Nacho Monreal

Nacho Monreal

Monreal warming up with Arsenal in 2015
Personal information
Full name Ignacio Monreal Eraso
Date of birth (1986-02-26) 26 February 1986
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Playing position Left back
Club information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 18
Youth career
Pamplona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Osasuna B 36 (3)
2006–2011 Osasuna 127 (3)
2011–2013 Málaga 45 (1)
2013– Arsenal 111 (1)
National team‡
2004–2005 Spain U19 4 (0)
2007–2009 Spain U21 9 (0)
2009– Spain 18 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:00, 3 December 2016 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:00, 13 November 2016 (UTC)
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Monreal and the second or maternal family name is Eraso.

Ignacio "Nacho" Monreal Eraso (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnatʃo monreˈal eˈɾaso]; born 26 February 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for English club Arsenal as a left back.

He started playing with Osasuna in 2005, going on to appear in 144 official games over the course of five La Liga seasons. In 2011 he signed with Málaga and, two years later, joined Arsenal.

A full international since 2009, Monreal represented Spain at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Club career

Osasuna

Monreal in action for Osasuna in 2010

A product of CA Osasuna's youth ranks, Monreal was born in Pamplona, and made his official debut for his hometown club in an away game against Valencia CF on 22 October 2006, in a 0–1 La Liga loss.[2] He finished his first season with ten league appearances, adding two in the campaign's UEFA Champions League; after the Navarrese's relegation to the UEFA Cup, he appeared in four matches as the team reached the last four, being eliminated by fellow league side Sevilla FC.

Monreal became first-choice in 2007–08, retaining that status in the subsequent seasons, with another youth product, César Azpilicueta, being the undisputed starter in the other defensive wing.[3]

Málaga

On 10 June 2011, Monreal signed a five-year contract with Málaga CF, for €6 million.[4] In his first season he initially battled for first-choice status with Eliseu, but ended up only missing seven games as the club finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League for the first time.

Monreal scored his only goal for the Andalusians on 27 January 2013, in a 3–2 away win against RCD Mallorca.[5]

Arsenal

Monreal marking Florian Thauvin during a Champions League match against Marseille in November 2013

On 31 January 2013, Monreal joined English side Arsenal on a long-term contract. He was handed the number 17 shirt.[6] The fee was undisclosed, but was believed to be around £8.3 million.[7] He made his Premier League debut against Stoke City two days later, in a 1–0 home win.[8][9]

On 23 February 2013, Monreal provided an assist for countryman Santi Cazorla, with the latter scoring the winner in a 2–1 victory over Aston Villa.[10] He scored his first goal for the Gunners on 16 March, opening the scoring in a 2–0 win at Swansea City.[11]

Monreal returned from injury[12] on 21 August 2013 to feature in Arsenal's 3–0 win at Fenerbahçe SK in the Champions League group stage, playing the last three minutes in the place of Theo Walcott.[13] On 26 September, he scored the deciding penalty in a shootout against West Bromwich Albion, to send his team into the fourth round of the League Cup.[14]

Upon the arrival of Alexis Sánchez in the 2014 off-season, Monreal took the vacant number 18 previously worn by Sébastien Squillaci. On 23 August, he assisted Olivier Giroud's late equalizer in a 2–2 draw against Everton;[15] additionally, an injury crisis in the squad saw him being deployed in an unfamiliar central defender role in a string of games, after Laurent Koscielny was put out of action due to an Achilles tendon injury.[16]

On 9 March 2015, Monreal scored the opening goal in a 2–1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford that qualified Arsenal to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.[17] On 30 May he played the full 90 minutes in the decisive match, a 4–0 defeat of Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium.[18]

On 19 January 2016, Monreal signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.[19]

International career

Monreal taking on Chile's Eduardo Vargas in a 2013 friendly

In 2007, Monreal earned his first call for the Spanish under-21 team. He started all matches in the 2009 UEFA European Championship, in an eventual group stage exit.

On 6 August 2009, Monreal was selected to the senior side for the first time, for an exhibition game with Macedonia.[20] He played the last 15 minutes for Joan Capdevila in a 3–2 away success;[21] on 7 September 2010, in the nation's second game after the victorious FIFA World Cup in South Africa, he played the entire 1–4 friendly loss to Argentina.[22]

Monreal was a member of the Spanish squad which reached the final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, although he was second-choice left back behind FC Barcelona's Jordi Alba. He started in the last two group games, beginning with a 10–0 win over Tahiti at the Maracanã in which he set up a David Villa goal.[23]

On 12 November 2016, Monreal scored his first goal for Spain, contributing to a 4–0 defeat of Macedonia for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Granada.[24]

Statistics

As of match played 3 December 2016[25]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Others Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Osasuna B 2004–05 1000–––10
2005–06 35300–––353
Total 36300–00–363
Osasuna 2006–07 10030–60–190
2007–08 27100–––271
2008–09 28010–––290
2009–10 31160–––371
2010–11 31110–––321
Total 1273110–60–1443
Málaga 2011–12 31020–––330
2012–13 14130–40–211
Total 45150–40–541
Arsenal 2012–13 101100000–111
2013–14 230302080–360
2014–15 28041006010391
2015–16 37010006010450
2016-17 130000020—150
Total 11119120220201462
Career Total 319825120320203809

Honours

[26]

Club

Arsenal

Country

References

  1. ↑ "Player profile: Nacho Monreal". Premier League. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Valencia 1–0 Osasuna". ESPN Soccernet. 22 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Monreal y Azpilicueta, dos amigos que vuelven a reunirse en Londres" [Monreal and Azpilicueta, two friends that reunite in London] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Monreal jugará en el Málaga las próximas cinco temporadas" [Monreal will play with Málaga in next four seasons]. Marca (in Spanish). 10 June 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Mallorca stung by 10-man Malaga". ESPN FC. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Nacho Monreal agrees to join Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Wenger finally buys as Arsenal manager lands £8.3m Malaga defender Monreal". Mail Online. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Team news: Monreal handed start on Arsenal debut against Stoke City". Goal.com. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "Arsenal 1–0 Stoke". BBC Sport. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "Arsenal 2–1 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Williams, Aled (16 March 2013). "Swansea 0–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  12. ↑ "Team news: Gibbs, Sagna, Monreal, the Ox". Arsenal F.C. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "Fenerbahçe 0–3 Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  14. ↑ "Capital One Cup third round: Arsenal win penalty shootout after 1–1 draw with WBA". Sky Sports. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Olivier Giroud rescues a point after Arsenal show backbone at Everton". The Guardian. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  16. ↑ "Arsene Wenger RULES OUT move for centre-back… says he's happy with Nacho Monreal". Daily Express. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  17. ↑ McNulty, Phil (9 March 2015). "Man Utd 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Arsenal 4–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  19. ↑ "Monreal signs new long-term contract". Arsenal F.C. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Monreal: "Esta oportunidad es algo mágico para mí"" [Monreal: "This is a magical opportunity for me"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 6 August 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  21. ↑ "Crónica del Macedonia-España: 2–3." [Macedonia-Spain match report: 2–3.] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "Crónica del Argentina – España, 4–1" [Argentina – Spain match report, 4–1] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  23. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (20 June 2013). "Spain 10–0 Tahiti". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  24. ↑ "Spain march past Macedonia". Marca. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  25. ↑ "Nacho Monreal". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  26. ↑ "Nacho Monreal – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
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