Asier del Horno

Asier del Horno

Del Horno playing for Levante in 2011
Personal information
Full name Asier del Horno Cosgaya
Date of birth (1981-01-19) 19 January 1981
Place of birth Barakaldo, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Left back
Youth career
1992–1993 Gallarta
1993–1999 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1999–2000 Bilbao Athletic 26 (1)
2000–2005 Athletic Bilbao 108 (13)
2005–2006 Chelsea 25 (1)
2006–2011 Valencia 15 (0)
2007–2008 → Athletic Bilbao (loan) 16 (0)
2010 → Valladolid (loan) 13 (0)
2010–2011 → Levante (loan) 22 (2)
2011–2012 Levante 13 (0)
Total 238 (17)
National team
1999–2000 Spain U18 14 (2)
2000–2003 Spain U21 16 (1)
2004–2005 Spain 10 (2)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Del Horno and the second or maternal family name is Cosgaya.

Asier del Horno Cosgaya (born 19 January 1981) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left back.

After solid displays in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao, for which he appeared in 126 official games in five years scoring 17 goals, he moved to Chelsea in England, where he won the Premier League in the 2005–06 season.

Subsequently, del Horno – who missed the 2006 World Cup with Spain due to a last-minute injury – returned to his country with Valencia, who loaned him to several clubs for the duration of his contract.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Barakaldo, Biscay, del Horno began his career at Athletic Bilbao in 1999, where his combative tackling and strength in the air saw him rise through the ranks as a stout left-footed central defender. However, his pace and ability to contribute to the attack led to his being switched to left-back by the time he had arrived in the seniors for both club and country.

Del Horno made his main squad debut in the 2000–01 opener at only 19, and eventually scored 17 goals in 126 competitive appearances for the Basque giants.

Chelsea

In June 2005, del Horno moved to Chelsea for a fee of £8 million.[1] He won the first and only league championship of his career with the Blues, as part of the squad that conquered the season's Premier League title.

Del Horno played 34 matches overall for Chelsea and scored once, against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in a 2–0 victory on 27 August.[2]

Valencia

On 21 July 2006 del Horno returned to Spain to sign for Valencia CF, on a six-year contract worth €8 million,[3] seen as a natural replacement for Amedeo Carboni who had retired at 41. Athletic Bilbao had expressed interest, but withdrew from further negotiations, forfeiting any further financial advantage; following surgery on his injured Achilles heel, which kept him off the pitches for most of the season, he made his debut for his new club on 3 March 2007 in a 1–0 La Liga home win over Celta de Vigo.

Del Horno was placed on the transfer list by Valencia manager Quique Flores, as the coach announced that the defender would not retain his position in the team for 2007–08.[4][5] In the last day of the transfer window, he agreed to join his former club Athletic Bilbao on a one-year loan deal, returning to Valencia after an injury-filled campaign. At the Che his physical problems persisted and, after an unassuming first half of 2009–10 – only played in the Copa del Rey and only when Valencia faced rivals of smaller entity – he was loaned to Real Valladolid until the end of the season, on 30 January;[6] an undisputed starter since his arrival, he could not however prevent the Castile and León club from returning to Segunda División, after a three-year stay in the top division.

For 2010–11 29-year-old del Horno was loaned once again, joining freshly promoted side Levante UD.[7] He was used regularly in both defensive positions as the Valencians eventually retained their top division status, but also missed the final stretch due to physical ailments which had been bothering him since early into the campaign.[8][9]

Later years

Upon returning to Valencia, del Horno's contract was immediately terminated. In early August 2011, he re-joined Levante on a permanent deal.[10] After again dealing with injury throughout the season, where he was not able to dislodge 35-year-old Juanfran from the left-back position, he was released.

International career

Del Horno made his Spain debut on 3 September 2004, against Scotland. He scored the winner in a 1–0 friendly with England played in Madrid, two months later.[11]

An ankle injury forced del Horno to withdraw from the 23-man team named by Luis Aragonés for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.[12] Medical staff in the Royal Spanish Football Federation alleged that Chelsea had prior knowledge of del Horno's injury, but allowed him to continue playing; subsequently, his vacant position was controversially filled in by naturalised Argentinian Mariano Pernía, of Getafe CF.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 17 November 2004 Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain  England 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2. 9 February 2005 Mediterráneo, Almería, Spain  San Marino 5–0 5–0 2006 World Cup qualification

Club statistics

[13]

Season Club League Apps Goals Cup Apps Goals Supercup Apps Goals Continental Apps Goals International Apps Goals
2000–01Spain Athletic Bilbao 140 10 00 00 00
2001–02Spain Athletic Bilbao 101 20 00 00 00
2002–03Spain Athletic Bilbao 244 10 00 00 00
2003–04Spain Athletic Bilbao 315 00 00 00 00
2004–05Spain Athletic Bilbao 293 61 00 83 72
2005–06England Chelsea 251 40 10 40 30
2006–07Spain Valencia 60 00 00 20 00
2007–08Spain Athletic Bilbao 160 51 00 00 00
2008–09Spain Valencia 90 40 00 82 00
2009–10Spain Valencia 00 00 00 00 00
2009–10Spain Valladolid 130 00 00 00 00
Total 177 14 Total 23 2 Total 1 0 Total 22 5 Total 10 2

Honours

Chelsea

References

External links

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