Jordi Govea

Jordi Govea
Personal information
Full name	Jordi Jair Govea Merlín
Date of birth	9 March 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Left-back, left-winger
Team information
Current team	Olimpija Ljubljana
Number	33
Youth career
2005–2010	Colmenar Viejo
2010–2011	E.F. Siete Picos
2011–2018	Real Madrid
2018–2021	Swansea City
Senior career*
Years	Team
2022–2023	FC Cincinnati 2
2023–2024	Beroe
2024–	Olimpija Ljubljana
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 December 2024

Jordi Jair Govea Merlín (born 9 March 1999) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Olimpija Ljubljana.

Club career

Early career

Born in Esmeraldas in Ecuador, Govea moved to Spain at the age of three, joining the academy of Colmenar Viejo in 2005, before spending a season with E.F. Siete Picos.^[2]^[3] It was at Siete Picos where he was scouted and signed by La Liga side Real Madrid, and he would go on to spend seven years with the Madrid-based side.^[2]

In July 2018 he joined Welsh side Swansea City, who were then in the Championship, on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal.^[4]^[5] Govea's time in Swansea was plagued by injury; after playing in a match against Tottenham Hotspur in April 2019, he missed the entirety of the 2019–20 season, and had to wait until February 2021 to make his next appearance for the club's reserve team - a total of 687 days.^[6] He marked his return with a goal in a 2–0 win against the under-21 side of Millwall on 30 February 2021.^[6]

Having been released at the end of the 2020–21 season, he received offers from clubs in Spain and Poland, before returning to Ecuador and coming close to signing for Emelec.^[3] While in Ecuador he trained with Independiente del Valle, but would return to Britain to trial with Birmingham City in early 2022, though this was ultimately unsuccessful, in part due to his injury problems.^[3]^[7]

FC Cincinnati 2

Govea signed with MLS Next Pro side FC Cincinnati 2 on 11 August 2022.^[8] In November of the same year his contract came to an end, but he was offered an extension, with the hope that he would fight for a place in the FC Cincinnati squad, despite only making two appearances for the reserves.^[3]

Beroe

After only four appearances the following season, he was linked with a return to Ecuador with Barcelona de Guayaquil.^[9] However, he would go on to join Bulgarian side Beroe in August 2023.^[10]

On 28 August 2024, Govea joined Slovenian PrvaLiga side Olimpija Ljubljana on a three-year deal.^[11]

Personal life

Govea's brother, Aimar, is also a professional footballer, and currently plays for Swansea City.^[12]

Career statistics

Club

As of 27 October 2023.^[13]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Swansea U23	2018–19	—			—		2^[a]	0	2	0
FC Cincinnati 2	2022	MLS Next Pro	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	2023	MLS Next Pro	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
	Total		6	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
Beroe	2023–24	Bulgarian First League	11	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
Career total			17	0	0	0	2	0	19	0

Notes

^ Appearances in the EFL Trophy

References

^ ^a ^b Jordi Govea at WorldFootball.net
^ ^a ^b "Jordi Govea". realmadrid.com. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Fierro Neira, Alejandro (28 December 2022). "Jordi Govea: Cristiano Ronaldo me decía que yo tenía que ser mejor que Fábio Coentrão" [Jordi Govea: Cristiano Ronaldo told me that I had to be better than Fábio Coentrão]. eluniverso.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ "Swansea City sign ex-Real Madrid defender Govea". bbc.co.uk. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ Huertas, Adrià (6 July 2018). "El Swansea City ficha a Jordi Govea, Juvenil A del Real Madrid" [Swansea City signs Jordi Govea, Real Madrid's Youth A player]. sport.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b Coleman, Tom (4 March 2021). "The tears of forgotten Swansea City starlet Jordi Govea, the Real Madrid talent missing for 687 days". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ Ray, James (24 January 2022). "Birmingham City casting eye over ex-Swansea City youngster Jordi Govea". the72.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ "FC Cincinnati 2 sign defender Jordi Govea". fccincinnati.com. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ García, Luis (14 May 2023). "Jordi Govea llegaría a Barcelona SC y este jugador le cedería su lugar" [Jordi Govea would arrive at Barcelona SC and this player would give him his place]. unsoloidolo.ec (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ "Jordi Govea: "Lucho día a día por estar en la Selección de Ecuador"" [Jordi Govea: "I fight every day to be in the Ecuadorian National Team"]. espndeportes.espn.com (in Spanish). 22 August 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ "Olimpija has officially confirmed the arrival of former Real member just before the match against Rijeka: The Ecuadorian Jordi Govea will prove himself in Ljubljana". footballplanet.si. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
^ "Nació en España y jugará para Ecuador el Sudamericano Sub 17" [He was born in Spain and will play for Ecuador in the South American Sub 17]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 2 March 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ Jordi Govea at Soccerway

External links

Jordi Govea at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)

[EFLT-14] Appearances in the EFL Trophy

[wf-1] Jordi Govea at WorldFootball.net

[rm-2] "Jordi Govea". realmadrid.com. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[eu-3] Fierro Neira, Alejandro (28 December 2022). "Jordi Govea: Cristiano Ronaldo me decía que yo tenía que ser mejor que Fábio Coentrão" [Jordi Govea: Cristiano Ronaldo told me that I had to be better than Fábio Coentrão]. eluniverso.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[4] "Swansea City sign ex-Real Madrid defender Govea". bbc.co.uk. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[5] Huertas, Adrià (6 July 2018). "El Swansea City ficha a Jordi Govea, Juvenil A del Real Madrid" [Swansea City signs Jordi Govea, Real Madrid's Youth A player]. sport.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[wo-6] Coleman, Tom (4 March 2021). "The tears of forgotten Swansea City starlet Jordi Govea, the Real Madrid talent missing for 687 days". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[7] Ray, James (24 January 2022). "Birmingham City casting eye over ex-Swansea City youngster Jordi Govea". the72.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[8] "FC Cincinnati 2 sign defender Jordi Govea". fccincinnati.com. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[9] García, Luis (14 May 2023). "Jordi Govea llegaría a Barcelona SC y este jugador le cedería su lugar" [Jordi Govea would arrive at Barcelona SC and this player would give him his place]. unsoloidolo.ec (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[10] "Jordi Govea: "Lucho día a día por estar en la Selección de Ecuador"" [Jordi Govea: "I fight every day to be in the Ecuadorian National Team"]. espndeportes.espn.com (in Spanish). 22 August 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[11] "Olimpija has officially confirmed the arrival of former Real member just before the match against Rijeka: The Ecuadorian Jordi Govea will prove himself in Ljubljana". footballplanet.si. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.

[12] "Nació en España y jugará para Ecuador el Sudamericano Sub 17" [He was born in Spain and will play for Ecuador in the South American Sub 17]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 2 March 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

[13] Jordi Govea at Soccerway

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