Javad Nekounam (Template:PerB, born September 7, 1980 in Ray, Iran) is an Iranian football player who usually plays in the defensive midfielder position. He is currently playing for CA Osasuna, as well as Iran's national football team. He is best known for his ball distribution, and powerful long range shots, often from outside the 18 yard box.
| File:Nekounam.jpg | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Javad Nekounam | ||
| Position(s) | Midfield | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
CA Osasuna | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 September 2006 | |||
Career
He began his professional career in Pas football club. He eventually made it to the starting lineup and after consistent impressive displays he was called up to the Iranian national team in May 2000. He soon became a starter for the national team during the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers. He has not lost his position since then and played in two of Iran's games during World Cup 2006 in Germany.
As of September 2006, he has 76 caps with Iran and has scored 14 goals for Team Melli.
Clubs
Having played for Pas Tehran for several years, in 2005 Javad Nekounam signed a 5 month contract to play for Al-Wahda FC in the UAE for 950,000 dollars. In January 2006 he joined another UAE club, Sharjah FC, although some European clubs such as Kaiserslautern and Tottenham Hotspur had shown interest in him.
After his performance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup many clubs in Europe have been in the running to sign him, but in the end La Liga side CA Osasuna signed Nekounam on a two-year contract.[1]. The contract can be extended one more year with the player and club's agreement. Nekounam also has a €5 million minimum release-fee clause on his contract. He is the first Iranian player to be signed by a La Liga club. Nekounam was targeted by Hertha BSC Berlin of the german Bundesliga, but he chose to go to Spain instead.
Notes
- ^ "Osasuna sign Javad Nekounam". PersianFootball. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
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