Gerard Moreno, much more than a captain at Villarreal | OneFootball

Gerard Moreno is more than the man wearing Villarreal’s armband, he is a standard-bearer on and off the pitch. He enters 2026/27 as his 11th first team season, a defining figure for the club.

El Periódico Mediterráneo notes that his bond began in 2010 when he joined the Cantera Grogueta as a youth, rising through the ranks before turning professional. He gained experience at Mallorca and Espanyol, then returned in 2018 to become a pillar of the side.

The numbers tell the story. Gerard Moreno is Villarreal’s record scorer, 130 goals and 49 assists in 321 official games. He sits seventh for appearances, six behind Cani on 327 and nine behind Santi Cazorla on 330, and, if injuries allow, could pass both in 2026/27 to break into the top five.

His career is defined by the Europa League triumph of 2020/21. He scored in the final against Manchester United and converted in the Gdansk shootout, a night that cemented his status.

Before the summer break he joined a session with the club’s EDI team at the Ciudad Deportiva José Manuel Llaneza, took part in drills and a small game as a joker, and received an EDI shirt in thanks. Gestures like this show why his influence stretches beyond goals, linking pitch to stands and the first team to the wider structure.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo