Miguel Fernández (footballer)
{{short description|Spanish footballer}}
{{family name hatnote|Fernández|Fernández|lang=Spanish}}
{{use British English|date=July 2020}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Miguel Fernández
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Miguel Fernández Fernández
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|8|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Gavà, Spain
| height =
| position = Midfielder, forward
| currentclub = AE Prat
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Cornellà
| years1 = 2018–2019 | clubs1 = Cornellà | caps1 = 1 | goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2019–2021 | clubs2 = Birmingham City | caps2 = 1 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2021 | clubs3 = → Guijuelo (loan) | caps3 = 8 | goals3 = 1
| years4 = 2021–2022 | clubs4 = Huesca B | caps4 = 14 | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2022 | clubs5 = Badalona | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2022– | clubs6 = AE Prat | caps6 = 63 | goals6 = 9
| club-update = 14:56, 10 March 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Miguel Fernández Fernández (born 12 August 2000) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for AE Prat of the {{Spanish football updater|Prat}}. He made his Segunda División B debut for Cornellà in 2018 before joining English club Birmingham City the following year. He returned to the Segunda B in 2021 on loan to Guijuelo. Released by Birmingham at the end of the 2020–21 season, he then spent six months with Huesca B and six months with Badalona before joining AE Prat.
Club career
Fernández was born in 2000 in Gavà, in the Province of Barcelona in Catalonia.{{cite web |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j20941.html |title=Miguel Fernández: Player |website=BDFutbol |access-date=19 June 2020}} He came through the Escola de Fútbol Gavà from 2008 until 2013,{{cite web |url=http://cfgava.blogspot.com/2019/03/el-efecto-2000-en-gava.html |title=El Efecto 2000 en Gavà |language=Spanish |trans-title=The 2000 Effect at Gavà |website=Blog CF Gavà |date=19 March 2019 |access-date=19 June 2020}} when he joined Cornellà.{{cite web |url=http://futbolbasecatala.cat/es/dh-cadete:18?t=5&e=53 |title=D.H. Cadete: Temporada 2015–16: UE Cornella B |language=Spanish |trans-title=D.H. Cadete: Season 2015–16 |website=FutbolBaseCatalà |access-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527202057/http://www.futbolbasecatala.cat/es/dh-cadete:18?t=5&e=53 |archive-date=27 May 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://futbolbasecatala.cat/es/ln-juvenil:17?t=7&e=34 |title=L.N. Juvenil: Temporada 2017–18: UE Cornella B |language=Spanish |trans-title=L.N. Juvenil: Season 2017–18 |website=FutbolBaseCatalà |access-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922152328/http://www.futbolbasecatala.cat/es/ln-juvenil:17?t=7&e=34 |archive-date=22 September 2017}} He played and scored in the early rounds of the 2018–19 Copa Federación; the goals included an 88th-minute "wondergoal" into the top corner against Teruel in the round of 16.{{cite news |url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2018/11/22/pagina-33/14463421/pdf.html |title=Copa RFEF (1/16, ida): El Cornellà deja casi sentenciada la ronda |language=Spanish |trans-title=Copa RFEF (last 16 1st leg): Cornellà leave the round almost done and dusted |newspaper=Mundo Deportivo |date=22 November 2018 |quote=Pero un tanto en propia puerta y un golazo por la escuadra de Miguel, completaron la goleada. [But an own goal and a wondergoal in the top corner by Miguel completed the goalfest.]}} After sitting through four Segunda División B matches as an unused substitute, manager Xavi Calm gave him his league debut on 22 December 2018; he replaced Carlos Esteve in the 90th minute of a 3–1 win at home to Ebro.
As part of the relationship between Cornellà and Birmingham City, Fernández trained with the English Championship club in January 2019{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/spanish-midfielder-trains-birmingham-city-15646437 |title=Spanish midfielder trains with Birmingham City Under 23s |first=Brian |last=Dick |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=8 January 2019 |access-date=19 June 2020}} and again during the close season. In August, he was given a six-month contract with the intention of continuing his development under Calm, who was appointed head coach of Birmingham's under-23 team in July.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/blues-sign-fernandez |title=Blues sign Fernandez |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=15 August 2019 |access-date=3 September 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/xavi-calm-joins-blues |title=Xavi Calm joins Blues |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=4 July 2019 |access-date=3 September 2022}} He scored seven Professional Development League goals during the initial six months, making him joint top scorer (with Odin Bailey), and was rewarded with a new contract to run until the end of the 2019–20 season, with an option for the club to extend it for a further year.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/blues-extend-fernandez-contract |title=Blues extend Fernandez contract |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=3 September 2022}} Before that season resumed after a three-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club took up their option to extend his contract and Fernández was given a first-team squad number.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/fernandez-gets-squad-number |title=Fernandez gets squad number |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=15 June 2020 |access-date=3 September 2022}} He was named among the substitutes for the match at home to Charlton Athletic on 15 July, and remained unused, but made his Football League debut in the last match of the season, coming on in stoppage time of a 3–1 defeat at home to Derby County which left Birmingham in 21st position, one point above the relegation places.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53412699 |title=Birmingham City 1–3 Derby County |first=Brent |last=Pilnick |website=BBC Sport |date=22 July 2020 |access-date=22 July 2020}}
By the end of January 2021, Fernández had five goals from 12 appearances for Birmingham's under-23s but no matchday involvement with the first team. On 1 February, he returned to Spanish football with Segunda B club CD Guijuelo, on loan until 30 June.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/fernandez-joins-cd-guijuelo-on-loan |title=Fernández joins CD Guijuelo on loan |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=1 February 2021 |access-date=3 September 2022}} He made his debut as a late substitute in a goalless draw away to Pontevedra on 10 February,{{cite news |url=https://lacronicadesalamanca.com/306403-chuchi-jorques-se-estrena-con-un-trabajado-punto-en-pasaron/ |title=Chuchi Jorqués se estrena con un trabajado punto en Pasarón |language=es |trans-title=Chuchi Jorqués debuts with a hard-earned point at the Pasarón |first=Chema |last=Díez Juan |newspaper=La Crónica de Salamanca |date=10 February 2021 |access-date=11 February 2021}} and ended the season with 8 appearances. He scored once, with a near-post header following a corner in the final match of the season, which Guijuelo lost 3–1 at home to Lealtad; both teams were already confirmed as playing in the new fourth-tier Segunda RFEF for the 2021–22 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.elcomercio.es/deportes/futbol/lealtad-despide-segunda-20210522193844-nt.html |title=El Lealtad se despide de la Segunda B con victoria en Guijuelo |language=es |trans-title=Lealtad bid farewell to the Segunda B with a win at Guijuelo |first=Celso |last=Escobar |newspaper=El Comercio |location=Gijón |date=22 May 2021 |access-date=23 May 2021}}
Birmingham confirmed that Fernández would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of the season,{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/retained-and-released-list |title=Retained and released list |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=17 May 2021 |access-date=3 September 2022}} and he returned to Spanish football with Huesca B of the Segunda División RFEF.{{cite news |url=https://www.cartv.es/aragondeporte/nuestro-deporte/jornada-de-fichajes-en-los-equipos-aragoneses-de-segunda-division-rfef-10113 |title=Jornada de fichajes en los equipos aragoneses de Segunda División RFEF |language=es |trans-title=Day of signings for Aragon's Segunda División RFEF clubs |website=CAR TV |date=23 July 2021 |access-date=2 August 2021}} He made his debut 75 minutes into the opening-day visit to Terrassa with his side 2–0 down, and his stoppage-time goal made the final score 2–1.{{cite news |url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/primera-rfef/terrassa-logra-ajustada-victoria-casa-12046848 |title=El Terrassa logra una ajustada victoria en casa frente al Huesca B (2-1) |language=es |trans-title=Terrassa secure a narrow victory at home to Huesca B (2–1) |website=Sport.es |date=5 September 2021 |access-date=13 September 2021}} He made 14 league appearances during the first half of the season, and then left the club and signed for divisional rivals Badalona,{{cite tweet |number=1481216470726201345 |title=Oficial: Miguel Fernández deja de ser jugador de la SD Huesca B. Desde el club deseamos muchos éxitos al futbolista en el futuro y le agradecemos su profesionalidad en estos meses. ¡Suerte, Miguel! |language=es |trans-title=Official: Miguel Fernández is no longer a player of SD Huesca B. From the club we wish the footballer many successes in the future and we thank him for his professionalism in these months. Good luck, Miguel! |user=SDHuescaB |date=12 January 2022 |access-date=15 January 2022}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cfbadalona.net/f-2/ |title=Fitzatge: Miguel Fernández |language=ca |trans-title=Signing: Miguel Fernández |publisher=CF Badalona |date=13 January 2022 |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115222706/https://www.cfbadalona.net/f-2/ |archive-date=15 January 2022}} for whom he made 9 appearances. Fernández joined AE Prat, also a fourth-tier club, for the 2022–23 season.{{cite tweet |number=1540372345898078208 |title=Nova incorporació a la plantilla potablava. Miguel Fernández s'incorpora a l'AE Prat per la temporada vinent procedent de l' @CF_Badalona |language=ca |trans-title=New addition to the potablava squad. Miguel Fernández joins AE Prat for the coming season from @CF_Badalona |user=aeprat1945 |author=AE Prat |date=24 June 2022 |access-date=11 September 2022}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 9 March 2025}}
{{notelist}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Miguel}}
Category:Footballers from the Province of Barcelona
Category:Spanish men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players
Category:CD Guijuelo footballers
Category:SD Huesca footballers
Category:Segunda División B players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Segunda Federación players
Category:Tercera Federación players
Category:Spanish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England