Fernando Llorente - Club Career

Club Career

Llorente spent several seasons in the various junior levels of the club, moving in 2003 to CD Baskonia of Tercera División, effectively an Athletic youth team, and also a feeder club since 1997. He scored 12 goals in 33 games for Baskonia, paving way for his promotion to Bilbao Athletic – Athletic's reserve team – in Segunda División B.

After featuring in 16 matches and netting four goals for Bilbao B in the first half of season, Llorente was awarded with a contract extension until June 2008. On 16 January 2005, he made his first-team – and La Liga – debut in a 1–1 home draw against RCD Espanyol. Three days later, in a Copa del Rey match with UD Lanzarote, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 victory, and would go on to feature in all but five of the 19 remaining league games while scoring three goals, and also featuring in four domestic cup matches and the UEFA Cup round-of-32 game against FK Austria Wien.

Before the 2005–06 season, Llorente's squad number was promoted from number 32 to 9. He scored in the opening day, a Basque derby 3–0 win against Real Sociedad but, throughout the season, found goals hard to come by, which could be partly attributed to a series of injuries including a knee strain, gastroenteritis and a muscle injury. He ended the season with just four goals, two in the league and as much in the Cup, against CE L'Hospitalet.

On 13 July 2006 Llorente signed a new contract with Athletic until June 2011, which included a buy-out clause of between €30 and 50 million. He started the season as arguably the club's fourth-choice striker, behind Aritz Aduriz, Joseba Etxeberria and veteran Ismael Urzaiz. Athletic's poor form and lack of goals led to coach Félix Sarriugarte rotating the players, allowing Llorente to force his way back into the side; he ended the campaign with only two goals in 23 matches, although he did score an important one in the closing minutes of a 1–1 draw at Valencia CF.

In preparation for the 2007–08 season, Llorente scored six goals in as many pre-season games, and another against CD Numancia in the Caja Duero Trophy. His form led to him becoming Athletic's first-choice forward, and although he started the season poorly, he ended it with a total of 11 league goals for a side that finished in mid-table. His tally included four goals in two games against Valencia, both impressive wins, and further strikes against FC Barcelona, Villarreal CF and Atlético de Madrid.

Prior to 2008–09, Llorente was confident of a successful season. "I know that I am capable of scoring goals and having a good year and I want to start this term in the same form that I ended the last one in" he said. Despite the team's modest start to the season he netted 14 league goals – a career-best – with another four in the Cup, helping his team reach the final against Barcelona (1–4 loss).

In the 2009–10 season, Llorente again scored in double figures. Additionally, he led all scorers in the Europa League for a lengthy period, with eight goals; he added 14 in the league as Athletic finished in eighth position.

On 28 August 2010 Llorente scored the first goal of 2010–11, in a 1–0 win at Hércules CF. His form continued in the next ten league fixtures as he found the net seven times, eventually finishing the season with 18 goals (19 overall) as Athletic qualified to the Europa League.

In January/February 2012, in two away games separated by only four days, Llorente scored five goals: he started with a hat-trick in a 3–2 win against Rayo Vallecano, adding two in Athletic's 2-1 win over CD Mirandés in the Spanish Cup semifinals. In the next two matches, both at home, he netted three more, one against Espanyol in the league and two against Mirandés.

Llorente scored in both legs of the 2011–12 Europa League round-of-16 against Manchester United, as Athletic won both games and went through 5–3 on aggregate. In the next round he netted twice at FC Schalke 04 in a 4–2 win, helping the team eventually reach the final.

In August 2012 Llorente refused to sign a new deal with Athletic Bilbao, fuelling speculation that he might be leaving the club. Following a 0–2 derby loss at Real Sociedad on 29 September, in which he was a late substitute, he got into an argument with manager Marcelo Bielsa; two days later he walked out of training early and was sent to practice with the youth squad. On 3 January 2013 Athletic confirmed that Llorente would be holding contract talks with Juventus.