Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel dies after hard-earned rise to Spanish football’s second tier

Tenerife announced on Tuesday that striker Jesus de Miguel Almeida had died, bringing to an abrupt end the career of a player who reached Spain’s professional game only after almost a decade spent working his way through the lower divisions.

Born in Madrid on 21 September 1996, de Miguel was known for his strength in the penalty area, his ability to hold the ball up, his command of aerial challenges and the physical demands he placed on defenders. He made his debut in the Segunda Division at the age of 27, just as the long-awaited breakthrough in his career appeared to have arrived.

De Miguel began in the youth system at CD Leganes before progressing to the reserve side. He then moved to Lugo Fuenlabrada, with his career gaining momentum in 2017 after he joined Internacional de Madrid.

According to Sport, he scored nine goals in 33 appearances for Internacional de Madrid and played a direct role in the club’s promotion to Segunda Division B.

He spent the 2018-19 season moving between Fuenlabrada and Union Adarve on loan before finding a settled role at Navalcarnero. There, he produced the first major scoring return of his career, netting 12 times in 29 matches during the 2019-20 campaign to help the Madrid-based club win promotion. He added four more goals in Segunda Division B the following season.

His decisive step forward came in 2021, when he joined Unionistas de Salamanca. In his first season in Primera Federacion, he scored 12 goals and provided four assists, performances which attracted Castellon.

The move to Castellon in January 2023 began the most important period of his career. De Miguel became a regular immediately and scored six goals during the second half of the season, including two in crucial promotion matches.

He then enjoyed a breakthrough 2023-24 campaign, scoring 16 goals in 35 appearances as Castellon secured a return to the Segunda Division after winning their group. His displays earned him the Spanish Football Federation’s award for the best player in Group Two.

De Miguel finally made his Segunda Division debut on 17 August 2024, starting for Castellon against Eibar at Ipurua at the age of 27. A month later, he produced his finest performance in the competition by scoring twice in a 5-2 victory over Almeria.

After three seasons and 25 goals with Castellon, he joined Tenerife, who had been relegated to the third tier, signing a contract until June 2028. He scored 11 goals and formed a formidable partnership with Enric Gallego, helping Tenerife make an almost perfect campaign and secure an immediate return to the Segunda Division.

This season, de Miguel had played six matches before the tragic incident against Andorra ended the career of a footballer who had built his path from the bottom.

The listed fixtures include CD Badajoz against Tenerife in the Copa del Rey on 04 November 2026, Tenerife against Andorra in the Segunda Division on 08 November 2026, and Mallorca.