Manolo Martínez


Manuel 'Manolo' Martínez Lara is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder but also as a central defender.
He appeared in 228 Segunda División matches over ten seasons, scoring a combined five goals for Hércules, Gimnàstic, Tenerife and Recreativo. He also competed professionally in Greece.

Club career

Born in Bigastro, Alicante, Valencian Community, Martínez started his professional career with local Hércules CF, as a central defender. After years spent almost exclusively in Segunda División B he had a brief spell in La Liga, playing three games for Gimnàstic de Tarragona and being released in the 2007 winter transfer window; his debut in the latter competition consisted of 55 minutes of a 1–2 home loss against RC Celta de Vigo, on 10 September 2006.
Martínez then moved to CD Tenerife, where he reconverted into a defensive midfielder, greatly helping the club return to the top division in 2009 after a seven-year. In the subsequent season he played more often than not in his secondary position – stopper – and his performances were overall poorer, with the Canary Islands team being immediately relegated although it would only be certified in the last round against Valencia CF.
In July 2010, aged 30, Martínez did not renew his Tenerife contract and agreed a two-year deal with another club in Segunda División, Recreativo de Huelva. On 10 July 2013 he moved abroad, joining Superleague Greece side Levadiakos FC.
In February 2014, Martínez suffered a knee injury which sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. He returned to action in July, and subsequently signed a one-year contract with Gimnàstic; during his second spell at the Nou Estadi de Tarragona he was severely hindered by physical problems, and on 3 July 2017 he announced his retirement at the age of 37.