Fredy Montero

Fredy Henkyer Montero Muñoz (born 26 July 1987), known as Fredy Montero (, is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He is Seattle's all-time top scorer in official club competitions, scoring 76 goals with the club between two stints: 2009 and 2012, and since 2021. Montero has been called up to the Colombia national team five times, scoring once in an unofficial match against Catalonia.

Montero began playing youth soccer at Deportivo Cali at age six.

He earned his professional debut at age 18 in 2005 before being sent on loan to Academia for the season.

Montero was loaned to Atlético Huila in 2006, where he was named "Top Goal Scorer" in the Copa Mustang with 13 goals.

Montero was loaned to Atlético Huila for two additional years, becoming the league topscorer in the 2007 Torneo Apertura before returning to Deportivo Cali and becoming league top scorer for a second time in the 2008 Torneo Finalización.

Despite rumors and interest from European clubs, he returned to Deportivo Cali in 2007; he was again the top goal scorer in the 2008-II Copa Mustang, with 16 goals.

Montero scored nine goals in nine preseason games in 2008/09.

Montero was loaned to the Major League Soccer expansion team Seattle Sounders in 2009, where he was named Newcomer of the Year and led the team in goals.

During his four seasons as a Sounders player, Montero was named to the MLS All-Star squad twice, playing against Everton in 2009 and being named inactive in 2010.

Montero was acquired by Seattle Sounders FC in January 2009 on loan from Deportivo Cali despite interest from European side Real Betis.

There were unconfirmed reports that suggested Montero's contract was owned by a third-party.

Montero made his MLS debut on 19 March 2009, in the 2009 season opener against New York Red Bulls, and scored the first and third goals in Seattle Sounders FC club history.

Montero was named the MLS Player of the Week for the first week of the 2009 MLS season for his two goals.

An additional goal against Real Salt Lake helped Montero be named MLS Player of the Month for March 2009 as he won the first two Goals of the Week.

In April 2009, Montero told Sports Illustrated that he would like to play in Europe in the future and that the mix of players in MLS appealed to him as a place to learn.

He later dismissed a rumor of a transfer to Fulham and told the press that he was focused on the Sounders.

Montero was selected to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game against Everton and played during the first half alongside teammates Kasey Keller and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

He would go on to be named the MLS Newcomer of the Year.

In August 2009, it was incorrectly reported that MLS had negotiated the transfer of Deportivo Cali's portion of Montero's rights to Major League Soccer.

It was believed that the league owned his rights, but details of any such deal were never publicly clarified.

A total of 22 goals and 17 assists in league play between 2009 and 2010 was the third most in the league.

Montero was also named as the top player in the MLS "24 Under 24" list, which honors players under 24 years old who perform well in MLS.

Montero was sold to the Sounders in 2010 and became a Designated Player and a permanent resident of the United States.

Montero did not meet the high expectations of coach Schmid and the fans at the beginning of the 2010.

He was left out of the starting lineup for the ninth game of the year.

By July, he was named player of the month and selected to the inactive roster of the 2010 MLS All-Star Game.

A scheduling conflict between a team CONCACAF Champions League match and the game made him unable to start in the exhibition game.

Montero earned his second career MLS Player of the Month in July 2010.

Although he failed to score a goal in league play between 1 September and the end of the season on 23 October, Montero finished the year with 10 goals and 10 assists.

He totaled 12 goals, of which 6 were game-winners, and 11 assists in all competitions.

On 1 December 2010, Seattle Sounders FC announced that Montero had agreed to a contract extension with his rights permanently transferred to the club and Major League Soccer.

He became the third Designated Player and the highest paid player on the team with a base salary of $500,000.

Before the second game of the 2011 season, Montero fractured his wrist.

He missed two matches and played with a cast that may have contributed to multiple matches of reduced performance.

His play improved by midseason.

Schmid attributed it to increased growth, maturity, and fitness.

The addition of Mauro Rosales to the team's midfield also helped Montero in the second half of the season.

Montero ended the regular season of league play with 12 goals.

Montero played for a number of years in Portugal at Sporting CP; across two stints from 2013 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019, he netted 43 goals across all competitions for Os Leões.

He also played in Canada for Vancouver Whitecaps FC and in China for Tianjin TEDA.