Kike Salas

Spanish footballer (born 2002)
Kike Salas
Personal information
Full name Enrique Jesús Salas Valiente
Date of birth (2002-04-23) 23 April 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth Morón de la Frontera, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Sevilla
Number 2
Youth career
2013–2021 Sevilla
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021 Sevilla C 1 (0)
2021–2022 Sevilla B 31 (1)
2022– Sevilla 21 (3)
2023 → Tenerife (loan) 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 March 2024

Enrique Jesús "Kike" Salas Valiente (born 23 April 2002) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central defender for La Liga club Sevilla.

Club career

Born in Morón de la Frontera, Seville, Andalusia, Salas joined Sevilla FC's youth setup in 2013, aged 11.[1] He made his senior debut with the reserves on 10 January 2021, coming on as a half-time substitute for Juan María Alcedo in a 3–1 Segunda División B away loss against Yeclano Deportivo.[2]

On 27 April 2021, while still a youth, Salas renewed his contract until 2024.[3] He subsequently established himself as a regular for the B-side, and scored his first senior goal on 9 January 2022, in a 1–0 Primera División RFEF home win over Real Balompédica Linense.

Salas made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 10 September 2022, starting in a 3–2 away win over RCD Espanyol.[4][5] The following 31 January, he signed a contract extension with Sevilla through to 2026, and joined Segunda División club CD Tenerife on loan for the remainder of the season.[6]

Upon returning, Salas started to feature regularly in the main squad of the Nervionenses, and was definitely promoted to it on 31 January 2024, being assigned the number 2 jersey.[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 March 2024[8]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sevilla 2022–23 La Liga 6 1 2 0 2[a] 0 10 1
2023–24 La Liga 15 2 3 0 2[a] 0 20 2
Total 21 3 5 0 4 0 30 3
Tenerife (loan) 2022–23 Segunda División 7 0 — — 7 0
Career total 28 3 5 0 4 0 37 3
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League

Personal life

Salas' uncle Víctor was also a footballer.[1][9] A midfielder, he too was groomed at Sevilla.

Honours

Sevilla

References

  1. ^ a b "Kike Salas, la última perla de la cantera del Sevilla FC y campeón del mundo de pádel" [Kike Salas, the latest pearl of the youth setup of Sevilla FC and world champion of paddle tennis] (in Spanish). Estadio Deportivo. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Kike Salas debuta en 2ªB con el Sevilla Atlético" [Kike Salas debuts in 2ª B with Sevilla Atlético] (in Spanish). Morón Información. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Kike Salas, central del División de Honor, renueva hasta 2024" [Kike Salas, División de Honor stopper, renews until 2024] (in Spanish). Sevilla FC. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  4. ^ "El Sevilla 'salva' la cabeza de Julen" [Sevilla 'save' Julen's head] (in Spanish). Marca. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Kike Salas, del pádel a superviviente de Corea del Sur" [Kike Salas, from paddle tennis to surviving in South Korea] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Kike Salas signs contract extension to 2026 and moves on loan to CD Tenerife". Sevilla FC. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Kike Salas, con ficha del primer equipo del Sevilla FC" [Kike Salas, with a registration of the first team of Sevilla FC] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  8. ^ Kike Salas at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata
  9. ^ "Kike Salas, la «coordinación» de un campeón del mundo de pádel" [Kike Salas, the "coordination" of a world champion of paddle tennis] (in Spanish). ABC. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Sevilla beat Independiente del Valle on penalties to win UEFA CONMEBOL Club Challenge". UEFA. 19 July 2013.

External links

  • Kike Salas at BDFutbol
  • Kike Salas at Soccerway
  • v
  • t
  • e
Sevilla FC – current squad