Manuel Mesa

Manuel Mesa

Personal information
Full name	Manuel Mesa Quirós
Date of birth	December 26, 1952 (1952-12-26) (age 58)
Place of birth	San Roque, Spain
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1971–1975	Linense
1975–1987	Sporting Gijón	336	(36)
1987	Murcia	0	(0)
1988	Linares
1988–1991	Xerez	93	(4)
1991–1992	Linense
National team
1979–1980	Spain	2	(1)
Teams managed
2004–2009	San Roque
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Mesa and the second or maternal family name is Quirós.

Manuel 'Manolo' Mesa Quirós (born 26 December 1952 in San Roque, Cádiz, Andalusia) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right winger.

Club career

Mesa started playing football at local side Real Balompédica Linense. In 1975, after having been discovered by renowned scout Enrique Casas,^[1] he was bought by Sporting de Gijón in La Liga, making his first team debut on 28 December of that year, in a 0–1 loss at UD Salamanca, and appearing a further ten times during that season, which ended in relegation.

From 1978 onwards, with the Asturias side back in the top division, Mesa played an essential part in the club's domestic consolidation, helping it to a runner-up place in the 1978–79 campaign, back-to-back Copa del Rey finals in the early 80's - both lost - and four UEFA Cup participations; due to his incredible stamina, he earned the nickname Siete Pulmones (Seven Lungs).^[1]

Mesa played 43 matches in 1986–87, scoring seven times (both career-highs) to help Sporting finish in fourth position. Even though the player, aged nearly 35, was still in good physical conditions, his contract was not renewed, and he moved to Real Murcia, also in the top division, but left the club after a couple of weeks, unsettled.

Mesa then moved closer to his hometown and signed for Xerez CD in the second division, producing three respectable seasons, but being relegated in his last. Six months shy of his 40th birthday, he retired after one year with his very first club, Balompédica Linense, La Balona.

Subsequently, having settled in his hometown, he coached amateurs CD San Roque de Lepe for a few years, also working with the city hall in the sports department.^[1]

International career

Mesa played twice for Spain, making his debut on 14 November 1979, and scoring in a 1–3 friendly loss with Denmark, in Cádiz. In the early minutes of his second appearance, another exhibition match, with Czechoslovakia on 16 April 1980, he suffered a serious injury - having to replaced by Sporting Gijón teammate Quini - and was never recalled again.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Manolo Mesa: el vecino más ilustre de San Roque (Manolo Mesa: San Roque's most illustrious inhabitant); Yo jugué en el Sporting (Spanish)

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Manuel Mesa at National-Football-Teams.com

Persondata
Name	Mesa, Manuel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	26 December 1952
Place of birth	San Roque, Spain
Date of death
Place of death