José Enrique Sánchez
Encyclopedia
José Enrique Sánchez Díaz (born 23 January 1986), more commonly known as José Enrique, is a Spanish
footballer who plays for Liverpool
as a left-back.
before being snapped up by Valencia
. Valencia sent him to Celta Vigo
for a season-long loan spell. At the conclusion of this loan spell he was signed by Villarreal
in 2006 after several eye-catching performances for Celta Vigo. The highly-rated full-back enjoyed a successful 2006/07 season with Villarreal before his transfer to England
.
From the age of 7 José Enrique was a keen athlete due to his blistering speed. He was a member of the Benimaclet running club in Valencia and was soon picked up as a hot prospect. When he turned 16 he had the difficult choice of making a career in sprinting and representing Spain in huge competitions such as the Olympics, or signing a youth scholarship with Levante.
had signed José Enrique for a fee believed to be £6.3m. He signed a five-year contract with the club who beat off competition from Manchester City
and Liverpool
for his signature. Enrique made his Newcastle debut on 29 August, in a match against Barnsley
in which he played the full 90 minutes. Newcastle won the match 2–0. While considered a warm up for Enrique, his recovery pace and calm nature on the ball bode well for his ability. He finally made his debut in the Premier League as a substitute against West Ham United
on 23 September.
His appearances for Newcastle across the 2007–08 season were somewhat sporadic, with then manager Sam Allardyce
citing the fact that Enrique was still young and settling in to the Premier League as the reason for this. In the absence of any other recognised senior left backs midfielder Charles N'Zogbia
was deployed in this position. When José Enrique did play, he showed a great deal of promise, proving to be a strong tackler who is adept at keeping possession. José Enrique is also admired for his ability to pick out team mates with long and very accurate passes, particularly off his favoured left foot. During his first season on Tyneside, he helped his side keep seven clean sheets out of the 28 games that he played.
After Newcastle's relegation in May 2009, the club had to sell a lot of its best players and numerous key defenders left including Habib Beye
and Sebastien Bassong
. The mass exodus, along with José Enrique's good form, has prompted several clubs to keep an eye on him, including Sunderland
, although on 1 December in an interview with The Journal, when asked about a move to Sunderland, José Enrique said the following, "I don't care about Sunderland. Even if the newspapers said Chelsea
I wouldn't care. I worry for my team – I love the city, I love the club and I don't care about signing for another team."
His performances were rewarded when he was made the official Newcastle United player of the season for 2009–10, voted for by the fans. He also achieved the accolade of being named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year alongside fellow Newcastle United players Fabricio Coloccini
, Kevin Nolan
and Andy Carroll
.
José Enrique scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 league win over promotion rivals Nottingham Forest
on 29 March 2010. At the end of the 2010-11 season, he made 36 Premier League appearances in total for the Magpies.
On 11 August 2011 it was officially reported that Newcastle had agreed a fee with Liverpool
for José Enrique, allowing him to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical with the Merseyside club. It was officially announced the following day on Liverpool's website that José Enrique had joined the Merseyside club on a long term contract after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
On 13 August 2011, José Enrique made his debut in Liverpool's first game of the 2011–12 Premier League
, starting at left back in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland. On 20 August 2011, Enrique made his second appearance and played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium
, also being named man of the match. On 24 September, José Enrique provided the assist that helped Luis Suárez
to score in the 2–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield
. On 1 October, José Enrique appeared in his first Merseyside derby
for Liverpool, making another assist for Andy Carroll
in a 2–0 win for the Reds over rivals Everton
.
On 2 October, it was announced that the player had been voted best summer
signing by Liverpool fans
with 74.5% of votes, ahead of the likes of Charlie Adam
and Craig Bellamy
.
|2004–05||Levante B
||Segunda División B
||19||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||1
|-
|2005–06||Valencia
||rowspan="3"|Primera División
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2005–06||Celta Vigo
(Loan)||15||0||3||0||0||0||0||0||18||0
|-;
|2006–07||Villarreal
||23||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||25||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="4"|Newcastle United
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||23||0||3||0||2||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2008–09||26||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2009–10
|rowspan="1"|Championship
||34||1||2||0||1||0||0||0||37||1
|-
|2010–11
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||36||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2011–12
||rowspan="1"|Liverpool
|||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
57||1||5||0||0||0||0||0||62||1
129||1||6||0||4||0||0||0||139||1
186||2||11||0||4||0||0||0||201||2
Stats accurate as of 26 October 2011
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
as a left-back.
Early career
José Enrique (nicknamed El Toro) started his footballing career at LevanteLevante UD
Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, in the namesake community.Founded in 1909, it plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadi Ciutat de València.-Early years:...
before being snapped up by Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
. Valencia sent him to Celta Vigo
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
for a season-long loan spell. At the conclusion of this loan spell he was signed by Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
in 2006 after several eye-catching performances for Celta Vigo. The highly-rated full-back enjoyed a successful 2006/07 season with Villarreal before his transfer to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
From the age of 7 José Enrique was a keen athlete due to his blistering speed. He was a member of the Benimaclet running club in Valencia and was soon picked up as a hot prospect. When he turned 16 he had the difficult choice of making a career in sprinting and representing Spain in huge competitions such as the Olympics, or signing a youth scholarship with Levante.
Newcastle United
On 6 August 2007, it was confirmed that Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
had signed José Enrique for a fee believed to be £6.3m. He signed a five-year contract with the club who beat off competition from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
for his signature. Enrique made his Newcastle debut on 29 August, in a match against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in which he played the full 90 minutes. Newcastle won the match 2–0. While considered a warm up for Enrique, his recovery pace and calm nature on the ball bode well for his ability. He finally made his debut in the Premier League as a substitute against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
on 23 September.
His appearances for Newcastle across the 2007–08 season were somewhat sporadic, with then manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
citing the fact that Enrique was still young and settling in to the Premier League as the reason for this. In the absence of any other recognised senior left backs midfielder Charles N'Zogbia
Charles N'Zogbia
Charles N'Zogbia is a French footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League. N'Zogbia was capped for the France under-21 team on thirteen occasions, and made his debut for the senior side in 2010....
was deployed in this position. When José Enrique did play, he showed a great deal of promise, proving to be a strong tackler who is adept at keeping possession. José Enrique is also admired for his ability to pick out team mates with long and very accurate passes, particularly off his favoured left foot. During his first season on Tyneside, he helped his side keep seven clean sheets out of the 28 games that he played.
After Newcastle's relegation in May 2009, the club had to sell a lot of its best players and numerous key defenders left including Habib Beye
Habib Beye
Habib Beye is a French born Senegalese footballer who plays for Doncaster Rovers on loan from Aston Villa and for the Senegal national team...
and Sebastien Bassong
Sébastien Bassong
Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena is a French-born Cameroonian football defender who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...
. The mass exodus, along with José Enrique's good form, has prompted several clubs to keep an eye on him, including Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, although on 1 December in an interview with The Journal, when asked about a move to Sunderland, José Enrique said the following, "I don't care about Sunderland. Even if the newspapers said Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
I wouldn't care. I worry for my team – I love the city, I love the club and I don't care about signing for another team."
His performances were rewarded when he was made the official Newcastle United player of the season for 2009–10, voted for by the fans. He also achieved the accolade of being named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year alongside fellow Newcastle United players Fabricio Coloccini
Fabricio Coloccini
Fabricio Coloccini is an Argentine football defender who currently captains Premier League club Newcastle United, and plays for the Argentine national team. At the age of 29, Coloccini has already represented numerous football clubs, however it was his successful spell at Deportivo La Coruña where...
, Kevin Nolan
Kevin Nolan
Kevin Anthony Jance Nolan is an English professional footballer who plays for and is the current club captain of West Ham United in the Football League Championship. An attacking midfielder, he has represented England at under-21 level....
and Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll
Andrew Thomas "Andy" Carroll is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team....
.
José Enrique scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 league win over promotion rivals Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 29 March 2010. At the end of the 2010-11 season, he made 36 Premier League appearances in total for the Magpies.
Liverpool
On 11 August 2011 it was officially reported that Newcastle had agreed a fee with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
for José Enrique, allowing him to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical with the Merseyside club. It was officially announced the following day on Liverpool's website that José Enrique had joined the Merseyside club on a long term contract after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
On 13 August 2011, José Enrique made his debut in Liverpool's first game of the 2011–12 Premier League
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...
, starting at left back in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland. On 20 August 2011, Enrique made his second appearance and played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
, also being named man of the match. On 24 September, José Enrique provided the assist that helped Luis Suárez
Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer)
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz , commonly known as Luis Suárez and nicknamed "El Pistolero" , is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team...
to score in the 2–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. On 1 October, José Enrique appeared in his first Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
for Liverpool, making another assist for Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll
Andrew Thomas "Andy" Carroll is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team....
in a 2–0 win for the Reds over rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
On 2 October, it was announced that the player had been voted best summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
signing by Liverpool fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
with 74.5% of votes, ahead of the likes of Charlie Adam
Charlie Adam
Charles Graham "Charlie" Adam is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liverpool and the Scotland national football team....
and Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
.
Club
|-|2004–05||Levante B
Levante UD B
Levante Unión Deportiva B, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valencia. The reserve team of Levante Unión Deportiva, it currently plays in Tercera División.-Season to season:---------*4 seasons in Segunda División B...
||Segunda División B
Segunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
||19||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||1
|-
|2005–06||Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
||rowspan="3"|Primera División
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2005–06||Celta Vigo
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
(Loan)||15||0||3||0||0||0||0||0||18||0
|-;
|2006–07||Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
||23||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||25||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="4"|Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||23||0||3||0||2||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2008–09||26||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Football League Championship
The Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format...
|rowspan="1"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||34||1||2||0||1||0||0||0||37||1
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||36||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...
||rowspan="1"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
|||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
57||1||5||0||0||0||0||0||62||1
129||1||6||0||4||0||0||0||139||1
186||2||11||0||4||0||0||0||201||2
Stats accurate as of 26 October 2011
Club
Newcastle United- Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
(1): 2009–102009–10 Football League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format... - Teresa Herrera TrophyTeresa Herrera TrophyThe Teresa Herrera Trophy is an annual pre-season football tournament hosted by Deportivo La Coruña at the Estadio Riazor.Established in 1946, it is the third oldest professional football tournament in Spain - behind the Trofeo Playa y Sol and the Copa San Pedro - and is considered one of...
: Winner: 2010
Individual
- PFA Championship Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
(1): 2009–10