Alfonso Pedraza
Pedraza with Villarreal in 2018
Personal information
Full name Alfonso Pedraza Sag[1]
Date of birth (1996-04-09) 9 April 1996 (age 27)[1]
Place of birth San Sebastián de los Ballesteros, Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back, winger
Team information
Current team
 Villarreal
Number 24
Youth career
Séneca
2011–2015 Villarreal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015 Villarreal C 1 (0)
2015–2016 Villarreal B 41 (7)
2015– Villarreal 128 (8)
2016–2017 → Lugo (loan) 23 (6)
2017 → Leeds United (loan) 14 (1)
2017–2018 → Alavés (loan) 33 (3)
2019–2020 → Betis (loan) 21 (1)
International career‡
2015 Spain U19 7 (3)
2016–2019 Spain U21 14 (0)
2023– Spain 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:10, 16 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:31, 16 October 2023 (UTC)

Alfonso Pedraza Sag (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈfonso peˈðɾasa]; born 9 April 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back or left winger for La Liga club Villarreal and the Spain national team.

Formed at Villarreal, he went on to play as a senior for that club as well as Lugo, Leeds United, Alavés and Betis. He won the 2020–21 Europa League with Villarreal.

Pedraza won the 2019 European Under-21 Championship with Spain. He made his full debut in 2023.

Club career

Born in San Sebastián de los Ballesteros, Córdoba, Andalusia, Pedraza joined Villarreal CF's youth setup in 2011 at the age of 15, after starting out at Séneca CF.[2] In January 2015, he was promoted to the former's C team in the Tercera División.

Pedraza made his Segunda División B debut on 11 January 2015, appearing as a second-half substitute for the reserves in a 2–2 away draw against CF Reus Deportiu.[3] He scored his first goal on 1 March, the game's only in a home victory over CD Atlético Baleares.[4]

On 5 April 2015, after being already a regular with the B's and being called up to the main squad by manager Marcelino García Toral,[5] Pedraza made his professional – and La Liga – debut, replacing Jonathan dos Santos in the 72nd minute of a 0–0 draw at Valencia CF.[6] On 28 July 2016, he was loaned to Segunda División side CD Lugo for one year,[7] scoring his first professional goal on 21 August by netting the first in a 2–2 away draw with Gimnàstic de Tarragona.[8] He ended the season with six successful strikes and eight assists, helping to a final ninth position.[9][10]

On 31 January 2017, Pedraza joined Leeds United on loan until the end of the campaign,[11] with Villarreal paying Lugo £300,000 in order to cancel his contract with them – the deal with the English side included an option to buy for £8.5 million in May, provided they won promotion from the EFL Championship.[12] After featuring from the bench in his debut, a 2–1 loss at Huddersfield Town,[13] he scored his first goal on 3 March in a 3–1 away win over Birmingham City;[14] as the team could only rank seventh, he returned to the Estadio de la Cerámica.[15]

On 5 July 2017, still owned by Villarreal, Pedraza signed with Deportivo Alavés for one year with a buyout clause.[16] He scored his first goal in the Spanish top flight on 21 January 2018, putting the hosts ahead 2–0 in an eventual 2–2 home draw against CD Leganés.[17]

Upon returning from loan, Pedraza was regularly deployed as a left-back by manager Javier Calleja, and was definitely included in Villarreal's first team.[18] On 4 November 2018, he scored his first goal for the club to earn a 1–1 home draw against Levante UD in local derby.[19] The following 14 February, he scored the only goal after three minutes in a win at Sporting CP in the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League.[20]

On 16 July 2019, Pedraza moved to Real Betis on a one-year loan, with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.[21] From December to March, he suffered from muscular and Achilles tendon injuries.[22] His only goal for the Seville-based side came on 8 July 2020 in a 3–0 home win over CA Osasuna that ensured another season in the top flight;[23] on 24 September he extended his contract until 2025, after having his role in the team guaranteed by new manager Unai Emery.[24]

International career

In 2015, Pedraza was part of the Spain under-19 squad that won the UEFA European Championship.[25] He earned his first cap for the under-21s on 24 March 2016 of the following year, coming on for Dani Ceballos early in the second half of an eventual 0–3 home loss against Croatia in the 2017 European Championship qualifiers.[26] In the 2019 edition of the latter tournament, he appeared in the 2–1 group-stage win over Belgium for the eventual champions.[27][28]

Pedraza made his full debut on 15 October 2023, playing ten minutes as a left winger in the 1–0 victory in Norway for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying phase after replacing Ferran Torres.[29][30]

Style of play

Pedraza played mainly as a left winger, but could also operate on the opposite flank cutting inside or as a forward. His style of play was compared to Gareth Bale due to his speed running with the ball, as well as his strength and ability to take on defenders.[31]

Spanish football expert Guillem Balagué described Pedraza upon signing for Leeds: "It’s one of the most exciting transfers of the winter... He’s a 20-year-old, he mirrors himself on Denis Cheryshev – a winger who goes forward and works really hard. And he’s a goalscorer".[32]

Career statistics

As of match played 8 October 2023[33][34]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Villarreal B 2014–15 Segunda División B 13 1 — — — 13 1
2015–16 Segunda División B 28 6 — — 2[a] 0 30 6
Total 41 7 0 0 0 0 2 0 43 7
Villarreal 2014–15 La Liga 2 0 0 0 — — 2 0
2015–16 La Liga 2 0 0 0 1[b] 0 — 3 0
2018–19 La Liga 34 3 3 0 8[b] 1 — 45 4
2020–21 La Liga 29 1 3 1 12[b] 0 — 44 2
2021–22 La Liga 28 4 2 0 10[c] 0 1[d] 0 41 4
2022–23 La Liga 26 0 1 0 2[e] 1 — 29 1
2023–24 La Liga 7 0 0 0 2[b] 0 — 9 0
Total 128 8 9 1 35 2 1 0 173 11
Lugo (loan) 2016–17 Segunda División 23 6 0 0 — — 23 6
Leeds United (loan) 2016–17 Championship 14 1 0 0 — — 14 1
Alavés (loan) 2017–18 La Liga 33 3 4 1 — — 37 4
Betis (loan) 2019–20 La Liga 21 1 0 0 — — 21 1
Career total 260 26 13 2 35 2 3 0 311 30
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in Segunda División B promotion play-offs
  2. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
  5. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Villarreal

Spain U19

Spain U21

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c "A. Pedraza". Villarreal CF. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. ^ "El eballense Alfonso Pedraza debuta con el Villarreal ante el Valencia" [Eballense Alfonso Pedraza debuts with Villarreal against Valencia] (in Spanish). Minuto 90. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Empate del filial que sabe a poco (2–2)" [Reserves draw leaves bad taste in mouth (2–2)] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 11 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  4. ^ "El Villarreal B continúa su escalada (1–0)" [Villarreal B continue to climb] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 1 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Alfonso Pedraza, talento a raudales" [Alfonso Pedraza, talent in abundance] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  6. ^ Campos, Tomás (5 April 2015). "El Villarreal frena la euforia valencianista" [Villarreal stop Valencia euphoria]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Alfonso Pedraza, nuevo jugador del CD Lugo" [Alfonso Pedraza, new player of CD Lugo] (in Spanish). CD Lugo. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. ^ "El Lugo desperdició una ventaja de dos goles y el Nástic rescató un punto" [Lugo threw away a two-goal advantage and Nàstic rescued a point]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  9. ^ Sobot, Lee (31 January 2017). "Leeds United: Who is Alfonso Pedraza?". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  10. ^ Pérez de Guereñu, Aitor (24 July 2017). "Análisis: Alfonso Pedraza, un extremo a la antigua usanza" [Analysis: Alfonso Pedraza, an old-school winger] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Pedraza joins in loan deal". Leeds United F.C. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  12. ^ Hay, Phil (31 January 2017). "Leeds United: Villarreal winger Pedraza due to join Whites on loan". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  13. ^ Morgan, Richard (7 February 2017). "Huddersfield Town 2–1 Leeds United: Michael Hefele's late strike sends hosts up to fourth". Sky Sports. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  14. ^ Scott, Ged (3 March 2017). "Birmingham City 1–3 Leeds United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  15. ^ "2017/18 retained list". Leeds United F.C. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  16. ^ "Alfonso jugará cedido en el Deportivo Alavés" [Alfonso will play on loan at Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 5 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  17. ^ Pérez, José I. (21 January 2018). "Zaldua 'hunde' al Alavés" [Zaldua 'sinks' Alavés]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  18. ^ Badenes, Raül (8 August 2018). "Pedraza: "El míster me ve de lateral y me adapto a lo que necesite el equipo"" [Pedraza: "Boss sees me as a full-back and I adapt to what the team needs"]. El Periódico Mediterráneo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  19. ^ Chova, Edu (4 November 2018). "Pedraza salva al Villarreal del desastre en el último suspiro" [Pedraza saves Villarreal from disaster at the death]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  20. ^ Clancy, Conor (14 February 2019). "Early goal enough as Villarreal claim narrow win at Sporting CP". Marca. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  21. ^ Morán, Miguel Ángel (16 July 2019). "Official: Real Betis sign Alfonso Pedraza on loan". Marca. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  22. ^ "El guiño de LaLiga a Pedraza en su vuelta" [LaLiga's wink towards Pedraza on his return] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  23. ^ McTear, Euan (8 July 2020). "Real Betis secure their survival in style". Marca. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  24. ^ Mata, Javier (24 September 2020). "El Villarreal renueva a Alfonso Pedraza hasta 2025" [Villarreal renew Alfonso Pedraza until 2025]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  25. ^ a b Haslam, Andrew (19 July 2015). "Spain see off Russia for seventh Under-19 crown". UEFA. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  26. ^ "Croacia destroza a la Selección sub-21 y le complica mucho su clasificación a la Euro" [Croacia destroy under-21 national team and make their Euro qualification quite hard]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). 24 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  27. ^ García, Miguel Ángel (19 June 2019). "Fornals mantiene en pie a España" [Fornals keeps Spain standing]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  28. ^ a b Begley, Emlyn (30 June 2019). "Spain U21 2–1 Germany U21". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  29. ^ Pérez, Juande (15 October 2023). "Noruega 0–1 España: Gavi finiquita a Haaland y sella el pase a la Eurocopa 2024" [Norway 0–1 Spain: Gavi does Haaland in and seals qualification for Euro 2024]. Estadio Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  30. ^ Marcet, Jaume (15 October 2023). "El 1x1 del Noruega-España" [Norway-Spain 1x1]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  31. ^ Gaffney, Andrew (30 January 2017). "LaLiga: Leeds set to land the 'Spanish Bale' – but who is Alfonso Pedraza?". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  32. ^ Cambridge, James (31 January 2017). "Guillem Balague: Leeds set to complete exciting deadline-day transfer". Daily Express. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  33. ^ Alfonso Pedraza at BDFutbol
  34. ^ Alfonso Pedraza at Soccerway
  35. ^ Stone, Simon (26 May 2021). "Villarreal 1–1 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  36. ^ "UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season 2020/21". UEFA. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.

External links

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