Andy Najar

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Andy Najar
File:Andy Najar.jpg
Personal information
Full name Andy Ariel Najar Rodríguez[1]
Date of birth (1993-03-16) 16 March 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Choluteca, Honduras
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Anderlecht
Number 7
Youth career
2008–2010 D.C. United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 D.C. United 82 (13)
2013 → Anderlecht (loan) 0 (0)
2013– Anderlecht 77 (11)
International career‡
2012– Honduras Olympic 7 (0)
2011– Honduras 31 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 December 2015
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 October 2015

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This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Najar and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Andy Ariel Najar Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [naˈxar] na-HAR;[2] born 16 March 1993) is a Honduran footballer who plays for Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League, and the Honduras national team.

Club career

Amateur

Najar moved with his family from Honduras to Virginia at the age of thirteen. Najar attended Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia and joined D.C. United's youth academy in 2008. During his time with the academy program Najar received numerous awards and honours for his outstanding play at right back. He was named to the USSF Development Academy Starting XI in 2009 and was the leading scorer in the US Developmental Academy Finals in Los Angeles in 2009.

Professional

D.C. United

Najar signed a professional Generation Adidas contract with D.C. United on 22 March 2010. Once part of MLS, the league and his team became responsible for his education.[3] He was the second player to sign with the first team directly from United's Academy, after goalkeeper Bill Hamid who signed with the first team in September 2009.

File:Andy-najar.jpg
Najar prepares to strike a ball during a regular season match at Columbus Crew Stadium on 2 October 2011, that ended in a 2-1 loss for United.

Najar made his professional debut on 27 March 2010, in DC's opening game of the 2010 MLS season against the Kansas City Wizards,[4] and scored his first professional goal on 28 April 2010 in a US Open Cup game against FC Dallas.[5] Najar was voted MLS Rookie of the Year for the 2010 season, ahead of Tim Ream and Danny Mwanga.[6][7]

Najar was considered by pundits such as Soccer America's Paul Gardner to be one of DC United top players already, at the young age of 17.[8] He received interest from European clubs, according to his agent, and was expected to move his services there later in his career, possibly as soon as the end of the 2010 season.[9] However, it was announced in December 2010 that Najar had signed a multi-year contract with D.C. United.[10]

Najar was the only player from the D.C. United's Academy to be called up to compete in the 2012 Olympics.[11]

Anderlecht

On 7 January 2013, Najar moved to Belgian Pro League champions Anderlecht on a one-month loan.[12] On 30 January 2013, Anderlecht finalised the full transfer of Najar.[13] The reported transfer fee was $3 million.[14]

He made his debut against Cercle Brugge on 2 August 2013, coming on as 79th-minute substitute.[15]

On 22 October 2014, Najar opened the scoring for Anderlecht in the second-half of their Champions League match against Arsenal but two late goals for the English side ensured a 1−2 defeat for the Belgian champions.[16]

File:Andy Najar.JPG
Andy Najar with Anderlecht

International career

On 6 April 2011 Najar formally announced that he would play for the Honduran national team, choosing his birth nation rather than wait to be eligible to represent the United States, where he had yet to receive citizenship.[17] He made his first appearance for Honduras on 3 September 2011, against Colombia entering in the 67th minute.[18]

Najar was called up to compete for the Honduras national under-23 football team in the 2012 Olympics. Najar on his opportunity to compete in the 2012 Olympics "I can only thank God for this" Najar said in a Spanish-language interview Thursday. "I'll be representing not only my country, but my family as well. The Olympics are a dream for every player and I get the chance to live it."[11]

On 21 July 2013 Najar scored his first international goal for Honduras in the knockout stages of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup vs Costa Rica. Najar's game-winner in the 1–0 victory saw Honduras advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.[19]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 December 2015[20]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
D.C. United 2010 MLS 26 5 2 0 — 28 5
2011 31 5 0 0 — 31 5
2012 26 0 2 0 — 28 0
Total 83 10 4 0 0 0 87 10
Anderlecht 2012–13 Belgian Pro League — — — —
2013–14 25 3 1 0 1 0 27 3
2014–15 35 6 6 1 7 1 48 8
2015–16 17 2 2 0 5 1 24 3
Total 77 11 9 1 13 2 99 14
Career Total 160 21 13 1 13 2 186 24

Honours

Club

Anderlecht[21]

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ "Andy Najar signs with first team," D.C. United press release, Monday, 22 March 2010.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Andy Najar at Soccerway
  21. ↑ Andy Najar at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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