Hugo Rodallega Martínez (born 25 July 1985) is a Colombian professional footballer who currently plays as a forward in the Colombia Categoría Primera A for Club Independiente Santa Fe.
Rodallega started his professional career with Deportes Quindío in 2004. An impressive first season with the club earned him a call-up to represent Colombia at the U-20 South American Championship in 2005, where he went on to set a new record for most goals scored in the tournament. A move to Deportivo Cali and his senior international debut followed later in the year before he moved abroad, signing for Mexican Primera División side Monterrey. A disappointing spell resulted in a loan move to Atlas before being transferred to Necaxa in 2007.
In January 2009, he moved to Wigan Athletic for a fee of £4.5 million. After initially struggling at the club, he finished as the club's top goalscorer in his first full Premier League season. He scored 24 goals for the club, making him their all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.
Early and personal life
Rodallega was born in El Carmelo, Colombia, and lived in the village with his parents and two elder sisters. Rodallega and his wife Carolina have a son, also named Hugo. His cousin Carmen is also a footballer, and has played for the Colombia women's national football team.
Club career
Early career
Rodallega began his career at local amateur club Boca Juniors de Cali before signing for Deportes Quindío in 2004. He scored his first goal in professional football on 11 April 2004 in a 1–1 draw against Deportivo Cali. He went on to score a total of 13 goals in his first season, earning himself a call-up to the Colombia under-20 squad for the South American Youth Championship. He signed for Deportivo Cali during the middle of the 2005 season, where he won his first honours at club level, helping the team win the 2005-II Copa Mustang.
Rodallega had now caught the attention of foreign clubs and signed for Mexican Primera División club Monterrey in 2006. He failed to replicate his previous goal scoring record, finding the net three times before being loaned out to Atlas. He was then transfer listed after scoring just once in 15 games for Monterrey during the Clausura 2007 tournament, and was subsequently signed by Necaxa. His spell at Necaxa was more successful, where he managed to score 16 goals during his first season with the club.
Wigan Athletic
On 20 December 2008, Necaxa claimed they had started negotiations to sell Rodallega to English Premier League side Wigan Athletic. On 12 January, Wigan manager Steve Bruce confirmed that Rodallega had been granted a work permit, and on 26 January he finally completed his move to the club for a fee of £4.5 million.
Rodallega made his debut for Wigan as a 77th-minute substitute for Amr Zaki against Liverpool on 28 January 2009 at the DW Stadium. He nearly made an instant impact for his new team, hitting the crossbar with a powerful strike from a 25-yard free-kick. After a slow start, he scored his first goal for Wigan against West Brom on 9 May 2009, and went on to score three goals in the last four games of the season, helping the club finish in 11th place.
In Wigan's first match of the 2009–10 season, Rodallega got the team's first goal of the season in a 2–0 away win against Aston Villa, with a "spectacular" half-volley from the corner of the penalty area. Rodallega appeared in all 38 league games during the season, and despite Wigan's new manager Roberto Martínez often playing him on the left wing, he also finished as the club's top goalscorer with ten league goals. On 5 February 2011, Rodallega scored his seventh goal of the season in a 4–3 win against Blackburn Rovers, equalling the club record of 20 Premier League goals for Wigan. He broke that record on 16 April, scoring the opening goal in a 3–1 win against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, making him Wigan's leading goalscorer of all time in the Premier League. On 22 May 2011 Rodallega scored a 78th-minute header against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium which secured a 1–0 win and Wigan's Premier League status for 2011–12.
On 17 December 2011, Rodallega made his 100th league appearance for Wigan, coming onto the pitch as a substitute against Chelsea. Rodallega later announced that he wanted to leave Wigan and despite no deals were made officially in the January 2012 transfer window. At the end of the 2012 season he was released by the club, his contract having lapsed.