José Manuel Nicolás Ayén (born 22 September 2003), known as José Manuel, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for FC Cartagena B.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Manuel Nicolás Ayén | ||
| Date of birth | (2003-09-22) 22 September 2003 (age 19) | ||
| Place of birth | Murcia, Spain | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Cartagena B | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Beniaján | |||
| 2021– | Cartagena | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Cartagena B | 2 | (0) |
| 2021– | Cartagena | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04:21, 11 April 2022 (UTC) | |||
Born in Murcia, José Manuel played for Beniaján UCAM CF before signing a contract with FC Cartagena on 21 June 2021; he was initially assigned to the Juvenil squad.[1] He made his senior debut with the reserves on 31 October, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 Tercera División RFEF away draw against UD Caravaca.[2]
José Manuel made his first team debut on 7 November 2021, replacing Yann Bodiger late into a 3–1 home defeat of Málaga CF in the Segunda División.[3][4] Four days later, he extended his contract with the club until 2024.[5]