Álvaro González Soberón

Álvaro González Soberón (born 8 January 1990), known simply as Álvaro, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central defender.

Football career

Born in Potes, Cantabria, Álvaro was a product of hometown club Racing de Santander's youth ranks, and made his professional debuts in the 2009–10 season, appearing in 23 games for the reserves in the third division and suffering relegation. He made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 1 May 2011, starting and playing 82 minutes in a 2–0 home win against RCD Mallorca.

Due to injuries to teammates, Álvaro started 2011–12 campaign in Racing's starting XI. Shortly before, he had signed his first professional contract for the Cantabrians.

On 14 November 2011, Racing rejected a €2 million offer for Álvaro made by FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. He remained a starter until the end of the season, being relegated at its closure.

On 11 July 2012, Álvaro signed a four-year deal with Real Zaragoza. In his first year he was again first-choice, but the Aragonese also dropped down to the second level.

On 28 July 2014, Álvaro returned to the top level after agreeing to a five-year contract with RCD Espanyol. In preparation for 2016–17 he was made fourth captain behind Javi López, Víctor Sánchez and Víctor Álvarez, but on 31 August 2016, however, he was transferred to fellow league team Villarreal CF on a four-year deal.

Honours

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2013