Pablo Couñago

Pablo González Couñago (born 9 August 1979) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a striker.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is González and the second or maternal family name is Couñago.

Pablo Couñago
Couñago with Ipswich Town in 2007
Personal information
Full name Pablo González Couñago
Date of birth (1979-08-09) 9 August 1979
Place of birth Redondela, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1987–1994 Casa Paco
1994–1996 Celta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Celta B 63 (28)
1998–2001 Celta 8 (0)
1998 → Numancia (loan) 13 (1)
1999–2000 → Recreativo (loan) 25 (4)
2001–2005 Ipswich Town 100 (31)
2005–2007 Málaga 54 (10)
2007–2011 Ipswich Town 114 (23)
2010–2011 → Crystal Palace (loan) 30 (2)
2012 Đồng Tâm Long An 9 (5)
2012–2013 Kitchee 13 (7)
2013–2014 Choco 17 (15)
2014 Honka 8 (5)
2015–2016 PK-35 34 (17)
2016–2017 Alondras 21 (11)
2017–2018 Choco 22 (3)
Total 531 (162)
National team
1995–1996 Spain U16 6 (2)
1997 Spain U17 5 (1)
1997–1998 Spain U18 10 (6)
1998–1999 Spain U20 13 (6)
1999–2001 Spain U21 15 (9)
2006 Galicia 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

After having played 35 La Liga matches for Celta and Málaga, scoring three goals (75 games and 11 goals both major levels of Spanish football combined), he spent the bulk of his professional career in England with Ipswich Town, where he managed 65 official goals. He also competed in Vietnam, Hong Kong and Finland.

Couñago represented Spain in the 1999 World Youth Championship, winning the tournament.

Club career

Early career

Born in Redondela, Province of Pontevedra, Galicia, and a product of local RC Celta de Vigo's youth academy, Couñago made his professional debut in Segunda División, loaned to CD Numancia,[2] but returned in January 1999 to his first club, failing to appear in La Liga in his first spell.

In 1999–2000, he returned to the second level yet on loan, now with Recreativo de Huelva, after which he returned to Vigo still with no impact (all of his league appearances were made from the bench).[3]

Ipswich Town

After impressing in a Spanish under-21 4–0 win over England at Birmingham City's ground, Couñago was signed by Ipswich Town in the late spring of 2001, as manager George Burley had been in the stands watching his performance. The player, who was out of contract, signed a four-year deal.[4]

Couñago scored at will in his first spell for the Blues, netting twice against Walsall (3–2 at home),[5] Burnley (6–1 at Portman Road)[6] and at West Ham United (2–1, with both teams eventually promoted to the Premier League),[7] and adding a hat-trick against FC Avenir Beggen for the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, in an 8–1 home thrashing (9–1 on aggregate; Ipswich had suffered top level relegation, but qualified for Europe through the fair play award).[8]

Málaga

Couñago joined Málaga CF in 2005–06,[9] scoring three times in 27 matches as the Andalusians finished bottom of the table. He produced more in the following year, but the club failed to regain its top flight status.

Back to Ipswich

After being released by Málaga, Couñago re-signed for Ipswich on a two-year deal on 13 July 2007, extendable to three if the club gained promotion.[10] Ipswich manager Jim Magilton said of the player: "I have always looked at Pablo as a player with all the attributes to be top class. He enjoyed a good relationship with the fans of this club, but I don't think anyone really saw the best of Pablo in his first spell here". The player stated: "It's great to be back here at Ipswich. I'm really excited about the move. As soon as I knew that Jim wanted me I was keen to come back. It's good to feel wanted. I also know the way Jim likes to play football, pass, pass, pass and that is good for me as well". He scored a return debut goal in the 4–1 home win against Sheffield Wednesday,[11] and added two the following month against Coventry City (same venue, same result).[12]

Couñago was the team's joint-top scorer for the 2007–08 season with 12 goals.[13] One of those goals, an audacious backheel in a 1–3 defeat to Charlton Athletic on 8 December 2007, was voted goal of the campaign, also being one of the winners at Town's 2007–08 awards night.[14]

On 21 February 2009, Couñago started his 192nd league game for Ipswich and scored his 50th league goal for the club, in a 3–1 win at promotion rivals Queen Park Rangers (both sides eventually fell short on the attempt).[15] In the summer, he turned down the chance to join Swansea City following the arrival of Roy Keane as manager,[16] but joined Crystal Palace on loan a year later, reuniting with former Ipswich boss Burley.

On 6 November 2010, Couñago scored his first goal for Palace, in a 1–2 loss at Middlesbrough,[17] opening his home account on the 27th in the 1–0 win over Doncaster Rovers. In June 2011, aged nearly 32, he was released by Ipswich.

Later years

Subsequently, Couñago played five months with Đồng Tâm Long An F.C. in Vietnam, helping the club promote to the V-League during his spell. On 2 October 2012, he joined Hong Kong First Division League club Kitchee SC, for an undisclosed fee; he made his debut for his new team five days later, against Yokohama FC Hong Kong, coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute for compatriot Fernando Recio.

Couñago scored ten goals in 28 official appearances in his only season, and his 30-yard shot against Sun Pegasus FC helped the club win the Hong Kong FA Cup,[18] while he also played a part in its quarterfinal run in the AFC Cup. In May 2014, after one year with lowly CD Choco in Tercera División, he signed for Finland's FC Honka.[19]

International career

Couñago was joint-top scorer and received the Golden Shoe award in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, as the Spanish under-20s emerged victorious.[20] In the following two years, he appeared and scored regularly for the under-21 side.[21]

In December 2006, Couñago played for the Galicia unofficial team in a friendly match against Ecuador.[22]

Personal life

Couñago fathered a son named Iago, who was born in April 2008.[23]

Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celta 1996–97[24] La Liga 0011—11
2000–01[24] La Liga 80207[lower-alpha 1]1171
Total 803171182
Numancia (loan) 1998–99[24] Segunda División 13162—193
Recreativo (loan) 1999–2000[24] Segunda División 26420—284
Ipswich Town 2001–02[25] Premier League 130204[lower-alpha 2]0190
2002–03[26] First Division 3917414[lower-alpha 2]34921
2003–04[27] First Division 291141—3312
2004–05[28] Championship 19330—223
Total 100311328312136
Málaga 2005–06[24] La Liga 27310—283
2006–07[24] Segunda División 27730—307
Total 541040—5810
Ipswich Town 2007–08[29] Championship 431220—4512
2008–09[30] Championship 44932—4711
2009–10[31] Championship 27221—293
Total 1142373—12126
Crystal Palace (loan) 2010–11[32] Championship 30220—322
Đồng Tâm 2012[33] V.League 2 5—5
Kitchee 2012–13[33] First Division League 137717[lower-alpha 3]22710
Honka 2014[33] Veikkausliiga 8500—85
PK-35 2015[34] Ykkönen 251712[lower-alpha 4]212820
Career total 4301054511247474135
  1. Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup and UEFA Cup
  2. Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. Appearances in AFC Cup
  4. Appearances in Veikkausliiga promotion play-off

Honours

Club

Celta

Đồng Tâm Long An

Kitchee

International
Spain U20

Individual

References
  1. "Pablo Counago". Premier League. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  2. "Breve enciclopedia numantina" [Brief numantina encyclopedia]. Desde Soria (in Spanish). 29 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  3. "Pablo Couñago" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  4. Ipswich sign Spanish U21s star; BBC Sport, 24 May 2001
  5. Royle salutes Counago; BBC Sport, 29 December 2002
  6. Ipswich 6–1 Burnley; BBC Sport, 14 October 2003
  7. West Ham 1–2 Ipswich; BBC Sport, 26 December 2003
  8. Ipswich thrash Beggen; BBC Sport, 29 August
  9. Ambrose accepts Charlton challenge; UEFA, 8 July 2005
  10. "Couñago makes return to Ipswich". BBC Sport. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  11. Ipswich 4–1 Sheff Wed; BBC Sport, 11 August 2007
  12. Ipswich 4–1 Coventry; BBC Sport, 21 September 2007
  13. "Ipswich Town FC team". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2008.
  14. "Jon at The Double". Ipswich Town F.C. 22 April 2008. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  15. QPR 1–3 Ipswich; BBC Sport, 21 February 2009
  16. Counago snubs Swansea overtures; BBC Sport, 25 July 2009
  17. "Middlesbrough 2–1 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  18. "Pablo the FA Cup Hero". TWTD. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  19. "Dos choqueiros en Finlandia" [Two choqueiros in Finland] (in Spanish). Global Galicia. May 2014. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  20. García, Miguel Ángel (17 April 2009). "Qué fue de los campeones del mundo sub20" [What happened to the under-20 world champions]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  21. Brodkin, Jon (28 February 2001). "Predatory Pablo punishes England". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  22. "Ecuador empató a 1 con Galicia" [Ecuador drew 1 all with Galicia]. El Universo (in Spanish). 29 December 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  23. Davis, Derek (30 April 2008). "Pablo burning desire for tide to turn". Eastern Daily Press. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  24. "Couñago: Pablo González Couñago". BDFutbol. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  25. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  26. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  27. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  28. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  29. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  30. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  31. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  32. "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  33. "Pablo Couñago". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  34. "Counago Pablo" (in Finnish). Finnish Football Association. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  35. "Zenit 2-2 Celta (Aggregate: 3 - 4)". uefa.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2004. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  36. "Pablo Couñago – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  37. "Pablo Players' Favourite". TWTD. 25 April 2003. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  38. "Double joy for Ipswich's Walters". BBC Sport. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
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