Ashkan Dejagah facts for kids
Dejagah training with Iran in 2018
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Seyed Ashkan Dejagah | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 July 1986 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tehran, Iran | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| –1999 | Reinickendorfer Füchse | |||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Tennis Borussia Berlin | |||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Hertha BSC | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Hertha BSC II | 72 | (23) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Hertha BSC | 26 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | VfL Wolfsburg | 132 | (18) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Fulham | 43 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Al Arabi | 45 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | VfL Wolfsburg | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | VfL Wolfsburg II | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | Nottingham Forest | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Tractor | 62 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Al Shahania | 14 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Foolad | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Germany U17 | 10 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Germany U18 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Germany U19 | 11 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Germany U20 | 5 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | Germany U21 | 20 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Iran | 59 | (11) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 May 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
Seyed Ashkan Dejagah (born 5 July 1986), known as Ashkan Dejagah, is a former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder.
Ashkan was born in Tehran, Iran. He later moved to Berlin, Germany, when he was one year old. He played for Germany's youth teams from 2001 to 2009. He even won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship with Germany.
Since 2011, he has played for the Iranian national team. He helped Iran qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2015 AFC Asian Cup, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 2015, fans in Iran voted him as the country's best ever left midfielder.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Career
Ashkan Dejagah was born in Tehran, Iran. He moved to Berlin, Germany, when he was just one year old. He became a German citizen when he was 16.
He played for German national youth teams from 2001 until 2009. During this time, he helped Germany win the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Club Career Highlights
Ashkan Dejagah started his professional football journey in Germany. He played for several clubs before moving to England and then Qatar.
Starting at Hertha
Ashkan made his first professional appearance for Hertha BSC in 2004. He was the youngest player to ever play for the club at that time. He started as a central defender but soon moved to a forward position. In the 2005–06 season, he was the team's top scorer with 12 goals. His coach believed in him, giving him more playing time in the Bundesliga and European matches.
Success with Wolfsburg
In 2007, Ashkan joined VfL Wolfsburg. In his first season, he scored eight goals, showing his talent. He was a key player when Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga title in the 2008–09 season. He later lost his starting spot for a while. But when Felix Magath returned as coach, Ashkan played very well again. He scored and assisted many goals for his team. Ashkan wanted to play in the Premier League in England. His coach, Magath, eventually agreed to let him go. Ashkan finished his time in the Bundesliga with 19 goals and 25 assists.
Playing for Fulham
On 31 August 2012, Ashkan joined Fulham in England. This was a big move for him. He became one of the few Iranian players to play in the Premier League. He made his first league appearance on 20 October 2012. He quickly became an important player for Fulham.
Memorable Moments at Fulham
Ashkan scored his first goal for Fulham against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2013. He also scored and assisted in an FA Cup match. He scored important goals against West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United, and Everton. Fans loved his performances. At the end of the season, Fulham fans voted him their "Player of the Year."
Time in Qatar and Return to Germany
In 2014, Ashkan moved to Qatar to play for Al-Arabi. He played there for two years. He scored 5 goals in his first season. He was named Al-Arabi's player of the season for 2015–16. However, he left the club in 2017.
He then returned to his former team, VfL Wolfsburg, in Germany. He got injured soon after joining. He later played in important matches to help Wolfsburg stay in the Bundesliga. He left Wolfsburg again in June 2017.
Short Stays and Move to Iran
Ashkan joined Nottingham Forest in England in January 2018. He played only one game before needing surgery. He left the club at the end of that season.
On 2 August 2018, Ashkan signed a three-year contract with Tractor in the Iran Pro League. This meant he was playing professional football in his birth country.
International Career
Ashkan Dejagah played for both Germany and Iran at the international level.
Playing for Germany's Youth Teams
Ashkan played for Germany's youth teams from a young age. In 2004, he scored seven goals in 15 games for the German U-19 team. In 2005, he was invited to play for Germany's U-21 team.
In 2007, Ashkan decided not to play in a German U-21 match against Israel. He said it was for "very personal reasons." He explained that he was worried about his family in Iran. The Iranian government has rules about its citizens traveling to Israel. This could cause problems for his relatives. After talking with the German Football Association, they understood his concerns. He was not removed from the team. In 2009, he helped Germany win the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Representing Iran
Even though he played for Germany's youth teams, FIFA rules changed. This meant Ashkan could play for Iran. In 2011, Iran's coach, Carlos Queiroz, invited him to join the national team.
Ashkan scored two goals in his first game for Iran in February 2012. This was a World Cup qualifier against Qatar. He helped Iran qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in matches against Nigeria, Argentina, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He also helped Iran qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In 2015, he captained the national team for the first time. He scored in a 3–1 win against Turkmenistan.
Ashkan was part of Iran's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was also selected for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He scored in Iran's first match of that tournament.
Personal Life
When Ashkan played for Fulham, he lived in London with his wife and daughters. He has tattoos that say "Berlin" on one arm and "Tehran" on the other. This shows his connection to both cities. He also has the phrase "Never forget where you're from" on his neck. His wife is from Baku.
In 2014, Ashkan helped with scientific research. He donated his DNA to study sports injuries and training.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hertha BSC II | 2003–04 | Oberliga | 16 | 2 | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2004–05 | Regionalliga Nord | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 6 | |||
| 2005–06 | 23 | 12 | — | — | — | 23 | 12 | |||||
| 2006–07 | 11 | 3 | — | — | — | 11 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 72 | 23 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 73 | 23 | ||||
| Hertha BSC | 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| Total | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 31 | 8 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 36 | 9 | ||
| 2008–09 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 38 | 4 | |||
| 2009–10 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| 2010–11 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 3 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 3 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 132 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 15 | 0 | — | 158 | 20 | |||
| Fulham | 2012–13 | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 6 | |||
| Total | 43 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 49 | 6 | |||
| Al-Arabi | 2014–15 | Qatar Stars League | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 5 | ||
| 2015–16 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 45 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 8 | ||||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| VfL Wolfsburg II | 2016–17 | Regionalliga Nord | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 2017–18 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Tractor | 2018–19 | Iran Pro League | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 29 | 5 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | ||
| Total | 59 | 10 | 6 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | 65 | 13 | |||
| Career total | 380 | 65 | 25 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 427 | 71 | ||
International Goals
- Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dejagah goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 February 2012 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  Qatar |
1–0 | 2–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 2–1 | |||||
| 3 | 15 November 2013 | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand |  Thailand |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 4 | 19 November 2013 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon |  Lebanon |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 5 | 3 September 2015 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  Guam |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 12 November 2015 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  Turkmenistan |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 10 November 2016 | Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Malaysia |  Papua New Guinea |
1–0 | 8–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 9 November 2017 | Liebenauer Stadium, Graz, Austria |  Panama |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 28 May 2018 | Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Turkey |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 7 January 2019 | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Yemen |
2–0 | 5–0 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup |
| 11 | 20 January 2019 | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi] United Arab Emirates |  Oman |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup |
Honours
VfL Wolfsburg
- Bundesliga: 2008–09
Tractor
- Hazfi Cup: 2019–20
Germany U21
Individual
- AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2019
See Also
In Spanish: Ashkan Dejagah para niños
- German-Iranians
