Francis Suárez (footballer)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Suárez and the second or maternal family name is Arteaga.
Francis Suárez
Suárez training with Las Palmas in 2009
Personal information
Full name Francisco Manuel Suárez Arteaga
Date of birth (1987-01-06) 6 January 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth Las Palmas, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Las Palmas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Las Palmas B 33 (12)
2005–2006 → Castillo (loan) 28 (2)
2007–2013 Las Palmas 76 (2)
2010–2011 → Ponferradina (loan) 7 (1)
2014 Inter Turku 20 (2)
2016 Izarra 12 (2)
2016–2017 Songkhla United 25 (6)
2018–2019 Izarra 16 (0)
Total 217 (27)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francisco "Francis" Manuel Suárez Arteaga (born 6 January 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Club career

Born in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Suárez came through local Las Palmas' youth system, making his senior debut with neighbouring Castillo whilst on loan. Upon his return, he then spent one full season with the B team, in the Tercera División. On 7 January 2007, he made his first official appearance for the main squad, coming on as a 70th-minute substitute in a 2–2 Segunda División away draw against Salamanca.[1]

In the following seven campaigns, with the club always in the second tier, Suárez acted almost exclusively as a backup, his best output consisting of 20 games in 2007–08. He scored the first of only three competitive goals during his tenure on 14 November 2007, in a 2–4 home loss to Villarreal in the Copa del Rey.[2]

Suárez was loaned to Ponferradina of the same league for 2010–11,[3] appearing in only one sixth of the matches[4] and also suffering team relegation. In the 2013–14 season, he was not even given a jersey number[5] and, in June 2014, left to sign with Inter Turku in the Finnish Veikkausliiga.[6]

Suárez scored in his first-ever game in top flight football, helping Inter to a 2–1 home win over Turun Palloseura on 8 June 2014.[7]

Personal life

Suárez's twin brother, Sergio, was also a footballer and a midfielder, and both played mostly for Las Palmas during their careers.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ Sánchez, Teresa (8 January 2007). "El Salamanca no sentencia" [Salamanca fail to close it]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  2. ^ "El Villarreal ganó y Las Palmas dio la cara" [Villarreal won and Las Palmas put up a fight]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 November 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Diego León rescinde contrato y Francis Suárez, cedido a la Ponferradina" [Diego León has contract terminated and Francis Suárez, loaned to Ponferradina]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 24 August 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  4. ^ Dargel, Jorge (1 September 2010). "Francis Suárez estará de baja entre seis y ocho semanas" [Francis Suárez to miss six to eight weeks]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  5. ^ Hernández, Miguel (3 September 2013). "¿Año sabático para David González y los gemelos Suárez?" [Sabbatical year for David González and the Suárez twins?] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas Fansite. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  6. ^ Hernández, Miguel (6 June 2014). "Francis Suárez ficha por el Inter Turku de Finlandia" [Francis Suárez signs for Finland's Inter Turku] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas Fansite. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Francis Suárez marca en su debut en Finlandia" [Francis Suárez scores in his debut in Finland] (in Spanish). Tinta Amarilla. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  8. ^ "The game's terrible twins". FIFA. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  9. ^ Suárez, Iván (28 October 2010). "Sergio Suárez desea un reencuentro con su hermano" [Sergio Suárez wishes to meet his brother again]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2015.