Javier Calleja
Encyclopedia
Javier Calleja Revilla (born 12 May 1978 in Madrid
) is a Spanish
footballer who plays for CA Osasuna
mainly as a left midfielder
.
and making his professional debuts with lowly RSD Alcalá
, also in the area, Calleja was bought by Villarreal CF
, but spent some months with its then feeder club
, CD Onda
.
He made his first-team debuts in the second division, playing nine times (with a goal in a 3–1 loss at CA Osasuna
) as Villarreal returned to the top level
. In his first three seasons in the first division, Calleja was a very important first-team member, netting four goals in 35 matches in 2001–02.
On 5 April 2003, as a late substitute, Calleja scored a penalty kick
in a 2–0 home win over FC Barcelona
, dedicating the goal to his mother
, who had died hours before. However, the emergence of Santi Cazorla
and two consecutive serious knee
injuries limited him to just 25 appearances in the following three campaigns.
In 2006–07, Calleja left Villarreal joining Málaga CF
. In Andalusia
, he was an instant first-choice, appearing in 38 matches in his second season, as the club returned to the first division after a two-year hiatus.
After a serious injury to teammate Adriano Rossato, Calleja spent much of the following season playing as left back. In June 2009, after his link with Málaga expired, he moved to Osasuna, in a 2+1 years deal.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
) is a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays for CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
mainly as a left midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Club career
After growing unsuccessfully through the ranks of Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and making his professional debuts with lowly RSD Alcalá
RSD Alcalá
Real Sociedad Deportiva Alcalá is a Spanish football team based in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, in the Community of Madrid. Founded in 1929, it plays in Segunda División B - Group 1, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal del Val, with a capacity of 7,000.-Season to season:----*19 seasons in...
, also in the area, Calleja was bought by Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
, but spent some months with its then feeder club
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, CD Onda
CD Onda
Club Deportivo Onda is a Spanish football team based in Onda, Castellón, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1923, it plays in Regional Preferente, holding home games at Estadio La Serratella, with a capacity of 5,000 seats....
.
He made his first-team debuts in the second division, playing nine times (with a goal in a 3–1 loss at CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
) as Villarreal returned to the top level
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
. In his first three seasons in the first division, Calleja was a very important first-team member, netting four goals in 35 matches in 2001–02.
On 5 April 2003, as a late substitute, Calleja scored a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in a 2–0 home win over FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, dedicating the goal to his mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
, who had died hours before. However, the emergence of Santi Cazorla
Santi Cazorla
Santiago "Santi" Cazorla González is a Spanish footballer who plays for Málaga CF in La Liga.A versatile winger, he can play on either flank, being ambidextrous...
and two consecutive serious knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injuries limited him to just 25 appearances in the following three campaigns.
In 2006–07, Calleja left Villarreal joining Málaga CF
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
. In Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, he was an instant first-choice, appearing in 38 matches in his second season, as the club returned to the first division after a two-year hiatus.
After a serious injury to teammate Adriano Rossato, Calleja spent much of the following season playing as left back. In June 2009, after his link with Málaga expired, he moved to Osasuna, in a 2+1 years deal.