Júnior Mendieta
Júnior Leandro Mendieta (born 13 June 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Stellenbosch.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Júnior Leandro Mendieta | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Corrientes, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Stellenbosch | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Quilmes | |||
| Deportivo Morón | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Deportivo Morón | 34 | (7) |
| 2016–2020 | Lanús | 0 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | → Los Andes (loan) | 45 | (7) |
| 2018–2019 | → Deportivo Morón (loan) | 19 | (2) |
| 2019–2020 | → Atlético de Rafaela (loan) | 18 | (1) |
| 2020– | Stellenbosch | 6 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:14, 3 February 2021 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Mendieta started his senior career with Deportivo Morón in Primera B Metropolitana, having played for Quilmes at youth level.[2] His professional debut arrived on 14 February 2015 during a draw with Deportivo Merlo, prior to Mendieta receiving red cards in consecutive appearances in August against Defensores de Belgrano and Platense.[1][3] A month later, he scored his senior goal against Almagro.[1] Mendieta scored twice more that year, which preceded six goals in fourteen games in the next campaign.[1] On 30 June 2016, Argentine Primera División side Lanús signed Mendieta.[1] He was immediately loaned to Los Andes.[1]
Mendieta remained with Los Andes for the 2016–17 and 2017–18 Primera B Nacional seasons, scoring seven times in forty-six matches in all competitions.[1] After returning to Lanús in June, Mendieta subsequently agreed to rejoin Deportivo Morón; signing a loan contract.[1] He netted twice for Morón, both came in a fixture with Instituto in November 2018, across nineteen appearances.[1] Mendieta had a third loan spell away from Lanús in 2019–20, joining Atlético de Rafaela for twelve months in July 2019.[1] One goal in eighteen matches followed, in a campaign that was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
Mendieta's contract with Lanús expired on 30 June 2020, with the midfielder subsequently revealing that a potential move to South African Premier Division side Stellenbosch was being finalized; amid interest from Rafaela for a permanent contract.[4] The move to Africa was belatedly confirmed on 30 October.[5] His first appearance arrived on 4 November against SuperSport United, as he replaced Jayden Adams with twenty-five minutes left of an eventual 1–0 defeat.[1] He scored his first goal on 21 November versus Chippa United.[1]
International career
Mendieta received a call-up to the Argentina U23s for the 2016 Sait Nagjee Trophy in India.[2][6] However, due to contractual issues, he was deselected prior to the tournament.[6]
Personal life
In 2017, Mendieta was arrested by police after trespassing at Morón Air Base.[7] He was released without charge soon later, having claimed he accidentally entered the base after becoming lost.[8]
Career statistics
- As of 3 February 2021.[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Deportivo Morón | 2015 | Primera B Metropolitana | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 2 | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2016 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 34 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 39 | 9 | ||||
| Lanús | 2016–17 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Los Andes (loan) | 2016–17 | Primera B Nacional | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | ||
| 2017–18 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 45 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 46 | 7 | ||||
| Deportivo Morón (loan) | 2018–19 | Primera B Nacional | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | ||
| Atlético de Rafaela (loan) | 2019–20 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |||
| Stellenbosch | 2020–21 | Premier Division | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 122 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 129 | 20 | ||
- Appearance(s) in Primera B Metropolitana play-offs
References
- "Argentina - J. Mendieta". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- "Anhelos teñidos de celeste y blanco". Argentine Football Association. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- "Ficha Estadistica de JUNIOR MENDIETA". BDFA. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- "Mendieta seguirá su carrera en África". Diario La Opinión. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- "Breaking: Stellenbosch announce Argentine number 10 Junior Mendieta". Futaa. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- "El Gallo Junior Mendieta se va a Lanús". El Diario de Morón. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- "Alerta por un intruso en la base aérea donde vive María Eugenia Vidal". Perfil. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- "Futbolista entrerriano puso en jaque a la seguridad de María Eugenia Vidal". El Día Online. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2018.