Javier 'Javi' González Gómez (born 22 March 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer. Mainly a midfielder, he could operate on either side of the pitch.
He spent most of his career with Athletic Bilbao, playing 254 competitive matches in ten La Liga seasons.Javi González y Andoni Iraola celebran 'aniversario' ante el Valencia (Javi González and Andoni Iraola celebrate 'birthday' against Valencia); Marca, 2 April 2007 (in Spanish)Llorente jugará en Málaga su partido 250 con el Athletic (Llorente will play 250th match with Athletic in Málaga); El Correo, 19 September 2011 (in Spanish)
Club career González was born in Barakaldo, Biscay. After growing through the ranks of Athletic Bilbao, he played one season each with Basque neighbours Deportivo Alavés (Segunda División B) and Sestao Sport Club (Segunda División, relegated).Qué fue de… Javi González: otro canterano del Athletic que ha saltado a los banquillos (What happened to… Javi González: another Athletic youth player who transitioned to the benches); 20 minutos, 17 November 2015 (in Spanish)
In 1997–98, after one year with fellow La Liga club RC Celta de Vigo, González returned to the San Mamés Stadium as a full member of the main squad, scoring five goals in 30 games as Athletic finished second and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.Julen no falla (Julen does not fail); Mundo Deportivo, 10 December 1998 (in Spanish) He even featured occasionally as an attacking right-back.Javi González renueva por dos temporadas (Javi González renews for two seasons); Libertad Digital, 14 April 2005 (in Spanish)Javi González: "El Athletic es el equipo que más difícil lo pone en el Camp Nou" (Javi González: "Athletic are the team who pose the most problems at the Camp Nou"); El Desmarque, 31 January 2017 (in Spanish)
After a serious knee injury in late 2004,González faces knee surgery; UEFA, 20 October 2004 González's role gradually diminished; he totalled only 26 league matches in three seasons. He also served a six-month loan at Israeli Premier League side F.C. Ashdod, where his former Celta teammate Haim Revivo worked as director of football.Javi González se marcha cedido al Ashdod israelí (Javi González goes to Israel's Ashdod on loan); El Mundo, 30 December 2005 (in Spanish)
González signed for second-tier Hércules CF in July 2007, appearing sparingly in his first season due to problems with head coach Andoni Goikoetxea.Goikoetxea responde a Javi González diciendo que las oportunidades se ganan, no se regalan (Goikoetxea responds to Javi González by saying that opportunities are earned, not handed out); La Verdad, 11 January 2008 (in Spanish)El Hércules aparta a Javi González por cuestionar a Andoni Goikoetxea (Hércules sideline Javi González for questioning Andoni Goikoetxea); El Correo, 18 January 2008 (in Spanish) In the next, in which the Alicante team finished fourth, he was left without a squad number by manager Juan Carlos Mandiá.Javi González se une a la lista de descartes de Mandiá (Javi González joins Mandiá's transfer list); Diario AS, 10 August 2008 (in Spanish)Javi González: «Me han roto todas las ilusiones en sólo una mañana» (Javi González: "They have shattered all my illusions in only one morning"); La Verdad, 11 August 2008 (in Spanish)
Aged 35, González joined lowly Club Portugalete, thus returning to his native region.Javi González ficha por el Portugalete de Tercera (Javi González signs with Portugalete from Tercera); Marca, 21 August 2009 (in Spanish) He retired in 2011 after two seasons in the Tercera División.
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