Dani Parejo

Spanish footballer (born 1989) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dani Parejo

Daniel Parejo Muñoz (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈnjel ˈdani paˈɾexo]; born 16 April 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Villarreal.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Dani Parejo
Parejo with Valencia in 2019
Personal information
Full name Daniel Parejo Muñoz[1]
Date of birth (1989-04-16) 16 April 1989 (age 35)[2]
Place of birth Coslada, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
Villarreal
Number 10
Youth career
1998–2000 Coslada
2000–2003 Espinilla
2003–2006 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Real Madrid B 37 (11)
2008–2009 Real Madrid 5 (0)
2008Queens Park Rangers (loan) 14 (0)
2009–2011 Getafe 64 (9)
2011–2020 Valencia 282 (54)
2020– Villarreal 162 (14)
International career
2006–2008 Spain U19 13 (3)
2009 Spain U20 11 (1)
2008–2011 Spain U21 19 (5)
2018–2019 Spain 4 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner2011 DenmarkTeam
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner2007 AustriaTeam
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:50, 22 February 2025 (UTC)
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After starting out at Real Madrid, Parejo first made a name in La Liga with Getafe. Transferring to Valencia in 2011, he went on to appear in 383 official matches for the latter club and win the 2019 Copa del Rey. He also spent four months in England with Queens Park Rangers.

Across all youth levels, Parejo won 43 caps for Spain and scored nine goals. He made his full debut in 2018, at the age of 28.

Club career

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Perspective

Real Madrid

Born in Coslada, Community of Madrid,[4] Parejo was a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, joining at the age of 14. He was called on several occasions by first-team coach Bernd Schuster to train with the seniors and, during the 2006–07 season, played four games for Real Madrid Castilla in Segunda División.[5]

On 4 August 2008, Parejo signed a one-year loan deal with Championship club Queens Park Rangers,[6][7] and made his debut five days later, coming off the bench in a 2–1 win against Barnsley at Loftus Road,[8] going on to total 18 official appearances. On 17 December, Real Madrid officially recalled the player from his loan effective 1 January 2009, after first-team midfielders Rubén de la Red and Mahamadou Diarra were both out for the campaign with various physical problems.[9]

Parejo was given the squad number 17, which had previously been assigned to Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was also out for several months due to a serious injury. He appeared little during the season, his first match being the 4–0 La Liga away victory over Sporting de Gijón on 15 February as he replaced Sergio Ramos for the final ten minutes.[10]

Getafe

In late July 2009, as Esteban Granero was re-bought from Getafe CF, Parejo went in the opposite direction with Real, as in Granero's case, having a similar option.[11] On 25 March 2010, he scored against his former club after stealing the ball from goalkeeper Iker Casillas, but the hosts lost 4–2.[12] Having to compete for a starting berth in central midfield with coach Míchel's son, Adrián – a former teammate in Real Madrid B – he nevertheless contributed solidly during the campaign as they qualified for the second time in their history for the UEFA Europa League.[13]

Parejo appeared more in 2010–11 (36 matches), but the Madrid outskirts side only narrowly avoided relegation.[14][15][16]

Valencia

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Parejo playing for Valencia in 2015

On 14 June 2011, Valencia CF signed Parejo for a reported €6 million, with out-of-favour goalkeeper Miguel Ángel Moyá going to Getafe on a year-long loan as part of the deal.[17][18] He made his league debut on 15 August, playing 80 minutes in a 1–1 away draw to RCD Mallorca.[19]

Parejo was quickly deemed surplus to requirements at his new club, his situation not improving even after the serious injury suffered by Sergio Canales, who played in his same position.[20] He bounced back, however, for 2012–13, scoring twice in 36 official games in an eventual fifth-place finish.[21][22][23]

In the following years, Parejo was an undisputed starter for several managers. In the 2014–15 season, his first as captain, he scored a career-best 12 goals, being one of the best scorers in the competition from the midfielder position.[24] In the process, he also became the first Valencia midfielder to score ten or more goals since Vicente in 2003–04.[25]

Parejo and Paco Alcácer each scored twice in a 5–1 win away to third-place RC Celta de Vigo on 7 November 2015; his first came just before half-time, through a free kick to put the visitors ahead 2–1.[26] However, in January, after a poor run of form, the former was stripped of his captaincy in favour of the latter by manager Gary Neville.[27] He was reinstated in that position by Marcelino García Toral ahead of the 2017–18 campaign.[28]

Parejo lifted the Copa del Rey on 25 May 2019, after a 2–1 defeat of FC Barcelona in the final.[29]

Villarreal

On 12 August 2020, Parejo joined Villarreal CF on a free transfer and a four-year contract.[30] He moved to the local rivals alongside his teammate Francis Coquelin, a move which caused fury from Valencia's fans towards their chairman Peter Lim.[31]

Parejo won the Europa League in his first season at the Estadio de la Cerámica. In the final, he took the free kick that Gerard Moreno finished for Villarreal's goal in a 1–1 draw against Manchester United, and also scored in the 11–10 penalty shootout victory.[32]

International career

Parejo was named in the Spain under-19 team for the 2007 UEFA European Championship. In the tournament held in Austria, he scored the final winner against Greece (1–0).[33]

Parejo was promoted to the under-21 team the following year, appearing in several qualification matches for the 2009 European Championship. He won his first cap for the senior team on 27 March 2018, replacing Thiago Alcântara late into the 6–1 friendly defeat of Argentina.[34]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 February 2025[35][36]
More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Madrid B 2006–07 Segunda División 4141
2007–08 Segunda División B 33103310
Total 37113711
Real Madrid 2008–09 La Liga 50000050
Queens Park Rangers (loan) 2008–09 Championship 1400040180
Getafe 2009–10 La Liga 28681367
2010–11 La Liga 363305[c]1444
Total 6491110051008011
Valencia 2011–12 La Liga 160608[d]0300
2012–13 La Liga 271415[e]0362
2013–14 La Liga 3144011[c]1465
2014–15 La Liga 3412303712
2015–16 La Liga 3386111[f]25011
2016–17 La Liga 36531396
2017–18 La Liga 34781428
2018–19 La Liga 3698012[g]15610
2019–20 La Liga 358308[e]11[h]14710
Total 28254454005551138364
Villarreal 2020–21 La Liga 3635012[c]0533
2021–22 La Liga 3321012[e]100463
2022–23 La Liga 373409[i]0503
2023–24 La Liga 333207[c]1424
2024–25 La Liga 23320253
Total 16214140004020021616
Career total 5639070540100811739104
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  1. Includes Copa del Rey
  2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. Eight appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, three appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  6. Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  7. Appearance in Supercopa de España

International

More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain[37] 201810
201930
Total40
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Honours

Valencia

Villarreal

Spain U19

Spain U20

Spain U21

Individual

References

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