Paco Alcácer

Francisco "Paco" Alcácer García (Spanish pronunciation: ['pako al'kaθer]; born 30 August 1993) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Valencia CF and the Spanish national team as a striker.

Having come through the Valencia youth ranks, he started playing with the first team in 2010, and became a regular following a loan at Getafe.

Alcácer won the European Championship twice with Spain's under-19 side, and made his senior international debut in 2014.

Club career

Born in Torrent, Valencian Community, Alcácer is a product of Valencia CF's youth system. He made his senior debut in the 2009–10 season aged only 16, scoring three goals in 15 games with the reserve side and suffering relegation from Segunda División B. On 11 November 2010 he appeared in his first match with the first team, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4–1 home win against UD Logroñés (7–1 on aggregate) in the Copa del Rey.

On 12 August 2011, after Alcácer had netted the third and final goal in a 3–0 friendly win over A.S. Roma and was leaving the Mestalla Stadium accompanied by his parents, his father fell to the ground after suffering a heart attack. Despite 30 minutes of efforts by medics to revive him, the 44-year-old died, and the player returned to training less than one week after, for "therapy purposes". On 14 January 2012 he made his La Liga debut, coming on as a substitute for Sofiane Feghouli for the last 20 minutes of a 0–1 away loss against Real Sociedad.