Ion Vélez

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ion Vélez

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Ion Vélez Martínez

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|2|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tafalla, Spain

| height = {{convert|1.84|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Peña Sport

| years1 = 2003–2004

| years2 = 2004–2005

| years3 = 2005–2007

| years4 = 2006–2007

| years5 = 2007–2011

| years6 = 2008

| years7 = 2011

| years8 = 2011–2013

| years9 = 2013–2015

| years10 = 2015–2016

| years11 = 2016–2019

| years12 = 2019–2020

| clubs1 = Peña Sport

| clubs2 = Basconia

| clubs3 = Bilbao Athletic

| clubs4 = → Barakaldo (loan)

| clubs5 = Athletic Bilbao

| clubs6 = → Hércules (loan)

| clubs7 = → Numancia (loan)

| clubs8 = Girona

| clubs9 = Alavés

| clubs10 = Mirandés

| clubs11 = Tudelano

| clubs12 = Peña Sport

| caps1 = 31

| caps2 = 26

| caps3 = 20

| caps4 = 32

| caps5 = 44

| caps6 = 20

| caps7 = 18

| caps8 = 27

| caps9 = 56

| caps10 = 30

| caps11 = 85

| caps12 = 16

| totalcaps = 405

| goals1 = 4

| goals2 = 7

| goals3 = 4

| goals4 = 12

| goals5 = 3

| goals6 = 5

| goals7 = 0

| goals8 = 2

| goals9 = 9

| goals10 = 2

| goals11 = 11

| goals12 = 2

| totalgoals = 61

| club-update =

}}

Ion Vélez Martínez (born 17 February 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Club career

Vélez was born in Tafalla, Navarre. Bought by Athletic Bilbao from lowly Peña Sport FC in 2003, he spent time with the club's B and farm teams, subsequently being loaned to neighbours Barakaldo CF in the Segunda División B.[https://www.diariodenavarra.es/archivo/actualidad/20081115/deportes/ion-velez-estar-aqui-es-sueno-mi.html Ion Vélez: "Estar aquí es un sueño para mí" (Ion Vélez: "It's a dream for me to be here")]; Diario de Navarra, 15 November 2008 (in Spanish) He made his debut for the main squad of the latter on 26 August 2007, in the goalless La Liga home draw against CA Osasuna.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026074944/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=226659&cc=5739 Athletic Bilbao 0–0 Osasuna]; ESPN Soccernet, 26 August 2007

After spending the second part of 2007–08 on loan to Segunda División's Hércules CF,[https://www.europapress.es/deportes/futbol-00162/noticia-futbol-athletic-club-cede-ion-velez-hercules-20080103111459.html Fútbol.– El Athletic Club cede a Ion Vélez al Hércules (Football.– Athletic Club loan Ion Vélez to Hércules)]; Europa Press, 3 January 2008 (in Spanish) where he featured significantly – after his debut with the Alicante side, he managed to play, in the same season, in the three major levels of Spanish football[https://www.noticiasdenavarra.com/deportes/2020/06/22/ion-velez-cuelga-botas-2273336.html Ion vélez cuelga las botas (Ion vélez hangs up boots)]; Noticias de Navarra, 22 June 2020 (in Spanish)– Vélez was definitely promoted to Athletic's first team for 2008–09. He was regularly used during the season (28 matches, although only four complete) and, on 9 May 2009, scored the game's only goal as the Basques defeated Real Betis at home.[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/252902?cc=5739 Athletic Bilbao 1–0 Real Betis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026075007/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/252902?cc=5739|date=26 October 2012}}; ESPN Soccernet, 9 May 2009

Vélez made only five official appearances for Athletic during the first part of the 2010–11 campaign, all as a second-half substitute.[https://as.com/futbol/2011/01/19/mas_futbol/1295422031_850215.html Ion Vélez ultima su cesión al Numancia (Ion Vélez completing his loan to Numancia)]; As, 19 January 2011 (in Spanish) On 19 January 2011 he moved to CD Numancia from division two on loan, reuniting with former Athletic teammate and namesake Iñigo Vélez.[http://www.marca.com/2011/01/19/futbol/equipos/numancia/1295454920.html El Numancia se refuerza con los cedidos Ion Vélez y Sunny (Numancia bolster with loaned Ion Vélez and Sunny)]; Marca, 19 January 2011 (in Spanish)[https://www.desdesoria.es/2013/05/29/breve-enciclopedia-numantina/ Breve enciclopedia numantina (Brief numantina encyclopedia)]; Desde Soria, 29 May 2013 (in Spanish) In late July, after being deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Marcelo Bielsa, he terminated his contract at the San Mamés Stadium and signed for Girona FC of the same tier, with his former club having a rebuying option at the end of 2011–12.[http://www.canalathletic.com/noticias/2011-07-23/velez-ficha-girona-201107231507.html Ion Vélez ficha por el Girona (Ion Vélez signs for Girona)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407012302/http://www.canalathletic.com/noticias/2011-07-23/velez-ficha-girona-201107231507.html|date=7 April 2012}}; Canal Athletic, 23 July 2011 (in Spanish)

On 3 October 2011, during an away league fixture against Xerez CD, Velez collided with opponent goalkeeper Toni Doblas, suffering an extremely serious injury to his right knee that sidelined him for several months.[http://www.marca.com/2011/10/03/futbol/equipos/girona/1317675908.html Grave lesión de Ion Velez (Serious injury for Ion Vélez)]; Marca, 3 October 2011 (in Spanish)[http://www.elconfidencial.com/ultima-hora-en-vivo/2011/10/velez-meses-lesion-rodilla-sufrida-jerez-20111004-596723.html Ion Vélez, seis meses de baja por la lesión de rodilla sufrida en Jerez (Ion Vélez, six months out due to knee injury occurred in Jerez)]; El Confidencial, 4 October 2011 (in Spanish) In July 2013 he signed with Deportivo Alavés, recently promoted to the second division.[http://www.marca.com/2013/07/04/futbol/equipos/alaves/1372925880.html El Alavés ficha al atacante Ion Vélez (Alavés sign forward Ion Vélez)]; Marca, 4 July 2013 (in Spanish)

Vélez agreed to a one-year deal with fellow second-tier CD Mirandés on 13 July 2015.[http://www.cdmirandes.com/-/velez-se-convierte-en-nuevo-jugador-del-c-d-mirandes Vélez se convierte en nuevo jugador del C.D. Mirandés (Vélez becomes new player of C.D. Mirandés)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714024120/http://www.cdmirandes.com/-/velez-se-convierte-en-nuevo-jugador-del-c-d-mirandes|date=14 July 2015}}; CD Mirandés, 13 July 2015 (in Spanish) He returned to the third prior to the start of the 2016–17 season, joining CD Tudelano.[https://eldesmarque.com/bizkaia/athletic-club/noticias/54321-ion-velez-ficha-por-el-tudelano Ion Vélez ficha por el Tudelano (Ion Vélez signs for Tudelano)]; El Desmarque, 26 July 2016 (in Spanish)

In November 2017, following a match against his former club Mirandés where he was sent off for kicking an opponent, Vélez was banned for four games. Upon appeal, it was later reduced to two.[https://navarra.elespanol.com/articulo/futbol/apelacion-reduce-partidos-suspension-delantero-tudelano-ion-velez/20171117105944154285.html Apelación reduce de cuatro a dos los partidos de suspensión al delantero del Tudelano Ion Vélez (Appealing committee reduces ban of Tudelano forward Ion Vélez from four matches to two)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114142644/https://navarra.elespanol.com/articulo/futbol/apelacion-reduce-partidos-suspension-delantero-tudelano-ion-velez/20171117105944154285.html|date=14 November 2020}}; El Español, 17 November 2017 (in Spanish)

On 24 June 2019, the 34-year-old Vélez returned to Peña Sport.[https://www.noticiasdenavarra.com/2019/06/24/deportes/futbol/renuevan-azpiroz-e-ilintxeta-en-la-pena-sport Renuevan Azpíroz e Ilintxeta en la Peña Sport (Azpíroz and Ilintxeta renew at Peña Sport)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722133821/https://www.noticiasdenavarra.com/2019/06/24/deportes/futbol/renuevan-azpiroz-e-ilintxeta-en-la-pena-sport|date=22 July 2019}}; Noticias de Navarra, 24 June 2019 (in Spanish) At the end of the season, he retired.