Joseba Llorente

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Joseba Llorente

| image = Joseba Llorente en Valladolid.jpg

| upright = 0.7

| caption = Llorente as a Villarreal player (2009)

| fullname = Joseba Llorente Etxarri{{AS.com}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|11|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hondarribia, Spain

| height = 1.84 m

| position = Centre-forward

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Real Sociedad

| years1 = 1998–2002 | clubs1 = Real Sociedad B | caps1 = 64 | goals1 = 26

| years2 = 1999–2004 | clubs2 = Real Sociedad | caps2 = 23 | goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2000 | clubs3 = → Eibar (loan) | caps3 = 8 | goals3 = 4

| years4 = 2003–2004 | clubs4 = → Eibar (loan) | caps4 = 33 | goals4 = 4

| years5 = 2004–2005 | clubs5 = Eibar | caps5 = 38 | goals5 = 18

| years6 = 2005–2008 | clubs6 = Valladolid | caps6 = 99 | goals6 = 45

| years7 = 2008–2010 | clubs7 = Villarreal | caps7 = 61 | goals7 = 24

| years8 = 2010–2013 | clubs8 = Real Sociedad | caps8 = 35 | goals8 = 5

| years9 = 2012–2013 | clubs9 = → Osasuna (loan) | caps9 = 24 | goals9 = 1

| totalcaps = 385 | totalgoals = 131

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2010 | nationalteam1 = Basque Country | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Joseba Llorente Etxarri (born 24 November 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward.

He amassed La Liga totals of 179 games and 50 goals over ten seasons, representing in the competition Real Sociedad, Valladolid, Villarreal and Osasuna. He added 142 matches and 55 goals in the Segunda División, mainly in service of Eibar.{{cite news|url=http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20131009/real-sociedad/joseba-llorente_54390749564.html|title=Joseba Llorente: "La Real me lo ha dado todo"|trans-title=Joseba Llorente: "Real has given me everything"|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=Spanish|date=9 October 2013|accessdate=21 January 2014}}

Club career

Born in Hondarribia, Basque Country, Llorente came through the ranks of Real Sociedad, making his debut for the first team on 3 October 1999 against Real Zaragoza (2–0 away loss). He would however, only total 23 appearances in four seasons, and left in 2003 for another club in his native region, SD Eibar of Segunda División,{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2003/09/03/pagina-23/554654/pdf.html|title="Necesitaba minutos y poder disputar algo todos los domingos"|trans-title="I needed to have minutes and play for something every Sunday"|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=José Luis|last=Lorenzo|language=Spanish|date=3 September 2003|accessdate=21 January 2014}} where he already had served a loan stint early into the 2000–01 campaign.{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2001/01/24/pagina-26/415414/pdf.html|title=Piensan encadenar la tercera victoria|trans-title=Thinking of third win in a row|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Óscar|last=Imedio|language=Spanish|date=24 January 2001|accessdate=21 January 2014}}

For 2005–06, Llorente signed for Real Valladolid also in that tier, and scored 12 league goals in his debut campaign. He added 17 the following year to help the team to achieve promotion as champions.{{cite news|url=https://sdeibar.diariovasco.com/valladolid-joseba-llorente-20190314001038-ntvo.html|title=El Valladolid añora a Joseba Llorente, 'El castas'|trans-title=Valladolid yearning Joseba Llorente, 'The spunk'|newspaper=El Diario Vasco|first=Letizia|last=Gómez|language=Spanish|date=14 March 2019|accessdate=1 August 2019}}

On 20 January 2008, in a match against RCD Espanyol, Llorente broke the Spanish league record for the fastest goal ever scored (7.22 seconds),{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/valladolid/es/desarrollo/1080190.html|title=Llorente marca el gol más rápido de la historia de la Liga|trans-title=Llorente scores fastest goal in League history|newspaper=Marca|first=Almudena|last=Rivera|language=Spanish|date=20 January 2008|accessdate=20 January 2008}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/37609891/quickfire-mctominay-leao-set-new-standards-football-fastest-goals|title=Quickfire! McTominay, Leao set new standards among football's fastest goals|publisher=ESPN|first=Chris|last=Wright|date=21 December 2020|accessdate=13 July 2023}} beating Dario Silva's previous record at 8. He broke through that season aged almost 29, netting 16 times to help them to retain top-flight status, including a hat-trick against Recreativo de Huelva on the 13th.{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=226629&cc=5739|title=Valladolid 3–1 Recreativo Huelva|publisher=ESPN Soccernet|date=13 January 2008|accessdate=11 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102085255/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=226629&cc=5739|archive-date=2 November 2012}}

Llorente agreed a four-year deal with Villarreal CF on 26 May 2008, for an undisclosed fee.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/01cd-0f84dcf346b6-78418a1967b0-1000--villarreal-lure-llorente-from-valladolid/|title=Villarreal lure Llorente from Valladolid|publisher=UEFA|date=26 May 2008|accessdate=7 July 2022}} He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win at CD Numancia on 21 September.{{cite news|url=https://www.laverdad.es/murcia/20080922/deportes_murcia/mas-futbol/pegada-villarreal-desinfla-numancia-20080922.html|title=La pegada del Villarreal desinfla al Numancia (1–2)|trans-title=Villarreal pace deflates Numancia (1–2)|newspaper=La Verdad|first=José|last=García|language=Spanish|date=22 September 2008|accessdate=7 July 2022}} Exactly one month later, he put three past AaB Football in a UEFA Champions League 6–3 home victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01d2-0e7020ae0b3a-55ed0f613d2b-1000--llorente-treble-caps-villarreal-goalfest/?iv=true|title=Llorente treble caps Villarreal goalfest|publisher=UEFA|first=Graham|last=Hunter|date=21 October 2008|accessdate=7 July 2022}}

On 10 March 2009, after just minutes on the pitch, Llorente scored the winner in a 2–1 away defeat of Panathinaikos F.C. in the Champions League quarter-finals' second leg (3–2 aggregate).{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01d7-0e7106c86783-c74698ec19bf-1000--clinical-villarreal-put-paid-to-panathinaikos/|title=Clinical Villarreal put paid to Panathinaikos|publisher=UEFA|first=Graham|last=Wood|date=10 March 2009|accessdate=7 July 2022}} His first season at Villarreal was highly productive as he scored a squad-best 15 league goals,{{cite news|url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/381971/0/llorente/valladolid/villareal/|title=Llorente se despide del Valladolid a la espera de firmar por el Villarreal|trans-title=Llorente says goodbye to Valladolid waiting to sign for Villarreal|newspaper=20 minutos|language=Spanish|date=23 May 2008|accessdate=21 January 2014}} including two at FC Barcelona in a 3–3 draw on 10 May, postponing the Catalans' title-winning celebrations for a further week.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/may/10/barcelona-la-liga-title-villarreal|title=Villarreal cancel Barcelona's title celebrations with last gasp equaliser|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Jacob|last=Steinberg|date=10 May 2009|accessdate=29 August 2014}}

On 16 June 2010, after another good year with the Valencians, Llorente rejoined Real Sociedad – recently returned to the top tier – penning a four-year contract worth €2.5 million.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2010/06/16/futbol/equipos/real_sociedad/1276679171.html|title=Joseba Llorente y Paco Sutil son los primeros fichajes para Primera|trans-title=Joseba Llorente and Paco Sutil are the first signings for Primera|newspaper=Marca|first=Óscar|last=Badallo|language=Spanish|date=16 June 2010|accessdate=16 June 2010}} In his competitive debut, on 29 August, he assisted Xabi Prieto with a backheel for the game's only goal, at home against his former side Villarreal;{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/301877?cc=5739|title=Sociedad make winning return|publisher=ESPN Soccernet|date=29 August 2010|accessdate=14 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024073619/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/301877?cc=5739|archive-date=24 October 2012}} in mid-January 2011, however, after suffering a back injury, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season.{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2011/01/25/2322794/real-sociedad-striker-joseba-llorente-out-for-the-rest-of|title=Real Sociedad striker Joseba Llorente out for the rest of the season|publisher=Goal|first=Adam|last=Scime|date=25 January 2011|accessdate=14 February 2011}}

Personal life

Llorente's younger brother Mikel was a footballer at amateur level. He later worked as a manager.{{cite news|url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/real-sociedad/20170914/431263064683/la-oportunidad-de-mikel-llorente.html|title=La oportunidad de Mikel Llorente|trans-title=Mikel Llorente's chance|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Bruno|last=Parcero|language=Spanish|date=14 September 2017|accessdate=22 July 2024}}

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|Copa del Rey !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{BDFutbol\|1565}}{{Soccerway\|joseba-llorente-etxarri/17938}}{{FBref}}
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="5"\|Real Sociedad \|1999–00 \|rowspan="4"\|La Liga \|8	1	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	9	1
2000–01 \|9	2	0	0	colspan="2"\|–	9	2
2001–02 \|4	0	\|0	0	colspan="2"\|–	4	0
2002–03 \|2	1	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	2	1
colspan="2"\|Total !23	4	1	0	0	0	24	4
Real Sociedad B \|2001–02 \|Segunda División B \|10	2	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	10	2
Eibar (loan) \|2000–01 \|Segunda División \|8	4	0	0	colspan="2"\|–	8	4
Eibar (loan) \|2003–04 \|Segunda División \|33	4	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	34	4
Eibar \|2004–05 \|Segunda División \|38	18	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	39	18
rowspan="4"\|Valladolid \|2005–06 \|rowspan="2"\|Segunda División \|36	12	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	37	12
2006–07 \|27	17	5	1	colspan="2"\|–	32	18
2007–08 \|La Liga \|36	16	3	1	colspan="2"\|–	39	17
colspan="2"\|Total !99	45	9	2	0	0	108	47
rowspan="3"\|Villarreal \|2008–09 \|rowspan="2"\|La Liga \|32	15	1	0	7	4	40	19
2009–10 \|29	9	3	0	8	1	40	10
colspan="2"\|Total !61	24	4	0	15	5	80	29
rowspan="3"\|Real Sociedad \|2010–11 \|rowspan="2"\|La Liga \|18	5	2	0	colspan="2"\|–	20	5
2011–12 \|17	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	20	0
colspan="2"\|Total !35	5	5	0	0	0	40	5
Osasuna (loan) \|2012–13 \|La Liga \|24	1	3	2	colspan="2"\|–	27	3
colspan="3"\|Career total !331	107	24	4	15	5	370	116

Honours

Valladolid

Segunda División: 2006–07{{cite news|url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2007/06/10/futbol/1181504648.html|title=El Valladolid, campeón de Segunda División|trans-title=Valladolid, Segunda División champions|newspaper=El Mundo|language=Spanish|date=10 June 2007|accessdate=7 July 2022}}