Birthday Boys- Sokratis and Diego Lainez

In today’s edition of the Birthday Boys we will explore the careers of experienced Arsenal centre-back Sokratis and Real Betis youngster Diego Lainez.

Sokratis

Credit: Goal.com

The Greek brute of a centre-back turns 32 today and has had a good career so far playing all over Europe.

The defender would transfer from Apollon Petalidiou to AEK Athens in the summer of 2005 on a free transfer. After two appearances and one goal he would be loaned to Niki Volou in January 2006 until the end of the season with the centre-back making 11 appearances for the club before returning to Athens.

The 2006/07 season was his first full campaign for the Greek team. He would play 19 times that season and another 37 matches the following campaign giving him good experience.

Genoa would come in for the centre-back and signed him for £3.5 million in the summer of 2008. 59 appearances in two seasons for the Serie A club saw him wanted by a few clubs across Europe.

AC Milan snapped up the player in the summer of 2010 for £4 million but he would only last a year in Milan making seven appearances as Genoa would buy the player back the following summer.

Sokratis would be on the move again though with Werder Bremen signed the player on loan that summer before buying the player permanently in July 2012. He would make 61 appearances for Bremen in those two seasons he had for the club.

Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund then signed Sokratis in the summer of 2013.

He spent a long lasting five years at the Yellow and Blacks making just under 200 appearances for Dortmund scoring ten goals and providing two assists during his time at Signal Iduna Park.

In the summer of 2018, Arsenal purchased the experienced defender from Dortmund as they were on the hunt for a good defender.

So far for Arsenal, Sokratis has made 67 appearances scoring six goals and assisting twice during his two seasons at the club.

Internationally, the defender has managed 90 appearances for the Greek national team and has featured at two World Cups and one European Championship with his national side.

He’s won a few trophies in his career so far having lifted the German Supercup twice and German Cup once with Dortmund and the Serie A title with AC Milan.

Diego Lainez

Credit: Goal.com

The Mexican winger turns 20 today and is already making a name for himself as a future star for his nation.

He started his professional career at Club America signing his professional contract for the club in July 2017 as he progressed from the Under-20 team.

In his year and a half that he spent at Club America he went onto make 51 appearances scoring five goals and assisting on three occasions.

In January 2019, Real Betis snapped up the young winger for £13 million as he went onto make 16 appearances scoring one goal and assisting one goal.

His first full season is this year’s campaign has seen him go onto make 13 appearances scoring one goal as the winger battles with an abdominal strain injury.

Internationally, he has made it through every youth team for Mexico and made his senior debut for Mexico in September 2018 and has gone onto make four more appearances for his national team.

He’s only won one trophy in his cabinet which is being Mexican champion with Club America for the 2018/19 season.