Manuel Almunia
| Full Name: | Manuel Rivero Almunia |
| Date of Birth: | 19-May-1977 |
| Place of Birth: | Pamplona, Spain |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Playing position: | Goalkeeper |
| Current Club: | Arsenal |
| Number: | 24 |
Senior clubs
| Years | Club | App (Gls) |
| 1997-1999 | CA Osasuna B | 44 (0) |
| 1999-2000 | CA Osasuna | 00 (0) |
| 1999-2000 | →FC Cartagena (loan) | 03 (0) |
| 2000-2001 | CE Sabadell | 25 (0) |
| 2001-2004 | Celta Vigo | 00 (0) |
| 2001-2002 | →SD Eibar (loan) | 35 (0) |
| 2002-2003 | →Recreativo Huelva (loan) | 02 (0) |
| 2003-2004 | →Albacete (loan) | 24 (0) |
| 2004- | Arsenal | 39 (0) |
Club career
Early career
Almunia made his professional debut with Spanish side Recreativo de Huelva. He then joined Celta Vigo, where he spent nearly a year without making a first team appearance, before moving to Albacete Balompié on a loan deal on November 1, 2003, forging his way quickly into the first team squad and making 24 league appearances.
ArsenalHe signed for Arsenal for an undisclosed fee on July 14, 2004.[1] He made his debut in a 2-1 League Cup win over Manchester City on October 27, 2004. He played in all the Gunners' League Cup matches that season, including the quarter-final against Manchester United on December 1, 2004; Almunia fumbled a save from David Bellion after 19 seconds, gifting him the only goal of the game.
Previously he was usually selected as Arsenal's goalkeeper for Cup matches, where he had been able to show his penalty-stopping abilities, including in a win over Sheffield United in the 2004-05 FA Cup, where Almunia made two saves in a penalty shootout after the game finished 0-0, to take the Gunners through to the quarter-finals. Another successful shootout win with Almunia in goal came at Doncaster Rovers in the League Cup in 2005-06.
In the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona, Almunia started on the bench but came on as a substitute after Jens Lehmann was sent off. Almunia made a crucial save early on, tipping Samuel Eto'o's shot onto a post. However, Almunia could not keep Barcelona at bay; late in the second half, Eto'o was put clean through and beat Almunia at his near post with the equaliser, and with 10 minutes left Juliano Belletti poked the ball through Almunia's legs to score the winner.
Almunia was a permanent fixture of Arsenal's 2006/7 FA Cup and League Cup runs, playing in the final of the latter as well as the memorable 6-3 defeat of Liverpool at Anfield. In his only league appearance that year, deputising for an ill Jens Lehmann at home to Liverpool, he kept a clean sheet. Overall, he seemed much improved from previous outings. After Jens Lehmann's multiple injuries at the start of the 2007/8 season, Almunia has once more found himself deputising for Lehmann in the league. However, he has abruptly become Arsene Wenger's first choice goalkeeper at the expense of the veteran shot stopper. On 23 October 2007, Lehmann publicly showed his anger by saying that he has to talk soon if his manager would not let him play as the first choice goal keeper. Despite Jens Lehmann confirming he wants to stay at the club, it is apparent Almunia has become Arsenal's permanent first choice goalkeeper. He cemented the job when he saved a Robbie Keane penalty at the Emirates in a 2-1 win over Spurs on 22 December 2007.
Recently he has become a fixture in Arsenal's first eleven. Almunia has also been touted as a future first-choice England goalkeeper due to his solid and sometimes quite brilliant form this season (07/08). Almunia has stated on more than one occasion about his wish to play for England, but only provided that he doesn't receive a call up from Spain first. However, he isn't eligible to play for England until he receives a British passport, which was made available to him as of 29/12/07.