Carlos Cuéllar

Football player infobox
playername = Carlos Cuéllar


fullname = Carlos Javier Cuéllar Jimenez
height = height|m=1.90
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|8|23
cityofbirth = Madrid
countryofbirth = Spain
currentclub = Aston Villa
clubnumber = 24
position = Centre back
years = 2000–2001
2001–2003
2003–2007
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = Calahorra
Numancia
Osasuna
Rangers
Aston Villa
caps(goals) = 19 (0)
62 (4)
70 (2)
36 (4)
03 (0)
pcupdate = 03:25, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

Carlos Javier Cuéllar Jimenez (born 23 August 1981 in Madrid) is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Premier League club Aston Villa as a central defender.

Career

pain

Cuellar began his career at Spanish Tercera División side Calahorra before moving on to Segunda side Numancia. He spent two seasons in Numancia, making over sixty appearances, and then got his big move to La Liga side Osasuna. He became an important part of the Javier Aguirre side that finished fourth in the league in season 2004-05 and reached the final of the Copa del Rey. Two seasons later, they reached the UEFA Cup semi-final, knocking out Rangers en route. During that same UEFA Cup campaign Cuéllar scored a first-minute goal in the quarter finals at the BayArena against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in April, which was the fastest goal of the tournament that season.

Rangers F.C.

Scottish club Rangers made two offers for Cuellar in June 2007 that were rejected by Osasuna, but a transfer to Rangers was completed on 5 July 2007 for a fee of £2.37 million.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6276338.stm|title=Rangers clinch signing of Cuellar|publisher=BBC Sport website|date=2007-07-06] He signed a four-year contract, worth a reported £15,000 per week. He made his competitive Rangers debut against FK Zeta on the 31 July 2007, in a 2–0 victory.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6922795.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Rangers 2–0 FK Zeta |date=2007-07-31] After impressing early in the season, Cuéllar was awarded the Clydesdale Bank Premier League Player of the Month award for August 2007. He scored his first Rangers goal on September 1 during a 4–0 defeat of Gretna.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6970400.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Rangers 4–0 Gretna|date=2007-09-01]

Cuéllar continued to play well for Rangers, but he was he was sent off during a critical Old Firm match for handling a Shunsuke Nakamura shot. Although the resultant penalty kick was saved by Allan McGregor, the 10-man Rangers side eventually lost the match and the league title to Celtic. As personal reward for what was an outstanding season, Cuéllar collected the Clydesdale Bank SPL Player of the Year awardcite news|url=http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2196414.0.Double_derby_boost_for_Rangers.php|publisher=The Herald|title=SPL Player of the Year: Carlos Cuellar|date=2008-04-14] and was named the Scottish Football Writers Associations Player of the Year. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7382973.stm Cuellar picks up writers' award] , BBC Sport, 5 May 2008.] At the event he was quoted as saying "I want to stay at Rangers for life." [ [http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2196414.0.Double_derby_boost_for_Rangers.php] , "The Herald".] He made a total of 65 appearances for Rangers, scoring 5 goals.

Aston Villa F.C.

On 12 August 2008, Aston Villa signed Cuéllar in a deal worth £7.8 million on a four year contract. Villa's offer had triggered a release-clause in Cuéllar's contract with Rangers. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7555187.stm|title=Cuellar seals £7.8m move to Villa|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-08-12|accessdate=2008-08-12] . He was given the squad number 24, which he wore at Rangers. [cite news|url=http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FirstTeam/0,,10265,00.html|title=First Team Squad|publisher=Aston Villa FC Official website|accessdate=2008-09-18] Cuéllar made his official first team début on 18 September 2008 in the 3-1 UEFA Cup first round victory against PFC Litex Lovech in Bulgaria. His first Premier League appearance for Aston Villa was in the West Midlands Derby match against West Bromwich Albion on September 21 2008. Cuéllar came on as a late substitute in a match which Aston Villa won 2-1.

Honours

Club

With Rangers:
*Scottish League Cup: 2007-08
*Scottish Cup: 2007-08

Individual

*Clydesdale Bank SPL Player of the Year: 2007-08
*SFWA Footballer of the Year: 2007-08

References

External links

*

Persondata
NAME=Cuéllar, Carlos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Spainish footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=23 August, 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH=Madrid, Spain
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=