Ayoze Pérez · Biography

Ayoze Pérez Gutiérrez was born on 29 July 1993 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and came through the island's grassroots football, first at San Andrés, then at Santa Cruz and, from 2004, in CD Tenerife's academy. He is a forward who has also played as an attacking midfielder and out wide. After five seasons with Newcastle United and four with Leicester City, he returned to Spain in 2023 to join Real Betis, and has played for Villarreal since 2024.

Youth and breakthrough at Tenerife

He started out at San Andrés, his neighbourhood club, between 1998 and 2002, spent two years at Santa Cruz and joined Tenerife's youth system in 2004. He made his senior debut for the reserve side in 2011-12, in the Spanish fourth tier, and scored 14 goals in 41 matches over two campaigns. In 2012-13 he moved up to the first team, playing 16 games in Segunda División B and scoring once as the club won promotion to the second division.

His first professional match came on 18 August 2013, a 1-0 defeat away at Alcorcón. That 2013-14 season he scored 16 goals in the Spanish second division, including the first hat-trick of his career in a 5-0 win over Ponferradina on 23 March 2014. He was named the division's player of the month for March and April 2014, made its team of the season and won its breakthrough player and best attacking midfielder awards.

Five seasons at Newcastle

In June 2014 he joined Newcastle United, who met the release clause in his contract. He scored seven goals in his first Premier League season. When the club went down to the Championship in 2016 he stayed, scoring 12 goals in all competitions in 2016-17 as Newcastle went straight back up as Championship winners.

Back in the top flight he had his two most prolific seasons in England, with 10 goals in 2017-18 and 13 in 2018-19. On 20 April 2019 he scored all three in a 3-1 win over Southampton. He left with 48 goals in 195 competitive appearances.

Leicester City: FA Cup and relegation

On 4 July 2019 he signed a four-year contract with Leicester City, in a deal reported by the British press at around £30 million. On 25 October that year he scored three times in Leicester's 9-0 win at Southampton. He won the FA Cup in 2020-21 and the Community Shield in August 2021. His role in the rotation had shrunk by the time the team slid towards relegation in 2022-23. He finished with 15 goals in 114 matches for the club.

Return to Spain with Real Betis

On 31 January 2023 he joined Real Betis on loan until the end of the 2022-23 season. That summer Leicester were relegated, and on 6 July 2023, as a free agent, he signed a four-year contract with the Seville club. He scored 11 goals in 38 matches in 2023-24, and 15 in 59 competitive games for Betis overall.

Spain national team

He won his first senior cap at thirty, on 5 June 2024, in a friendly against Andorra at the Estadio Nuevo Vivero in Badajoz. Spain won 5-0 and he scored and set up another goal. Two days later Luis de la Fuente named him in the squad for Euro 2024 in Germany. He played only a few minutes against Italy in the group stage before a muscle strain in his right leg ruled him out of the game against Albania. Spain went on to become European champions in 2024. On 15 November that year he scored his second international goal, in a 2-1 Nations League win over Denmark in Copenhagen.

Villarreal and the Zarra Trophy

On 13 August 2024 he joined Villarreal on a four-year deal. On 29 October 2024 he scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 Copa del Rey win at Poblense. In the 2024-25 LaLiga season he scored 19 goals in 30 matches and won the Zarra Trophy, awarded to the league's top Spanish scorer. He was the first player from the Canary Islands to win it and the second from Villarreal, after Gerard Moreno. The Athletic also named him in its LaLiga team of the season.

Honours

With Newcastle United he won the Championship in 2016-17. With Leicester City he won the FA Cup in 2020-21 and the Community Shield in 2021. With Spain he won the European Championship in 2024. Individually, he won the Spanish second division's breakthrough player and best attacking midfielder awards in 2014, and in 2025 he took the Zarra Trophy for the 2024-25 season with 19 goals.