Jesús Gómez (footballer, born 1984)

Jesús Gómez
Personal information
Full name	Jesús Javier Gómez Mercado
Date of birth	6 August 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Maracay, Aragua, Venezuela
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Estudiantes de Mérida
Youth career
2000–2003	Estudiantes de Mérida
Senior career*
Years	Team
2004–2006	Estudiantes de Mérida
2006–2007	Raja Casablanca
2007–2008	Al-Ittihad
2008–2012	Caracas
2011	Lierse
2011	Wadi Degla
2012	Caracas
2012–2013	ACD Lara
2013–2014	Delfines
2014–2015	Dorados
2015–2016	Necaxa
2016–2017	Atlante
2017–2019	Estudiantes de Mérida
2020	Atlético Venezuela
2021–	Estudiantes de Mérida
International career‡
2005–	Venezuela
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:42, 10 May 2020 (UTC); ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 September 2007

Jesús Javier Gómez Mercado (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈsus ˈɣomeθ], born 6 August 1984) is a Venezuelan footballer that currently plays for Estudiantes de Mérida as an attacking midfielder or also as a striker.

Club career

Product of Estudiantes de Mérida youth ranks, Gómez made his professional debut in 2004, breaking out the first team in the 2005–06 season, where played very well, that sealed his sale to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca. However, failing to repeat his performances, he joined Syrian club Al-Ittihad, where he had rematch. On 12 March 2008, the player made his AFC Champions League debut in a 2–0 win over Sepahan, where scored the first goal after a free kick.

In June 2008, Gómez returned to Venezuela and joined powerhouse club Caracas, where he won his first professional title (2008–09 Primera División) and was part of the Copa Libertadores' historic squad nicknamed "Los Rojos de Ávila" that was the first Venezuelan team to reach the quarterfinals of the competition. Gómez was selected by the FVF, clubs and players as Primera División most valuable player.

In early 2011, Jupiler League club Lierse signed Gómez for an undisclosed fee. However, he failed to play at the Belgian club, joining Wadi Degla of Egypt on loan, where he scored two goals in five EPL games. After a frustrating spell abroad, he returned to Caracas, joining ACD Lara in mid-2012. After one season at the Lara–based club, on 13 June 2013, he rescinded his contract, and joined Mexican club Delfines del Carmen.^[1]

International career

In August 2005, Gómez received a call-up to the Venezuela squad from coach Richard Paez, making his debut on 17 August in a 3–1 friendly match defeat against Ecuador,^[2] and scoring his first goal on 1 March 2006 during another friendly against Colombia in a 1–1 draw played in Maracaibo at Pachencho Romero.