Javi Fuego · Biography

Javier Fuego Martínez, known as Javi Fuego, was born on 4 January 1984 in Pola de Siero, Asturias. He started out at Club Deportivo Romanón in his home town and joined the Real Sporting de Gijón academy at the age of nine. He was a defensive midfielder, 1.81 metres tall. His professional career lasted almost two decades: it began and ended at Sporting, and in between he played for Levante, Recreativo de Huelva, Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Espanyol and Villarreal.

Youth career and Sporting debut

Fuego made his first-team debut for Sporting on 4 May 2002, while still a youth player, in a Spanish second division match against Club Deportivo Leganés. Over the next two seasons he split his time between the reserve side and the senior squad. After the 2003-04 campaign he was promoted to the first team for good. From 2004 to 2007 he was a regular starter in Sporting's midfield, always in the second division, during a period when the Asturian club failed to return to the top flight.

Spain youth international

While he was establishing himself in Gijón, he also played for Spain's youth teams. He made his under-19 debut against the Czech Republic on 23 October 2002. A year later, on 22 October 2003, he played his only under-20 match, against Slovakia. In 2005 he was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Almería, the only title of his career. His only under-21 appearance came against Poland on 28 February 2006. He was never capped by the senior national team.

Levante and Recreativo: top-flight debut

In the summer of 2007 Levante, then in La Liga, paid €853,000 to sign him. Fuego made his top-flight debut against RCD Mallorca in August 2007. Levante were relegated at the end of that season. In August 2008 he signed a three-year deal with Recreativo de Huelva, who also went down, at the end of the 2008-09 campaign. He spent two seasons in Huelva, the second of them in the second division.

Rayo Vallecano: promotion and 100 La Liga games

In 2010 he joined Rayo Vallecano, then in the second division. In his first season at Vallecas the team finished second and won promotion to La Liga in 2011, with Fuego a fixture in midfield. Over the next two seasons in the top flight he rarely missed a match. On 10 November 2012, against Celta de Vigo, he reached 100 La Liga appearances. He spent three seasons at the Madrid club, leaving in 2013.

Valencia: Europa League and Champions League

On 1 July 2013 he joined Valencia on a three-year contract. His official debut came at Mestalla on 17 August 2013, in a 1-0 win over Málaga. On 19 September that year he played his first European match, a 3-0 defeat to Swansea City in the Europa League group stage. On 23 March 2014 he scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Villarreal. In 2015-16 he played seven Champions League matches, but Valencia did not get past the group stage.

Espanyol and Villarreal

On 13 August 2016 he signed a three-year deal with RCD Espanyol. In his first season in Barcelona he played 31 league games, 29 of them as a starter, and the team finished eighth. On 30 January 2018 Villarreal signed him for €750,000 on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Injuries and a bacterial infection kept him from playing regularly during his year and a half at the club.

Return to Sporting and retirement

On 26 June 2019 he returned to Sporting de Gijón, then in the second division, on a two-year contract. He captained the side during this second spell at El Molinón. In May 2021 he announced that he would leave the club when his contract expired, and on 23 July 2021 he announced his retirement from professional football.