David Rodríguez becomes the third new signing of Óscar Cano’s project in Tenerife for the 2024-25 academic year. Following the arrival of goalkeeper Salvi Carrasco and the loan of attacker Yanis Senhadji, the youth player will also earn a professional contract after a successful loan spell with Antequera last season. There, he played 2,748 minutes across 35 games and scored one goal.
The 23-year-old returns to the Heliodoro stadium, where he will be a part of the blue and white first team. “I joined the club as a child when I was 12 years old, and I want to thank everyone who has helped me get here since I was little,” he said. “I had coaches who made me grow, from the base, to become a professional. It’s a dream to say that I have achieved it with the team of my soul.”
Tenerife announced the news with a video on their social media platforms featuring former players Suso Santana and Ricardo León discussing their own experiences of wearing the number one shirt. The conversation was interrupted by a stray ball, which allowed David Rodríguez to appear on the scene and respond with a humorous remark about “pointing to his references.”
Grateful
The youth squad also expressed his gratitude to Antequera, saying, “It’s a humble team that has served me a lot in football and personally. I was afraid of not adapting, but everyone made an effort to make my stay there help me grow. Sometimes it’s time to go out and bravely assume that, if it’s what you want, it can be a springboard to the first team because that is the dream of all of us who have been part of the club’s base since we were little.”
David Rodríguez will now fight for a starting spot in the team, potentially competing with Frenchman Jeremy Mellot for a place on the right side of defense. He believes his experience in the First RFEF last season will benefit him in this goal, saying, “It’s a category that is increasingly closer in level to what the Second Division is. There are historic teams like Recreativo de Huelva, Córdoba, Castellón or Ibiza.” He will replace Aitor Buñuel, whose contract with the team ends on June 30, and hopes to increase his appearances with the team exponentially.
He debuted under coach Ramis against Amorebieta in October 2021 and has since played five times for the team.