*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:23, 15 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 02:17, 6 June 2024 (UTC)
Developed at Real Madrid, he appeared in 39 competitive matches over three seasons, also serving a loan at Alavés. He signed with Atlético Madrid in June 2019, winning the 2020–21 La Liga while being deployed in several positions.
Born in Madrid, Llorente joined Real Madrid's youth setup in 2008, aged 13.[4] In July 2014, after impressing with the Juvenil squad, he was promoted straight to the reserves by manager Zinedine Zidane.[5]
On 24 August 2014, Llorente made his senior debut, starting in a 2–1 away loss against Atlético Madrid B in the Segunda División B.[6] He appeared in 25 matches during the campaign, totalling 1,637 minutes of action.[7]
On 23 September 2017, Llorente's contract was extended until 2021.[11] He made one appearance in that campaign's UEFA Champions League,[12] when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall title in the tournament.[13]
On 20 June 2019, Llorente was signed by local rivals Atlético Madrid on a five-year contract for a reported fee of £35 million.[15][16][17] He made his official debut on 18 August, playing 25 minutes in the 1–0 home win against Getafe CF.[18] His first goal came the following 14 February, when he put his team ahead in a 2–2 draw at Valencia CF.[19]
On 11 March 2020, during extra time of the Champions League round-of-16 tie away to defending champions Liverpool, Llorente scored twice to tie the match 2–2 after replacing Diego Costa early into the second half, in an eventual 3–2 victory and qualification.[20] On 17 June, he was named man of the match in the league game at CA Osasuna after coming from the bench in the 63rd minute, scoring a solo goal and later assisting twice in the 5–0 rout.[21]
Llorente scored a career-best 12 times in 2020–21 (second-best in the squad behind Luis Suárez's 21), adding 11 assists as the Colchoneros were crowned champions after a seven-year wait; in the process, he became the club's first player to register double digits in both categories since Diego Forlán in 2008–09.[22][23]
At the conclusion of 2019–20, Llorente was the sixth fastest player in the competition, with his top running speed clocked at 35.09 km/h.[38] Apart from his physical attributes, such as pace, height, body fitness and stamina, his strengths also included excellent ball winning skills, visionary passing over both short and long distances, dribbling, first touch and shooting from just outside the penalty area, which led him to score several goals.[39][40] The following season, as Atlético went through a tactical switch, he was usually deployed as either a box-to-box or an attacking midfielder in a 5–3–2 or 3–4–2–1 formations. On occasion, he also filled in as a right wingback for his club,[41] or a right back in a four-man defence for the national team.[42]
For his training attitude and patience, Llorente was praised by Simeone and Jorge Valdano.[43][44]
Personal life
A boyhood supporter of Real Madrid,[45] Llorente has ties in his family to both football and the club. His father Francisco and great uncle Francisco Gento were wingers, while his maternal grandfather Ramón Grosso was a forward.[46][47]
^Del Campo, José Luis (9 August 2016). "Marcos Llorente llegará cedido" [Marcos Llorente will arrive on loan]. Noticias de Álava (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 June 2021.
^Jiménez, Rubén (17 October 2015). "Antibalas Keylor y tres fogonazos" [Bulletproof Keylor and three flashes]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^Parrón Estévez, Ignacio (11 September 2016). "Marcos Llorente se luce en el Camp Nou" [Marcos Llorente shows his stuff at the Camp Nou] (in Spanish). Realidad Blanca. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
^ abRodríguez, José María (22 December 2018). "El Madrid agranda su leyenda" [Madrid largen their legend]. Marca (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
