Edu (footballer, born 1978) facts for kids
Edu in 2006
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Eduardo César Daud Gaspar | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 May 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, central midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Corinthians | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Arsenal | 79 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | Valencia | 50 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Corinthians | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 167 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Brazil | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Eduardo César Daud Gaspar (born on May 15, 1978), known simply as Edu or Edu Gaspar, is a former professional footballer from Brazil. He played as an attacking or central midfielder. Edu is also known for his work as a sporting director for football clubs.
He played for several big clubs during his twelve-year career. These included Corinthians in Brazil, Arsenal in England, and Valencia in Spain. Edu also represented the Brazilian national team from 2004 to 2005.
Contents
Playing Career
Starting Out in Brazil
Edu began his football journey in Brazil with Corinthians. This team plays in the top Brazilian league, Série A. While playing for Corinthians, Edu helped his team win the Brazilian championship twice, in 1998 and 1999. He also won the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship with them.
Time at Arsenal
Edu first planned to join Arsenal in England in 2000. However, his transfer was delayed because of an issue with his passport. After getting a proper European Union (EU) passport, he finally signed with Arsenal on January 16, 2001. The transfer cost Arsenal about £6 million.
His start at Arsenal was tough. In his first game against Leicester City in 2001, he got injured after just 15 minutes. He only played in four more matches that season. One of these was a difficult 0–3 loss to Middlesbrough, where he accidentally scored an own goal.
Edu scored his first goal for Arsenal in November 2001 in a League Cup match. He later helped Arsenal win the 2002 FA Cup Final by coming on as a substitute. He also played in 14 league games when Arsenal won the 2001–02 Premier League. This made him the first Brazilian player to win the Premier League title.
In the 2002–03 season, Edu played more often in the Premier League. He scored a goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup. However, injuries kept him out of the final that year.
The 2003–04 season was one of Edu's best. He was part of the famous Arsenal team known as "The Invincibles." This team went the entire 2003–04 Premier League season without losing a single game. Edu played in 30 league games and scored two goals, both against Chelsea. He also scored a goal in a big 5–1 win against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League. In total, he played 48 games that season, scoring 7 goals. He was on the field when Arsenal won the Premier League title at White Hart Lane. During this season, he also played his 100th game for Arsenal.
The 2004–05 season had mixed results for Edu. He missed the start because he was playing for Brazil in the Copa América. There was also a lot of talk about whether he would stay at Arsenal, as his contract was ending. He scored two goals that season, including a penalty kick in a 7–0 win against Everton. He came on as a substitute in extra time when Arsenal won the 2005 FA Cup Final.
Moving to Valencia
In May 2005, it was confirmed that Edu would leave Arsenal for free. Several big European clubs were interested in him. On May 30, Valencia in Spain announced they had signed him to a five-year deal.
Soon after joining Valencia, Edu got an injury during pre-season training. This meant he couldn't play until April 2006. He made his debut for Valencia in a 5–3 victory against Cádiz. Edu left Valencia on July 3, 2009, after his contract ended.
Return to Corinthians and Retirement
After leaving Spain, Edu signed a contract to return to his old club, Corinthians, on August 6, 2009. His contract was set to last until the end of 2011. However, after playing only four matches in 2010, his contract was ended by agreement. Edu then announced that he was retiring from professional football.
International Career
Edu once thought about playing for the England national team after getting a British passport. He didn't think he would be chosen for Brazil. However, he did get called up to the Brazil national team in 2004. He made his debut on April 28, 2004, in a friendly game against Hungary.
He played for Brazil in the 2004 Copa América and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. Brazil won both of these tournaments. In the final of the 2004 Copa América, Edu scored one of the penalties in the shootout as Brazil beat Argentina.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring from playing, Edu moved into football management roles. On March 17, 2011, Corinthians announced that Edu would become the club's director of football. He also helped the Iranian national team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. From 2016 to 2019, he was the general coordinator for the Brazil national team.
On July 9, 2019, Edu became Arsenal's first-ever technical director. The club's director of football, Raul Sanllehi, said that Edu had great experience and knowledge and understood Arsenal well. On November 18, 2022, Edu was appointed as Arsenal's first-ever sporting director.
In November 2024, it was reported that Edu would leave Arsenal to take on a senior role with a network of clubs led by Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis. His new role as Global Head of Football was confirmed by Nottingham Forest on July 7, 2025.
Media Appearances
Edu was featured in the Amazon Original sports docuseries All or Nothing: Arsenal. This show followed Arsenal's coaching staff and players behind the scenes during their 2021–22 season. He was also part of All or Nothing: Brazil National Team.
Honours
Corinthians
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1998, 1999
- FIFA Club World Championship: 2000
Arsenal
- Premier League: 2001–02, 2003–04
- FA Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05
- FA Community Shield: 2002
Valencia
- Copa del Rey: 2007–08
Brazil
Individual
- Premier League Player of the Month: February 2004
See also
In Spanish: Edu Gaspar para niños
