| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gabriel Felipe Arrocha | ||
| Date of birth | 15 January 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | La Palma, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Unionistas (on loan from Tenerife) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Tenisca | ||
| 2017–2021 | Las Palmas | ||
| 2020 | → Tenisca (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017 | Tenisca | 1 | (0) |
| 2020–2023 | Las Palmas C | 55 | (7) |
| 2020 | → Tenisca (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Las Palmas B | 33 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Las Palmas | 0 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Gimnástica Segoviana (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2025 | → Tenerife B (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 2025 | → Tenerife (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2025– | Tenerife | 0 | (0) |
| 2025– | → Unionistas (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025– | Malaysia | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 4 September 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 September 2025 | |||
Gabriel Felipe Arrocha (born 15 January 2002), known as Gabriel Palmero, is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Spanish club Unionistas de Salamanca CF, on loan from CD Tenerife. Born in Spain, he plays for the Malaysia national team. [1]
Born in La Palma, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands (which led to his nickname Palmero), he was a youth product of Tenisca, making him a senior debut with the main squad at the age of 15 on 12 April 2017, in a 2–1 Tercera División home loss to Estrella. [2] He later joined the youth categories of Las Palmas shortly after, and signed a contract renewal on 16 October 2018. [3]
Palmero became a full member of the reserves ahead of the 2023–24 campaign, now also in the fifth division. He made his first team debut on 31 October 2023, coming on as a late substitute for goalscorer Julián Araujo in a 3–0 away win over Manacor, for the season's Copa del Rey. [4] [5]
Palmero returned to Tenisca on loan on 31 January 2020; [6] [ non-primary source needed ] initially a member of their Juvenil squad, he also featured in two matches with the main squad. [2] Back to the Amarillos in July, he played for the Juvenil squad before being promoted to the C-team in Tercera División RFEF in the following year.
On 4 August 2024, Palmero was loaned to Primera Federación side Gimnástica Segoviana, for one year. [7]
The following 3 January 2025, his loan was cut short, [8] and he moved to the rivals Tenerife also in a temporary deal; [9] he was initially assigned to the B-team in Segunda Federación. [10]
Palmero made his professional debut with Tenerife on 17 May 2025, starting in a 1–0 away loss to Cartagena, as both sides were already relegated. [11] He signed a permanent deal with the club afterwards.
On 14 July 2025, Palmero was loaned to fellow third division side Unionistas de Salamanca CF, for one year. [12]
In March 2025, Palmero was called up to the Malaysia national team as a heritage player through his Malaysian grandmother. [13] [14] He joined the national training camp later that month in Johor Bahru alongside fellow heritage player Hector Hevel, [15] [16] as part of preparation for the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification. [17] [18]
Palmero made his international debut for Malaysia on 29 May 2025 in an international friendly against Cape Verde, which ended in a 1–1 draw. He started the match and played 78 minutes, nearly scoring in the sixth minute with a long-range effort that struck the bar. [19] [20] [21] His performance was noted for his calmness and early chemistry with fellow teammates. [20] [21] [22] Following the match, Palmero stated his commitment to improvement and said that communication within the squad had not been an issue, as English was widely used. He also expressed appreciation for the support he received and afirmation to his dedication to contributing for the Malaysian national team. [21]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |