Bruno (footballer, born 1980)

Bruno Saltor Grau (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbɾuno salˈtoɾ ɣɾaw];[upper-alpha 1] born 1 October 1980), known simply as Bruno, is a Spanish former footballer who played as a right back.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Saltor and the second or maternal family name is Grau.
Bruno
Bruno playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018
Personal information
Full name Bruno Saltor Grau[1]
Date of birth (1980-10-01) 1 October 1980
Place of birth El Masnou, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Right back
Youth career
Olimpic Mora d'Ebre
Lleida
1997–1999 Espanyol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2003 Espanyol B 72 (6)
2001–2003 Espanyol 1 (0)
2001–2002 → Gimnàstic (loan) 14 (0)
2003–2006 Lleida 110 (1)
2006–2009 Almería 104 (0)
2009–2012 Valencia 59 (0)
2012–2019 Brighton & Hove Albion 225 (6)
Total 585 (13)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He began his professional career with Espanyol, and went on to appear in 128 La Liga matches, all but one of which were with Almería and Valencia. In 2012 he signed with Brighton & Hove Albion, going on to spend seven years with the English club and also acting as its captain.

Club career

Spain

Born in El Masnou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Bruno was a product of RCD Espanyol's youth system. He appeared only once for the first team, playing eight minutes in a 3–1 home win over Rayo Vallecano on 29 September 2001;[2] he was used almost exclusively by the B-side during his tenure, spending three of his four years in Segunda División B.

After a further two stints in his native region, with Gimnàstic de Tarragona (loan) and UE Lleida, Bruno joined UD Almería in the summer of 2006, being instrumental in the Andalusia side's first ever promotion to La Liga as a late bloomer. In 2007–08, he missed only four league games as his team overachieved for a final eighth place, and produced similar numbers in the following season.[3]

In mid-June 2009, Bruno signed a three-year deal with Valencia CF and reunited with former Almería manager Unai Emery.[4] He had previously arranged a transfer to Real Betis, but the move collapsed as the club was eventually relegated.[5][6]

Brighton & Hove Albion
Bruno playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2015

On 25 June 2012, after a further 33 league appearances for Valencia in two seasons combined,[7] free agent Bruno signed a two-year contract for EFL Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion.[8] He scored his first goal for his new team on 24 November, in a 1–1 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers.[9]

At the age of 35/36, Bruno was still the automatic first choice in his position, helping the club gain promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2016–17 campaign after 34 years.[10] Previously, in March 2017, the captain agreed to a one-year contract extension,[11] and on 20 April he was included in the Championship Team of the Year for the second year running.[12]

Bruno made his debut in the English top flight on 12 August 2017, playing the whole of a 2–0 home loss to Manchester City.[13] On 3 April 2018, he signed a new one-year deal.[14] Two weeks later, he made his first league start since January, at home to Tottenham Hotspur in a 1–1 draw that gave his team "a big point" in their fight against relegation,[15] and remained in the side for the 1–0 home defeat of Manchester United that ensured their safety,[16] to which the player contributed with 25 appearances (26 overall).[17]

A hamstring injury during the opening match of 2018–19 lost Bruno his place to fellow Spaniard Martín Montoya.[18] Despite his return to the side in early October coinciding with three consecutive winning clean sheets, it proved short-lived. He played in the early rounds of the 2018–19 FA Cup, but not in the quarter-final or semi-final, and started five of the last six league matches as Brighton narrowly avoided relegation.[19][20]

On 10 May 2019, Bruno announced his retirement at the end of the season. He started the 4–1 defeat at home to Manchester City that confirmed their second consecutive Premier League title, and ended his post-match speech of appreciation and farewell with the words "Once a Seagull, always a Seagull".[21]

Club statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Espanyol B 2000–01[22] Segunda División B322——6[lower-alpha 1]0382
2001–02[23] Segunda División B91———91
2002–03[24] Segunda División B313———313
Total 726——60786
Espanyol 2001–02[23] La Liga1010——20
Gimnàstic (loan) 2001–02[23] Segunda División14000——140
Lleida 2003–04[25] Segunda División B341——5[lower-alpha 1]0391
2004–05[26] Segunda División37010——380
2005–06[27] Segunda División39040——430
Total 110150—501201
Almería 2006–07[28] Segunda División36000——360
2007–08[29] La Liga34020——360
2008–09[30] La Liga34030——370
Total 104050——1090
Valencia 2009–10[31] La Liga26030—8[lower-alpha 2]1371
2010–11[32] La Liga19020—4[lower-alpha 3]0250
2011–12[33] La Liga14010—3[lower-alpha 2]0180
Total 59060—151801
Brighton & Hove Albion 2012–13[34] Championship301001000311
2013–14[35] Championship331000000331
2014–15[36] Championship3531010—373
2015–16[37] Championship46100002[lower-alpha 1]0481
2016–17[38] Championship4200000—420
2017–18[39] Premier League2501000—260
2018–19[40] Premier League1404000—180
Total 22566020202356
Career total 585132302028163814
  1. Appearances in promotion play-offs
  2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Lleida

Brighton & Hove Albion

Individual

Notes
  1. In isolation, Grau is pronounced [ɡɾaw].
gollark: Just bloateder.
gollark: Terrariola: it's not faster.
gollark: terrariola, fool.
gollark: And use Firefox.
gollark: Just set the default search engine to duck duck go.

References
  1. "Acta del partido celebrado el 12 de mayo de 2012, en San Sebastián" [Minutes of the match held on 12 May 2012, in San Sebastián] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. "El Espanyol eleva su caché ante un Rayo hundido" [Espanyol prestige on the rise against sunken Rayo]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 29 September 2001. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  3. Piñeiro, Raúl (8 September 2008). ""Sólo tengo palabras de agradecimiento hacia Unai"" ["I can only thank Unai"]. Diario de Almería (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  4. "Mestalla calls for Moyá and Saltor". UEFA. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  5. "Bruno será el primer fichaje de los béticos" [Bruno will be first bético signing]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 14 May 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  6. "El Barcelona negocia el fichaje de Bruno" [Barcelona negotiate Bruno signing]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 1 June 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  7. Fuster, P. (21 January 2012). "Es el lateral derecho que más partidos ha jugado" [He is the right-back that has played the most matches]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  8. "Albion agree Bruno deal". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  9. "Brighton 1–1 Bolton". BBC Sport. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  10. "Brighton & Hove Albion 2–1 Wigan Athletic". BBC Sport. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  11. "Brighton & Hove Albion: Skipper Bruno signs contract extension". BBC Sport. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  12. "Brighton have four in Championship Team of the Year, Sessegnon in". ESPN FC. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  13. "El City de Guardiola gana sin lucirse en su debut" [Unimpressive win in debut for Guardiola's City]. ABC (in Spanish). 12 August 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  14. "Bruno: Brighton captain signs new one-year contract". BBC Sport. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  15. Owen, Brian (17 April 2018). "Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Spurs 1: Bruno hails 'big point'". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  16. Begley, Emlyn (4 May 2018). "Brighton & Hove Albion 1–0 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  17. Flavius, Kavan (12 May 2018). "Picking the best potential Brighton lineup to face Liverpool on Sunday". 90 Min. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  18. Naylor, Andy (20 September 2018). "Bruno faces biggest challenge of Albion career to win place back". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  19. "Bruno Saltor: Brighton & Hove Albion: Club matches". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  20. Bailey, Steve (5 April 2019). "Defender says Brighton have to play their own game and frustrate Manchester City in FA Cup semi-final". Brighton & Hove Independent. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
    Challies, Josh (9 May 2019). "Brighton player sends message to Man City ahead of final day in title race with Liverpool FC". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  21. Owen, Brian (13 May 2019). "Always a Seagull – how Bruno bowed out with a touch of class". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  22. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2000–01". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  23. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2001–02". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  24. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2002–03". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  25. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2003–04". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  26. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2004–05". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  27. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2005–06". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  28. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2006–07". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  29. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2007–08". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  30. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2008–09". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  31. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2009–10". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  32. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2010–11". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  33. "Bruno Saltor: Bruno Saltor Grau: Matches: 2011–12". BDFutbol. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  34. "Games played by Bruno in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  35. "Games played by Bruno in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  36. "Games played by Bruno in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  37. "Games played by Bruno in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  38. "Games played by Bruno in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  39. "Games played by Bruno in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  40. "Games played by Bruno in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  41. Muntané, Eduard (21 June 2004). "El Lleida asciende a Segunda" [Lleida promote to Segunda]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  42. Anderson, John, ed. (2017). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2017–2018. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-1-4722-3397-4.
  43. "PFA awards: Leicester and Spurs dominate Premier League team". BBC Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  44. "PFA teams of the year: Chelsea and Tottenham dominate Premier League XI". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
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