Alejandro 'Álex' Menéndez Díez (born 15 July 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Segunda Federación club Covadonga.
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alejandro Menéndez Díez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 1991[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Gijón, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Covadonga | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2003 | Astur | ||
| 2003–2010 | Sporting Gijón | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2014 | Sporting Gijón B | 106 | (1) |
| 2011–2016 | Sporting Gijón | 57 | (2) |
| 2016 | Girona | 0 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Reus | 31 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Aris | 11 | (0) |
| 2019 | → Córdoba (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2021 | Zamora | 8 | (0) |
| 2022 | Salamanca | 16 | (1) |
| 2023 | Xerez Deportivo | 11 | (0) |
| 2023– | Covadonga | 20 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 May 2024 | |||
Club career
Menéndez was born in Gijón, Asturias. A product of Sporting de Gijón's prolific youth academy who started playing as a left winger,[2] he made his senior debut in the 2010–11 season, playing 21 games in the Segunda División B for the reserves,[3] who initially suffered relegation but were later reinstated.
Menéndez first appeared officially with the main squad on 13 December 2011, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against RCD Mallorca in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.[4] On 1 May of the following year he made his La Liga debut, again playing the entire 2–3 home loss to Villarreal CF that all but signified the first team's relegation after a four-year stay.[5]
On 13 August 2013, Menéndez signed a new three-year deal with the club.[6] In summer 2014 he was definitely promoted to Sporting's first team, now in the Segunda División.
Menéndez scored his first professional goal on 20 September 2015, closing a 3–2 away victory over Deportivo de La Coruña.[7] His second came two rounds later in another away fixture that ended in win, 2–1 at RCD Espanyol.[8]
On 30 July 2016, Menéndez signed a two-year contract with second-tier Girona FC, as a free agent.[9] On 8 August, however, after suffering a severe knee injury, he was released.[10]
On 13 July 2017, Menéndez agreed to a two-year deal at CF Reus Deportiu of the same league.[11] He first moved abroad in the summer of 2018, joining Aris Thessaloniki F.C. from Greece on a two-year contract.[12]
Menéndez returned to Spain on 31 January 2019, after signing a six-month loan deal with division two club Córdoba CF.[13]
After returning to Aris after his loan, the Greek side allegedly attempted to force Menéndez out of the club by not paying his wages and making him train separately from his teammates.[14] On 28 January 2020, Aris announced that Menéndez's contract had been terminated by mutual agreement.[15]
On 19 March 2021, Menéndez joined Segunda División B club Zamora until the end of the 2020–21 season.[16]
On 30 January 2023, Menéndez joined Segunda Federación side Xerez Deportivo until the end of the 2022–23 season.[17]
On 10 November 2023, Menéndez joined Segunda Federación club Covadonga.[18]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting Gijón | 2011–12 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Segunda División | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 2 | |||
| Total | 57 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 64 | 2 | ||||
| Reus | 2017–18 | Segunda División | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| Aris | 2018–19 | Super League Greece | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Córdoba (loan) | 2018–19 | Segunda División | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 114 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 11 | ||
References
External links
- Álex Menéndez at BDFutbol
- Álex Menéndez at Futbolme (in Spanish)