Pedro Eliezer Rodriguez Ledesma, commonly known as Pedro, is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as an inside forward for English Premier League side Chelsea and the Spain national team.
The player made a name for himself during his time at Barcelona in a trophy-laden spell that lasted seven years. However, he became surplus to requirements at the Catalan giants following the signings of Neymar and Luis Suarez. He was signed by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea at the start of the 2015-16 season. He is currently playing a crucial part in Chelsea’s title challenge under the guidance of former Juventus coach Antonio Conte.
Pedro was born in Tenerife on July 28, 1987. He took to football much later than his peers in his first youth team at San Isidro when he joined in 2003 at the age of 16. He impressed in his only season with his local youth team and moved to Barcelona’s youth team the following season.
Between 2005 and 2007, Pedro spent a couple of years at Barcelona’s C team before spending a further two years in the B team. He scored a total of 27 goals from 125 appearances between 2005 and 2009 before breaking into the senior team in the summer of 2008.
The winger made his debut for Barcelona as a late substitute in a 4-0 win over Real Murcia on January 12, 2008. He would make a total of seven appearances up until the 2009-10 season.
In the summer of 2009, Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Pedro would be a first team regular for Barca. The player responded brilliantly as he became the first player to score in six different club competitions in the same season and in the same year.
Pedro’s first goal for FC Barcelona came on August 16, 2009 when he hit the winner in a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Supercup. Earlier that night, he had set up Xavi’s opener as well. His first professional contract with Barcelona was also sealed later that week. He came on for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the UEFA Super Cup that year and scored the decider in extra time for Barcelona.
His first Champions League goal came on September 28, 2009 as he hit the back of the net in a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv. His first league goal arrived soon after when he scored the solitary goal in a match against Almeria. Pedro also scored a brace in the Spanish Cup round-of-32 match against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa before scoring in the FIFA Club World Cup as well.
Pedro also scored in his first appearance in the El Classico against Real Madrid as Barcelona won 2-0 over Real Madrid on April 10, 2010. Barcelona won the title in his first full season with the senior side in 2010 with Pedro scoring important goals in the final three league games. His second season saw Barca win the league as well as the Champions League with Pedro opening the scoring in the final against Manchester United at The Wembley stadium in London.
The purchase of Alexis Sanchez and emergence of more youngsters from the B team in 2011-12 season saw his playing time curtailed. Pedro remained an important player for Barcelona but did not figure in the first team as the side spent on bringing attacking players with flair in the positions that he normally occupied on the pitch.
While he remained loyal to Barcelona and their fans for four seasons after losing his status as an automatic choice in the Barcelona first team, Pedro moved to Chelsea for a fee of 22 million GBP in August 2015. He scored on his debut for Chelsea but the side went into meltdown in Mourinho’s third season in charge in his second spell at Chelsea.
Following Conte’s arrival in the summer of 2016, Pedro has featured as an important player for Chelsea in their title charge. He has chipped in with important goals and assists including a fantastic goal in a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on November 26, 2016.
Pedro has amassed 60 caps for Spain in his international career, scoring 17 times during this time. He was also a member of the Spanish contingent that won the FIFA World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012.
Career Highlights
Pedro has received various honours whilst playing for Barcelona team. The honours include the Spanish League in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, the Spanish Cup in 2008-09, the Spanish Super cup in 2009, the UEFA Champions League in 2008-09 and 2010-11, the UEFA Super Cup in 2009 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009. With the Spain team, he won the FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012.
