Toñito

Toñito
Personal information
Full name Antonio Jesús García González
Date of birth (1977-02-24) 24 February 1977
Place of birth La Orotava, Spain
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Tenerife
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1997 Tenerife B 32 (7)
1997–1999 Vitória Setúbal 43 (6)
1999–2004 Sporting CP 87 (9)
2001–2002 → Santa Clara (loan) 30 (7)
2004–2005 Boavista 24 (1)
2005–2006 Tenerife 35 (7)
2006–2007 Rijeka 20 (4)
2007–2008 União Leiria 23 (1)
2008 Ionikos
2009 AEK Larnaca 4 (1)
Total 298 (43)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Antonio Jesús García González (born 24 February 1977 in La Orotava, Tenerife), known as Toñito, is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder.

He played most of his professional career in Portugal where he represented five different clubs (mainly Sporting), amassing Primeira Liga totals of 207 games and 24 goals.

Football career

A player with skill and teamwork approach alike, Toñito started playing professionally with hometown's CD Tenerife. After having made no appearances for the first team, he moved to Portugal for the 1997–98 season and joined Vitória de Setúbal, going on to represent in the country Sporting Clube de Portugal, C.D. Santa Clara – loaned, where he joined compatriot Mauricio Hanuch, in the same predicament[1]– and Boavista FC; he played an important part in Sporting's conquest of the 2000 national championship, the club's first in 18 years, playing 28 games, although 25 of those were as a substitute.[2]

In the 2005–06 campaign Toñito returned to Spain and Tenerife, with the club now in the second division, scoring seven league goals including two in a 3–2 away win against Racing de Ferrol on 27 May 2006, before he was stretchered off.[3] After a quick spell in Croatia with HNK Rijeka he returned to Portugal, netting a late equalizer for U.D. Leiria at former side Sporting (1–1 in Lisbon[4]), although his team would eventually drop down a level.

For 2008–09, Toñito moved to Greece's Ionikos FC. However, in January 2009, he switched to Cyprus and AEK Larnaca FC, reuniting with former Sporting teammate Elpídio Silva; he retired from the game at the end of the season, aged 32.

References

  1. ↑ Toñito e Hanuch impedidos de actuar (Toñito and Hanuch prevented from playing); Record, 16 October 2001 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Toñito: «Esperava ser titular» (Toñito: «I expected to be a starter»); Record, 6 October 2000 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ El Racing de Ferrol certifica su descenso tras caer con el Tenerife (Racing de Ferrol confirms relegation after being downed by Tenerife); Marca, 27 May 2006 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Vukcevic entrou em pânico (Vukcevic panicked); Record, 4 December 2007 (Spanish)
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