The Villarreal right back has passed the 300-match mark in a Yellow shirt
Standing on the shoulders of giants. Mario has become, through hard work and perseverance, one of the great legends of Villarreal CF. The 27-year-old right back from Alicante made 301 appearances for the Yellows against Atlético Madrid last Sunday. A number that positions him in the top 5 players of all-time to have made the most appearances for the club, among them Bruno Soriano, Marcos Senna and Rubén Gracia ‘Cani’.
After playing 301 official matches for Villarreal in all competitions (209 in LaLiga, 28 in the Second Division, 18 in the Copa Del Rey, 39 in the Europa League and 7 in the Champions League), Mario Gaspar expressed his satisfaction to have reached this impressive milestone: “I’m extremely proud to have reached these numbers for Villarreal CF. I’m very grateful to the club, it has given me everything. When I came here, to improve as a player in the Academy, it was a dream for me to reach the first team and, now, I’m lucky enough to have made a space for myself in the club’s history”.
During his career at Villarreal, Mario has had so many unforgettable experiences, but the Yellow number 2 highlights winning promotion to LaLiga against UD Almería as one of the most special: “It is an unforgettable moment and the happiest of my career. We managed to get back to the First Division after a very hard year in which we had to give everything right until the end”. His eight seasons as a First Team player make Mario Gaspar one of the most experienced players in the Yellows dressing room. “I’ve been lucky enough to grow at this club. Now, I have more of an experienced role as we have a really young team. Although it’s true that the main core of the team has been working together for a long time now and the players that have come in have adapted very well”, he stated.
Fernand Roig Negueroles: “He’s one of our own and he’s become an emblem of the club”
On behalf of the club, Villarreal CF CEO, Fernando Roig Negueroles, congratulated Mario Gaspar for making more than 300 appearances: “He is the fourth player to have reached this figure. He came here at 16 years of age and has now played more than 300 matches. He’s one of our own and he has become one of the emblems of the club. He helped us to get promoted the year that we were in the second division, he has played for Villarreal in European compeitions and has even repented the Spanish national team. For all of this, as well as the achievement of this milestone, we congratulate him “.
Number of appearances by Villarreal CF players:
- Bruno Soriano: 418
- Marcos Senna: 363
- Rubén Gracia ‘Cani’: 327
- Mario Gaspar: 301
- Rodolfo Martín Arruabarrena: 284
- Pascual Donat: 267
- Javi Venta: 260
- Gonzalo Rodríguez: 253
- Manu Trigueros: 252
- Quique Álvarez: 250
