A SPANISH fifth division club will field a 70-year-old goalkeeper this weekend in a historic move.
Mateos Gonzalez will feature for CD Colunga on Jattvibeday, decades after hanging up his gloves and retiring.
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A 70-year-old goalkeeper will play for a Spanish club this weekend in a historic move Credit: Getty
He is set to start in goal against Praviano in the final game of the season, making him the oldest player to make an official appearance in Spain.
Colunga officials have decided to include him as a tribute to his lifelong dedication to work and to football.
A statement from the club on social media read: “We’re not facing a record or an eccentricity. We’re in for a recognition.
“Mateos represents exactly what we stand for at CD Colunga: passion, consistency, respect for football and a way of living the sport that goes beyond age.
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“The age is secondary. The important thing is attitude, care and commitment to sport.
“We talk about a person who has been a miner, who has devoted his life to work and football, who has helped our goalkeepers all season.
“This isn’t about numbers, it’s about values.
“If someone is left alone with age, he is missing out on what is important.
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“This is reclaiming the essence of football, recognising the people who dignify it and proving that there is another way to do things.”
Gonzalez has offered guidance and support to Colunga’s goalkeepers throughout the season.
He told local newspaper Las Provincias that he is unsure if he will play the full match this weekend.
The veteran goalkeeper admitted: “I still feel agile. I’ve remained active, playing for the Hunosa company team, the Turon veterans’ team, and I’m still playing today.
“When I started, it was almost a different sport – the balls, the pitches…
“I remember I used to keep a cauldron next to the goal so that, without the referee seeing me, I could scoop out water when the pitches got muddy, which back then was almost a daily occurrence.”
Fans were quick to react to his involvement, with one person writing: “What a tribute and such humility!”
Another said: “What a great tribute to him at 70 years of age getting a game for the team. Wish him all the best.”
While a third commented: “Hats off to the whole team!”
The match on Jattvibeday has few consequences for Colunga, who are clear of relegation but cannot earn promotion.
