Gerard Moreno climbs to fourth among Spanish LaLiga scorers of the century | OneFootball

Gerard Moreno has entered rarefied company, now fourth among Spanish scorers in this century’s LaLiga. The Villarreal captain sits on 130 goals, behind David Villa on 184, Iago Aspas on 168 and Aritz Aduriz on 158.

El Periódico Mediterráneo notes that a penalty against Celta Vigo lifted him to 130, moving him past Roberto Soldado on 129. Álvaro Negredo is next on 128.

Now 34, Moreno emerged as a slow-burn finisher rather than an instant hit. He struck 11 for Mallorca in 2013/14 in Segunda, then seven for Villarreal in 2014/15 on his first full top-flight season.

His take-off came at Espanyol, with returns of seven, 13 and 16 between 2015 and 2018. That form earned a return to Villarreal, where he became record scorer and captain.

His best league campaign was 2020/21, when he scored 23. It underlined his complete forward craft and he was pivotal as Villarreal won the UEFA Europa League, scoring in the final, the club’s first in the competition.

Injuries have since interrupted his rhythm, but his efficiency endures. This season he has nine in 18 LaLiga matches, maintaining a high goals-to-minutes ratio.

Behind Moreno on the century list come Raúl González, Tamudo, Raúl García and Fernando Torres. He has also been central to Villarreal’s European surges, reaching the Champions League semi-finals and the UEFA Super Cup final, where he scored.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo