Albert Riera

Football player infobox


playername = Albert Riera
fullname = Albert Riera Ortega
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1982|4|15|mf=y
cityofbirth = Manacor
countryofbirth = Spain
height = height|m=1.88
currentclub = Liverpool
clubnumber = 11
position = Left winger
youthyears = 1999–2000
youthclubs = Mallorca B
years = 2000–2003
2003–2005
2005–2008
2006
2008–
clubs = Real Mallorca
Girondins Bordeaux
RCD Espanyol
→ Manchester City (loan)
Liverpool
caps(goals) = 46 (6)
53 (5)
72 (8)
15 (1)
04 (0)
nationalyears = 2007–
nationalteam = Spain
nationalcaps(goals) = 5 (1)
pcupdate = September 27, 2008
ntupdate = September 1, 2008

Albert Riera Ortega, Riera (born April 15, 1982 in Manacor, Balearic Islands), is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Premier League side Liverpool, as a left winger.

Club career

Riera started his career with hometown RCD Mallorca, winning a Spanish Cup medal in 2003, as he was already an undisputed starter. During his three years at the club as a professional he made a total of 46 appearances in "La Liga", scoring 6 goals from the wing.

In the summer of 2003 Riera moved to FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he was a first team regular for two seasons. He made more than 50 "Ligue 1" appearances for the French club and scored 4 goals.

Riera returned to Spain in 2005, when he signed for RCD Espanyol. In his first season at the club he played only 8 league matches, prompting a January 2006 move to Manchester City, where he was also unable to establish himself in the first team, returning to Catalonia prior to 2006-07.

During that season, which included an almost 100% successful run in the UEFA Cup (Espanyol lost on penalties to Sevilla FC, with Riera scoring in regulation time), Riera displayed a vast array of skills. Over his two spells at the club (the loan move notwithstanding) he made a total of 72 appearances and scored 8 goals.

Riera signed a four-year deal with Liverpool, after much speculation, on September 1, 2008 (transfer deadline day), for a fee reported to be between £5.5 and £8.0 million. He was given the number 11 jersey. [ [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=744968.html Riera in, Finnan and Voronin out] ] [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/most-popular/2008/08/29/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-new-liverpool-signing-albert-riera-115875-20716276/ 10 things you need to know about new Liverpool signing Albert Riera] ] He made his league debut on September 13, 2008, playing 72 minutes of a 2-1 home win against Manchester United.

International career

Riera has won five caps for the Spanish national team and scored one goal. In his debut, on October 13, 2007, he scored from outside the box against Denmark, in a 3-1 Euro 2008 qualifier away win.

However, Riera failed to make Spain's title-winning team at the 2008 European Championships held in Austria and Switzerland, but he was called up for the squad for the October qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, after Diego Capel withdrew through injury.

Career statistics

References

External links

* [http://www.lfp.es/historico/primera/plantillas/historial.asp?jug=6983 Stats at Liga de Fútbol Profesional] es icon
*soccerbase|id=24829|name=Albert Riera