Anwar El Ghazi ( born 3 May 1995 ) is a dutch professional football player who plays as a winger for Premier League club Aston Villa and the Netherlands national team. He had played for Ajax and Lille before joining Aston Villa in 2019 .
Club career [edit ]
early career [edit ]
El Ghazi began his football career in the youth ranks of his local baseball club BVV Barendrecht, joining the youth academy of Feyenoord for two seasons. He then joined the ranks of Spartaan ’20 before being recruited to Sparta Rotterdam, where he progressed through the academy. In 2013, he joined the Ajax Youth Academy, playing for the A1 excerpt ( under-19 ), competing in the UEFA Youth League. [ 4 ]
Reading: Anwar El Ghazi
ajax [edit ]
El Ghazi playing for Ajax in 2015 El Ghazi was signed by Ajax in July 2013. [ 5 ] During the 2014–15 pre-season, he scored 8 goals in 150 minutes of playing time, finishing as Ajax ‘s top pre-season scorer. While Ajax initially intended to send El Ghazi to their reserve team, Jong Ajax, El Ghazi ‘s pre-season prompted Ajax to include him in the first-team squad, following the lend of fellow winger Lesley de Sa to Go Ahead Eagles. El Ghazi made his official debut for Ajax in the 2014 Johan Cruyff Shield against PEC Zwolle, coming on for Ricardo Kishna in the 1–0 loss at home. [ 6 ] El Ghazi made his regular season debut for Ajax in the 2014–15 Eredivisie season undoer against Vitesse. The couple ended in a 4–1 home victory, with El Ghazi providing the serve for the fourth goal by Lasse Schöne in the 87th minute. [ 7 ] On 17 August 2014, El Ghazi scored his first Eredivisie goal in the 3–1 away win against AZ, scoring in the 90th minute. [ 8 ] He scored his first UEFA Champions League finish on 22 October 2014 at Camp Nou against Barcelona in the 88th moment of a 3–1 loss. In so doing, he became the first actor to score at Camp Nou since the begin of the 2014–15 temper, when Barcelona went five matches at home without conceding a goal. [ 9 ]
Lille [edit ]
On 31 January 2017, it was announced El Ghazi had been sold to French Ligue 1 side Lille for a €8 million transfer tip. [ 10 ] On 18 February, he scored his first goal for Lille against Caen, which besides became the achiever ( 0–1 ). [ 11 ] On 6 August 2017, on the first matchday of the 2017–18 season, El Ghazi scored Lille ‘s third goal against Nantes. To celebrate, he took off his shirt to reveal a shirt paying protection to Abdelhak Nouri, his former Ajax teammate who the calendar month before had collapsed and suffered a cardiac cardiac arrhythmia attack, which had left him with severe and permanent genius price and unable to continue as a football player. [ 12 ] During the 2017–18 season, El Ghazi scored four goals and delivered two assists in 27 appearances. The dutch striker distinguished himself in finical during the equal against RC Strasbourg, on 28 January 2018 at home at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, where he scored the beginning goal ; a header, after an help by Nicolas Pépé. He then delivered an aid for the Edgar Ié, sealing the winnings for Lille. [ 13 ] On 18 February 2018, El Ghazi suffered a hamstring injury against Lyon, sidelining him for several weeks. [ 14 ] Due to complications, he did not return until the end of the season, where he struggled to establish himself in head coach Christophe Galtier ‘s starting lineup. [ 15 ]
Aston Villa [edit ]
On 22 August 2018, El Ghazi signed for Championship club Aston Villa on a season-long loan, with a clause to buy included. [ 16 ] He made his debut on 25 August 2018 in a 1–1 draw with Reading, providing an assist by crossing the ball to Ahmed Elmohamady, who scored a header. ” [ 17 ] On 28 April 2019, in a inflame contest between Aston Villa and Championship playoff rivals Leeds United at Elland Road, El Ghazi was mistakenly shown a crimson card by referee Stuart Attwell. This occurred after El Ghazi allegedly struck Leeds forward Patrick Bamford during an on pitch bash following Mateusz Klich ‘s controversial 72nd open finish for Leeds United following Tyler Roberts ‘ refusal to put the ball out of touch for an injury. [ 18 ] The decision was met with controversy from fans and pundits alike, with Aston Villa question bus Dean Smith claim that after reviewing the footage of the incident reported that he ‘d be ‘amazed ‘ if the red card and subsequent three-game prohibition were n’t overturned after appeal. [ 19 ] The red card and ban were late rescinded and on 2 May, Bamford was banned for two games for “ successful magic trick of a couple official ”. [ 20 ] On 27 May 2019, El Ghazi scored Aston Villa ‘s first goal in their 2–1 EFL Championship Play-off final victory over Derby County. In the 44th minute he met an Ahmed Elmohamady hybridization from the correct with an try dive heading which diverted in off his back. In the irregular half an El Ghazi shot from just outside the penalty area was blocked by Richard Keogh, looping up for John McGinn to steal in and score with a header, putting Aston Villa 2–0 up in the connect on 59 minutes. [ 21 ]
Read more: Swansea City A.F.C.
El Ghazi signed for Villa permanently on 10 June 2019 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed tip. [ 22 ] He scored 4 goals and contributed 4 assists in his inaugural Premier League season, as Villa narrowly avoided relegation. [ 23 ] On 26 December 2020, El Ghazi scored a goal in the 3–0 home victory over Crystal Palace that would go onto to be voted Aston Villa ‘s Goal Of The Season for the 2020–21 season. [ 24 ] It was one of 11 goals scored that season, equalling his best ever goalscoring season with Ajax. [ 25 ]
International career [edit ]
Having double citizenship, El Ghazi was eligible to represent either the Netherlands or Morocco at senior grade. He made his external debut playing for the Netherlands under-18 side in a friendly meet against Austria on 15 October 2012, a 2–0 personnel casualty. [ 26 ] El Ghazi met Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer break, a actor who he looks up to, and asked him whether he should represent the Netherlands or Morocco. Ronaldo advised him to choose the Netherlands because he would have a higher probability to participate in an international tournament, based on their history. consequently, El Ghazi said he would choose to represent the Netherlands and was subsequently called up for the Netherlands ‘ two final UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches, against Kazakhstan on 10 October 2015 and the Czech Republic on 13 October. [ 27 ] He was named in the Oranje’ second starting line-up for both matches as the Dutch defeated Kazakhstan 2–1 but lost to the Czechs 3–2. The Netherlands failed to qualify for the tournament proper after finishing fourth in their modification group. On 14 May 2021, El Ghazi was called up by Frank de Boer and the Netherlands to be part of the probationary police squad for the approaching UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, making it his first call-up to the national team since 2015. [ 28 ]
career statistics [edit ]
- As of match played 28 August 2021[2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club
Season
League
National Cup
League Cup
Europe[a]
Other[b]
Total
Division
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Ajax
2014–15
Eredivisie
31
9
2
0
—
9
1
1
0
43
10
2015–16
27
11
1
0
—
9
0
—
37
11
2016–17
12
0
2
1
—
6
1
—
20
2
Total
70
20
5
1
0
0
24
2
1
0
100
23
Lille
2016–17
Ligue 1
12
1
1
1
0
0
—
—
13
2
2017–18
27
4
2
0
2
0
—
—
31
4
Total
39
5
3
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
44
6
Aston Villa (loan)
2018–19
Championship
31
5
1
0
1
0
—
3
1
36
6
Aston Villa
2019–20
Premier League
34
4
1
1
5
1
—
—
40
6
2020–21
28
10
0
0
3
1
—
—
31
11
2021–22
4
1
0
0
2
2
—
—
6
3
Total
97
20
2
1
11
4
0
0
3
1
113
25
Career total
206
45
10
3
13
4
24
2
4
1
258
54
Honours [edit ]
Aston Villa
Individual
- AFC Ajax Talent of the Year: 2015[31]
References [edit ]
Read more: Sevilla FC