Emilio Izaguirre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Emilio Izaguirre

Izaguirre with Celtic in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	(1986-05-10) 10 May 1986 (age 39)
Place of birth	Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Left-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2010	Motagua	143	(4)
2010–2017	Celtic	175	(4)
2017–2018	Al-Fayha	24	(0)
2018–2019	Celtic	14	(0)
2019–2021	Motagua	31	(1)
2021–2022	Marathón	26	(0)
Total		413	(9)
National team
2005	Honduras U20	5	(0)
2007	Honduras U23	2	(0)
2007–2020	Honduras	111	(5)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Emilio Arturo Izaguirre Girón (born May 10, 1986) is a former professional footballer from Honduras. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field. After retiring from playing, he became the sporting director for Motagua.

Emilio started his football journey at Motagua, where he played for seven years. In 2010, he moved to the Scottish club Celtic for about £650,000. In his first season in Scotland, Izaguirre won three important awards. These included the SPFA Players' Player of the Year, the SFWA Footballer of the Year, and the Scottish Premier League Player of the Year.

He played over 250 games for Celtic. During his first time with the club, he helped them win six league titles in a row. He also won another league title when he returned for a second time. Emilio Izaguirre also played for the Honduras national team starting in 2007. He played in 111 international games. He also represented Honduras in two FIFA World Cup tournaments and four CONCACAF Gold Cups.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Motagua

Emilio Izaguirre began his professional football career with F.C. Motagua in the Honduran League. He played his first league game on March 20, 2004. This was a 3–0 win against Universidad in Danlí.

In July 2008, he had a short trial with the English club Ipswich Town. However, he could not play in any matches because he did not get international permission from Motagua. Because of this, he did not get a contract with the team. The next year, he was close to joining RSC Anderlecht in Belgium.

In July 2010, there were reports that Toronto FC from Major League Soccer wanted to sign Izaguirre. This interest came after he played very well against the Canadian team in the CONCACAF Champions League. However, this move also did not happen.

Playing for Celtic

Emilio Izaguirre agreed to a four-year contract with Scottish Premier League team Celtic on August 18, 2010. This was after he received a work permit. He joined Celtic for a fee of £650,000 and was given the number 3 shirt. He made his debut in the Scottish Premier League on August 29, in a 1–0 win against Motherwell. His strong performance earned praise from both managers.

On September 19, Izaguirre helped Celtic win 2–1 against Kilmarnock. He set up the winning goal for Anthony Stokes. On October 30, he scored his first goal for Celtic against St Johnstone. He took the ball, skillfully went past a defender, and scored. Celtic won that game 3–0, and Izaguirre was named man of the match. In a 3–0 win over Rangers on February 20, 2011, he helped set up Gary Hooper's second goal.

In the 2011 League Cup Final against Rangers, Izaguirre was sent off during extra time. This happened after he fouled Vladimír Weiss. On April 6, 2011, he had another great game against Hibernian, helping Celtic win 3–1. He set up the first goal for Anthony Stokes.

For the 2010–11 Scottish Premier League season, Izaguirre won all the major player awards. These awards were chosen by players, football organizations, and Celtic fans. He won both the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and the Scottish Premier League Player of the Year awards. The judges called him a "class act." Celtic's assistant manager, Johan Mjallby, even said Izaguirre could become one of the best left-backs in the world. On May 8, Izaguirre also received the Players' Player of the Year Award at Celtic's own ceremony. Finally, he was voted Scottish Football Writers player of the year.

Injury and Return

Izaguirre broke his ankle in Celtic's second game of the season on August 7, 2011, against Aberdeen. He needed surgery, which meant he would be out of action for four to six months. On August 27, he signed a new contract with Celtic, which would keep him at the club until 2015. Izaguirre returned to training in December after recovering from his injury. He made his comeback as a substitute on January 2, 2012. This was in Celtic's 3–0 win over Dunfermline Athletic.

Izaguirre played in 32 league games as he helped Celtic win their second Scottish league title in a row. He also played in the 2013 Scottish Cup final, where Celtic beat Hibernian 3–0 on May 26.

On May 30, 2014, Izaguirre signed another new contract with Celtic, keeping him there until 2017. In the 2015–16 season, a younger player, Kieran Tierney, became the main left-back. Despite what seemed like a goodbye after the last game of the season, Izaguirre said he still had a contract. He returned to Celtic for the 2016–17 season and played 12 games. He filled in for Tierney when he was injured.

Moving to Al-Fayha

Even though Celtic offered him a new contract, Izaguirre left the club at the end of the 2016–17 season. He joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha on a two-year contract. However, he only stayed in Al Majma'ah for 11 months. He decided to end his contract early. He explained that his family found the culture in Saudi Arabia very difficult.

Coming Back to Celtic

On August 10, 2018, Izaguirre rejoined Celtic on a one-year deal. At the end of that season, after playing in 19 games, he decided not to sign another one-year contract. He left Celtic for the second time.

Back to Motagua Again

Izaguirre signed a one-year contract with Motagua in August 2019. Later that month, he got an eye injury during a fan disturbance at a derby match against Olimpia.

Playing for Honduras

Izaguirre challenging Ecuador's Antonio Valencia in a September 2015 friendly

Emilio Izaguirre was part of the Honduras national under-20 team. He played in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands.

He made his first game for the senior Honduras national team in January 2007. This was a friendly match against Denmark. He has played for his country in 17 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He also played in the 2007 and 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup tournaments. He was also part of the team for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

He was chosen for the Honduras squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played in two games against Chile and Spain. He also played in the 2014 World Cup and the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

About His Life

Emilio Izaguirre is known for living a simple life. He is also a Christian.

He had a long, good relationship with the late Honduran pastor Mario Tomas Barahona. Emilio thought of him as a mentor. Pastor Barahona led the Mi Viña Church in Tegucigalpa. Emilio has attended this church since he was 15 years old and has been faithful to his Christian beliefs ever since.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Scores and results list Honduras's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Izaguirre goal.

List of international goals scored by Emilio Izaguirre

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 June 2007	Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras	Trinidad and Tobago	1–1	3–1	Friendly
2	4 September 2015	Polideportivo Cachamay, Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela	Venezuela	3–0	3–0	Friendly
3	15 November 2016	Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras	Trinidad and Tobago	2–0	3–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	25 June 2019	Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, United States	El Salvador	4–0	4–0	2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
5	5 September 2019	Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras	Puerto Rico	1–0	4–0	Friendly

Awards and Trophies

Celtic

• Scottish Premiership (7): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19
• Scottish Cup (3): 2010–11, 2012–13, 2018–19
• Scottish League Cup (2): 2014–15, 2016–17

Individual

• SPFA Players' Player of the Year: 2010–11
• SFWA Footballer of the Year: 2010–11
• Scottish Premier League Player of the Year: 2010–11

See also

In Spanish: Emilio Izaguirre para niños

• List of footballers with 100 or more caps