Fran Álvarez (footballer, born 1998)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Álvarez and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Francisco Javier "Fran" Álvarez Rodríguez (born 21 January 1998) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Polish club Widzew Łódź.

Fran Álvarez

Personal information
Full name	Francisco Javier Álvarez Rodríguez
Date of birth	(1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth	Benidorm, Spain
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Widzew Łódź
Number	10
Youth career
	Villarreal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2018	Villarreal C	31	(4)
2017–2020	Villarreal B	33	(2)
2020–2021	Valladolid B	29	(6)
2021–2023	Albacete	60	(4)
2023–	Widzew Łódź	59	(13)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 May 2025

Career

Youth career

Born in Socovos, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha,^[1] Álvarez was a Villarreal CF youth graduate.^[2]

Villareal CF

He made his senior debut with the reserves on 19 August 2017, coming on as a second-half substitute for Dani Raba in a 1–0 Segunda División B away win over CD Atlético Baleares,^[3][4] but spent the vast majority of the campaign playing for the C-team in Tercera División.^[3]

Real Valladolid Promesas

On 16 January 2020, Álvarez moved to another reserve team, Real Valladolid Promesas, which was also in the third division.^[5]

Albacete Balompié

On 7 July 2021, he signed a one-year deal with Albacete Balompié, freshly relegated to Primera División RFEF.^[6]

On 21 June 2022, after being regularly used as Alba achieved promotion to the second division, Álvarez signed a new one-year contract with the club.^[7] He made his professional debut on 9 October, replacing goalscorer Manu Fuster in a 1–1 home draw against CD Tenerife.^[8]

Álvarez scored his first professional goal on 7 May 2023, netting the opener in a 5–0 away routing of UD Ibiza.^[3][9]

Widzew Łódź

On 26 June, he moved abroad for the first time in his career and signed a two-year contract with Polish Ekstraklasa side Widzew Łódź,^[10] where he was assigned squad number #10. He debuted in his new club on 23 July 2023 in a 3–2 home victory over Puszcza Niepołomice. He also scored his first goal for Widzew in the 35th minute of that match. During that season, he played 31 times (of which 28 Ekstraklasa matches were played and three in the Polish Cup).^[11] On 1 September 2024, he was given two yellow cards and, as a consequence, he received a red card and was sent off the pitch.^{[12][13][14][15]}