Iago Aspas

1.1. Early Background

Iago Aspas Juncal was born on 1 August 1987 in Moaña, a municipality in the Province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. His older brother, Jonathan Aspas, is also a professional footballer who progressed through Celta's youth system, similar to Iago. The Aspas family has a strong connection to football, with their cousins Aitor Aspas, Raúl Blanco, and Adrián Cruz also being involved in the sport.

1.2. Youth Career

Aspas began his football journey at a young age, joining the youth ranks of his local club, CD Moaña, before moving to Celta's youth system in 1995. During his time as a junior, at the age of 17, he was loaned to neighboring club Rápido de Bouzas, where he spent his penultimate year before advancing further in his career. He continued to develop within Celta's youth setup, eventually playing for the club's reserve team, Celta de Vigo B, before making his professional debut.

2.1. Celta: First Spell

Aspas made his first-team debut for Celta in the 2007-08 Segunda División season. He played his second game on 6 June 2009 against Alavés, coming on as a 59th-minute substitute and scoring both of his team's goals in a crucial 2-1 home win, which proved essential in helping Celta avoid relegation from the Segunda División.

He was definitively promoted from the reserves to the first team for the 2009-10 Segunda División season and became a key player. During the second half of the 2010-11 Segunda División season, he was primarily deployed as a forward, rather than his natural attacking midfield position. Before a Galician derby against Deportivo de La Coruña in November 2011, Aspas controversially declared himself "anti-Deportivista," stating that when Wagner kicked Diego Tristán in a past derby, he celebrated as if a goal had been scored. This led to "Aspas die" chants from Deportivo supporters during the match.

In the 2011-12 Segunda División season, Aspas had a breakout performance, netting a career-best 23 league goals, making him the second-highest scorer in the competition behind Almería's Leonardo Ulloa, who scored 28 goals. His prolific scoring was instrumental in Celta's return to La Liga after a five-year absence. As a result of his performances, he was voted the best forward and received the Zarra Trophy for the Segunda División category.

Aspas made his top-flight debut on 18 August 2012, starting in a 0-1 home loss against Málaga. He scored his first La Liga goal the following month, contributing to a 2-0 victory over Osasuna at Celta's home stadium, Balaídos. He added another 11 goals during the 2012-13 La Liga campaign, helping the team narrowly escape relegation on the final matchday. On 15 March 2013, during a 1-3 away loss in the Galician derby against Deportivo de La Coruña, Aspas was sent off after 30 minutes for headbutting Carlos Marchena.

2.2. Liverpool

In May 2013, reports widely circulated that a fee estimated between 7.00 M GBP and 9.00 M GBP had been agreed for Aspas to join Liverpool, pending personal terms and a medical examination. The deal was initially delayed when his former agent requested the Royal Spanish Football Federation to withhold international clearance due to a dispute over his representation. However, the transfer was finally completed on 23 June 2013, and he was assigned the number 9 shirt.

Aspas made his Liverpool debut on 13 July 2013, scoring his first goal and assisting Raheem Sterling in a 4-0 pre-season friendly victory against Preston North End. His Premier League debut came on 17 August, where he provided an assist for Daniel Sturridge in a 1-0 win over Stoke City at Anfield.

Despite a promising start in pre-season, Aspas struggled to adapt to the Premier League and faced difficulties in gaining a regular starting position. He played a secondary role to established forwards like Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, and Luis Suárez. He failed to score in 14 Premier League appearances and ended the season with only one competitive goal across 15 games for Liverpool, scored on 5 January 2014 in a 2-0 FA Cup win against Oldham Athletic. He also struggled with his limited knowledge of the English language, which contributed to his difficulties in integrating into the team. Liverpool finished second in the 2013-14 Premier League season. Due to his inconsistent form and limited playing time, he was loaned out after the season.

2.3. Sevilla (Loan)

On 14 July 2014, Aspas returned to Spain, joining Sevilla on a season-long loan with an obligatory permanent three-year deal set to follow. He made his competitive debut on 12 August in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup at Cardiff City Stadium, coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute of a 0-2 defeat to Real Madrid.

Aspas's first league appearance for Sevilla came on 14 September 2014, playing the final seven minutes of a 2-0 home win against Getafe. His first goal for Sevilla was scored on 2 October, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw at HNK Rijeka during the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League group stage. Later that month, he achieved a hat-trick against Sabadell in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, contributing to a dominant 6-1 away victory. He scored another treble within a four-minute spell in the second leg, with goals in the 58th, 59th, and 62nd minutes, securing a 5-1 win for Sevilla. His performance in the Copa del Rey, particularly his seven goals, saw him become the tournament's joint top scorer alongside Barcelona's Neymar. In 2014, his goal-scoring efficiency was remarkable, averaging a goal every 71 minutes across all competitions, a rate higher than Cristiano Ronaldo (72 minutes per goal), Lionel Messi (82 minutes per goal), and Neymar (87 minutes per goal) in the same period.

Aspas scored his first league goal for Sevilla on 1 February 2015, which was the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Espanyol. Earlier in the match, his shot had been handled by goalkeeper Kiko Casilla outside the penalty area, leading to Casilla's dismissal. Aspas played a role in Sevilla's success during his loan spell, contributing to their runner-up finish in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup and their victory in the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League.

2.4. Return to Celta

On 12 June 2015, as part of the initial loan agreement, Sevilla completed the permanent signing of Aspas from Liverpool, then immediately sold him back to his boyhood club, Celta, on the same day. Aspas signed a new five-year contract with Celta six days later for a transfer fee of 5.00 M EUR.

Upon his return, Aspas quickly re-established himself as Celta's talisman. On 23 September 2015, he scored two goals in a memorable 4-1 home victory over Barcelona. In October 2016, he was named the La Liga Player of the Month after scoring five goals, including braces in a 4-1 win against Deportivo de La Coruña and a 3-3 draw with Las Palmas, as well as a goal and an assist in a 4-3 triumph over reigning champions Barcelona. On 23 February 2017, he scored a last-minute penalty in the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk, forcing extra time and ultimately leading to Celta's victory.

In the final matchday of the 2016-17 La Liga season, on 21 May 2017, Aspas scored a penalty in a 2-2 home draw against Real Sociedad, taking his personal tally to a career-best 19 league goals and earning him his first Zarra Trophy for La Liga. The following season, 2017-18 La Liga, he was once again the league's top-scoring Spaniard with 22 goals, trailing only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luis Suárez in the overall scoring charts. During this period, he netted hat-tricks in a 5-2 away win at Las Palmas on 16 October 2017 and a 4-0 defeat of his former club Sevilla on 7 April 2018. He also scored a brace in a 3-1 derby victory over eventually relegated Deportivo. On 5 November 2017, with another two goals in a 3-1 home win against Athletic Bilbao, he reached 100 goals for Celta, placing him sixth in the club's all-time scoring list.

In the 2018-19 La Liga season, Aspas suffered a calf injury in late December, which kept him out for three months. During his absence, Celta's league position significantly declined, dropping from ninth to 18th place. He made a impactful return on 30 March 2019, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Villarreal in what was also his 300th official game for the club. On 17 April, he signed a new contract, extending his stay at Celta until 2023, the club's centenary year.

On 24 June 2020, Aspas scored the only goal in an away match against Real Sociedad, reaching 100 La Liga goals in 209 games, a feat achieved faster by only four players since the Spanish Civil War. Three days later, he reached 150 goals for Celta in his 339th overall match, a 2-2 home draw with Barcelona. On 30 June, he scored his 100th top-flight goal for the club in a 1-5 away loss against Mallorca.

Aspas continued to make history for Celta. On 1 November 2020, he scored in a 1-3 home defeat to Real Sociedad, marking his 105th goal for the team in the top division and surpassing a 69-year record held by Hermidita as Celta's all-time top scorer in La Liga. He was again named La Liga Player of the Month for December, contributing to eight of Celta's 11 goals during an unbeaten five-game run. At the end of the 2020-21 La Liga season, he had scored at least 14 goals for the sixth consecutive year, a testament to his consistent performance. According to different sources, his 160th goal either equaled Nolete as Celta's second-highest goalscorer or surpassed founding member Ramón Polo as the club's all-time leading scorer. He also became the La Liga assist king for the 2020-21 season with 13 assists.

On 6 November 2021, Aspas scored a brace, including a goal in the sixth minute of added time, to help his side come back from a 0-3 deficit to salvage a 3-3 draw against Barcelona. He finished the 2021-22 La Liga campaign with 17 goals, once again becoming the top national scorer and earning his fourth Zarra Trophy, as Celta finished 11th. On 25 July 2022, he extended his contract with Celta until 2025.

In November 2023, Aspas gained significant media attention after he threw the pitchside VAR monitor to the ground in frustration, following a decision to deny Celta a penalty in the closing moments of a 1-1 draw with Sevilla. On 17 February 2024, he scored his 200th competitive goal for Celta, although it came in a 1-2 home loss to Barcelona. Most recently, on 25 December 2024, Aspas agreed to a further contract extension until 2026.

Iago Aspas has played a crucial role in Celta's recent history, consistently being their leading goal scorer and a key figure in their efforts to maintain their position in La Liga. His dedication to the club and his impressive individual statistics have made him a revered figure among Celta fans.

3.1. Spain National Team

In December 2012, there were widespread rumors that Aspas, along with Michu, was poised to receive his first call-up to the Spain national team by manager Vicente del Bosque for a friendly match against Uruguay in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for 6 February 2013. However, neither player was ultimately included in the final squad for that match.

Aspas eventually earned his first senior international cap on 15 November 2016, under new coach Julen Lopetegui. He came on as a substitute for Juan Mata in the second half of a 2-2 friendly draw against England at Wembley Stadium in London. During this match, he was booked and scored his side's first goal. His competitive debut followed on 24 March of the next year, when he played the final six minutes of a 4-1 home win over Israel as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. On 27 March 2018, in a friendly against Argentina, Aspas recorded one goal and three assists, despite coming on as a second-half substitute, contributing significantly to Spain's 6-1 victory.

Aspas was included in Spain's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia. He made his debut in the tournament on 15 June 2018, replacing Diego Costa for the final 14 minutes of a dramatic 3-3 group-stage draw against Portugal. Ten days later, again coming on for Diego Costa, he scored a last-minute equalizer with a backheel to help Spain secure a 2-2 draw against Morocco and advance to the knockout phase as group champions.

However, Aspas's World Cup journey ended in disappointment on 1 July 2018. After replacing Diego Costa once more, he was one of two Spanish players to miss his attempt in the penalty shootout during the 4-3 round-of-16 loss to host nation Russia in Moscow. His penalty was saved by Russia's goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, leading to Spain's elimination.

After a nearly four-year absence from the national team, the 35-year-old Aspas received a call-up from newly appointed coach Luis de la Fuente in March 2023 for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Norway and Scotland.

3.2. Galicia National Team

Aspas has also represented the Galicia regional team, which plays unofficial matches. He made his debut for the regional side on 20 May 2016, in Galicia's first match in eight years. He scored a goal in a 1-1 friendly draw against Venezuela.

4.1. Family and Relationships

Iago Aspas is part of a football-playing family from Moaña, Galicia. His older brother, Jonathan Aspas, is also a professional footballer who, like Iago, came through the youth system of Celta. Their cousins, Aitor Aspas, Raúl Blanco, and Adrián Cruz, have also been involved in the sport.

Aspas is married to Jennifer Rueda. The couple tied the knot in June 2019. Together, they have three children.

5.1. Club Statistics

The table below details Iago Aspas's club career statistics, including appearances and goals across various competitions, as of 1 March 2025.

5.2. International Statistics

This section presents Aspas's appearances and goals for the Spain national team by year, as of 28 March 2023.

6.1. Club Honours

• UEFA Europa League: 2014-15 (with Sevilla)
• Segunda División: Runner-up 2011-12 (with Celta)
• Premier League: Runner-up 2013-14 (with Liverpool)
• UEFA Super Cup: Runner-up 2014 (with Sevilla)
• Copa del Rey: Semi-finalist 2015-16, 2016-17 (with Celta)
• UEFA Europa League: Semi-finalist 2016-17 (with Celta)

6.2. Individual Honours

• Zarra Trophy (La Liga): 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22
• Zarra Trophy (Segunda División): 2011-12
• Best Forward (Segunda División): 2011-12
• La Liga Player of the Month: October 2016, November 2017, April 2019, December 2020
• UEFA La Liga Team of The Season: 2017-18, 2018-19
• Copa del Rey Top Scorer: 2014-15 (7 goals, shared with Neymar)
• La Liga Assist King: 2020-21 (13 assists)