Emanuel Villa

Football player infobox| playername= Emanuel Villa


fullname = Emanuel Alejandro Villa
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|2|24|df=y
cityofbirth = Casilda
countryofbirth = Argentina
height = height|m=1.8
currentclub = Derby County
position = Striker
clubnumber = 10
years = 2001–2003
2003–2004
2004–2006
2006–2007
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = Huracán
Atlético Rafaela
Rosario Central
Atlas
UAG Tecos
Derby County
caps(goals) = 45 (10)
24 0(9)
43 (18)
30 (15)
33 (13)
17 0(4)
pcupdate = 15:36, 06 April 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Emanuel Alejandro "Tito" Villa is an Argentine football striker. He was born on 24 February 1982, in the city of Casilda in the Santa Fe Province of Argentina. He currently plays for Derby County in the Football League Championship.

Early career

Villa started his career at Club Atlético Huracán in the Primera Division Argentina in 2001. In 2003 he was transferred to Atlético Rafaela but the club were relegated at the end of the 2003-2004 season after a losing a playoff with Huracán de Tres Arroyos.

After the disappointment of relegation with Rafaela, Villa returned to the Primera the following season by joining Rosario Central. In 2006 he was signed by Atlas in Guadalajara. Villa stayed in Guadalajara, after he was transferred to UAG Tecos for the Clausura 2007 tournament.

Derby County

Villa signed for Premier League side Derby County on 4 January 2008 in a £2million deal. The move proved to be a controversial one as César Luis Menotti, then coach of Tecos, was not informed of Villa being sold. He was then prevented from bringing in his preferred replacements and, as a result, quit the club and has not returned to coaching since. Villa signed a 3 and a half year contract with the Rams and made his debut in a 1-0 home defeat against Wigan Athletic. He scored his first goal on the 2 February 2008, with a last minute headed equaliser from a Dean Leacock cross, in a 1-1 draw away at Birmingham City [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Rams sign Argentine striker Villa |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7166848.stm |work= |publisher="BBC Sport" |date=2008-01-04 |accessdate=2008-01-04 ] . His first home goals came with a brace in a 2-2 draw with Fulham on March 29 2008. His first a deflection from a Dean Leacock shot, his second a header after Eddie Lewis crossed.

References

External links

*soccerbase|48438
*es [http://www.futbolxxi.com/Futbolista.aspx?ID=12570&SEOFutbolista=Villa+Emanuel+Alejandro Argentine Primera statistics]