Alberto Rodríguez

A Peruvian footballer Alberto Junior Rodríguez Valdelomar plays as a central defender for Rio Ave. He was born on 31 March 1984 in Lima.

Alberto started trying his hand at football at the academy of Deportivo Wanka, where his junior career had passed. But, when he was 18, he was taken to Sporting Cristal. In 2002, Rodríguez got an opportunity to begin his career at the professional level, after signing a long-term contract with Sporting Cristal. His debut season turned to be very fortunate, as he almost immediately got the place in the main team. Four years were spent with the team, during that time Alberto made 155 appearances and netted 10 goals for the club. His professional performance caught attention not only of the clubs from South America but from Europe as well. Portuguese League outfit Sporting de Braga brought the footballer out from his club and he joined his new team in the summer 2007. Alberto didn’t manage to become the coach’s first choice finishing a four-year spell with 79 appearances made and three goals scored for the team. In the summer 2010, Rodríguez moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal. He didn’t have enough playing experience to become the team’s starter, that’s why he was used as a substitute player only. Over the course of the 2011/2012 season, he appeared only seven times.

In the summer 2012, Alberto was scouted by the top-divisioner Rio Ave.

In 2003, Rodríguez was selected to represent the Peru national squad. He has already made more than 30 appearances, operating as an important defensive player.