contributing to a 3–1 home win.
On 14 July 2012, Vélez returned to Nàstic and its main squad. On 26 August he played his first game in his second stint, against Valencia CF Mestalla; he netted his first goal with the club on 7 October, scoring the opener in a 2–0 home success over CD Binissalem.
On 2 September 2013, Vélez signed with UD Almería, initially being assigned to the B-side also in the third level. He made his first-team debut on 14 January of the following year, starting as a right-back in a 0–2 home loss against Racing de Santander for the campaign's Copa del Rey (1–3 on aggregate).
Vélez's maiden appearance in La Liga took place on 27 April 2014: he started and scored in a 2–1 win at RCD Espanyol, where he featured as a defensive midfielder before being replaced by Jonathan Zongo in the 71st minute. He played a further three matches with the main squad, only contributing with four minutes in the last fixture, a 0–0 home draw against Athletic Bilbao.
On 7 June 2014, Vélez was definitely promoted to the first team. On 31 March 2015, he was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a shoulder injury.
Personal life
Vélez's older brother, José Antonio, is also a footballer. Both played for Gimnàstic and Pobla.