1. Early years
Fernando Llorente was born in Pamplona, Navarre, Spain, on 26 February 1985. He spent his formative years growing up in the municipality of Rincón de Soto in La Rioja. At the age of 11, in 1996, he joined the youth system of Athletic Bilbao, a club he was eligible to join due to his Navarrese roots, which align with Athletic's signing policy.
2. Club career
Llorente's professional career spanned across several top-tier clubs in Spain, Italy, and England, where he achieved significant success and contributed to various team achievements.
2.1. Athletic Bilbao
Llorente spent several seasons developing through Athletic Bilbao's junior levels, playing alongside future teammates like Fernando Amorebieta. In 2003, he moved to the club's farm team, Basconia, which competed in the Tercera División. He scored 12 goals in 33 appearances for Basconia during the 2003-04 season. His consistent improvement led to his promotion to Bilbao Athletic, Athletic's reserve team, in Segunda División B. In the first half of the 2004-05 season, he netted four goals in 16 matches for the reserves, earning him a contract extension with the main club until June 2008.
On 16 January 2005, Llorente made his first-team and La Liga debut in a 1-1 home draw against RCD Espanyol. Just three days later, in a Copa del Rey match against Lanzarote, he scored a hat-trick in a dominant 6-0 victory. He featured in 14 of the remaining 19 league games, scoring three goals, and also played in four domestic cup matches and a UEFA Cup tie against FK Austria Wien. For the 2005-06 season, he was given the number 9 jersey, having previously worn number 32. He scored on the opening day in a Basque derby, a 3-0 win over Real Sociedad, but struggled with injuries throughout the campaign, including a knee strain, gastroenteritis, and a muscle injury, limiting him to just four goals (two in the league and two in the Cup against Hospitalet).
On 13 July 2006, Llorente signed a new contract until June 2011, which included a buyout clause between 30.00 M EUR and 50.00 M EUR. He started the 2006-07 season as the fourth-choice striker but eventually earned more playing time due to the team's poor form. He finished that campaign with two goals in 23 matches, including an important late equalizer against Valencia CF. In preparation for the 2007-08 season, Llorente scored six goals in six pre-season matches, establishing himself as Athletic's first-choice forward. He ended the season with 11 league goals, helping the team finish in mid-table. This tally included four goals in two impressive wins against Valencia, and further strikes against Barcelona, Villarreal, and Atlético Madrid.
For the 2008-09 season, Llorente achieved a career-best of 14 league goals, along with four goals in the Copa del Rey, helping Athletic reach the final, where they lost 4-1 to Barcelona. In the 2009-10 season, he again reached double figures, scoring 14 league goals and leading the Europa League scoring charts for a significant period with eight goals.
On 28 August 2010, Llorente scored the first goal of the 2010-11 campaign in a 1-0 win at Hércules. He continued his strong form, scoring seven goals in the next ten league fixtures and finishing the season with 18 league goals (19 overall), helping Athletic qualify for the Europa League.
Between January and February 2012, Llorente scored five goals in two away matches within four days: a hat-trick in a 3-2 win against Rayo Vallecano, and two goals in a 2-1 defeat of Mirandés in the Spanish Cup semi-finals. In the subsequent two home matches, he scored three more goals, one against Espanyol in the league and two against Mirandés. Llorente scored in both legs of the 2011-12 Europa League round of 16 against Manchester United, contributing to Athletic's 5-3 aggregate victory. In the quarter-finals, he scored twice at Schalke 04 in a 4-2 win, helping the team reach the final. His seven goals in the tournament made him the club's highest scorer in European competition at the time, surpassing Dani's record of 11 goals from the 1980s, a record later broken by Aritz Aduriz in 2016.
In August 2012, Llorente refused to sign a new deal with Athletic Bilbao, leading to speculation about his departure. Following a 2-0 Basque derby loss to Real Sociedad on 29 September, where he was a late substitute, he had an argument with manager Marcelo Bielsa. Two days later, he walked out of training early and was sent to practice with the youth squad, which further strained his relationship with the club's supporters and president Josu Urrutia.
On 3 January 2013, Athletic confirmed that Llorente would hold talks with Juventus. On 21 January, Juventus' sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta, expressed optimism about Llorente joining on 1 July, as Urrutia was unwilling to let him leave in the January transfer window. Three days later, Juventus announced that Llorente would sign a four-year deal on 1 July when his contract expired. Juventus also paid his agent 3.04 M EUR. In his final year with Athletic, Llorente scored just five goals in 36 competitive matches, primarily serving as a backup to Aduriz.
2.2. Juventus
Llorente officially became a Juventus player on 1 July 2013, after successfully completing his medical examination. He was assigned the number 14 shirt. He scored his first Serie A goal on 22 September, starting in a 2-1 home win against Hellas Verona.
He scored in his second and third UEFA Champions League appearances, both against Real Madrid in the 2013-14 group stage (a 2-1 away loss and a 2-2 home draw). In November 2013, he critically discussed his relationship with former manager Bielsa in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. On 1 December, he scored the only goal in injury time during a 1-0 home victory against Udinese.
Llorente's first two goals of 2014 came on 12 January, with a header and a close-range finish, as Juventus defeated Cagliari 4-1 away, extending their league winning streak to 11 matches. On 7 April, he scored both of his team's goals in a 2-0 home win over Livorno, securing at least second place and Champions League qualification. On the final day of the season, against Cagliari again, he contributed one goal as Juventus won 3-0 and clinched the championship, finishing with a record 102 points.
On 6 June 2015, Llorente came off the bench and played five minutes in the Champions League final, which Juventus lost 3-1 to Barcelona at Berlin's Olympiastadion.
2.3. Sevilla FC
On 27 August 2015, Llorente, as a free agent, signed a three-year contract with Sevilla, which included a buyout clause of 20.00 M EUR. He made his league debut three days later, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 home defeat against Atlético Madrid. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 loss to Celta, also at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, on 20 September.
On 8 November 2015, after replacing Ciro Immobile for the final 20 minutes of a league game against Real Madrid, Llorente headed home after only four minutes to secure a 3-2 win. Exactly one month later, at home, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over his former club Juventus in the final match of the Champions League group stage. This result allowed Sevilla to overtake Borussia Mönchengladbach for third place and qualify for the Europa League knockout phase. The club went on to win the competition for the third time in a row, with Llorente being an unused substitute in the final. He also came off the bench during extra time in the Copa del Rey Final four days later, which Sevilla lost to Barcelona.
2.4. Swansea City
On 4 August 2016, Llorente signed a two-year deal with Swansea City. He made his Premier League debut nine days later, playing the full ninety minutes in a 1-0 away win against Burnley.
On 26 November 2016, Llorente scored two injury-time goals to help Swansea defeat Crystal Palace 5-4. He also scored twice two matches later, again at the Liberty Stadium, against Sunderland in a 3-0 victory. He finished his first season with 15 goals, playing a crucial role in helping the team avoid relegation. A fractured arm sustained while cycling during his summer holiday caused Llorente to miss the opening weeks of the 2017-18 campaign.
2.5. Tottenham Hotspur
On 31 August 2017, Llorente joined Tottenham Hotspur on a two-year deal for a reported fee of 12.10 M GBP. He made his debut for the club on 13 September, replacing Harry Kane for the last minutes of a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage. He made his first start in the EFL Cup tie against Barnsley on 20 September, and later played in the Champions League group stage match at Real Madrid, which ended 1-1.
Llorente scored his first goal for Spurs on 6 December 2017, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-0 Champions League win over APOEL after his team had already progressed to the knockout stage as group winners. He made his first league start the following January, scoring in a 2-0 away win against his former club Swansea.
Llorente scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over Rochdale in the fifth round of the FA Cup, on 28 February 2018. On 4 January 2019, in the third round of the next season's competition, he repeated the feat in a 7-0 away rout of Tranmere Rovers, helping the club record its biggest ever away win. His first league start of the 2018-19 season took place 16 days later due to an injury to Kane, when Llorente scored an own goal in a 2-1 away win at Fulham. In the following league game, he scored a late winner to help defeat Watford 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
On 13 February 2019, Llorente scored the last goal in a 3-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, only three minutes after coming off the bench; it was his first career goal in the knockout stages of that competition, and 11th in total. On 17 April, in the same competition, he scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the quarter-final fixture against Manchester City (the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate, with Tottenham progressing on the away goals rule). In the second leg of the semi-final away to Ajax, he replaced Victor Wanyama at half time and played a crucial role in helping his team come back from a three-goal aggregate deficit to make it 3-3 and progress again in the same fashion. In the final played in Madrid, he was introduced off the bench with eight minutes remaining and the side already behind, but was unable to affect the outcome as Liverpool won 2-0 to take the trophy.
Despite his success in the Champions League, Llorente's contract expired on 30 June 2019 with no official statement from Tottenham on his position. His name was included in their 'released players' list submitted to the Premier League on 7 June 2019, and his profile was later removed from the first team squad list on the website for the upcoming season.
2.6. Napoli
On 2 September 2019, Llorente joined Napoli on a free transfer, returning to Italy four years after leaving Juventus. He made his league debut against Sampdoria on 14 September, where he provided an assist for Dries Mertens within minutes of coming on as a substitute to help the team win 2-0. His first goal for the club came three days later in the Champions League group stage game against Liverpool, scoring in injury time to seal a 2-0 victory. Llorente continued to be used in a 'super-sub' role, often brought on in the second half of matches to trouble tiring opposition defenses with his physical presence.
2.7. Udinese
On 27 January 2021, Llorente signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Udinese. However, he was released by the club in August 2021.
2.8. Eibar
On 27 October 2021, after three months without a club, the 36-year-old Llorente joined Eibar on a one-year deal. He played 22 matches and scored 2 goals across all competitions before leaving the club upon the expiry of his contract on 30 June 2022.
3. International career
Llorente's international career saw him represent Spain at various youth levels before becoming a key member of the senior squad that achieved significant successes, including winning the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship.
Llorente represented Spain at various youth levels, including the under-17 and under-21 teams. He also played for Spain at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, where his five goals earned him the silver boot as the competition's second-highest scorer.
On 14 November 2008, senior national team manager Vicente del Bosque called Llorente up for a friendly against Chile. He was brought on as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the 3-0 win, marking his senior international debut. He scored his first goal in the 64th minute of a 2-0 friendly win over England on 11 February 2009, after coming off the bench. Following his strong club form in 2008-09, del Bosque named him in Spain's 23-man squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was used as a substitute against hosts South Africa, contributing to a 2-0 victory.
Llorente was not selected during the 2009-10 season, as del Bosque favored Álvaro Negredo. However, he was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as the third-choice striker. He played in one match for the eventual champions, appearing for the last thirty minutes of the 1-0 round of 16 defeat of Portugal.
On 8 October 2010, benefiting from an injury to Fernando Torres, Llorente started in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Lithuania in Salamanca, scoring two headers in a 3-1 win. Four days later, as a substitute, he scored the winner against Scotland in a 3-2 victory at Hampden Park. He was selected for the final stages of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, and was an unused squad member as Spain won the tournament.
Llorente was one of seven players dropped from the final squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also represented the unofficial Basque Country team five times, making his debut against Cameroon in 2005 and scoring once against Catalonia at the Camp Nou the following year. His last appearance for the Basque Country team was in December 2007.
4. Style of play
Fernando Llorente was known as a tall, large, and physically powerful player. His primary attributes were his exceptional heading ability and strength in the air, which allowed him to function effectively as a target-man in the center of his team's attacking line. He was also recognized for his intelligent offensive movement, strong positional sense, and clinical goalscoring ability inside the penalty area. Beyond his physical prowess, Llorente was also gifted with good technical skills and effective link-up play. These abilities enabled him to play well with his back to goal, holding up the ball for his teammates to create space and scoring opportunities.
5. Career statistics
The following tables detail Fernando Llorente's professional club and international career statistics.
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup (Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia, FA Cup) | League cup (EFL Cup) | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2003-04 | Tercera División | 33 | 12 | - | - | - | - | 33 | 12 | ||||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2004-05 | Segunda División B | 16 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 16 | 4 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2004-05 | La Liga | 15 | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2005-06 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 25 | 4 | |||||
| 2006-07 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 24 | 2 | |||||
| 2007-08 | 35 | 11 | 5 | 1 | - | - | - | 40 | 12 | |||||
| 2008-09 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 4 | - | - | - | 43 | 18 | |||||
| 2009-10 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 1 | - | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 23 | |||
| 2010-11 | 38 | 18 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 41 | 19 | |||||
| 2011-12 | 32 | 17 | 6 | 5 | - | 15 | 7 | - | 53 | 29 | ||||
| 2012-13 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | 8 | 1 | - | 36 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 262 | 85 | 35 | 17 | - | 35 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 333 | 118 | |||
| Juventus | 2013-14 | Serie A | 34 | 16 | 1 | 0 | - | 10 | 2 | - | 45 | 18 | ||
| 2014-15 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 1 | - | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 9 | |||
| 2015-16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 66 | 23 | 5 | 1 | - | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 27 | |||
| Sevilla | 2015-16 | La Liga | 23 | 4 | 6 | 0 | - | 7 | 3 | - | 36 | 7 | ||
| Swansea City | 2016-17 | Premier League | 33 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 15 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2017-18 | Premier League | 16 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | - | 31 | 5 | |
| 2018-19 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 2 | - | 35 | 8 | |||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 3 | - | 66 | 13 | |||
| Napoli | 2019-20 | Serie A | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 24 | 4 | ||
| 2020-21 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |||
| Udinese | 2020-21 | Serie A | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 14 | 1 | |||
| Eibar | 2021-22 | Segunda División | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 522 | 151 | 59 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 83 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 676 | 203 | ||
5.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2008 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 7 | |
:Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Llorente goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 11 February 2009 | Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain | England | 2-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 20 June 2009 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa | South Africa | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 3. | 28 May 2010 | Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, Austria | Saudi Arabia | 3-2 | 3-2 | Friendly |
| 4. | 7 September 2010 | Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Argentina | 1-3 | 1-4 | Friendly |
| 5. | 8 October 2010 | Estadio El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain | Lithuania | 1-0 | 3-1 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 6. | 8 October 2010 | Estadio El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain | Lithuania | 2-1 | 3-1 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 7. | 12 October 2010 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | Scotland | 3-2 | 3-2 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
6. Honours
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2008-09, 2011-12
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2011-12
Juventus
- Serie A: 2013-14, 2014-15
- Coppa Italia: 2014-15
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2013, 2015
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2014-15
Sevilla
- UEFA Europa League: 2015-16
Tottenham Hotspur
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018-19
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2019-20
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2009
Individual
- FIFA U-20 World Cup Silver Shoe: 2005
Decorations
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011
7. Retirement
Fernando Llorente officially announced his retirement from professional football on 16 February 2023, at the age of 37. His announcement came during an appearance as a commentator for a UEFA Champions League match between PSG and Bayern Munich, where he stated, "No, it's very clear. I'm not going to return to the pitch. Now I'm keeping fit by playing Padel". This public declaration marked the end of his 19-year professional career.