Profile Fernando Llorente

Personal information

Full name : Fernando Llorente Torres
Date of birth : February 26, 1985
Place of birth : Pamplona, Spain
Height : 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position : Striker
Current club : Athletic Bilbao
Number : 9
Youth career :
1994–1995 FC Funes
1995–1996 River Ebro
1996–2003 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career :
2003–2004 Baskonia
2004–2005 Bilbao Athletic
2005– Athletic Bilbao
National team :
2003 Spain U17
2005 Spain U20
2005–2006 Spain U21
2008– Spain
Club career

Llorente performing for Athletic Bilbao against Hércules, during which he scored the former goal of 2010–11. Though born within Pamplona, Navarre, Llorente evolved up within the municipality of Rincón de Soto within La Rioja.] He attended Athletic de Bilbao's youth system within 1996, at the age of 11, being eligible across his Navarrese roots. He spent numerous seasons within the various junior grades of the club, transporting within 2003 towards CD Baskonia of the fourth category, effectively an Athletic youth team, and also a feeder club since 1997. Llorente scored 12 goals within 33 impressions for Baskonia, paving distance for his promotion towards Bilbao Athletic, Athletic's reserve team, otherwise within Segunda División B. After featuring within 16 toys and scoring four goals for the Bilbao Athletic within the former halves of season, Llorente was honored with a contract extension until June 2008. On January 16, 2005, he made his first-team debut within a 1–1 house draw against RCD Espanyol. Three days afterwards, within a Spanish Cup match with UD Lanzarote, Llorente scored a hat-trick within a 6–0 victory, and would go onto towards feature within everybody but five of the 19 remaining league toys whilst scoring three goals, and also featuring within four Cup fits and the UEFA Cup toy against FK Austria Wien.

Before the 2005–06 season, Llorente's squad number was heralded from number 32 towards 9. He scored within the gate day, a Basque derby 3–0 victory against Real Sociedad. Throughout the season, Llorente located goals steely towards arrive via, which could be partly attributed towards a series of stings incorporating a knee stress, gastroenteritis, and a muscle injury. He ended the season with just four goals, two within the league and as much within the Cup, against CE L'Hospitalet.

On July 13, 2006, Llorente signed a novel contract with Athletic until June 2011, which covered a buy-out clause of between €30 and 50 million. He activated the season as arguably the club's fourth-choice striker, rear Aritz Aduriz, Joseba Etxeberria and veteran Ismael Urzaiz. Athletic's destitute form and scarcity of goals ruled towards then-coach Félix Sarriugarte into rotating the musicians, allowing Llorente towards drag his distance back into the side. Llorente ended the season with alone two goals within 23 fits, although he did score an meaningful goal within the concluding minutes of a 1–1 away draw with Valencia CF.
In preparation for the 2007–08 season, Llorente scored six goals within as a lot pre-season toys, and another against CD Numancia within the Caja Duero Trophy. His form ruled towards him becoming Athletic's first-choice forward, and although he activated the season unfavourably, he ended it with a gross of 11 league goals for a side that ceased within mid-table. His tally covered four goals within two toys against Valencia, both impressive victories, and further knocks against FC Barcelona, Villarreal CF and Atlético de Madrid.

Prior towards 2008–09, Llorente was optimistic of a successful season. "I know that I am capable of scoring goals and having a nice year and I need towards activate this term within the equivalent form that I ended the last one in" he said. Despite Athletic's modest activate towards the season, he netted 14 league goals - a career-best - with another four within the Cup, assisting his team extend the final against Barcelona (1–4 loss).
In the 2009–10 season, Llorente again netted within replicate figures; furthermore, he ruled everybody scorers within the Europa League for a lengthy period, with eight goals. He added 14 within the league as Athletic ceased within eighth position. On 28 August 2010, Llorente scored the former goal of 2010–11, within a 1–0 victory at Hércules CF. His form persisted within the next ten league fixtures, as he located the net seven times.


International career

Llorente (right, with number 16, spotted via Peter Crouch) moments ahead of his former goal for the Spanish national team.
Llorente portrayed Spain at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. His five goals ruled him towards victory the silver shoe as the competition's second highest scorer, and he was also capped at under-18 and u-19 levels.On November 14, 2008, senior national team executive Vicente del Bosque branded Llorente for a friendly against Chile. He was carried onto as a spare within the 72nd minute of a 3–0 win. He scored his former goal within a 2–0 friendly victory again England, onto 11 February 2009, arriving onto from the bench towards score within the 64th minute. After scoring 14 goals for Athletic within 2008–09, del Bosque named Llorente within his 23-man squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He arrived from the bench against against hosts South Africa, and scored within a 2–0 victory.

During the 2009–10 season, Llorente was not called-up once, as del Bosque favoured Álvaro Negredo. However, he would be appointed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, also within South Africa, as third-choice striker, whereas he performed within one match for the long-term champions: the last thirty minutes of the 1–0 round of 16 victory against Portugal.Additionally, Llorente was branded numerous moments via the Basque Country national football team. He scored one goal for the tricolor within a match against Catalonia at the Camp Nou, within 2006.
On eight October 2010, benefitting from the sting of Fernando Torres, Llorente activated within a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Lithuania, within Salamanca. With two headers - his strongest asset - he contributed prominently within a 3–1 win; four days afterwards, arriving from the bench, he scored the winner against Scotland, for a 3–2 success at Hampden Park.