In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Almunia and the second or maternal family name is Rivero.
Manuel Almunia
Almunia warming up for West Ham United in 2011
Personal information
Full name
Manuel Almunia Rivero[1]
Date of birth
(1977-05-19) 19 May 1977 (age 47)[2]
Place of birth
Pamplona, Spain[2]
Height
1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[3]
Position(s)
Goalkeeper[4]
Team information
Current team
Al Jazira (goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
Oberena
Senior career*
Years
Team
Apps
(Gls)
1995–1999
Osasuna B
46
(0)
1999–2000
Osasuna
0
(0)
1999–2000
→ Cartagonova (loan)
3
(0)
2000–2001
Sabadell
29
(0)
2001–2004
Celta
0
(0)
2001–2002
→ Eibar (loan)
35
(0)
2002–2003
→ Recreativo (loan)
2
(0)
2003–2004
→ Albacete (loan)
24
(0)
2004–2012
Arsenal
109
(0)
2011
→ West Ham United (loan)
4
(0)
2012–2014
Watford
76
(0)
Total
328
(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Manuel Almunia Rivero (born 19 May 1977) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He competed mainly in the Spanish lower leagues in his early years, only appearing in 26 La Liga games over the course of two seasons with Recreativo and Albacete, after starting out at Osasuna. Most of his professional career was spent with Arsenal, for whom he signed in 2004, going on to play 175 official matches and winning the 2005 FA Cup.[5] He also had a short loan spell at West Ham United.
In 2012, after his contract expired, Almunia joined Watford and played there for two years, following which he retired on medical advice.
^"List of players under written contract registered between 01/09/2011 and 30/09/2011" (PDF). The Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
^ ab"Manuel Almunia". Eurosport. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
^Manuel Almunia at Soccerbase
^"Manuel Almunia". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
^Okike, Tony (24 April 2012). "Tribute to Arsenal's Manuel Rivero Almunia: Loyalty against all odds". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
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