David Rocha

{{Infobox football biography

| name = David Rocha

| image =

| fullname = David Mateos Rocha

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|2|7|df=y}}

| birth_place = Cáceres, Spain

| height = {{height|m=1.79}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Mérida (sporting director)

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Cacereño

| years1 = 2003–2005 | clubs1 = Cacereño | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 2005–2008 | clubs2 = Villarreal B | caps2 = | goals2 =

| years3 = 2008 | clubs3 = Cartagena | caps3 = 13 | goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2008–2011 | clubs4 = Cacereño | caps4 = 96 | goals4 = 17

| years5 = 2011–2013 | clubs5 = Albacete | caps5 = 79 | goals5 = 6

| years6 = 2013–2016 | clubs6 = Gimnàstic | caps6 = 99 | goals6 = 16

| years7 = 2016 | clubs7 = Houston Dynamo | caps7 = 4 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2016–2018 | clubs8 = Oviedo | caps8 = 63 | goals8 = 3

| years9 = 2018–2019 | clubs9 = Gimnàstic | caps9 = 18 | goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2019 | clubs10 = Almería | caps10 = 10 | goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2019–2021 | clubs11 = Extremadura | caps11 = 30 | goals11 = 1

| years12 = 2021–2022 | clubs12 = Mérida | caps12 = 28 | goals12 = 0

| totalcaps = 396 | totalgoals = 36

| manageryears1 = 2023 | managerclubs1 = Mérida (caretaker)

| manageryears2 = 2023–2024 | managerclubs2 = Mérida

}}

David Mateos Rocha (born 7 February 1985) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central midfielder, and the sporting director of Mérida AD.

Club career

Born in Cáceres, Extremadura, Rocha started playing football in CP Cacereño's youth system, and made his debuts as a senior in the 2002–03 campaign, in Segunda División B. In 2005, he moved to Villarreal CF B in Tercera División, appearing regularly for the side.

On 11 January 2008 Rocha joined FC Cartagena in the third level.{{cite web|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2008/01/11/mas_futbol/1200036432_850215.html|title=Rocha, nuevo interior diestro del Cartagena|trans-title=Rocha, new right winger of Cartagena|publisher=Diario AS|language=es|date=11 January 2008|accessdate=20 June 2015}} On 15 July he returned to Cacereño, with the side now in the fourth division,{{cite web|url=http://www.hoy.es/20080715/deportes/tercera-a/cacereno-presenta-oficialmente-primeros-20080715.html|title=El CP Cacereño presenta oficialmente a sus dos primeros refuerzos, Rocha y Rai|trans-title=CP Cacereño officially presents its two first additions, Rocha and Rai|publisher=Hoy|language=es|date=15 July 2008|accessdate=20 June 2015}} winning promotion in his first season.

On 14 July 2011 Rocha signed for Albacete Balompié, after being team captain at his previous club.{{cite web|url=http://www.elperiodicoextremadura.com/noticias/deportes/david-rocha-ya-excapitan-cacereno-firma-albacete_594345.html|title=David Rocha, ya excapitán del Cacereño, firma por el Albacete|trans-title=David Rocha, already former captain of Cacereño, signs for Albacete|publisher=El Periódico de Extremadura|language=es|date=14 July 2011|accessdate=20 June 2015}} On 26 June 2013 he moved to fellow third division side Gimnàstic de Tarragona, signing a two-year deal.{{cite web|url=http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.com/cat2/act-noticia.php?id=5398¬icia|title=David Mateos Rocha es converteix en jugador del Nàstic|trans-title=David Mateos Rocha becomes a Nàstic player|publisher=Gimnàstic's official website|language=ca|date=26 June 2013|accessdate=20 June 2015}}

On 19 June 2015, after winning promotion to Segunda División with Nàstic, Rocha renewed his link until 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.com/cat2/es/act-noticia.php?id=6510¬icia|title=David Rocha, renovado|trans-title=David Rocha, renewed|publisher=Gimnàstic's official website|language=es|date=19 June 2015|accessdate=20 June 2015}} He made his professional debut on 23 August, starting in a 2–2 home draw against former club Albacete.{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/2015/08/23/futbol/equipos/nastic/1440365014.html|title=El Gimnástic remonta in extremis al Albacete|trans-title=Gimnástic comes back in extremis against Albacete|publisher=Marca|language=es|date=23 August 2015|accessdate=23 August 2015}}

On 21 January 2016 Rocha moved abroad for the first time in his career, after agreeing to a three-year deal with Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo.{{cite web|url=http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.com/cat2/es/act-noticia.php?id=6797|title=David Rocha se despide de la familia grana|trans-title=David Rocha bids farewell from the grana family|publisher=Gimnàstic's official website|language=es|date=21 January 2016|accessdate=23 January 2016}} On 6 July 2016, he mutually terminated his contract with Dynamo after alleging "family reasons".{{cite web|url=http://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2016/07/06/houston-dynamo-part-ways-david-rocha-leonel-miranda-loan-expires |title=Houston Dynamo part ways with David Rocha; Leonel Miranda loan expires|publisher=Houston Dynamo|date=6 July 2016|accessdate=6 July 2016}}

On 11 July 2016 Rocha returned to Spain and its second tier, after agreeing to a two-year deal with Real Oviedo.{{cite web|url=http://www.realoviedo.es/noticia/david-rocha-nuevo-jugador-del-real-oviedo|title=David Rocha, nuevo jugador del Real Oviedo|trans-title=David Rocha, new player of Real Oviedo|publisher=Real Oviedo|language=es|date=11 July 2016|accessdate=11 July 2016}} On 4 July 2018 he terminated his contract,{{cite web|url=http://www.realoviedo.es/noticia/rescision-de-david-rocha|title=Rescisión de David Rocha|trans-title=Rescision of David Rocha|publisher=Real Oviedo|language=es|date=4 July 2018|access-date=5 July 2018}} and returned to Gimnàstic just hours later.{{cite web|url=http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.cat/david-rocha-torna-al-gimnastic-de-tarragona/|title=David Rocha torna al Gimnàstic de Tarragona|trans-title=David Rocha returns to Gimnàstic de Tarragona|publisher=Gimnàstic Tarragona|language=ca|date=4 July 2018|access-date=5 July 2018}}

Rocha cut ties with Nàstic on 24 January 2019,{{cite web|url=http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.cat/el-nastic-i-david-rocha-rescindeixen-el-contracte/|title=El Nàstic i David Rocha rescindeixen el contracte|trans-title=Nàstic and David Rocha rescind the contract|publisher=Gimnàstic Tarragona|language=ca|date=24 January 2019|access-date=26 January 2019}} and signed a short-term deal with fellow league team UD Almería just hours later.{{cite web|url=http://www.udalmeriasad.com/noticia/david-rocha-se-convierte-en-el-segundo-fichaje-del-mercado-de-invierno|title=David Rocha se convierte en el segundo fichaje del mercado de invierno|trans-title=David Rocha becomes the second winter signing|publisher=UD Almería|language=es|date=24 January 2019|accessdate=26 January 2019}} On 2 July, he signed a two-year contract with Extremadura UD, still in the second division.{{cite web|url=https://www.extremaduraud.com/david-rocha-es-azulgrana/|title=David Rocha es azulgrana|trans-title=David Rocha is red-and-blue|publisher=Extremadura UD|language=es|date=2 July 2019|accessdate=5 July 2019}}