Manu Fernández

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Manu

| image = Esteghlal vs. Machine Sazi 139506212323356598633754.jpg

| caption = Manu (left) with Machine Sazi in 2016

| fullname = Manuel Fernández Muñiz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|5|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Gijón, Spain

| height = {{convert|1.85|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Sporting Gijón

| years1 = 2004–2006 | clubs1 = Sporting Gijón B | caps1 = 26 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2005–2007 | clubs2 = Sporting Gijón | caps2 = 2 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2007–2009 | clubs3 = Deportivo B | caps3 = 44 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2009–2011 | clubs4 = Deportivo La Coruña | caps4 = 9 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2011–2012 | clubs5 = Recreativo | caps5 = 35 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2012–2014 | clubs6 = Alcorcón | caps6 = 43 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2014–2015 | clubs7 = Alavés | caps7 = 29 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2015–2016 | clubs8 = Deportivo La Coruña | caps8 = 8 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2016–2017 | clubs9 = Machine Sazi | caps9 = 16 | goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2017 | clubs10 = Marbella | caps10 = 7 | goals10 = 0

| totalcaps = 219 | totalgoals = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2002 | nationalteam1 = Spain U16 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2002 | nationalteam2 = Spain U17 | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2004 | nationalteam3 = Spain U19 | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2005 | nationalteam4 = Spain U20 | nationalcaps4 = 1 | nationalgoals4 = 0

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Manuel Fernández Muñiz (born 9 May 1986), commonly known as Manu, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Born in Gijón, Asturias, and a product of Mareo, Sporting de Gijón's youth academy, Manu made his professional debut during the 2005–06 season, with the club in the Segunda División. In 2007 he joined Deportivo de La Coruña, spending the better part of his first two years with the reserves.

In the 2009–10 campaign, after Gustavo Munúa's departure to Málaga CF, Manu was promoted to Dani Aranzubia's backup. On 23 March 2010, after the latter was sent off against precisely Sporting Gijón (Depor eventually finished with nine players) at the 10-minute mark, he made his La Liga debut, in a 2–1 away loss.{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=275854&cc=5739|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026121231/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=275854&cc=5739|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2012|title=Deportivo's Euro hopes dented|publisher=ESPN Soccernet|date=23 March 2010|access-date=26 July 2011}}

Due to injury to Aranzubia, Manu started 2010–11's first six games then returned to the bench,{{cite news|url=http://www.diariodesevilla.es/deportes/Palop-referencia-encanta-actitud_0_404659687.html|title="Palop es una referencia, me encanta su actitud"|trans-title="Palop is a reference, I love his attitude"|newspaper=Diario de Sevilla|language=es|date=11 September 2010|access-date=20 February 2017}} appearing in the Copa del Rey as Deportivo were eventually relegated after 20 years. In July he signed with another team in the second division, Recreativo de Huelva,{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2011/06/27/futbol/equipos/recreativo/1309176499.html|title=El Recreativo refuerza su portería con Manu Fernández|trans-title=Recreativo bolster goal with Manu Fernández|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=27 June 2011|access-date=20 February 2017}} and continued competing at that level the following years, in representation of AD Alcorcón{{cite news|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2012/07/13/mas_futbol/1342160817_850215.html|title=Manu Fernández y Dorronsoro serán los dos porteros|trans-title=Manu Fernández and Dorronsoro will be the two goalkeepers|newspaper=Diario AS|first=V.|last=Guillén|language=es|date=13 July 2012|access-date=20 February 2017}} and Deportivo Alavés.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2014/07/03/futbol/equipos/alaves/1404384394.html|title=El Alavés ficha al portero Manuel Fernández|trans-title=Alavés sign goalkeeper Manuel Fernández|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=3 July 2014|access-date=20 February 2017}}

Manu returned to the Estadio Riazor for the 2015–16 season, arriving following injury to habitual starter Fabri.{{cite news|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2015/08/23/primera/1440350225_029611.html|title=El Depor refuerza la portería con Manu Fernández|trans-title=Depor bolster goal with Manu Fernández|newspaper=Diario AS|first=Luis|last=De la Cruz|language=es|date=23 August 2015|access-date=20 February 2017}} Again, he played second-fiddle, now to Germán Lux.{{cite news|url=http://www.laopinioncoruna.es/deportivo/2016/04/05/lux-palo-porteria/1057009.html|title=Lux, otro palo en la portería|trans-title=Lux, another blow in goal|newspaper=La Opinión A Coruña|first=E.|last=Cobas|language=es|date=5 April 2016|access-date=20 February 2017}}

In the summer of 2016, Manu signed with Iranian club Machine Sazi FC, newly promoted to the Persian Gulf Pro League, on a one-year contract.{{cite news|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/404317/Machine-Sazi-set-to-sign-Spanish-keeper|title=Machine Sazi set to sign Spanish keeper|newspaper=Tehran Times|date=16 July 2016|access-date=15 February 2017}} He returned to Spain halfway through the campaign, joining Marbella FC from Segunda División B.{{cite web|url=http://www.marbella24horas.es/futbol/el-marbella-fc-ficha-al-portero-manu-que-llega-desde-la-liga-de-iran-17628|title=El Marbella FC ficha al portero Manu, que llega desde la liga de Irán|trans-title=Marbella FC sign goalkeeper Manu, who arrives from the Iranian league|publisher=Marbella 24 Horas|language=es|date=31 January 2017|access-date=15 February 2017}}