Walter Alberto López
Encyclopedia
Walter Alberto López Gasco (born 15 October 1985 in Montevideo
) is a Uruguay
an footballer who can play in defence or midfield. He currently plays for Universitatea Craiova
in Romania
Liga I
. He also holds a Spanish passport.
and also spent time in Spain and Mexico.
on 5 September 2008. On joining West Ham he was described by Kevin Keen
(caretaker manager) as "a very attacking full-back" and "another West Ham type player" referring to his fluent attacking style of play reminiscent of former West Ham players such as Paolo Di Canio
. He made his debut for West Ham United in a Carling Cup 3rd Round tie away defeat at Watford
on 23 September 2008. He made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in West Ham's 1-0 win over Manchester City
on 1 March 2009.
However, López failed to cement a place in the first team due to the presence of Congolese international Hérita Ilunga
and was subsequently released by West Ham at the end of the 2008-09 season He returned to Uruguay and signed for Primera División
side Cerro
. He was then loaned to Italian side Brescia
in the Serie B
.
.
After 6 months of loan, at the start of 2011 the Romania
n club decided to buy the player, so López signed a new contract for three years.
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
) is a Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an footballer who can play in defence or midfield. He currently plays for Universitatea Craiova
FC Universitatea Craiova
Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Liga I
Liga I
Liga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
. He also holds a Spanish passport.
Beginning
López began his career at hometown club Racing ClubRacing Club de Montevideo
Racing Club de Montevideo is a football club from Montevideo in Uruguay. It currently play in the Uruguayan 1st Division.Racing Club is known as "La Escuelita" due to the excellent players that resulted from the team, it was like a player machine...
and also spent time in Spain and Mexico.
West Ham United
He signed for West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
on 5 September 2008. On joining West Ham he was described by Kevin Keen
Kevin Keen
Kevin Keen is a football coach, manager and former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Wycombe Wanderers, West Ham United, Wolves, Stoke City and Macclesfield Town...
(caretaker manager) as "a very attacking full-back" and "another West Ham type player" referring to his fluent attacking style of play reminiscent of former West Ham players such as Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio is a Italian former professional footballer and current manager of League Two side Swindon Town. Di Canio made over 500 league appearances and scored over 100 league goals as a player....
. He made his debut for West Ham United in a Carling Cup 3rd Round tie away defeat at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on 23 September 2008. He made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in West Ham's 1-0 win over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 1 March 2009.
However, López failed to cement a place in the first team due to the presence of Congolese international Hérita Ilunga
Hérita Ilunga
Hérita N'Kongolo Ilunga is a Congolese footballer who plays for Doncaster Rovers in the Npower Championship, on loan from West Ham United.-Early career:...
and was subsequently released by West Ham at the end of the 2008-09 season He returned to Uruguay and signed for Primera División
Primera División Uruguaya
The Liga Profesional de Primera División , also known as the Primera División Uruguaya or Primera División de Uruguay , is a professional football league in Uruguay at the top of the country's football league system. It is organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and is contested by 16 teams...
side Cerro
C.A. Cerro
Club Atlético Cerro, usually known simply as Cerro is an Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. They currently play in the Uruguayan 1st Division....
. He was then loaned to Italian side Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
in the Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
.
Universitatea Craiova
In the summer of 2011, Walter López was loaned to the Liga 1 side, FC Universitatea CraiovaFC Universitatea Craiova
Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...
.
After 6 months of loan, at the start of 2011 the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n club decided to buy the player, so López signed a new contract for three years.