Miki Roqué

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Infobox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Miki Roqué
240px
Roqué in training with Betis
Personal information
Full name Miguel Roqué Farrero
Date of birth (1988-07-08)8 July 1988
Place of birth Tremp, Spain
Date of death Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
Algar
2004–2005 Lleida
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2009 Liverpool 0 (0)
2007 Oldham Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
2007–2008 Xerez (loan) 1 (0)
2008–2009 Cartagena (loan) 30 (3)
2009–2011 Betis B 31 (1)
2010–2012 Betis 12 (2)
Total 78 (6)
International career
2006–2007 Spain U19 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Miguel "Miki" Roqué Farrero (8 July 1988 – 24 June 2012) was a Spanish footballer. Mainly a central defender, he could also appear as a defensive midfielder.

He signed with Liverpool before his 18th birthday, going on to be loaned to several teams in England and Spain for the duration of his contract. In 2009 he joined Betis, playing in Segunda División with the club.

Roqué died in June 2012 at the age of 23, due to cancer.[1]

Club career

Early years / Liverpool

Roqué was born in Tremp, Lleida, Catalonia. At only 17 he was signed from local side UE Lleida by Liverpool, managed by countryman Rafael Benítez.[2] He came on as a substitute in both legs of the 2006 FA Youth Cup Final against Manchester City, and made his first-team debut in the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League against Galatasaray SK on 5 December 2006 – also coming from the bench, replacing another Spaniard, Xabi Alonso – in a 2–3 away loss.[3]

Roqué spent the end of the 2006–07 season on loan at Oldham Athletic in League One,[4] appearing rarely for the Latics as the club finished in sixth position. In the following two years, still in that predicament, he played in his country, with very different fates: in the 2007–08 campaign he only appeared once for Segunda División side Xerez CD and, in the following season, he was much more used by FC Cartagena,[5] helping the Murcian club promote from Segunda División B.

Betis

On 16 June 2009, Liverpool released Roqué after a four-year stay. He returned to Spain and joined Real Betis' reserves the following month.[6]

In 2010–11 Roqué started appearing with the main squad, and contributed with 12 games (ten starts) and two goals[7][8] as the Andalusians returned to La Liga after a two-year absence.

Health and death

<templatestyles src="Template:Quote_box/styles.css" />

A person never dies completely when they are remembered by those who knew them. And every 26th minute at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, we feel that Miki is together with us

— Betis president Miguel Guillén in 2013.[9]

On 5 March 2011, after undergoing a routine check-up due to back problems, Roqué was diagnosed with pelvic cancer,[10] undergoing surgery to excise a malignant tumor the following day. Betis' fan clubs raised funds for his treatment,[11] while Carles Puyol, of the same province, financed €30,000 for specialist private treatment.[12]

On 24 June 2012, after just over a year of illness, Roqué lost his battle against cancer and died, two weeks before his 24th birthday.[1][13] His death prompted a series of tributes on Twitter, including from several international players competing in UEFA Euro 2012;[14] On 1 July, after the final of the continental competition, Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina (his former Liverpool team-mate) wore a Betis shirt featuring Roqué's name during the players' victory lap of the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.[15]

To the Betis fans, Roqué became known as "The Eternal 26", in reference to his kit number during his spell at the club, and the fans chanted his name in the 26th minute of each half of a match.[16] In 2013, a monolith dedicated to him was unveiled in his hometown, with a plaque endowed with the crests of the clubs that he represented.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. Former Liverpool FC defender Miki Roque dies at the age of 23; Click Liverpool, 24 June 2012
  14. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. Spain dedicate success to loved ones and lost ones; ESPN, 1 July 2012
  16. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links