Place of birth Elche, Spain Name Jonathan Niguez Playing position Role Footballer | Years Team Height 1.74 m 2003–2004 Valencia C Weight 67 kg | |
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Full name Jonathan Niguez Esclapez Date of birth (1985-04-02) 2 April 1985 (age 30) Current team C.D. Feirense (#15 / Midfielder) | ||
Jonathan Ñíguez Esclápez (born 2 April 1985), commonly known as Jony, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for CD Alcoyano.
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Having begun his career in the reserve teams of Valencia, Real Madrid and Villarreal, he later became a journeyman.
Football career
Jony was born in Elche, Valencian Community. With the exception of one Segunda División game with Real Madrid Castilla he played until the age of 26 in lower league football, representing mainly Real Madrid C and Ontinyent CF.
In the summer of 2011, Jony returned to the second level with CD Guadalajara, playing 33 games (26 starts) as his new team went on to retain their newly acquired league status. He scored his first goal during the following season, but in a 1–5 home loss against Girona FC on 25 August 2012.
On 2 August 2013, following Guadalajara's relegation due to financial irregularities, Jony stayed in division two by signing for two years with AD Alcorcón. He made 25 competitive appearances over the campaign, being sent off in the penultimate fixture on 3 May 2014, a 1–0 win over Sporting de Gijón at the Estadio Santo Domingo.
Jony moved abroad for the first time on 4 July 2014, signing a two-year deal at Portuguese club Rio Ave FC. He was not included in their squad for that year's Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, nor did he feature at all in the UEFA Europa League, his input eventually consisting of three official matches; his sole Primeira Liga appearance came on 17 May 2015 in the penultimate game of the season, coming on as a substitute for Diego Lopes for the final two minutes of a 0–4 loss at C.S. Marítimo.
Jony then joined CD Feirense, making one Taça da Liga appearance and two unused substitute roles in the Segunda Liga before he and Otávio Guariente had the contracts cancelled. He resumed his career on 10 February 2016, in Slovenia at FC Koper, and turned down an approach by CD Alcoyano in June.
On 8 June 2016, Jony's contract with Koper was mutually terminated.
Personal life
Jony comes from a football family: his father, José Antonio, played several years with Elche CF – including the 1984–85 season in La Liga – as a striker.
His younger brother, Aarón (another midfielder), was also brought up at Valencia, spending his entire senior career in the lower leagues. The youngest, Saúl, was brought up at Atlético Madrid.