Natxo Insa facts for kids
Insa playing for Antalyaspor in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 June 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Cocentaina, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Johor Darul Ta'zim | ||
| Number | 30 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Valencia | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2007 | Valencia B | 36 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Valencia | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | → Eibar (loan) | 56 | (3) |
| 2009–2011 | Villarreal B | 74 | (2) |
| 2011 | Villarreal | 1 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Celta | 46 | (3) |
| 2013–2014 | Antalyaspor | 16 | (0) |
| 2015 | Zaragoza | 17 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Alcorcón | 34 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Levante | 35 | (2) |
| 2017– | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 81 | (6) |
| National team | |||
| 2018–2024 | Malaysia | 2 | (0) |
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Natxo Insa (born June 9, 1986) is a professional football player. He plays as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defend. Natxo plays for the Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim.
He spent most of his career playing in Spain's Segunda División, which is the second-highest football league. He played 244 matches and scored ten goals for teams like Eibar, Villarreal B, Celta, Zaragoza, Alcorcón, and Levante. He also played a few games in La Liga, Spain's top league, for Villarreal and Celta.
Even though Natxo was born in Spain, he plays for the Malaysian national team. He first played for Malaysia in 2018.
Contents
Natxo Insa's Club Career
Early Years and Valencia Debut
Natxo Insa was born in Cocentaina, a town in Spain. He started playing football in the youth teams of Valencia CF, a well-known Spanish club. In July 2006, he played his first friendly match for Valencia's main team. This was against a Turkish club called Fenerbahçe S.K..
Most of that season, he played for Valencia's B team, Valencia B, in the Segunda División B. This is a lower division league in Spain. Natxo played his first official match for Valencia's main team on December 5, 2006. He came on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League game against AS Roma. His first game in La Liga, Spain's top league, was on June 17, 2007.
Playing for Eibar and Villarreal
In 2007, Natxo was loaned to SD Eibar, a club in the Segunda División. He played well there, scoring two goals in 33 games. He stayed with Eibar for another season.
In August 2009, Natxo moved to Villarreal CF. He spent his first season playing for their reserve team, Villarreal B, also in the Segunda División. He only played one short game for Villarreal's main team.
Time with Celta Vigo
From 2011 to 2013, Natxo played for Celta. In his last season with them, he scored two important goals. One was in a 2–2 draw against FC Barcelona. The other was in a 1–0 win against RCD Espanyol. This win helped Celta avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Moving to Turkey and Back to Spain
After playing for Celta, Natxo spent one year in Turkey. He played for a club called Antalyaspor. In January 2015, he returned to Spain. He played for several clubs in the Segunda División, including Zaragoza, Alcorcón, and Levante.
Joining Johor Darul Ta'zim
On June 6, 2017, Natxo Insa signed with Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.. This is a club in the Malaysia Super League, which is Malaysia's top football league. He moved there for a transfer fee of about €400,000.
Natxo Insa's International Career
Natxo Insa became a Malaysian citizen because his grandmother was born in Sabah, Malaysia. He played his first game for the Malaysian national team on March 22, 2018. He was 31 years old at the time. This game was a friendly match against Mongolia, which ended in a 2–2 draw.
In June 2023, Natxo was called up to play for Malaysia again. This was five years after his first game. He was part of the team for friendly matches against the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. However, he did not play in those matches. He played again on January 20, 2024, in a game against Bahrain. This was during the group stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Natxo Insa's Personal Life
Natxo Insa has a younger brother named Kiko Insa. Kiko is also a former football player who played for the Malaysian national team.
Natxo Insa's Achievements
Club Honours
Levante
- Segunda División: 2016–17 (This means Levante won the Segunda División league title in that season.)
Johor Darul Ta'zim
- Malaysia Super League: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 (They won the top Malaysian league many times.)
- Malaysia FA Cup: 2022, 2024 (They won this cup competition.)
- Malaysia Cup: 2017, 2019, 2022 (They won this cup competition too.)
- Malaysia Charity Shield: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (They won this super cup at the start of the season.)
Individual Awards
- Malaysia Super League Player of the Month: October 2017 (He was chosen as the best player for that month.)
