Tomás Pina

Tomás Pina is a young holding midfielder who, after coming through the youth set up at Real Mallorca, has been handed a place in the first team ahead of the 2011/2012 season.

Born in la Ciudad Real in Spain (English: Royal City), Pina joined Real Mallorca B in 2007 from Madrid side CD Móstoles.

After the exodus from the first team in the summer of 2010, and his inclusion in the preseason squad, it was expected that Tomás Pina would be making the step up to first team football for the 2010/2011 season. In the original squad announcement, Pina was given the number 7 shirt.

His excitement was shortlived, however, as it was soon changed to number 28. This meant he was registered with the B team for another season (first team members must be given squad numbers between 1 and 25).

After six more months in the B team, the club’s management toyed with the idea of sending Pina out on loan to further his experience. But scared by the prospect of the B team being relegated to the Tercera División, they decided against sending him out on loan.

Pina’s ability couldn’t save Mallorca’s B team, however, and they finished second bottom of Segunda División B.

With just a year remaining on his Mallorca contract, Pina attracted the attentions of other clubs. These included recently relegated Hércules who reached ‘advanced stages of negotiations‘ with the midfielder, according to reports, after contract negotiations with Los Bermellones broke down.

The two parties managed to overcome their differences, however, and Pina signed an extension to keep him at the club until June 2015 on 13th August 2011 with Laudrup assuring him of his importance to the first team.