Carlos Llorens

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Carlos Llorens

| image =

| fullname = Carlos Llorens Mestre

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|9|1|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Alicante, Spain

| height = 1.77 m

| position = Left-back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Valencia

| years1 = 1991–1992

| years2 = 1992–1993

| years3 = 1993–1994

| years4 = 1994–1995

| years5 = 1995–1997

| years6 = 1997–1998

| years7 = 1998–2000

| years8 = 2000–2002

| years9 = 2001

| years10 = 2001–2002

| years11 = 2002–2003

| years12 = 2003–2006

| years13 = 2006–2009

| clubs1 = Tomelloso

| clubs2 = Cartagena

| clubs3 = Elche

| clubs4 = Levante

| clubs5 = Lleida

| clubs6 = Leganés

| clubs7 = Rayo Vallecano

| clubs8 = Atlético Madrid

| clubs9 = → Osasuna (loan)

| clubs10 = → Alavés (loan)

| clubs11 = Alavés

| clubs12 = Poli Ejido

| clubs13 = Rayo Vallecano

| caps1 = 36

| caps2 = 22

| caps3 = 28

| caps4 = 33

| caps5 = 61

| caps6 = 40

| caps7 = 69

| caps8 = 12

| caps9 = 19

| caps10 = 36

| caps11 = 35

| caps12 = 99

| caps13 = 83

| totalcaps = 573

| goals1 = 3

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 1

| goals4 = 1

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 10

| goals7 = 9

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 0

| goals10 = 6

| goals11 = 1

| goals12 = 0

| goals13 = 7

| totalgoals = 38

}}

Carlos Llorens Mestre (born 1 September 1969) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a left-back.

A player of attacking penchant, he was also a penalty kick specialist. He played for 11 teams during his career, amassing La Liga totals of 125 games and 11 goals with Rayo Vallecano, Osasuna and Alavés and retiring at the age of 40.

Club career

Born in Alicante, Valencian Community, Llorens had to wait until the age of 26 to make his professional debut, in the Segunda División with UE Lleida. He went on to establish himself in that tier with CD Leganés and Rayo Vallecano, winning a promotion with the latter, a club to which he would later be intimately connected; his first match in La Liga arrived at almost 30 in a 2–0 derby win at Atlético Madrid on 22 August 1999{{cite news|url=http://elpais.com/diario/1999/08/23/deportes/935359238_850215.html|title=El Rayo saca los colores a Ranieri|trans-title=Rayo drain Ranieri|newspaper=El País|first=José|last=Miguelez|language=Spanish|date=23 August 1999|accessdate=25 February 2016}}– Rayo finished the season ninth and qualified for the UEFA Cup via the fair play award.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/01b5-0e6d876ef9fd-3dc064ae455a-1000--ramos-sees-hard-work-pay-off/|title=Ramos sees hard work pay off|publisher=UEFA|first=Michael|last=Harrold|date=10 May 2006|accessdate=4 November 2022}}

In the summer of 2000, unwilling to leave the club, Llorens was nonetheless part of a package deal that sent him to precisely Atlético, by then in the second division.{{cite web|url=http://www.rayoherald.com/?p=1133|title=Yo también fui rayista (I)|trans-title=I was also rayista (I)|publisher=Rayo Herald|language=Spanish|date=14 March 2006|accessdate=12 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060210/http://www.rayoherald.com/?p=1133|archive-date=21 September 2013}} In January 2001, however, he returned to the top flight with CA Osasuna on loan.{{cite news|url=http://elpais.com/diario/2000/12/28/deportes/977958003_850215.html|title=Llorens, cedido a Osasuna|trans-title=Llorens, loaned to Osasuna|newspaper=El País|language=Spanish|date=28 December 2000|accessdate=21 May 2014}} Subsequently, he experienced two very different seasons at Deportivo Alavés:{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2001/07/16/mas_futbol/995340884_850215.html|title=Llorens, presentado como nuevo jugador del Alavés|trans-title=Llorens, presented as new player of Alavés|newspaper=Diario AS|language=Spanish|date=16 July 2001|accessdate=4 November 2022}} in his first he scored six goals in 36 games, four from penalties,{{cite news|url=https://as.com/masdeporte/2001/12/07/polideportivo/1007702167_850215.html|title=Llorens, un maestro desde los 11 metros|trans-title=Llorens, 11-meter maestro|newspaper=Diario AS|first=José|last=Damián González|language=Spanish|date=7 December 2001|accessdate=4 November 2022}} and the Basque team qualified for Europe once again, but suffered relegation the following campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.noticiasdealava.eus/alaves/2021/06/05/fuertes-declaraciones-llorens-epilogo-desastre-1105757.html|title=Fuertes declaraciones de Llorens, epílogo a un desastre colectivo con descenso|trans-title=Harsh statements by Llorens, epilogue to a collective disaster with relegation|newspaper=Noticias de Álava|first=Emilio|last=Quílez|language=Spanish|date=5 June 2021|accessdate=4 November 2022}}

After three additional seasons in division two with modest Polideportivo Ejido,{{cite news|url=https://www.nacion.com/puro-deporte/poli-presenta-a-ex-alavesista-carlos-llorens/Y3OLUSLNRFHDNOEEIDHKH5XTAA/story/|title="Poli" presenta a ex alavesista Carlos Llorens|trans-title="Poli" present former Alavés man Carlos Llorens|newspaper=La Nación|language=Spanish|date=18 July 2003|accessdate=4 November 2022}} Llorens returned to Rayo at 37, helping it to return to the second tier in his second year.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2008/08/25/mas_futbol/1219645640_850215.html|title=Llorens: "El ascenso era una necesidad"|trans-title=Llorens: "To promote was a necessity"|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Fran|last=Galván|language=Spanish|date=25 August 2008|accessdate=4 November 2022}} In the following year, as the Madrid side eventually finished in mid-table, he was still going strong, aged nearly 40;{{cite news|url=http://archivo.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/2a_division/es/desarrollo/1163964.html|title=El "abuelo" de la liga española está hecho un chaval|trans-title=Spanish league's "granpa" looks like a young kid|newspaper=Marca|first=Julia|last=Del Mar|language=Spanish|date=12 September 2008|accessdate=2 July 2009}} he finished his second stint in June 2009, retiring shortly after with professional totals of 395 matches and 27 goals.