Alberto Aguilar Leiva

Alberto

Personal information
Full name	Alberto Aguilar Leiva
Date of birth	(1984-07-12) 12 July 1984
Place of birth	Benamejí, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder / Centre back
Youth career
	Málaga
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2005	Málaga B	52	(4)
2003	Málaga	1	(0)
2005–2007	Getafe	32	(0)
2008	Granada 74	20	(1)
2008–2010	Albacete	69	(3)
2010–2013	Córdoba	83	(5)
2013–2015	Ponferradina	65	(5)
2015–2016	Western Sydney Wanderers	23	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 May 2016

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Aguilar and the second or maternal family name is Leiva.

Alberto Aguilar Leiva (born 12 July 1984), known simply as Alberto, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or central defender.

Football career

Alberto was born in Benamejí, Córdoba. A product of Málaga CF's youth system he made his professional debuts for the first team in the last match of the 2002–03 season, a 0–1 La Liga away loss against RCD Mallorca, while also helping the B-side achieve a 2003 promotion to Segunda División.

For the 2005–06 campaign, Alberto signed with Madrid's Getafe CF, amassing 30 top flight appearances in his first two years combined and also playing an important part in the team's runner-up run in the Copa del Rey. However, the arrival of coach Michael Laudrup deemed him surplus to requirements in his third, which prompted a release in January 2008 with a move to second level club Granada 74 CF.

Alberto stayed in the category the following season, joining Albacete Balompié. In August 2010, as a free agent, he returned to his native Andalusia, with Córdoba CF.

From 2013 to 2015, Alberto continued competing in division two, with SD Ponferradina. On 9 August 2015, aged 31, he moved abroad for the first time, signing for Western Sydney Wanderers.

On 5 May 2016, after having helped his team reach the Grand Final, Alberto was released.

Personal life

Alberto's older brother, Eduardo, is also a footballer, and a midfielder. Having spent almost his entire career in the lower leagues, he appeared twice in the first division for Racing de Santander, adding two games in the second level (one for FC Barcelona B and Deportivo Alavés each).

Honours

Getafe

• Copa del Rey: Runner-up 2006–07

External links

• Alberto profile at BDFutbol
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• Alberto at Soccerway

• Edu Aguilar: Eduardo Aguilar Leiva; at BDFutbol