Roberto Soldado

At 38 years old, Roberto Soldado has this physical status:

Roberto Soldado Rillo (Spanish pronunciation: [roe sol dao ririo]; born 27 May 1985) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Segunda División club Levante as a striker.

After being drafted into Real Madrid's youth program, he went on to play in only 27 official matches for the first team (four goals). However, he made a £26 million move to Tottenham Hotspur, becoming a more consistent La Liga player and goalscorer for Osasuna, Getafe, and Valencia. He returned to Villarreal in the Spanish top division after two unsuccessful seasons in England.

Soldado, the first international since 2007, also represented Spain at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

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Club career

Soldado, a native of Valencia, joined Real Madrid at the age of 15. Don Bosco, a small club in the Valencian countryside, is the subject of a lawsuit. He made his first-team debut against Valencia CF on October 23, 2005, playing 18 minutes in a 1–2 home loss after years of prolific goalscoring with the former's reserves. He had won the 86th minute on the pitch in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League against Olympiakos FC (2–1 home win), with a late equalizer against CA Osasuna and another in a 3–2 win over Racing de Santander in the Copa del Rey's 4–0 loss.

Castilla, Soldado, scored 19 goals in Segunda División in 2005, one behind Ikechukwu Uche de Huelva. On July 24, 2006, he officially became Real Madrid's first under new coach Fabio Capello and new president Ramón Calderón, along with other La Liga players Osasuna on a season-long loan; "The intention is to leave and have a good season with a first division team scoring goal and to grow as a footballer." His new team had finished fourth in the previous season to earn their spot in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, so he preferred them over a number of other Spanish clubs competing for his presence. "I want to return to the Real first team next year." After his signing, I chose Osasuna because it gives me the opportunity to participate in the Champions League, according to Real Madrid's website; he finished with a total of 13 goals in all competitions, making him the Navarrese's top scorer.

Soldado returned to Real Madrid on July 11, 2007, where he renewed his deal until June 30. In a 21-day interview with Spanish newspaper Diario AS, he revealed that he would be wearing number 9 in his second stint: "I've always wanted to be number 9" during the preseason. When I step on the pitch at Bernabéu, I'll recall all the hard work it took to get here. Nevertheless, he finished the season with just five league appearances (one start at Deportivo de La Corua), the second with fewer minutes for the league champions.

Soldado was sold to Getafe CF for €4 million in late July 2008, less than four years with the club from the Madrid outskirts, as former Real player Esteban Granero the previous week. In a 2–1 away loss to Málaga CF on October 19, they lost two more in another away loss, with Osasuna (5–2), two months later; in between, he was kicked out in a 0–3 home loss to Valencia for a headbutt on Carlos Marchena.

Soldado defeated Sporting de Gijón 5–1 on January 25, 2009, with a hat-trick as an early replacement. As Getafe suffered in the league, he scored twice to win another home victory, 2–1 over Recelva on March 22. He suffered by a 3–2 loss against his first employers in the following month.

Soldado started 2009-10 in a spirited manner, scoring three goals over Racing Santander in a 4–1 away win. In a 5–1 home victory, he scored three more against newly promoted Xerez CD, ending a long scoring drought.

Soldado's league tally climbed to ten after scoring twice in a 2–1 loss of Sevilla FC on December 19th; with this feat, he became Getafe's best ever scorer in the first division, surpassing Manu del Moral and Dani Güiza. He missed one month of action due to injury, but his side gained a point in the 1-1 home draw with Gijón, who scored off a bicycle kick.

Soldado returned to Valencia in early June 2010, replacing FC Barcelona-bound David Villa after a fruitful year of 16 league goals, as well as qualification to the UEFA Europa League. He played in his first official game in the Champions League group phase on September 14th, contributing one goal to the Che's 4–0 victory at Bursaspor. In a 6–1 win over the Mestalla Stadium in November, he netted two more points.

Soldado scored all of Valencia's goals in a 4–2 away victory over former club Getafe on April 2nd. In the upcoming match, a local derby against Villarreal CF, he scored two more in a 5–0 home thrashing, and finished the season as his team ranked third and qualified to the Champions League, with his team ranked third.

Soldado scored four goals against Racing Santander (one in his own net) in an eventual 4–3 home victory, with his last two arriving in the final three minutes. In late November 2011, he scored five more in two home games separated by only five days: two in a 2–3 loss to Real Madrid and three in a 7–0 Champions League loss to K.R.C. Genk.

Soldado scored his 25th competitive goal of the season on March 18, 2012, netting all of his teammates in a 3–0 victory at Bilbao. He renewed his deal in late June until 2017.

Soldado defeated FC BATE Borisov 3–0 in a 3–0 victory in the Champions League group stage in Minsk on October 23, 2012.

Valencia has agreed to a transfer of Soldado for a fee of £26 million, which would smash the English club's previous record of £17 million per year; the transfer took place four days later after a fruitful medical. In a 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on his Premier League debut on August 18, he scored on a penalty kick. In a 5–0 victory over FC Dinamo Tbilisi in the UEFA Europa League's playoff round, he netted a brace.

Soldado scored his first Premier League goal from open play on October 20, 2013, beating Aston Villa 21-0 at Villa Park in a 2–0 victory over Aston Villa on October 20th. In the Europa League group stage (4–1), he scored his first hat-trick for Tottenham against Anzhi Makhachhachhachhachhachhachchia.

Soldado scored his first goal against relegation-threatened Cardiff City on March 2, 2014, his first game in nine games. In his first season with the Spurs, he scored just six times, only two of which came from open play, and was listed in The Telegraph website's list of the "10 worst buys of the Premier League season."

Soldado scored Christian Eriksen's goal against Manchester City on October 18, then losing by Joe Hart in a 4-1 away loss. In a 2–1 home loss to Everton, his first goal came on November 30th, the decisive in a 2–1 home loss.

Soldado returned to his country's top flight on August 14, 2015, after completing a three-year deal with Villarreal CF for £10 million. In his first game at Real Betis, he scored in his first appearance, contributing to a 1–1 draw in which he started and then retired midway through the second half.

Soldado scored the game's only goal, helping defeat his former club Real Madrid at the Estadio El Madrigal, on December 13, 2015. Due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee in pre-season, he missed the bulk of 2016–17.

Soldado's transfer to Fenerbahçe SK was confirmed on August 11th, 2017. In a 4–1 home victory over Sivasspor after struggling to find the net in his first ten games, he scored a hat-trick as a 61st-minute replacement on September 19th.

Soldado also stated that he did not renew his contract on June 2nd.

Soldado completed his one-year deal with recently promoted Granada CF on July 15, making him Diego Martnez' fourth signing of the summer transfer window. In a 4–4 draw against Villarreal on August 17, he made his competitive debut on August 17th, scoring and scoring, and remained a starter as the team qualified for Europe for the first time after a seventh-place finish. The club activated the employment provision that would keep him for another season in April 2020.

Soldado scored his first goal in Andalus' European history on September 17th in a 4–0 victory over Albania's KF Teuta Durrs in the second qualifying round. He netted twice more in their run to the quarter-finals, one in each leg of a 3–2 aggregate win over Norwegian Molde FK in the last 16.

Soldado joined Levante UD on a two-year contract in June 2021.

International career

Soldado played for Spain at all levels, scoring a total of 26 goals. He was first called up to the first team in June 2007 for two UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Latvia and Liechtenstein, both of whom competed in both. He did not make it to the finals in Switzerland and Austria, but the country was victorious.

Soldado returned to the national team after nearly five years of absence in Málaga's halftime, scoring twice after just seven minutes on the field; afterwards, he won a penalty and dismissal of Fernando Amorebieta; but the score was tied at 5–0 in the 83rd minute;

Soldado was selected by manager Vicente del Bosque for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup squad. He scored in the opener on June 16th, leading Spain to a 2–1 victory over Uruguay.

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