1. Overview
Enrique Jesús "Kike" Salas Valiente (born 23 April 2002) is a Spanish professional footballer who primarily plays as a central defender for La Liga club Sevilla FC. A product of Sevilla's youth academy, Salas has progressed through their reserve teams to establish himself in the senior squad, including a loan spell to gain further experience.
2. Early Life and Background
Born in Morón de la Frontera, Seville, Andalusia, Salas began his football journey at a young age. He joined Sevilla FC's youth setup, known as the cantera, in 2013, at the age of 11. Standing at 73 in (185 cm), he primarily uses his left foot for playing.
3. Club Career
Salas's club career has seen him rise through the ranks of Sevilla FC's youth and reserve teams before making his mark on the first team and gaining experience through a loan.
3.1. Youth and Early Senior Career
After joining Sevilla FC's youth academy in 2013, Salas made his senior debut with Sevilla Atlético, the club's reserve team, on 10 January 2021. He came on as a half-time substitute for Juan María Alcedo in a Segunda División B away match, which resulted in a 3-1 loss against Yeclano Deportivo. On 27 April 2021, while still part of the youth setup, Salas renewed his contract with Sevilla FC until 2024. He subsequently became a regular player for the B-side and scored his first senior goal on 9 January 2022, in a 1-0 home victory over Real Balompédica Linense in the Primera División RFEF. He also made a single appearance for Sevilla FC C.
3.2. First Team Breakthrough and Development
Salas made his highly anticipated first team and La Liga debut for Sevilla FC on 10 September 2022, starting in a 3-2 away win against RCD Espanyol. His performance marked a significant step in his career. On 31 January 2023, he further solidified his commitment to the club by signing a contract extension with Sevilla through to 2026. Upon returning from a loan spell, Salas began to feature regularly in the main squad of the Nervionenses (Sevilla FC's nickname), and on 31 January 2024, he was definitively promoted to the first team, being assigned the number 2 jersey.
3.3. Loan Spell
As part of his development and to gain more first-team experience, Salas joined Segunda División club CD Tenerife on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. He made 7 appearances for the club during this period.
4. Career Statistics
This section provides an overview of Enrique "Kike" Salas Valiente's professional playing statistics throughout his club career.
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sevilla | 2022-23 | La Liga | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | La Liga | 23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
| 2024-25 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 17 | 0 | ||
| Total | 44 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 4 | ||
| Tenerife (loan) | 2022-23 | Segunda División | 7 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 51 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 62 | 4 | ||
5. Personal Life
Kike Salas comes from a family with a footballing background. His uncle, Víctor Salas, was also a professional footballer. Like Kike, Víctor was developed in the youth ranks of Sevilla FC and primarily played as a midfielder, notably active in Segunda División clubs.