Pablo González Couñago (born 9 August 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
After appearing in 35 La Liga matches for Celta and Málaga, scoring three goals, he spent the bulk of his career in England with Ipswich Town, where he managed 62 competitive goals in two spells. He also played in Vietnam, Hong Kong and Finland.
Couñago represented Spain in the 1999 World Youth Championship, winning the tournament.
Born in Redondela, Province of Pontevedra, Galicia, and a product of local Celta de Vigo's youth academy, Couñago made his professional debut in the Segunda División, loaned to Numancia. He returned in January 1999 to his first club, failing to appear in La Liga in his first spell. He scored on his competitive debut on 26 November 1996 when he was just 17, equalising a 1âÂÂ1 home draw against neighbours Racing de Ferrol in the second round of the Copa del Rey.
In the 1999âÂÂ2000 season, Couñago returned to the second tier yet on loan, now with Recreativo de Huelva, after which he returned to Celta still with no impact. He made 18 official appearances for the latter, 12 from the bench and two being in the 2000âÂÂ01 UEFA Cup where he totalled 63 minutes.
After impressing in a Spain under-21 4âÂÂ0 win over England at Birmingham City's ground, Couñago was signed by Ipswich Town in May 2001, as manager George Burley had been in the stands watching his performance; the player, who was out of contract, agreed to a four-year deal. He failed to find the net in his debut campaign while totalling 19 games, being relegated from the Premier League.
Couñago scored a career-best 21 times in all competitions in 2002âÂÂ03. Highlights included braces in victories against Leicester City (6âÂÂ1 at home), Sheffield Wednesday (2âÂÂ1, home), Walsall (3âÂÂ2, home), Gillingham (3âÂÂ1 away) and Coventry City (4âÂÂ2, away); he added a hat-trick in the 8âÂÂ1 home thrashing of Avenir Beggen in the qualifying round of the UEFA Cup (his team had been relegated, but still qualified for Europe via the fair play award), being voted Players' Player of the Year.
On 14 October 2003, Couñago netted twice in a 6âÂÂ1 win over Burnley at Portman Road. He repeated the feat on 26 December to help to defeat hosts West Ham United 2âÂÂ1, scoring 12 times overall as the Blues reached the playoffs after a fifth-place finish.
Couñago did not feature as regularly during the 2004âÂÂ05 season due to the form of Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi. He scored three goals in four league starts and 15 substitute appearances, with Ipswich again losing out in the play-off semi-finals to West Ham.
Couñago joined Málaga ahead of 2005âÂÂ06, making his debut on 28 August as a late replacement in a 2âÂÂ0 away loss against his former employers Celta. He scored three times in 27 matches, as the Andalusians finished bottom of the table.
Couñago produced more the following campaign, but the club failed to regain its top-flight status.
After being released by Málaga, Couñago re-signed for Ipswich on a two-year deal on 13 July 2007, extendable to three in case of promotion. He scored a return debut goal in the 4âÂÂ1 home win against Sheffield Wednesday, and added two the following month to help dispose of Coventry City with the same result and at the same venue. He totalled 12 from 45 matches in the first season in his second spell; an audacious backheel in a 3âÂÂ1 defeat to Charlton Athletic on 8 December 2007 was voted goal of the season at Town's awards night.
Couñago started his 192nd league game for the club on 21 February 2009, and scored his 50th league goal in a 3âÂÂ1 victory at promotion rivals Queen Park Rangers. In the summer of 2009, he turned down the chance to join Swansea City following the arrival of Roy Keane as manager, and saw his playing time significantly decrease under the latter, who claimed the Spaniard was "dead lazy" during their time together.
On 20 August 2010, Couñago joined Championship side Crystal Palace on a season-long loan, reuniting with former Ipswich boss Burley. He scored his first goal on 6 November, in a 2âÂÂ1 loss away to Middlesbrough.
In June 2011, aged 31, Couñago was released by Ipswich Town. Over two spells, he recorded 243 appearances and scored 62 goals.
Subsequently, Couñago spent five months with ÃÂá»Âng Tâm Long An in Vietnam, helping the club promote to the V-League. On 2 October 2012, he joined Hong Kong First Division League's Kitchee for an undisclosed fee; he made his debut for his new team five days later, coming on at the hour mark of a 4âÂÂ1 victory over Yokohama Hong Kong where his compatriot Yago González scored twice.
Couñago scored ten times from 27 competitive games in his only season, and his 30-yard shot against Sun Pegasus helped his team to win the Hong Kong FA Cup, while he also played a part in their quarter-final run in the AFC Cup. In May 2014, after one year with Choco in the Tercera División, he signed for Honka of the Finnish Veikkausliiga.
Couñago announced his retirement in June 2018 at age 38, following one-year stints in the Spanish fourth tier with Alondras and Choco.
Couñago was joint-top scorer at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship with five goals, as the Spain under-20 team won the tournament in Nigeria. In the following two years, he appeared and scored regularly for the under-21 side.
In December 2006, Couñago played for the Galicia unofficial team in a friendly against Ecuador.
Couñago's son, Iago, was born in April 2008.
Celta
ÃÂá»Âng Tâm Long An
Kitchee
Spain U20
Individual