Parejo hits 250-match milestone for Villarreal: A Yellow Submarine legend in the making
Dani Parejo reaches 250 appearances for Villarreal, becoming the club's 13th most-capped player and cementing his legacy in Spanish football history.
The veteran midfielder continues to rack up impressive numbers, hitting the 250-match milestone for Villarreal in a career that’s seen him become one of La Liga’s most enduring talents.
Quarter of a thousand not out
Dani Parejo has reached a proper bobby dazzler of a milestone with Villarreal, making his 250th appearance for the Yellow Submarine. The 36-year-old midfielder, who arrived at La Cerámica in the 2020/21 season, has been a mainstay in the starting XI for the vast majority of these matches (204), though his starting berth hasn’t been quite as nailed-on this campaign.
These 250 appearances break down rather impressively across competitions:
- 189 matches in La Liga
- 19 in Europa League
- 17 in Champions League
- 9 in Conference League
- 16 in Copa del Rey
With this landmark appearance, the Coslada-born midfielder leapfrogs Argentine Mateo Musacchio to become the 13th most-capped player in Villarreal’s history. Not too shabby for a player who joined the club relatively late in his career.
Among midfield royalty
When looking specifically at midfielders, Parejo now sits third in Villarreal’s all-time appearance list for his position. He trails only behind two absolute club legends in Marcos Senna and Bruno Soriano – proper Yellow Submarine royalty, those two.
La Liga legend status
Parejo’s impact stretches far beyond Villarreal, with the midfielder cementing his place as a genuine Spanish football icon. He’s now amassed a stonking 540 La Liga appearances throughout his career, recently surpassing Sergio Ramos’s tally of 536.
He’s breathing down the necks of Paco Buyo (542) and Eusebio Sacristán (543), sitting ninth in La Liga’s all-time appearance list. Among active players, only Antoine Griezmann has more top-flight Spanish appearances to his name.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the question remains whether Parejo will continue adding to these impressive numbers at Villarreal or elsewhere. Either way, his legacy as one of Spanish football’s most consistent performers is already secure.