Toñito

Toñito

Personal information
Full name	Antonio Jesús García González
Date of birth	(1977-02-24) 24 February 1977
Place of birth	La Orotava, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Tenerife
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1997	Tenerife B	32	(7)
1997–1999	Vitória Setúbal	43	(6)
1999–2004	Sporting CP	87	(9)
2001–2002	→ Santa Clara (loan)	30	(7)
2004–2005	Boavista	24	(1)
2005–2006	Tenerife	35	(7)
2006–2007	Rijeka	20	(4)
2007–2008	União Leiria	23	(1)
2008	Ionikos
2009	AEK Larnaca	4	(1)
Total		298	(43)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Antonio Jesús García González (born 24 February 1977 in La Orotava, Tenerife), known as Toñito, is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder.

He played most of his professional career in Portugal where he represented five different clubs (mainly Sporting), amassing Primeira Liga totals of 207 games and 24 goals.

Football career

A player with skill and teamwork approach alike, Toñito started playing professionally with hometown's CD Tenerife. After having made no appearances for the first team, he moved to Portugal for the 1997–98 season and joined Vitória de Setúbal, going on to represent in the country Sporting Clube de Portugal, C.D. Santa Clara – loaned, where he joined compatriot Mauricio Hanuch, in the same predicament– and Boavista FC; he played an important part in Sporting's conquest of the 2000 national championship, the club's first in 18 years, playing 28 games, although 25 of those were as a substitute.

In the 2005–06 campaign Toñito returned to Spain and Tenerife, with the club now in the second division, scoring seven league goals including two in a 3–2 away win against Racing de Ferrol on 27 May 2006, before he was stretchered off. After a quick spell in Croatia with HNK Rijeka he returned to Portugal, netting a late equalizer for U.D. Leiria at former side Sporting (1–1 in Lisbon), although his team would eventually drop down a level.

For 2008–09, Toñito moved to Greece's Ionikos FC. However, in January 2009, he switched to Cyprus and AEK Larnaca FC, reuniting with former Sporting teammate Elpídio Silva; he retired from the game at the end of the season, aged 32.

External links

• Toñito profile at BDFutbol
• Toñito at footballzz.co.uk
• Toñito profile at ForaDeJogo
• Worldfootball profile

• Toñito e Hanuch impedidos de actuar (Toñito and Hanuch prevented from playing); Record, 16 October 2001 (Spanish)
• Toñito: «Esperava ser titular» (Toñito: «I expected to be a starter»); Record, 6 October 2000 (Spanish)
• El Racing de Ferrol certifica su descenso tras caer con el Tenerife (Racing de Ferrol confirms relegation after being downed by Tenerife); Marca, 27 May 2006 (Spanish)
• Vukcevic entrou em pânico (Vukcevic panicked); Record, 4 December 2007 (Spanish)