Pablo 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]
Playing position 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)
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)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 May 2016.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is González and the second or maternal family name is Couñago.

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

After having played in 35 La Liga matches for Celta and Málaga, scoring three goals (75/11 both major levels of Spanish football combined), he spent the bulk of his professional career in England with Ipswich Town, where he scored a total of 65 official goals.

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 Celta de Vigo's youth ranks, Couñago made his professional debuts in Segunda División, loaned to CD Numancia, 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).[2]

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.[3]

Couñago scored at will in his first spell for the Blues, netting twice against Walsall (3–2 at home),[4] Burnley (6–1 at Portman Road)[5] and at West Ham United (2–1, with both teams eventually promoted to the Premier League),[6] 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).[7]

Málaga

Couñago joined Málaga CF in 2005–06,[8] 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 the Tractor Boys on a two-year deal on 13 July 2007, extendable to three if the club gained promotion.[9] 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,[10] and added two the following month against Coventry City (same venue, same result).[11]

Couñago was Ipswich's joint-top scorer for the 2007–08 season with 12 goals.[12] 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.[13]

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).[14] In the summer, he turned down the chance to join Swansea City following the arrival of Roy Keane as manager,[15] 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,[16] 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,[17] 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.[18]

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. In the following two years, he appeared and scored regularly for the under-21 team.

Personal life

Couñago has one son, Iago, who was born in April 2008.[19]

Club statistics

As of 1 November 2015
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celta 1996–97[20] La Liga 0011—11
2000–01[20] La Liga 80207[lower-alpha 1]1171
Total 803171182
Numancia (loan) 1998–99[20] Segunda División 13162—193
Recreativo (loan) 1999–2000[20] Segunda División 26420—284
Ipswich Town 2001–02[21] Premier League 130204[lower-alpha 2]0190
2002–03[22] First Division 3917414[lower-alpha 2]34921
2003–04[23] First Division 291141—3312
2004–05[24] Championship 19330—223
Total 100311328312136
Málaga 2005–06[20] La Liga 27310—283
2006–07[20] Segunda División 27730—307
Total 541040—5810
Ipswich Town 2007–08[25] Championship 431220—4512
2008–09[26] Championship 44932—4711
2009–10[27] Championship 27221—293
Total 1142373—12126
Crystal Palace (loan) 2010–11[28] Championship 30220—322
Đồng Tâm 2012[29] V.League 2 5—5
Kitchee 2012–13[29] First Division League 137717[lower-alpha 3]22710
Honka 2014[29] Veikkausliiga 8500—85
PK-35 2015[30] Ykkönen 251712[lower-alpha 4]212820
Career total 4301054511247474135
  1. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup and UEFA Cup
  2. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. ↑ Appearances in AFC Cup
  4. ↑ Appearances in Veikkausliiga promotion play-off

Honours

Club

Celta
Đồng Tâm Long An[31]
Kitchee[31]

Country

Spain U20

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Pablo Counago". Premier League. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  2. ↑ "Pablo Couñago" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Ipswich sign Spanish U21s star; BBC Sport, 24 May 2001
  4. ↑ Royle salutes Counago; BBC Sport, 29 December 2002
  5. ↑ Ipswich 6–1 Burnley; BBC Sport, 14 October 2003
  6. ↑ West Ham 1–2 Ipswich; BBC Sport, 26 December 2003
  7. ↑ Ipswich thrash Beggen; BBC Sport, 29 August
  8. ↑ Ambrose accepts Charlton challenge; UEFA.com, 8 July 2005
  9. ↑ "Couñago makes return to Ipswich". BBC Sport. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  10. ↑ Ipswich 4–1 Sheff Wed; BBC Sport, 11 August 2007
  11. ↑ Ipswich 4–1 Coventry; BBC Sport, 21 September 2007
  12. ↑ "Ipswich Town FC team". Ipswich Town. Retrieved 11 January 2008.
  13. ↑ "Jon at The Double". Ipswich Town. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  14. ↑ QPR 1–3 Ipswich; BBC Sport, 21 February 2009
  15. ↑ Counago snubs Swansea overtures; BBC Sport, 25 July 2009
  16. ↑ "Middlesbrough 2–1 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  17. ↑ "Pablo the FA Cup Hero". TWTD. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Dos choqueiros en Finlandia" [Two choqueiros in Finland] (in Spanish). Global Galicia. May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  19. ↑ Davis, Derek (30 April 2008). "Pablo burning desire for tide to turn". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Couñago: Pablo González Couñago". BDFutbol. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  21. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  23. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  26. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Counago in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  29. 1 2 3 "Pablo Couñago". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  30. ↑ "Counago Pablo" (in Finnish). Finnish Football Association. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  31. 1 2 "Pablo Couñago – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
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