Valber Huerta
 Huerta with Universidad Católica in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valber Roberto Huerta Jerez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 August 1993[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Melipilla, Chile | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Universidad de Chile | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Universidad de Chile | 10 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Granada B | 15 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Huachipato (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2016 | → Colo-Colo (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Watford | 0 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Huachipato (loan) | 55 | (4) |
| 2019–2022 | Universidad Católica | 82 | (5) |
| 2022–2024 | Toluca | 53 | (4) |
| 2024–2025 | Universidad Católica | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 230 | (15) | |
| International career | |||
| 2013 | Chile U20 | 12 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Chile | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Valber Roberto Huerta Jerez (born 26 August 1993) is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Club career
[edit]Born in Melipilla, Huerta graduated from Universidad de Chile's youth setup, and was promoted to the main squad in 2012 by manager Jorge Sampaoli. He made his professional debut on 6 May 2012, starting in a 0–2 away loss against Universidad de Concepción for the Torneo Apertura championship.[2]
Huerta only acted as a fourth-choice during his spell at La U, behind Roberto Cereceda, Albert Acevedo and José Rojas. On 28 August 2014 he moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing a five-year deal with Granada CF and being assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B.[3]
In July 2017 he joined English Premier League side Watford and was immediately loaned out to Huachipato.
In February 2022 Huerta joined Mexican Liga MX side Deportivo Toluca from Universidad Católica being a starter & leader of the defense was also called up to the Chile national team he was later presented with jersey #4 for the 2022 campaign.
In the second half of 2024, Huerta returned to Universidad Católica.[4] After suffering several injuries, they ended his contract on 3 November 2025.[5] In May 2026, he cleared up that he did not retire and was looking to sign with any club.[6]
International career
[edit]He represented Chile U20 at the 2013 South American Youth Football Championship and 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where Chile reached the quarter-finals.
At senior level, he has been a substitute in the friendly matches against Sweden and Denmark on 2018[7] and against Bolivia on 2021.[8] Also, he was called up to some training microcycles by Reinaldo Rueda.[9]
Coaching career
[edit]In April 2026, Huerta was appointed coach for Real Betis Academy Chile in charge of the under-15 and the under-17 levels.[10]
Personal life
[edit]He is named Valber after the Brazilian footballer Válber.[11]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of 2 May 2022[12]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Universidad de Chile | 2012 | Primera División | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | Primera División | 3 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2013-14 | Primera División | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | Primera División | — | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Granada B | 2014-15 | Segunda División B | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | Segunda División B | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Huachipato (loan) | 2015-16 | Primera División | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
| Colo-Colo (loan) | 2016-17 | Primera División | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Watford | 2017–18 | Premier League | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Huachipato (loan) | 2016-17 | Primera División | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | Primera División | 14 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| 2018 | Primera División | 27 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||
| Total | 55 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 5 | ||
| Universidad Católica | 2019 | Primera División | 20 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 5[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| 2020 | Primera División | 32 | 1 | — | 9[e] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | Primera División | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 43 | 3 | |
| 2022 | Primera División | — | — | — | 1[d] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 82 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 119 | 6 | ||
| Toluca | 2022 | Liga MX | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | 11 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 188 | 13 | 29 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 246 | 15 | ||
- 1 2 Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores
- ↑ Appearance(s) in the Copa Sudamericana
- ↑ 3 appearances in the Copa Libertadores, 2 in the Copa Sudamericana
- 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in the Supercopa de Chile
- ↑ 5 appearances in the Copa Libertadores, 4 in the Copa Sudamericana
International
[edit]- As of 1 February 2022.[13]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours
[edit]Universidad de Chile
Colo-Colo
Universidad Católica
References
[edit]- 1 2 "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: Chile" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2013. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2013.
- ↑ La U de Concepción quebró la racha ganadora "azul" y dejó a Herrera sin récord (U. de Concepción stops the azules form and leaves Herrera without record); Ferplei, 6 May 2012 (in Spanish)
- ↑ Nuevo fichaje del Granada B: Valber Huerta (New signing of Granada B: Valber Huerta); Granada's official website, 28 August 2014 (in Spanish)
- ↑ Villarroel, Carlos (11 June 2024). "Valber Huerta vuelve a vestir La Franja". Cruzados (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ Morales, Italo (3 November 2025). "Cruzados anuncia la salida anticipada de un referente de Católica: rescinde contrato y se retira". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ García, Javiera (20 May 2026). "Valber Huerta confirma que quiere volver al fútbol: "Estoy en condiciones de jugar"". RedGol (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- ↑ "Valber Huerta fue nominado a la selección chilena | La Pelota es Mía". La Pelota es Mía (in European Spanish). 15 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ↑ "Nómina de la Selección Chilena para el partido amistoso ante Bolivia" (in Spanish). ANFP. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ↑ "Reinaldo Rueda inicia microciclos con la Selección Chilena" (in Spanish). ANFP. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ↑ Petersen, Andrea (20 April 2026). "Campeón con la UC sella su regreso y se suma al Betis: "¡Bienvenido a la familia!"". RedGol (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ "El penal que Óscar Wirth no debía atajar -". Pelotudos (in Spanish). 22 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
Por Sao Paulo vino Vitor (que luego pasó al Real Madrid), Valber (ídolo del papá de Valber Huerta)
- ↑ Valber Huerta at Soccerway
- ↑ Valber Huerta at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
External links
[edit]- Granada official profile (in Spanish)
- Valber Huerta at Soccerway
- 1993 births
- Living people
- People from Melipilla
- Footballers from Santiago Metropolitan Region
- Chilean men's footballers
- 21st-century Chilean sportsmen
- Chilean expatriate men's footballers
- Chile men's international footballers
- Chile men's under-20 international footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Chilean Primera División players
- Club Universidad de Chile footballers
- Huachipato FC footballers
- Colo-Colo footballers
- Club Deportivo Universidad Católica footballers
- Segunda División B players
- Club Recreativo Granada players
- Watford F.C. players
- Liga MX players
- Toluca FC players
- Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Chilean expatriate sportspeople in England
- Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
- Chilean football coaches