Jesus de Miguel: Tenerife striker’s long road from amateur football ends in tragedy

Tenerife have announced the death of striker Jesus de Miguel Almeida, bringing to an end the career of a player who reached Spain’s second tier at the age of 27 after almost a decade battling through the lower divisions.

Born in Madrid on 21 September 1996, De Miguel built his reputation as a powerful penalty-box forward who could hold the ball up, dominate in the air and wear down defenders. His route into professional football was far removed from the major academies, beginning on lesser-known pitches before eventually taking him to the professional game.

He started in the youth system at Leganes and later played for the club’s reserve side before moving to Lugo Fuenlabrada. His breakthrough came in 2017 with Internacional de Madrid, where he scored nine goals in 33 appearances and helped the club secure promotion to Segunda Division B, according to Sport.

De Miguel spent the 2018-19 season on loan with Fuenlabrada and Union Adarve before joining Navalcarnero. He enjoyed his most productive campaign to that point in 2019-20, scoring 12 times in 29 matches to help the Madrid-based club move up. He added four more goals the following season in Segunda Division B.

His career changed direction in 2021 when he signed for Unionistas de Salamanca. In his first season in Primera Federacion, he scored 12 goals and provided four assists, performances that attracted the attention of Castellon.

Castellon signed him in January 2023 and De Miguel immediately became a key player. He scored six goals during the second half of that season, including two in decisive promotion matches.

The following campaign proved to be his outstanding year. De Miguel scored 16 goals in 35 appearances in 2023-24, leading Castellon back to the second tier after the club won its group. His performances earned him the Spanish Football Federation’s award for the best player in Group Two.

His long-awaited second-tier debut came on 17 August 2024, when he started for Castellon against Eibar at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium. He was 27. A month later, he produced his finest display in the division, scoring twice in a 5-2 victory over Almeria.

After three seasons and 25 goals with Castellon, De Miguel moved to Tenerife, who had been relegated to Primera Federacion. He signed a contract running until June 2028 and again made a decisive contribution, scoring 11 goals. Alongside Enric Gallego, he formed a highly effective attacking partnership that helped Tenerife secure an almost perfect promotion campaign and an immediate return to the second tier.

This season, he had played only six matches before the tragic incident against FC Andorra ended the career of a player who had built his success from the ground up.

The fixtures listed alongside the report were CD Badajoz against Tenerife in the Copa del Rey on 4 November 2026, and Tenerife against FC Andorra in the Segunda Division on 8 November 2026, followed by Mallorca against Tenerife.