footballerSpanishmidfielderLa Liga player

Adrián González (footballer, born 1988)

Adrián González is a Spanish former central midfielder who played mainly in La Liga and became a coach alongside his father Míchel.

1. Overview

Adrián González Morales
Adrián González Morales

Adrián González Morales, widely known simply as Adrián, is a Spanish former professional footballer who primarily played as a central midfielder. Born in Madrid, he is the son of former Real Madrid legend and footballer Míchel. His career spanned mostly in La Liga, where he accumulated 243 appearances with six clubs: Getafe, Racing de Santander, Rayo Vallecano, Elche, Eibar, and Málaga, scoring a total of 20 goals. He also made 179 appearances in the Segunda División for six different teams. Following his retirement from playing in the summer of 2022, Adrián transitioned into a coaching career, joining his father Míchel's staff at Olympiacos FC in Super League Greece and later at Al Qadsiah FC in Saudi Arabia. His career was significantly marked by the public perception and challenges associated with being "Míchel's son," particularly during periods when he was coached by his father, leading to accusations of nepotism.

2. Early Life and Youth Career

Adrián González's early life and formative years were deeply rooted in Spanish football, particularly within the renowned Real Madrid youth system, influenced by his father's prominent career.

2.1. Birth and Background

Adrián González Morales was born on May 25, 1988, in Madrid, Spain. He is the son of José Miguel González Martín del Campo, famously known as Míchel, a legendary former footballer for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. This familial connection to a highly celebrated figure in Spanish football significantly shaped Adrián's early life and career trajectory.

2.2. Real Madrid Youth System

Adrián joined the Real Madrid academy (canterayouth academySpanish) in 1998, at the age of ten. He steadily progressed through the club's youth ranks for nine years. In 2006, he was promoted to Real Madrid Castilla, the club's reserve team. During the 2006-07 season, while playing for Real Madrid Castilla, Adrián was coached by his father, Míchel, who was then managing the team. This period was a significant step in his development, albeit one that would later bring scrutiny due to his familial ties.

3. Club Career

Adrián González's professional club career spanned over a decade, taking him to various teams across Spain's top two divisions, where he experienced both successes and challenges.

3.1. Real Madrid Castilla and Early Loans

Adrián spent the 2006-07 season with Real Madrid Castilla in the Segunda División, where he made 38 appearances and scored 5 goals. He was notably trained by his father, Míchel, who was the coach of the reserve side at the time. The following season, 2007-08, Adrián was sent on two loan spells in the Segunda División. He first joined RC Celta de Vigo in August 2007, where he made 3 appearances. In January 2008, he moved to Gimnàstic de Tarragona for the remainder of the season, playing in 18 matches and scoring 2 goals. He was sparingly used by both loan clubs during this period.

3.2. Getafe CF

In late May 2008, Adrián was acquired by Getafe CF, another club based in Madrid, with Real Madrid retaining a buy-back option. He made his competitive debut for Getafe on October 5, 2008, coming on as a substitute for 15 minutes in a 2-2 home draw against UD Almería. Midway through the 2008-09 season, his father, Míchel, was appointed as Getafe's coach after the dismissal of Víctor Muñoz, marking another instance of Adrián playing under his father.

During the beginning of the 2009-10 season, Adrián gained more playing opportunities due to an injury to fellow midfielder Jaime Gavilán. However, despite the increased playing time, his performances were not consistently strong, leading to criticism and accusations of nepotism directed at his father, Míchel, for giving him a starting position. Adrián himself expressed frustration, stating he was "tired of being 'Míchel's son'". He temporarily lost his starting spot but eventually regained it. On April 25, 2010, he scored his first La Liga goal in Getafe's 4-3 home victory over Sevilla FC, also providing an assist in the match. He played in the final three fixtures of the season, during which Getafe secured seven points and qualified for the UEFA Europa League by finishing sixth in the league. Across his two full seasons with Getafe, he made a total of 30 league appearances, scoring 1 goal.

3.3. Racing de Santander

In mid-August 2010, Adrián terminated his contract with Getafe and signed with Racing de Santander, another La Liga club. He made his official debut for the Cantabrian side on August 29, 2010, in a 0-3 home loss against FC Barcelona. Throughout most of the 2010-11 season, he was a regular starter, though he often did not complete the full 90 minutes of a match. He remained with Racing for two seasons until the club was relegated to the Segunda División at the end of the 2011-12 season. During his tenure at Racing de Santander, he accumulated 58 appearances and scored 3 goals.

3.4. Rayo Vallecano

Following Racing de Santander's relegation in 2012, Adrián returned to his hometown of Madrid and signed a two-year contract with Rayo Vallecano. In his first year, during the 2012-13 season, he primarily served as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Rayo on September 25, 2013, in a 4-1 defeat at Sevilla FC. He followed this with two more goals on December 19, 2013, in a 3-1 victory over Real Valladolid in the Copa del Rey. For Rayo Vallecano, he played 38 matches and scored 1 goal.

3.5. Elche CF

On June 26, 2014, Adrián González joined Elche CF on a two-year deal. He participated in the pre-season training for the 2015-16 season. However, following the club's administrative relegation from La Liga due to financial irregularities, he cut ties with Elche in mid-August 2015. His brief period at Elche saw him make 28 appearances without scoring a goal.

3.6. SD Eibar

After his departure from Elche, Adrián González immediately signed with SD Eibar on August 14, 2015, agreeing to a three-year contract. He quickly made an impact in the Basque Country, scoring on his debut in a 3-1 away victory against Granada CF. He continued to be a valuable contributor, scoring five goals in his first season (2015-16). During his time at Eibar, he made a total of 60 appearances and scored 11 goals.

3.7. Málaga CF

Adrián reunited with his father, Míchel, at Málaga CF on May 23, 2017, signing a three-year contract with an option for a fourth season. In the 2018-19 campaign, with the Andalusian club back in the Segunda División, Adrián had a career-best season in terms of goal-scoring. He proved to be a competent penalty taker, netting ten goals. He also served as the team captain. Overall, he made 99 appearances for Málaga CF, scoring 19 goals.

3.8. Real Zaragoza and CF Fuenlabrada

On September 7, 2020, Adrián signed a two-year deal with Real Zaragoza, also competing in the Segunda División. He remained with the club until January 20, 2022, when he became a free agent. The very next day, on January 21, 2022, the 33-year-old midfielder joined another second-tier side, CF Fuenlabrada, on a short-term contract. For Real Zaragoza, he played 37 matches and scored 3 goals. At CF Fuenlabrada, he made 13 appearances and scored 1 goal.

4. International Career

Adrián González represented Spain at various youth national team levels, gaining experience in international competitions.

He was part of the Spain under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-20 squads. For the under-16 team, he earned 4 caps and scored 1 goal in 2004. With the under-17s, he played 7 matches and scored 3 goals between 2004 and 2005. He made 6 appearances and scored 3 goals for the under-19 side from 2006 to 2007. In 2007, he played 2 matches for the under-20 team.

Adrián earned his single cap for the Spain under-21 team on February 10, 2009. He came on as a 70th-minute substitute for Diego Capel in a 1-1 friendly draw against the Norway under-21 team in Cartagena.

5. Retirement and Coaching Career

Adrián González formally retired from professional football in the summer of 2022, transitioning directly into a coaching role. In the 2022-23 season, he became part of his father Míchel's coaching staff at Olympiacos FC, a prominent club in the Super League Greece. Following their stint in Greece, the father-son duo continued their collaborative coaching efforts in Saudi Arabia, joining Al Qadsiah FC. Adrián has stated that he doesn't feel like a footballer anymore, finding his new role as a manager surprising but real.

6. Personal Life

Adrián González's personal life, particularly his professional journey, has been significantly intertwined with that of his father, Míchel. This relationship has been a recurring theme throughout his football career. From playing under his father at Real Madrid Castilla to reuniting with him at Getafe CF and later Málaga CF, Adrián faced constant public scrutiny.

The most notable challenge stemming from this relationship was the persistent accusation of nepotism, especially during his time at Getafe when Míchel was the head coach. Critics alleged that Adrián received preferential treatment due to his father's position. This pressure led Adrián to openly express his frustration, stating, "I'm tired of being 'Míchel's son'," highlighting the burden of living up to a legendary surname and the difficulty of forging his own identity in the sport. Despite the challenges, their bond allowed them to continue working together post-retirement, with Adrián joining Míchel's coaching staff, indicating a strong familial and professional connection.

Adrián González stands at 72 in (184 cm) (approximately 6 ft) and weighs 165 lb (75 kg) (approximately 165 lb (165 lb)).

7. Career Statistics

Club performanceLeagueCupContinentalTotal
SeasonClubLeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2006-07Real Madrid CastillaSegunda División3850000385
2007-08Celta (loan)Segunda División30000030
2007-08Gimnàstic (loan)Segunda División1820000182
2008-09GetafeLa Liga50000050
2009-10GetafeLa Liga2510000251
2010-11Racing de SantanderLa Liga2300000230
2011-12Racing de SantanderLa Liga3530000353
2012-13Rayo VallecanoLa Liga3000000300
2013-14Rayo VallecanoLa Liga812200103
2014-15ElcheLa Liga2800000280
2015-16EibarLa Liga3051000315
2016-17EibarLa Liga3060000306
2017-18MálagaLa Liga2510000251
2018-19MálagaSegunda División391000003910
2019-20MálagaSegunda División3580000358
2020-21Real ZaragozaSegunda División2930000293
2021-22Real ZaragozaSegunda División80000080
2021-22CF FuenlabradaSegunda División1310000131
Career total42247320042549



Youth International Statistics

National TeamYearAppsGoals
Spain U-16200441
Spain U-172004-200573
Spain U-192006-200763
Spain U-20200720
Spain U-21200910