Álex Menéndez

Alejandro 'Álex' Menéndez Díez (born 15 July 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Xerez Deportivo FC as either a left-back or a left winger.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Menéndez and the second or maternal family name is Díez.
Álex Menéndez
Personal information
Full name Alejandro Menéndez Díez[1]
Date of birth (1991-07-15) 15 July 1991[1]
Place of birth Gijón, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back, winger
Team information
Current team
 Xerez Deportivo
Youth career
1996–2003 Astur
2003–2010 Sporting Gijón
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2014 Sporting Gijón B 106 (1)
2011–2016 Sporting Gijón 57 (2)
2016 Girona 0 (0)
2017–2018 Reus 31 (0)
2018–2020 Aris 11 (0)
2019 → Córdoba (loan) 15 (0)
2021 Zamora 8 (0)
2022 Salamanca 16 (1)
2023– Xerez Deportivo 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:34, 13 April 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Menéndez was born in Gijón, Asturias. A product of Sporting de Gijón's prolific youth academy who started playing as a left winger,[2] he made his senior debut in the 2010–11 season, playing 21 games in the Segunda División B for the reserves,[3] who initially suffered relegation but were later reinstated.

Menéndez first appeared officially with the main squad on 13 December 2011, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against RCD Mallorca in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.[4] On 1 May of the following year he made his La Liga debut, again playing the entire 2–3 home loss to Villarreal CF that all but signified the first team's relegation after a four-year stay.[5]

On 13 August 2013, Menéndez signed a new three-year deal with the club.[6] In summer 2014 he was definitely promoted to Sporting's first team, now in the Segunda División.

Menéndez scored his first professional goal on 20 September 2015, closing a 3–2 away victory over Deportivo de La Coruña.[7] His second came two rounds later in another away fixture that ended in win, 2–1 at RCD Espanyol.[8]

On 30 July 2016, Menéndez signed a two-year contract with second-tier Girona FC, as a free agent.[9] On 8 August, however, after suffering a severe knee injury, he was released.[10]

On 13 July 2017, Menéndez agreed to a two-year deal at CF Reus Deportiu of the same league.[11] He first moved abroad in the summer of 2018, joining Aris Thessaloniki F.C. from Greece on a two-year contract.[12]

Menéndez returned to Spain on 31 January 2019, after signing a six-month loan deal with division two club Córdoba CF.[13]

Career statistics
As of 5 August 2019[14][15]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sporting Gijón 2011–12 La Liga 2020——40
2012–13 Segunda División 4020——60
2013–14 6010——70
2014–15 24000——240
2015–16 La Liga 21220——232
Total 57270——642
Reus 2017–18 Segunda División 31010——320
Aris 2018–19 Super League Greece 11030——140
2019–20 0000——00
Total 1103000—140
Córdoba (loan) 2018–19 Segunda División 15000——150
Career total 1142110000012511

References
  1. Álex Menéndez at AS.com (in Spanish)
  2. Alex Menéndez, o como nunca dejar de soñar (Alex Menéndez, or how to never stop dreaming); Vavel, 9 October 2015 (in Spanish)
  3. El Sporting B de Javi Vidales arranca esta mañana (Javi Vidales' Sporting B get going this morning); La Nueva España, 15 July 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. Muñiz, gol de bandera (Muñiz, wonder goal); Marca, 13 December 2011 (in Spanish)
  5. El Villarreal se declara inocente y condena al Sporting (Villarreal plead not guilty and condemn Sporting); Marca, 1 May 2012 (in Spanish)
  6. Álex Menéndez renueva con el Sporting (Álex Menéndez renews with Sporting); El Desmarque, 13 August 2013 (in Spanish)
  7. El Sporting se estrena en Riazor (Sporting start counting in Riazor); Marca, 20 September 2015 (in Spanish)
  8. Álex Menéndez vuelve a valer tres puntos (Álex Menéndez equals three points again); Marca, 3 October 2015 (in Spanish)
  9. Álex Menéndez, nou fitxatge del Girona FC (Álex Menéndez, new signing of Girona FC); Girona FC, 30 July 2016 (in Catalan)
  10. El Girona vol anul·lar el contracte d'Álex Menéndez (Girona want to nullify contract of Álex Menéndez); Diari de Girona, 8 August 2016 (in Catalan)
  11. Álex Menéndez, nou jugador del CF Reus (Álex Menéndez, new player of CF Reus); Reus Deportiu, 13 July 2017 (in Catalan)
  12. "Ανακοίνωσε και Μενέντεθ ο Άρης" [Menéndez also announced at Aris] (in Greek). Sport 24. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  13. "Álex Menéndez, nuevo jugador del Córdoba Club de Fútbol" [Álex Menéndez, new player of Córdoba Club de Fútbol] (in Spanish). Córdoba CF. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  14. Álex Menéndez at Soccerway
  15. Álex Menéndez at FBref.com
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