Manu Fernández (footballer, born 2001)

For the Spanish football goalkeeper with the same name, see Manu Fernández (footballer, born 1986).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Arroyo.

Manu Fernández
Fernández with Celta C in 2022
Personal information
Full name Manuel Fernández Arroyo
Date of birth (2001-04-23) 23 April 2001
Place of birth Narón, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Celta
Number 12
Youth career
Racing Ferrol
Narón
Racing Ferrol
2016–2019 Celta
2018–2019 → Racing Ferrol (loan)
2019–2020 Alavés
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 San Ignacio 29 (1)
2022–2023 Celta C 41 (4)
2023–2025 Celta B 64 (1)
2025– Celta 7 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 9 November 2025

Manuel "Manu" Fernández Arroyo (born 23 April 2001) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for club RC Celta de Vigo. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a midfielder.

Career

Born in Narón, A Coruña, Galicia,[1] Fernández represented Racing de Ferrol and Narón BP before joining the youth categories of RC Celta de Vigo in July 2016.[2]

On 11 August 2018, Fernández returned to Racing on loan, being a member of their Juvenil squad.[3] On 9 August of the following year, he moved to Deportivo Alavés on a three-year contract.[4]

Fernández was promoted to farm team Club San Ignacio ahead of the 2019–20 Tercera División season, but was mainly a backup option. On 17 February 2022, he returned to Celta to play for their C-team in Preferente de Galicia.[5]

After helping the C's in their promotion to Tercera Federación, Fernández first appeared with the reserve team RC Celta Fortuna on 2 September 2023, coming on as a late substitute for Hugo Álvarez in a 1–0 Primera Federación home win over SD Tarazona.[6] He subsequently became a regular starter for the B's, being converted into a centre-back by manager Claudio Giráldez.[7]

On 18 June 2025, Fernández renewed his contract with Celta until 2028, being promoted to the first team in La Liga and reuniting with Giráldez.[8][9] He made his professional debut on 23 August, starting in a 1–1 away draw against RCD Mallorca and becoming the third generation of players from his family to play for the first team.[10]

Personal life

Fernández comes from a family of footballers also named Manuel: his grandfather Fernández Amado was a midfielder and played for Celta in the 1970s, while his father, known as Manel, was also a midfielder and played one top tier match for Celta in 1993.[11] His younger brother Iker is also a footballer, and plays as a midfielder.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 9 November 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
San Ignacio 2020–21 Segunda División B 1 0 — — — 1 0
2021–22 Tercera Federación 28 1 — — — 28 1
Total 29 1 — — — 29 1
Celta C 2021–22 Tercera Federación 13 0 — — — 13 0
2022–23 Tercera Federación 28 4 — — — 28 4
Total 41 4 — — — 41 4
Celta B 2023–24 Primera Federación 32 0 — — 2[a] 0 34 0
2024–25 Primera Federación 32 1 — — — 32 1
Total 64 1 — — — 64 1
Celta 2025–26 La Liga 7 0 1 0 2[b] 0 — 10 0
Career total 143 5 1 0 2 0 2 0 148 6

References

  1. ^ "El canterano Manu Fernández, el nuevo diamante de Ferrolterra que el Celta quiere blindar. Español y Valladolid pujan por el de Narón" [Youth player Manu Fernández, the new diamond from Ferrolterra who Celta want to tie up. Espanyol and Valladolid go for the Narón-born] (in Spanish). Mucha Calidad. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  2. ^ "El ferrolano Manu Fernández, primer refuerzo del Cadete A" [The ferrolano Manu Fernández, first addition of the Cadete A] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  3. ^ "El centrocampista Manu Fernández regresa al Racing de Ferrol para jugar cedido en su Juvenil A" [Central midfielder Manu Fernández returns to Racing de Ferrol to play on loan in their Juvenil A] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  4. ^ "El centrocampista Manu Fernández disputará su último año en categoría juvenil con el Deportivo Alavés" [Central midfielder Manu Fernández will play his last year in the Juvenil category with Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Manu Fernández regresa al Celta para jugar en el C Gran Peña" [Manu Fernández returns to Celta to play for the C-team Gran Peña] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Manu Fernández tuvo sus primeros minutos con el Celta Fortuna" [Manu Fernández had his first minutes with Celta Fortuna] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Manu Fernández, talento ferrolano en las filas del Celta Fortuna: «A la larga, mi sueño es jugar en el Racing»" [Manu Fernández, ferrolano talent in the ranks of Celta Fortuna: "In the long run, my dream is to play for Racing"] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Manu Fernández continúa con el legado y renueva hasta 2028" [Manu Fernández continues the legacy and renews until 2028] (in Spanish). RC Celta Vigo. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Manu Fernández renueva con el Celta hasta el 2028 y hará la pretemporada con el primer equipo" [Manu Fernández renews with Celta until 2028 and will make the pre-season with the first team] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Manu, a terceira xeración da familia Fernández que debuta no Celta" [Manu, the third generation of the Fermández family who debuts at Celta] (in Galician). G24.gal. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  11. ^ "A por la tercera generación céltica" [For the third generation céltica] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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