Name Nicolas Frutos Years Team Role Football player | 2000–2002 Union de Santa Fe Height 1.96 m 2002–2003 San Lorenzo | |
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Full name Nicolas Alejandro Frutos Date of birth (1981-05-10) May 10, 1981 (age 34) | ||
Place of birth Santa Fe, Argentina | ||
Compilation Nicolas Frutos
Nicolás Alejandro Frutos (born May 10, 1981 in Santa Fe) is a former Argentine football striker who last played for R.S.C. Anderlecht. He obtained a transfer from Independiente on October 21, 2005 but was only allowed to play for Anderlecht since January 2006. He was a powerful striker who often plays as a target man with his height.
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Early career
Frutos started playing for Unión de Santa Fe and was later bought by San Lorenzo. Later Spanish club Las Palmas got him but after an unsuccessful season of only one goal Argentina's Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata brought him back. He found again his level catching Independiente's attention, whom he joined for the Apertura 2004, scoring 19 goals in 28 matches.
Nico was as of October 23, 2005 the top scorer of the Apertura 2005 with 9 goals in 11 matches, but he lost that position because he wasn't able to play for Independiente for the rest of the season.
Anderlecht
In his first season with R.S.C. Anderlecht, he scored 9 goals in the second half of the season, and conquered the 2005/06 Belgian League.
The 2006-07 season yielded more goals for Frutos, as he scored 17 goals in 27 appearances in both the Jupiler League and the UEFA Champions League. His goal-scoring was sorely missed in the early part of the 2007-08 season, until his return in the 2-2 draw against Roeselare, where he was a substitute and scored the goal that leveled the match. Frutos also scored two goals against Hapoel Tel Aviv FC in UEFA Cup group stage.
At the start of the 2009-10 season, he scored a goal against Turkish side Sivasspor during the third round qualifying match for the Champions League, after coming on as a substitute.
Retirement
He announced his retirement from professional football on 29 March 2010 at 28 due to a major injury on the Achilles tendon (tendinopathy) which prevents him from playing at a competitive level. One day after his retirement it was announced that he will eventually work as Scout for his last club R.S.C. Anderlecht.
Honours
Belgian League: 2006, 2007, 2010
Belgian Cup: 2008
Belgian Supercup: 2006, 2007