Samuel Llorca

Samuel
Personal information
Full name	Samuel Llorca Ripoll
Date of birth	26 April 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Alicante, Spain
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
1993–1996	CD San Blas Alto
1996–2004	Hércules
Senior career*
Years	Team
2004–2006	Hércules B
2005–2006	→ Alone (loan)
2006–2007	Elche B
2007–2011	Elche
2011–2012	Hércules
2012–2015	Celta
2014	→ Alavés (loan)
2014–2015	→ Valladolid (loan)
2015–2016	Valladolid
2016–2017	Racing Santander
2017–2020	Hércules
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Samuel Llorca Ripoll (born 26 April 1985), known simply as Samuel, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

He amassed Segunda División totals of 225 games and ten goals over nine seasons, in representation of four teams. He added one appearance in La Liga for Celta.

Club career

Born in Alicante, Valencian Community, Samuel started his senior career at local Hércules CF, with its reserves. In 2005 he moved to amateur neighbours CD Alone de Guardamar, being an important unit as they eventually retained their Tercera División status.

Samuel stayed in the region for the following season, as he signed with Elche CF Ilicitano also in that level. On 9 June 2007, courtesy of manager David Vidal, he made his debut with the first team, starting in a 1–0 home win against CD Castellón; he consolidated his position in the 2007–08 season with the club also in the Segunda División, and received abroad offers from England's Sheffield United and Fulham, which eventually died down.^[1]

In July 2011, Samuel joined his former side Hércules on a four-year contract.^[2] He scored a career-best five goals in his only season,^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] as his team narrowly missed on top-flight promotion in the play-offs.

Samuel moved to La Liga in summer 2012, agreeing to a four-year deal at RC Celta de Vigo.^[7] He only appeared once in the competition, after coming on as a second-half substitute for Mario Bermejo – following Gustavo Cabral's second yellow card and subsequent dismissal – in the Galician derby against Deportivo de La Coruña (1–1 home draw);^[8] on 30 June 2015, after dealing with a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury to his left knee and also having served second-tier loans at Deportivo Alavés and Real Valladolid, he left Balaídos.^[9]

Post retirement

After his playing career, Llorca has worked as a coach for the football academy Acatec Spain.^[10]^[11]

References

^ Sheffield y Fulham siguen a Samuel (Sheffield and Fulham follow Samuel); Diario Información, 28 February 2008 (in Spanish)
^ El Hércules ficha al central Pepe Mora y presenta a Callejón (Hércules sign stopper Pepe Mora and present Callejón); El Mundo, 5 July 2011 (in Spanish)
^ Hèrcules-FCB B: El filial s’abona a l’infortuni (2–1) (Hèrcules-FCB B: Reserves marry misfortune (2–1)); FC Barcelona, 16 September 2011 (in Spanish)
^ El Hércules no se baja del tren de cabeza al imponerse al Huesca (Hércules stay in front wagon after disposing of Huesca); Marca, 21 January 2012 (in Spanish)
^ El Hércules aprieta en la lucha por los 'play-off' (Hércules turn up the pressure in fight for play-off); Marca, 3 March 2012 (in Spanish)
^ El Hércules toca con una 'manita' los 'playoffs' (Hércules touch playoffs with 'open hand'); Marca, 23 May 2012 (in Spanish)
^ El Celta ficha al central Samuel Llorca (Celta sign stopper Samuel Llorca); Marca, 8 July 2012 (in Spanish)
^ 1–1: Reparto de puntos en el derbi gallego (1–1: Points shared in Galician derby); Mundo Deportivo, 27 October 2012 (in Spanish)
^ Samuel se desvincula del Celta (Samuel cuts ties with Celta); La Voz de Galicia, 30 June 2015 (in Spanish)
^ SAMUEL LLORCA RIPOLL JUGADOR DEL HÉRCULES C.F.S.A.D., facebook.com, 27 March 2020
^ Presentamos a Samuel Llorca como SELECCIONADOR, facebook.com, 27 May 2021

External links

Samuel Llorca at BDFutbol
Samuel Llorca at Futbolme (in Spanish)
Samuel Llorca at Soccerway

[1] Sheffield y Fulham siguen a Samuel (Sheffield and Fulham follow Samuel); Diario Información, 28 February 2008 (in Spanish)

[2] El Hércules ficha al central Pepe Mora y presenta a Callejón (Hércules sign stopper Pepe Mora and present Callejón); El Mundo, 5 July 2011 (in Spanish)

[3] Hèrcules-FCB B: El filial s’abona a l’infortuni (2–1) (Hèrcules-FCB B: Reserves marry misfortune (2–1)); FC Barcelona, 16 September 2011 (in Spanish)

[4] El Hércules no se baja del tren de cabeza al imponerse al Huesca (Hércules stay in front wagon after disposing of Huesca); Marca, 21 January 2012 (in Spanish)

[5] El Hércules aprieta en la lucha por los 'play-off' (Hércules turn up the pressure in fight for play-off); Marca, 3 March 2012 (in Spanish)

[6] El Hércules toca con una 'manita' los 'playoffs' (Hércules touch playoffs with 'open hand'); Marca, 23 May 2012 (in Spanish)

[7] El Celta ficha al central Samuel Llorca (Celta sign stopper Samuel Llorca); Marca, 8 July 2012 (in Spanish)

[8] 1–1: Reparto de puntos en el derbi gallego (1–1: Points shared in Galician derby); Mundo Deportivo, 27 October 2012 (in Spanish)

[9] Samuel se desvincula del Celta (Samuel cuts ties with Celta); La Voz de Galicia, 30 June 2015 (in Spanish)

[10] SAMUEL LLORCA RIPOLL JUGADOR DEL HÉRCULES C.F.S.A.D., facebook.com, 27 March 2020

[11] Presentamos a Samuel Llorca como SELECCIONADOR, facebook.com, 27 May 2021

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]