View source for Alberto Spencer

{{short description|Ecuadorian footballer (1937-2006)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Spencer|Herrera|lang=Spanish}}{{More citations needed|date=April 2023}}{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alberto Spencer
| image = Spencer el grafico.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Alberto Spencer photographed for ''El Gráfico''
| fullname = Alberto Pedro Spencer Herrera
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|12|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Ancón, Ecuador|Ancón]], [[Santa Elena Province|Santa Elena]], [[Ecuador]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|11|3|1937|12|6|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Cleveland, Ohio]], United States
| height = 
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Los Andes
| youthyears2 = 1953–1955
| youthclubs2 = [[Círculo Deportivo Everest|Everest]]
| years1 = 1955–1959
| clubs1 = [[Círculo Deportivo Everest|Everest]]
| caps1 = 90
| goals1 = 101
| years2 = 1959–1970
| clubs2 = [[C.A. Peñarol|Peñarol]]
| caps2 = 519
| goals2 = 326
| years3 = 1971–1972
| clubs3 = [[Barcelona Sporting Club|Barcelona SC]]
| caps3 = 37
| goals3 = 19
| totalcaps = 662
| totalgoals = 446
| nationalyears1 = 1959–1972
| nationalteam1 = [[Ecuador national football team|Ecuador]]
| nationalcaps1 = 11
| nationalgoals1 = 4
| nationalyears2 = 1964–1967
| nationalteam2 = [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]]
| nationalcaps2 = 5
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| medaltemplates = 
| club-update = 
| nationalteam-update = 
}}
'''Alberto Pedro Spencer Herrera''' (6 December 1937 – 3 November 2006) was an Ecuadorian [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]], and is widely regarded as one of the best Ecuadorian men's footballers of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FIFA World Cup countdown: Top 10 Ecuadorian men's footballers of all time - Sports Mole |url=https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/ecuador/world-cup/feature/top-10-ecuadorian-footballers-of-all-time_153051.html |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=amp.sportsmole.co.uk}}</ref> He is probably best known for his still-standing record for scoring the most [[Goal (sport)|goal]]s in the [[Copa Libertadores]], the premier club tournament in South America. He was elected the 20th best South American [[Association football|footballer]] of the 20th century in a poll by the [[IFFHS]] in 2004.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html IFFHS' Century Elections] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303065744/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html#worldpoc |date=March 3, 2009 }} - rsssf.com - by Karel Stokkermans, [[RSSSF]], 2000.</ref> He was known as "{{lang|es|Cabeza Mágica}}" (Spanish for ''magic head'').

==Biography==
Born in [[Ancón, Ecuador|Ancón]], [[Santa Elena Province|Santa Elena]], [[Ecuador]], Spencer was the son of a Jamaican of British origin.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/mar/23/the-knowledge-football-questions-answered|title=The worst English champions ever (sort of)?|access-date=26 May 2010|date=24 March 2010|author=Rob Smyth|newspaper=The Guardian| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100430235552/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/23/the-knowledge-football-questions-answered| archive-date= 30 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

He was an [[Ambidexterity|ambidextrous]] [[Striker (football)|striker]] with lethal pace, off-the-ball movement, heading and balance skills, and excellent finishing that tore defences to shreds for over a decade. After his retirement in 1973, he lived in [[Montevideo]], [[Uruguay]]. In 1982, he was appointed [[consul (representative)|consul]] of Ecuador in Uruguay.

Spencer suffered a heart attack on 13 September 2006 during a routine checkup with his cardiologist. He died on 3 November 2006 in the [[Cleveland Clinic]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]], United States. His lineage survives through his Chilean wife María Teresa, his children Alberto, Walter, Jacqueline, and his grandchildren.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-11-07|title=Alberto Spencer fue sepultado en Uruguay|url=https://espndeportes.espn.com/noticias/nota?id=499184|access-date=2021-08-24|website=ESPNdeportes.com|language=es}}</ref>

==Career==
Alberto Spencer began his career at age 15 playing for Everest. He jumped to fame when he was scouted while playing on loan for [[Barcelona SC]] against [[Peñarol]] in July 1959. Peñarol's manager, Hugo Bagnulo, asked his scout 'Pibe' Ortega to attempt to sign him after the game was over. He was soon transferred to Peñarol where he amassed three Libertadores Cups and two Intercontinental Cups, as well as several Uruguayan league titles. After his second Intercontinental Cup, he was twice sought by [[F.C. Internazionale Milano|Inter]], but ultimately Peñarol's board would not sell him.<ref>{{cite web|title=Better than Pele? |date=2006-11-15 |work=Revista Estadio |url=http://www.revistaestadio.com/impresa/contenido_impresa.php?sEdicion=1517&sID=85 |access-date=2006-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704155552/http://www.revistaestadio.com/impresa/contenido_impresa.php?sEdicion=1517&sID=85 |archive-date=2007-07-04 }}</ref>

On the international front, Spencer holds the unique distinction of being the only goalscorer, capped by two different countries simultaneously: [[Ecuador national football team|Ecuador]], and [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]]. He 'switched' shirts no less than four times. He played for Uruguay against England (2-1) in a friendly match at the legendary [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] and scored, making him the first Ecuadorian-born player to score in that stadium.

His name was omitted from [[FIFA]]'s, and [[Pelé]]'s list of [[FIFA 100|100 greatest living players]]. This caused outrage among many South American [[journalist]]s who believed greats like Spencer, were being ignored in favour of [[commercialism]]. [[David Mellor]] of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' notably blasted FIFA in his reporting of the incident.

Although widely considered one of the best South American players of all time, he still remains largely an unknown figure in Europe. This is presumably because he never participated in a World Cup or played in Europe. Similar fates awaited other greats such as [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]] (who, while called up for the [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 tournament]], did not play due to injury) and [[George Best]], though both are far more known due to their domestic careers with [[Real Madrid]] and [[Manchester United]] respectively.

He was elected the 20th South American Player of the Century in a poll by the [[IFFHS]] in 2004.

==Achievements==
Spencer still maintains the South American club record in [[Copa Libertadores]], with his tally of 54 goals between 1960 and 1972, playing for Everest of Guayaquil, Barcelona of [[Guayaquil]], and Peñarol (Uruguay). During that period, he walked away as winner of the competition three times (1960, 1961, and 1966, all of them playing for Peñarol) and was winner of the [[Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Championship statistics|Intercontinental Cup]] twice, beating [[Eusébio da Silva Ferreira|Eusebio]]'s [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] and [[Real Madrid]], and was runner-up once. In fact, his Intercontinental goal tally is only one goal behind the all-time record of his more famous contemporary, Pelé.

Spencer was also four times the leading scorer of Uruguay's League with Peñarol, helping them to win the Uruguayan championship eight times during his 12-year stay. Throughout his professional career, he scored a grand total of 450 goals, surpassing 500 if friendlies were taken into account.

== Honours ==

===Club===
'''[[C.A. Peñarol|Peñarol]]'''

[[Uruguayan Primera División|Primera División]]: '''8'''
* [[1959 Uruguayan Primera División|1959]], [[1960 Uruguayan Primera División|1960]], [[1961 Uruguayan Primera División|1961]], [[1962 Uruguayan Primera División|1962]], [[1964 Uruguayan Primera División|1964]], [[1965 Uruguayan Primera División|1965]], [[1967 Uruguayan Primera División|1967]], [[1968 Uruguayan Primera División|1968]]

[[Copa Libertadores]]: '''3'''
* [[1960 Copa Libertadores|1960]], [[1961 Copa Libertadores|1961]], [[1966 Copa Libertadores|1966]]

[[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]: '''2'''
* [[1961 Intercontinental Cup|1961]], [[1966 Intercontinental Cup|1966]]

[[Supercopa de Campeones Intercontinentales]]: '''1'''
* [[Supercopa de Campeones Intercontinentales|1969]]

'''[[Barcelona Sporting Club|Barcelona]]'''

[[Ecuadorian Serie A|Serie A]]: '''1'''
* 1971

=== Individual ===
[[Copa Libertadores]] top scorer: '''2'''
* [[1960 Copa Libertadores|1960]], [[1962 Copa Libertadores|1962]].
[[Uruguayan Primera División|Primera División]] top scorer: '''4'''
* [[1961 Uruguayan Primera División|1961]], [[1962 Uruguayan Primera División|1962]], [[1967 Uruguayan Primera División|1967]], [[1968 Uruguayan Primera División|1968]].
* [https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/iffhs-country-complete.html RSSSF - Ecuador]: Player of the century.
* IFFHS: 20th best South American player in the century.
* Copa América Historical Dream Team: 2011

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.conmebol.com/articulos_ver.jsp?id=10277&slangab=S Alberto Spencer: el Caballero, el Diplomático, el Goleador] {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/03/america/LA_GEN_Uruguay_Obit_Spencer.php International Herald Tribune obituary]
* [https://www.rsssf.org/players/spencer-goals-copalib.html Alberto Pedro Spencer's Matches and Goals in Copa Libertadores]
* {{YouTube|Gq9WFa4_piw|Honor Video for Alberto Spencer}}
* {{YouTube|3oDnyLabq1s|Alberto Spencer Tribute Video}}
* {{Find a Grave}}

{{Ecuador squad 1959 South American Championship (Ecuador)}}
{{Copa Libertadores top scorers}}
{{Uruguayan Primera División top scorers}}
{{Copa América Historcial Dream Team}}
{{C.D. Universidad Católica del Ecuador managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Alberto}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Santa Elena Province]]
[[Category:Ecuadorian people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:Ecuadorian people of British descent]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Ecuadorian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Uruguayan men's footballers]]
[[Category:C.D. Everest footballers]]
[[Category:Peñarol players]]
[[Category:Barcelona S.C. footballers]]
[[Category:Copa Libertadores–winning players]]
[[Category:Uruguayan Primera División players]]
[[Category:Uruguay men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Ecuador men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Uruguay]]
[[Category:Dual internationalists (men's football)]]
[[Category:Copa Libertadores top scorers]]
[[Category:Uruguayan people of Ecuadorian descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of Ecuadorian descent]]
[[Category:Uruguayan people of British descent]]
[[Category:Uruguayan people of Caribbean descent]]
[[Category:C.D. Universidad Católica del Ecuador managers]]
[[Category:20th-century Uruguayan sportsmen]]