Manuel "Manu" Justo Román (born 6 February 1996) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa. Mainly a forward, he can also play as a right winger.

Manu Justo
Justo with Galicia in 2024
Personal information
Full name Manuel Justo Román
Date of birth (1996-02-09) 9 February 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Vigo, Spain
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Cultural Leonesa
Youth career
Areosa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Rápido Bouzas 28 (3)
2016–2018 Arosa 46 (10)
2018–2019 Coruxo 35 (10)
2019–2022 Elche 0 (0)
2019–2020UCAM Murcia (loan) 18 (2)
2020–2021Celta B (loan) 29 (10)
2021–2022Racing Santander (loan) 31 (5)
2022–2024 Racing Ferrol 60 (13)
2024– Cultural Leonesa 13 (5)
International career
2024 Galicia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Club career

edit

Born in Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Justo was a CD Areosa youth graduate. In July 2015, after finishing his formation, he joined Tercera División side Rápido de Bouzas on trial,[1] and signed a contract with the club in the following month.

On 16 June 2016, Justo moved to fellow fourth division side Arosa SC.[2] On 15 June 2018, after establishing himself as a starter, he signed for Coruxo FC in Segunda División B.[3]

On 9 July 2019, Justo signed a three-year contract with Segunda División side Elche CF,[4] but was loaned to UCAM Murcia CF in the third division on 2 August.[5] The following 31 January, his loan was terminated, and he moved to fellow league team Celta de Vigo B also in a temporary deal.[6]

On 16 September 2020, Justo's loan with Celta B was extended for the entire 2020–21 season.[7] On 12 August 2021, he agreed to a one-year loan deal with Racing de Santander,[8] and helped in their promotion from the Primera División RFEF as overall champions with five goals.

On 29 June 2022, Justo signed a permanent two-year deal with Racing de Ferrol also in the third division.[9] He was the club's top goalscorer during his first season with 12 goals, as they returned to the second level after 15 years.[10]

Justo made his professional debut at the age of 27 on 12 August 2023, coming on as a second-half substitute for Sabin Merino in a 1–0 away win over former side Elche.[11] He scored his first professional goal on 26 May of the following year, netting a last-minute equalizer through a penalty kick in a 2–2 home draw against CD Leganés.

On 24 June 2024, Justo moved to Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in the third division.[12]

Honours

edit

Racing Santander

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rápido y Celta B disputan el Trofeo Vila de Bouzas" [Rápido and Celta B will dispute the Trofeo Vila de Bouzas] (in Spanish). Faro de Vigo. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  2. ^ "El Arosa ficha a Sergio Santos y Manu Justo" [Arosa sign Sergio Santos and Manu Justo] (in Spanish). Faro de Vigo. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Guille de Francisco y Manu Justo, refuerzos del Coruxo" [Guille de Francisco and Manu Justo, additions of Coruxo] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. ^ "El Elche ficha a Manu Justo pero podría cederlo a un Segunda B" [Elche sign Manu Justo but could loan him to a Segunda B] (in Spanish). Marca. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Manu Justo, mas pólvora para el UCAM Murcia" [Manu Justo, more gunpowder to UCAM Murcia]. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  6. ^ "El Elche anuncia la cesión de Manu Justo al filial del Celta" [Elche announce the loan of Manu Justo to the reserve team of Celta] (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  7. ^ "El Celta B recupera a Manu Justo, cedido y con opción de compra" [Celta B bring back Manu Justo, on loan and with a buyout clause] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Manu Justo se incorpora a la plantilla del Racing 2021/22" [Manu Justo joins the squad of Racing 2021/22] (in Spanish). Racing Santander. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Manu Justo refuerza la delantera" [Manu Justo bolsters the forward lines] (in Spanish). Racing Ferrol. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Manu Justo, satisfecho con los doce tantos que anotó con la camiseta del Racing esta temporada" [Manu Justo, satisfied with the twelve goals he scored with the shirt of Racing this season] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  11. ^ "El Racing de Ferrol vuelve a Segunda a lo grande" [Racing de Ferrol return to Segunda through the big door] (in Spanish). Marca. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  12. ^ "La Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa se refuerza con Manu Justo" [Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa bolster with Manu Justo] (in Spanish). Cultural Leonesa. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
edit