Rafa Mir

Rafa Mir
Personal information
Full name Rafael Mir Vicente
Date of birth (1997-06-18) 18 June 1997
Place of birth Murcia, Spain
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Las Palmas
(on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Number 9
Youth career
Javalí Nuevo
2006–2007 ElPozo Murcia
2007–2009 Ranero
2009–2011 Barcelona
2011–2012 Murcia
2012–2016 Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2018 Valencia B 60 (25)
2015–2018 Valencia 2 (0)
2018– Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (0)
2018– → Las Palmas (loan) 8 (3)
National team‡
2018– Spain U21 3 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 October 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2018

Rafael "Rafa" Mir Vicente (born 18 June 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for UD Las Palmas, on loan from English club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Club career

Youth career

Born in Murcia, Mir began his career playing futsal with CD Javalí Nuevo. After a 120-goal spell at ElPozo Murcia FS he began playing full football with Ranero CF, scoring 57 and 84 goals in his respective seasons before joining FC Barcelona.[1]

Mir's 32 goals at La Masia earned him a return to his native region and Real Murcia, where a 45-goal haul led to the attention of Valencia CF.[1] He made his senior debut for the reserves on 1 March 2015, as an 88th-minute substitute for Wilfried Zahibo in a 2–1 Segunda División B loss at CE L'Hospitalet.

Valencia

Mir scored his first senior goal on 7 March 2015, netting the last in a 2–0 win over CF Badalona at the Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna.[2] He finished the campaign with four appearances, as his side narrowly avoided relegation.

The following season, Mir excelled in the UEFA Youth League, scoring consecutive braces in victories over K.A.A. Gent.[3][4] On 14 November 2015, he was given his first start for the B-side, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–4 loss at another reserve team, Villarreal CF B.[5]

On 24 November 2015, Mir was called up to the main squad by manager Nuno Espírito Santo for a La Liga game against UD Las Palmas;[6] he was an unused substitute in the 1–1 draw at the Mestalla Stadium.[7] He made his professional debut on 25 November, starting in a UEFA Champions League group stage match away to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg,[8] being substituted for Santi Mina in the 56th minute of an eventual 2–0 defeat.[9]

He made his top-flight debut against Las Palmas on 28 August, replacing Enzo Pérez for the final four minutes of a 2–4 home loss.[10]

Mir began the first half of the 2017–18 season for Valencia B in good form, scoring 15 goals in 19 games, attracting interest from Real Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers.[11]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 3 January 2018, Mir joined Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club and taking the number 9 shirt.[12] He links up with former Valencia boss Nuno Espírito Santo, who gave him his first team debut at the club.

Las Palmas (loan)

On 23 July 2018, Mir joined Segunda División side UD Las Palmas on loan for one season.[13]

Career statistics

As of match played 6 January 2018[14]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League National Cup EFL Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Valencia B 2014–15 Segunda División B 41——41
2015–16 Segunda División B 20——20
2016–17 Segunda División B 359——359
2017–18 Segunda División B 1915——1915
Total 602500006025
Valencia 2015–16 La Liga 0010—10
2016–17 La Liga 2030—50
Total 20400060
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2017–18 Championship 2020—40
Career Total 622550006725

Personal life

Mir, who idolised German forward Mario Gómez, is the son of former defender Magín Mir, whose clubs included RCD Mallorca and Murcia.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rafa Mir, el ´gigante´ de los mil goles del Valencia CF" [Rafa Mir, Valencia CF's 1000-goal 'giant'] (in Spanish). Superdeporte. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "El Mestalla sufre pero se impone" [Mestalla suffer but impose themselves] (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Perfect Arsenal forge on in Youth League". UEFA. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Holders Chelsea assured of top-two finish". UEFA. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "El Valencia Mestalla naufraga ante el Villarreal B" [Valencia Mestalla sink against Villarreal B] (in Spanish). Super Deporte. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Gimeno, Manu (20 November 2015). "Nuno se lleva a Rafa Mir y recupera a pesos pesados" [Nuno brings in Rafa Mir and regains heavyweights] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Viera gets the point for Las Palmas as Valencia are left frustrated". ESPN. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Rocha Rodrigues, Luís; Sousa, Vasco (24 November 2015). "Para sacudir a crise, Nuno estreia Rafa Mir, de 18 anos" [To end the crisis, Nuno chooses, Rafa Mir, 18] (in Portuguese). ZeroZero. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Zenit stay perfect at Valencia's expense". UEFA. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "El Las Palmas desnuda al Valencia" [Las Palmas expose Valencia] (in Spanish). El Periódico. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  11. ↑ "Wolves close to signing Rafa Mir from Valencia". Sky Sports. 3 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "Welcome Rafa". Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. 3 January 2018.
  13. ↑ "Mir Departs Molineux On Loan". Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  14. ↑ "Rafa Mir Statistics". soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
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