David Ospina

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Ospina and the second or maternal family name is Ramírez.
David Ospina

Ospina after winning the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2015
Personal information
Full name David Ospina Ramírez
Date of birth (1988-08-31) 31 August 1988
Place of birth Medellín, Colombia
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 13
Youth career
Atlético Nacional
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2008 Atlético Nacional 97 (0)
2008–2014 Nice 189 (0)
2014– Arsenal 22 (0)
National team‡
2005–2007 Colombia U20 12 (0)
2007– Colombia 64 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 April 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 March 2016

David Ospina Ramírez (born 31 August 1988) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Arsenal. He is cited as a long term solution to Arsenal's goalkeeper situation.[2]

Ospina began his career at Atlético Nacional, making his debut with the club in 2005. After achieving two domestic titles with Los Verdolagas, Ospina joined French side Nice. In 2014, he joined Arsenal on a four-year deal.

Ospina has been representing his country at a full international level since 2007. Upon his debut against Uruguay, he became the second-youngest goalkeeper to play for Colombia. He was part of the Colombian squad that reached the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Club career

Ospina with Atlético Nacional in 2008

Atlético Nacional

Ospina began his career as professional in Categoría Primera A club Atlético Nacional in 2005.[3] Ospina played a total of 97 matches with the team, even being called to the national team. With the club, Ospina achieved three league titles. In mid-2008, Ospina was transferred to French club Nice.[4]

Nice

Ospina playing for Nice

After three seasons at Atlético Nacional, at the age of 19, he was transferred to Nice in France for an undisclosed fee, believed to be about €2 million. Ospina was reportedly signed to become the long-term replacement of Hugo Lloris, who had transferred to Lyon for €8.5 million. However, Ospina was served as a substitute of Lionel Letizi for the first few months of his career, before breaking into the first team. Frédéric Antonetti, the manager of Nice who brought Ospina to the club, said, "He has everything you need to be a top goalkeeper. He's good in the air and he's good on the ground. He has that little extra something to be a champion. Hugo Lloris was an international-standard goalkeeper; so is David."[5]

Four years into his career at Nice, Ospina publicly voiced his desire to leave the club. Nice coach Claude Puel signed promising young French goalkeeper Joris Delle, and announced Delle would be promoted into the first team, sharing the position with Ospina. In the summer of 2012, Turkish club Besiktas attempted to sign Ospina,[6] however the move fell through.[7]

After Ospina's performances at the 2014 World Cup and his rejection of a contract extension, he was linked to many European sides.[8] Despite being heavily linked to Atlético Madrid, Puel announced that Ospina would depart the club to join English side Arsenal.[9]

Arsenal

2014–15 season

On 27 July 2014, Arsenal had confirmed that Ospina had signed for the club on for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £3 million, on a four-year deal.[10] Through the club's official Instagram account, Arsenal revealed that Ospina would wear the number 13 shirt for the club, last worn by loanee Emiliano Viviano. On 23 September 2014, Ospina made his debut for Arsenal in the League Cup match against Southampton, a 2–1 home defeat.[11] He made his second Arsenal appearance on 1 October in their UEFA Champions League group stage match at home to Galatasaray, replacing Alexis Sánchez after starting goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny had been sent off for a professional foul on Burak Yılmaz. Ospina conceded the penalty, taken by its earner, but Arsenal won 4–1, making several vital saves in the process.[12] In October, Ospina suffered a thigh injury that would keep him out effectively for the rest of the 2014 calendar year.[13] Ospina resumed his cup duties in a 2–0 win against Hull City, but maintained his place for his full Premier League debut a week later, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 win against Stoke City.[14] With first-choice goalkeeper Szczęsny punished for smoking in the dressing room against Southampton, Ospina was made first choice in the league and went on to claim successive clean sheets against Manchester City and Aston Villa. He played every remaining league game until the end of the season, with the exception of FA Cup ties against Brighton & Hove Albion, Middlesbrough, Manchester United and Reading. Ospina was an unused substitute in Arsenal's 4–0 win in the 2015 FA Cup Final against Aston Villa.[15]

2015–16 season

During the summer transfer window period, Ospina was linked to Beşiktaş and Everton after Arsenal had signed Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech, which effectively demoted Ospina to second-choice 'keeper. However, no deal materialised, as second choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny was loaned to Roma for the season.[16] Ospina made his first appearance of the season in a 2–1 away defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the 2015–16 Champions League,[17] and as the team's "cup goalkeeper," he made his first domestic appearance in a 2–1 League Cup win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.[18] Ospina made another Champions League appearance, against Olympiacos, where his poor performances proved costly in a 3–2 home defeat, with the 'keeper conceding an own goal by dropping a corner from Kostas Fortounis into his own net.[19] Ospina would later be dropped from Champions League duties in place of Čech. Ospina suffered a shoulder injury during October's international break that saw him ruled out until November. He was then in contention to face Sunderland in the FA Cup in January, but a training injury saw Čech take his place.

International career

Ospina has played for the Colombia national football team and was also a member of the under-20 team.[20] Ospina was called up for the first time in the national U-20 team for 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. At only 16 years old, Ospina was the youngest member of the squad, however he did not play any game during the whole tournament. Ospina was called back for the 2007 South American U-20 Championship, where he played four games. However, Colombia failed to qualify for the World Cup, the last youth tournament he had the opportunity to would play in.

Ospina made his debut for the senior team as a substitute in the 1–3 defeat against Uruguay. He played his first match in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Bolivia, becoming the second-youngest goalkeeper to play for the Colombian national team.

Ospina was selected as the main goalkeeper for Colombia throughout the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification competition. At the end of the qualifiers, Ospina conceded the fewest number of goals of the tournament.

Style of play

Ospina is known for his athletic and acrobatic saves and fast reflexes, which have led people to compare him to former Colombian international Faryd Mondragón.

Personal life

Ospina is brother-in-law to fellow Colombian international footballer James Rodríguez, who married David's sister Daniela in 2011.[21] Ospina is married to Colombian model Jesica Sterling, who he married in 2012, and has one daughter named Dulce María[22] and a son named Maximiliano.[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of 8 April 2016[24]
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Colombia League Cup South America Total
2006Atlético NacionalCategoría Primera A3400000340
20074700000470
20081600000160
France League Cup Europe Total
2008–09NiceLigue 12500000250
2009–103700000370
2010–113501000360
2011–123701000380
2012–132602000280
2013–142901020320
England League Cup[n 1] Europe Total
2014–15ArsenalPremier League1802030230
2015–16406030130
Career total 3070130803280
Notes
  1. ↑ Includes FA Cup, Football League Cup and FA Community Shield.

International

As of 19 April 2016[25]
Team Year Apps Goals
Colombia 200710
200810
200980
201050
201190
201280
2013100
201480
2015120
201620
Total640

Honours

Source:[24]

Club

Atlético Nacional
Arsenal


References

  1. ↑ "Barclays Premier League Player Profile". web page. Premier League. 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  2. ↑ http://thearmchairgooner.co.uk/is-david-ospina-a-long-term-no-1-for-arsenal
  3. ↑ "Arsenal seal Ospina signing". FIFA.com.
  4. ↑ "Ospina's transfer to Nice underway". Goal.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ospina will be a success". Goal.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Ospina to Beskitas off". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "Ospina filled with frustration as he is club No 2". Goal.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Ospina could leave for free next season after rejecting extension". Obtenir le football. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Puel: Ospina to Arsenal is done". 101greatgoals.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "David Ospina: Arsenal sign Colombia goalkeeper from Nice". BBC Sport. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Arsenal v. Southampton Match Report". Arsenal FC. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray". BBC Sport. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  13. ↑ http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/2102243/arsenals-david-ospina-ruled-out-for-around-three-months-with-thigh-injury
  14. ↑ "Arsene Wenger: Why I picked David Ospina instead of Wojciech Szczesny". Daily Express. 11 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "FA Cup final - FT: Arsenal 4-0 Villa". BBC. 30 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Wojciech Szczesny: Arsenal keeper joins Roma on a season-loan deal". BBC. 29 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Arsenal". BBC. 16 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal". BBC. 23 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "Arsenal 2-3 Olympiakos". BBC. 29 September 2015.
  20. ↑ 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup — Colombia squad at the Wayback Machine (archived May 4, 2016)
  21. ↑ "James Rodriguez The Soccer Star is also a Family Man". 20 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "Jesica Sterling – Colombian Soccer player David Ospina’s Wife". Fabwags. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "David Ospina es padre por segunda vez". Goal.com (in Spanish). 26 January 2015.
  24. 1 2 David Ospina profile at Soccerway
  25. ↑ David Ospina at National-Football-Teams.com

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