José Manuel Colmenero Crespo (born 29 November 1973), known as José Manuel, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder.
A product of hometown's Sporting de Gijón youth academy, he was not very successful in his first stint with the club (only 12 first-team appearances over his first three seasons) but, after a loan spell with RCD Mallorca of Segunda División in the 1996–97 campaign,[1] with promotion, he returned as a full member of the main squad, but Sporting were relegated from La Liga in his first year back.
[2] Having attracted attention from Deportivo de La Coruña in 1999 and subsequently purchased for €300.000, José Manuel would then begin a series of loan spells in the first and second divisions,[3][4] adding to this a very short experience with Germany's Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga (also on loan, alongside compatriots – in the same situation – Fernando and Jaime).
[5] Finally released in June 2003, he resumed his career mainly in the Segunda División B,[6] retiring well into his 30s.
[7] During this timeframe he played mainly for CD Roquetas, in the third tier but also in Tercera División.