Sergi Canós

Sergi Canós Tenés (born 2 February 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for English club Brentford. He represented Spain between U15 and U19 level and has been described as a "quick attacking player". He is also adept as a forward or a attacking midfielder.

Early career

Born in Nules, Castellón, Valencian Community, Canós began his career in the youth system at hometown club Nules, before rejecting attention from Valencia, Villareal and Atlético Madrid to join Barcelona's academy in 2010. Able to play as a winger or forward, he left La Masia in 2013.

Liverpool

Canós moved to England to sign for Premier League club Liverpool at the age of 16 in 2013. After receiving international clearance in November 2013, he progressed through the U18 team during the 2013–14 season to make his debut for the club's reserves in August 2014. Canós appeared in every match of Liverpool's 2014–15 UEFA Youth League campaign and scored one goal. He spent the majority of the 2015–16 season away on loan, but returned to Anfield in time to be included in Jürgen Klopp's squad for the final day of the Premier League season versus West Bromwich Albion. He made what would prove to be his only senior appearance for Liverpool as a late substitute for Sheyi Ojo in the 1–1 draw. Canós departed the club on 12 July 2016.

Brentford (loan)

On 31 August 2015, Canós joined Championship club Brentford on a loan which was later extended until the end of the 2015–16 season. He made the first senior appearance of his career as a late substitute for Philipp Hofmann in a 1–1 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road on 12 September. He made regular substitute appearances and scored the first senior goal of his career versus Nottingham Forest on 21 November, netting within three minutes after coming on for John Swift. After the appointment of Dean Smith as manager in December, Canós broke into the starting lineup and the day after extending his loan, he scored Brentford's Goal of the Season versus Reading on 28 December. He scored four further goals during the second half of the season and finished with seven goals from 39 appearances.

Norwich City

On 13 July 2016, Canós signed a four-year contract with Championship club Norwich City for an undisclosed fee, reported to be an initial £2.5 million, which could have risen to £4.5 million. He was largely out of favour at Carrow Road and featured mainly in cup competitions, scoring his first goals for the club with a brace in a 6–1 EFL Cup second round thrashing of Coventry City on 23 August 2016. Canós scored for the U23 team in a 5–0 EFL Trophy group stage win over Barnet on 4 October, but failed to break into the squad for league matches and left the club on 31 January 2017, after having made just 9 appearances during the first half of the 2016–17 season.

Return to Brentford

2017–2018

On 31 January 2017, Canós rejoined Brentford on ​4 ⁄₂-year contract, with an option for a further year. The undisclosed fee (rumoured to be £2,500,000) made him the club's record signing. Canós made his second Brentford debut five days later, as a 69th-minute substitute for Florian Jozefzoon during a 3–3 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. He scored the first goals since his return to Griffin Park with a brace in a 5–3 victory over Burton Albion on 18 March. Canós finished the 2016–17 season with four goals from 18 appearances.

An ankle injury, sustained during pre-season, ruled Canós out of the early matches of the 2017–18 season. He made his first appearance of the season with a start versus Aston Villa on 9 September 2017, but lasted just 33 minutes of the 0–0 draw before suffering a recurrence of the same injury. He made his second return of the season as a late substitute in a 3–3 draw with Sunderland on 21 October and scored his first goal of the season on his eighth appearance, in a 3–1 win over West London rivals Fulham on 2 December. Canós was sent off for the first time in his career when he received a straight red card for a tackle on Derby County's Marcus Olsson in a match on 3 February 2018. He finished a "frustrating" 2017–18 season with 31 appearances and three goals.

2018–present

Canós featured predominantly as a starter through the first half of the 2018–19 season, but lost his place to Emiliano Marcondes in early December 2018. He regained his starting role late in the month and came into form in late-January and early-February 2019, scoring four goals in as many matches. A dearth of fit full backs at the club led head coach Thomas Frank to deploy Canós as a right wing back in a number of matches during February 2019 and he finished the 2018–19 season with a career-high 50 appearances and 9 goals.

Canós began the 2019–20 season as an ever-present starter on the wing, before suffering a serious knee injury in late in a match versus Nottingham Forest on 5 October 2019. Shortly afterwards, he signed a new four-year contract, with the option of a further year. Canós returned to outdoor training in February 2020 and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-month suspension imposed on the season allowed him to return to the substitutes' bench in July 2020.

Canós made his international debut for Spain at U15 level and was a part of the team which reached the quarter-final of the 2012 Copa de México de Naciones. He progressed to play at U16 and U17 level, making six appearances and scoring two goals during the U17s' unsuccessful qualification campaign for the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

Canós made his U19 debut in a friendly against Italy on 20 January 2016 and appeared in two of Spain's three 2016 European U19 Championship unsuccessful elite round qualifiers three months later.

Canós is a Valencia supporter. His family ran a Spanish restaurant, Gracias, on Penny Lane in Liverpool and as of April 2020, his mother and sister still lived in Liverpool.

• Mediterranean International Cup Player of the Tournament: 2013

As of match played 11 July 2020