Full name Jaime Jiménez Merlo Playing position Team Apps Weight 80 kg Position Goalkeeper | Place of birth Valdepeñas, Spain Years Team Height 1.88 m Career start 1998 | |
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Date of birth (1980-12-10) 10 December 1980 (age 36) Number 25 (SD Eibar / Goalkeeper), 1 (Real Valladolid / Goalkeeper) | ||
Jaime Jiménez Merlo (born 10 December 1980), known simply as Jaime, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
Football career
Born in Valdepeñas, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Jaime played lower league football until the age of nearly 25, representing mainly AD Ceuta in Segunda División B. In the 2005 summer he joined Ciudad de Murcia from Segunda División, making his league debut on 13 November in a 0–2 home loss against Real Valladolid; the club was renamed Granada 74 CF for the 2007–08 season.
In 2008, Jaime signed for second level's Elche CF. He played understudy to Willy Caballero during most of his spell in the Valencian Community, his best year being 2010–11 when he played 19 games; he added four appearances in the campaign's unsuccessful promotion playoffs, as the Argentine had already left for Málaga CF in the winter transfer window.
Jaime moved to fellow league side Valladolid on 8 July 2011, penning a 2+1 contract. He conceded only 36 goals in 41 matches in his debut season – good enough for the Ricardo Zamora Trophy conquest– but, in the playoffs, suffered an injury in the first game against Córdoba CF, being relegated to the bench in favour of Dani Hernández after recovering.
Jaime made his debut in La Liga on 20 August 2012, in a 1–0 win at Real Zaragoza. On 9 July 2014, following Valladolid's relegation, he agreed to a 1+1 contract with newly promoted SD Eibar.
