Javi Gómez (footballer, born 1982)

Javi Gómez
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier Gómez Torrijos
Date of birth (1982-07-23) 23 July 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Cuenca, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Mérida
Youth career
Conquense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2004 Conquense B
2001–2003 Conquense 11 (0)
2004–2005 La Roda 34 (20)
2005–2006 Gimnástico Alcázar 33 (7)
2006–2009 Conquense 106 (30)
2009–2010 Ceuta 14 (4)
2010 Eibar 13 (1)
2010–2011 Puertollano 23 (2)
2011–2012 Ontinyent 24 (7)
2012–2013 Villarrobledo 32 (11)
2013–2014 Lucena 36 (18)
2014–2015 UCAM Murcia 37 (7)
2015–2016 Socuéllamos 35 (15)
2016–2017 Toledo 31 (3)
2017–2018 Mérida 31 (5)
Total 460 (130)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gómez and the second or maternal family name is Torrijos.

Francisco Javier "Javi" Gómez Torrijos (born 23 July 1982) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward.

He never played higher than Segunda División B, where he totalled 310 games and 79 goals across 14 seasons in service of ten clubs. Gómez received international fame for a goal he scored from a long-range overhead kick for Socuéllamos in 2016.[1]

Football career

Gómez was born in Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, and began his career at hometown club UB Conquense.[2] He made his debut on 18 February 2001 as a second-half substitute in a 0–1 home loss in the 2000–01 Segunda División B, and had another cameo as they defeated CD Binéfar in a play-off to remain in the division.

In 2004, he left for Tercera División club La Roda CF, and spent the following season at CF Gimnástico Alcázar in the same division, before returning to Conquense, now also in the fourth tier. After a nine-goal season in the league above in 2008–09, he transferred to AD Ceuta on 17 June 2009, signing a one-year deal with the option for a second.[2] Halfway through his first campaign for the Caballa team, he reached an agreement to leave and switched to SD Eibar;[3] the Basques competed for the promotion play-offs.

Gómez spent the next two years at CD Puertollano[4] and Ontinyent CF, respectively. In 2013–14 he scored 18 goals for Lucena CF, including a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Arroyo CP on 10 November.[5]

After a play-off reaching season with UCAM Murcia CF, Gómez signed for UD Socuéllamos of his native region on 3 July 2015.[6] He received international recognition on 24 April when he scored the only goal of a home game against CD Toledo, through a 30-yard bicycle kick;[7][8][9][10][11][12] despite speculation, it was overlooked for the FIFA Puskás Award.[13] He moved to the latter club the following 24 June.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Javi Gómez (Yugo Socuéllamos) "Ha sido el gol mas importante de mi vida"" [Javi Gómez (Yugo Socuéllamos) "It was the most important goal of my life"] (in Spanish). Marca. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b "El delantero del Conquense, Javi Gómez, primer fichaje del Ceuta" [Conquense striker, Javi Gómez, Ceuta's first signing] (in Spanish). Ceutaldia. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Javi Gómez llega ilusionado al Eibar "donde hay un buen proyecto"" [Javi Gómez arrives excited at Eibar "where there is a good project"] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Aridani y Javi Gómez se unen al proyecto del Puertollano" [Aridaniand Javi Gómez join Puertollano's project] (in Spanish). Marca. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Tridimensional Javi Gómez" [Three-dimensional Javi Gómez] (in Spanish). Lucena Hoy. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  6. ^ "El conquense Javi Gómez (UCAM Murcia), nuevo delantero del Socuéllamos" [Cuenca-born Javi Gómez (UCAM Murcia), new striker for Socuéllamos] (in Spanish). ABC. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Spanish third-tier player Javi Gómez scores outrageous 30-yard bicycle kick". The Guardian. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  8. ^ "La magnifique "bicyclette" de Javi Gomez à 30 m du but" [Javi Gómez's magnificent "bicycle kick" from 30 m out] (in French). Ouest-France. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Das Bicicletta-Tor aus 30 Metern" [The 30-metre bicycle kick] (in German). 20 Minuten. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Gól roka? Španiel Javi Gómez vystrúhal parádne nožničky" [Goal of the Year? Spaniard Javi Gómez does a terrific bicycle kick] (in Slovak). Nový čas. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Calcio, gli spagnoli hanno scelto il golazo dell'anno: la rovesciata da centrocampo di Javi Gomez" [Football, the Spaniards have chosen the wondergoal of the year: Javi Gómez's bicycle kick from the middle of the pitch] (in Italian). Il Fatto Quotidiano. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  12. ^ "മുപ്പത് വാര അകലെ നിന്നൊരു മിസൈൽ ഗോൾ" [Take a missile from 30 yards from the goal] (in Malayalam). Mathrubhumi. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Saúl, Neymar, Mario Gaspar and Messi up for Puskás Award". Diario AS. 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Javi Gómez, refuerzo del CD Toledo para las dos próximas temporadas" [Javi Gómez, addition of CD Toledo for the following two seasons] (in Spanish). ABC. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.