Reza Ghoochannejhad facts for kids
Ghoochannejhad in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Reza Ghoochannejhad Nournia | ||
| Date of birth | 20 September 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Mashhad, Iran | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| LAC Frisia 1883 | |||
| Cambuur | |||
| 1998–2005 | SC Heerenveen | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2009 | SC Heerenveen | 2 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Go Ahead Eagles (loan) | 13 | (4) |
| 2009 | → FC Emmen (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Go Ahead Eagles | 10 | (6) |
| 2010–2011 | Cambuur | 37 | (15) |
| 2011–2013 | Sint-Truiden | 32 | (17) |
| 2013–2014 | Standard Liège | 8 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Charlton Athletic | 38 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | → Al-Kuwait (loan) | 10 | (11) |
| 2015 | → Al-Wakrah (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2016–2018 | SC Heerenveen | 67 | (27) |
| 2018–2019 | APOEL | 10 | (2) |
| 2019 | → Sydney FC (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | PEC Zwolle | 34 | (13) |
| Total | 292 | (103) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003 | Netherlands U16 | 1 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Netherlands U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | Netherlands U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Netherlands U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2012–2018 | Iran | 44 | (17) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Reza Ghoochannejhad Nournia (Persian: رضا قوچاننژاد نورنیا; born 20 September 1987) is a former professional footballer from Iran and the Netherlands. He played as a forward, which means he was usually at the front of the team, trying to score goals. People sometimes called him Gucci in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Reza played for the Netherlands' youth teams when he was younger. Later, he decided to play for the Iran national team as an adult. He scored 17 goals in 44 games for Iran. He also played in the big 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments, and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Reza Ghoochannejhad was born in Mashhad, Iran. When he was just four years old, his family moved to the Netherlands. This is where he started his football journey.
Growing Up in Academies
Reza spent 12 years learning and playing in the youth academy of SC Heerenveen, a famous Dutch football club. Before that, he played for smaller clubs in Leeuwarden like LAC Frisia 1883 and Cambuur. He made his first professional appearance for Heerenveen in 2006.
In 2009, Reza left Heerenveen for a short time to focus on his studies at the Vrije University in Amsterdam. He was studying law and political ideas. After meeting a famous football manager, Marc Overmars, Reza decided to sign with the Go Ahead Eagles club.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Cambuur
On 22 January 2010, Reza played his first game for Cambuur. He scored his first goal for them in just nine seconds! This amazing goal tied a record set by the legendary player Johan Cruyff for the fastest goal in the Netherlands. During his time at Cambuur, he also played as a winger, which is a player who runs down the sides of the field. In February 2011, he scored three goals in one game, which is called a hat trick.
Moving to Sint-Truiden
In June 2011, Reza moved to Sint-Truiden in Belgium. He scored his first goal in the Belgian Pro League against Club Brugge.
Time at Standard Liège
In January 2013, Reza joined Standard Liège, another Belgian club. He had a great half-season with Sint-Truiden before leaving, scoring 10 goals in 12 matches. The next season, he even played for Liège in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, which is a big European competition.
Joining Charlton Athletic
On 30 January 2014, Reza moved to England to play for Charlton Athletic, a team in the Championship. He was the second Iranian player ever to join the club. He played his first game for Charlton in February and scored his first goal in April against Leeds United.
Loans to Al-Kuwait and Al-Wakrah
In August 2014, Reza went on loan to Al-Kuwait for a season. He quickly started scoring goals, including four goals in one game and another hat trick in just 14 minutes! He scored 11 goals in 10 league games and helped the team win the Kuwaiti Premier League and the Kuwait Federation Cup.
In February 2015, he went on another loan, this time to Al-Wakrah in Qatar. He helped the team avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Returning to Charlton and Heerenveen
Reza returned to Charlton Athletic for the 2015–16 season. He scored a few more goals before leaving the club in May 2016.
On 22 June 2016, Reza went back to his old club, SC Heerenveen, in the Netherlands. He started strong, scoring two goals and assisting another in his first friendly match. He scored two goals in a game against Twente in September 2016. In January 2017, he scored another hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven. This made him the first Iranian player to score a hat-trick in a top European league. He finished that season with 19 goals, becoming one of the top scorers in the league and Heerenveen's Player of the Year.
Playing for APOEL and Sydney FC
In July 2018, Reza signed with APOEL, a club in Cyprus. He played there for half a season, scoring two goals.
In January 2019, he went on loan to Sydney FC in Australia. He was the first Iranian international player to play in the A-League. He scored his first goal for Sydney FC in March. Later, he scored the winning penalty kick in the 2019 A-League Grand Final, helping Sydney FC win the championship. This made him the first Iranian to win the A-League title.
Final Club: PEC Zwolle
Reza joined PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands in September 2019. In his very first game, he scored four goals after coming on as a substitute! This was a historic moment, as he became the first player in the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league) to score four goals after coming off the bench. He was also the first Iranian to score four goals in a single game in a top European league.
In January 2021, he scored another hat-trick as a substitute, making him the only player in Eredivisie history to achieve this twice. He left PEC Zwolle in summer 2021.
Reza Ghoochannejhad retired from professional football in September 2022.
International Career
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Reza played for the Netherlands' youth teams from 2003 to 2007, including the Under-19 national team.
Later, the coach Carlos Queiroz invited him to play for the Iran national team. Reza made his first appearance for Iran on 16 October 2012, in a World Cup qualifier against South Korea. He scored his first two goals for Iran in his third game, a 5–0 win against Lebanon.
World Cup Qualification Hero
On 4 June 2013, Reza scored the only goal in a crucial World Cup qualifier against Qatar, helping Iran win 1–0. Days later, he scored again against Lebanon. He then scored the winning goal in the next match, a 1–0 victory against South Korea. These important goals helped Iran qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup by finishing first in their group.
His goal-scoring continued in the Asian Cup qualifiers against Thailand and Lebanon. He became the top scorer in those qualifiers, with six goals in six straight international games. By March 2014, he had scored nine goals in eleven matches for Iran.
Playing in the World Cup and Asian Cup
On 1 June 2014, Reza was chosen for Iran's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. On 25 June 2014, he scored Iran's only goal of the tournament in a 3–1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He became the first player from Charlton Athletic to score at a FIFA World Cup.
In December 2014, Reza was selected for Iran's 2015 AFC Asian Cup squad. He scored the only goal in their final group game against the United Arab Emirates, which helped Iran finish first in their group. In the quarter-final match against Iraq, Reza scored Iran's third goal in the 119th minute, making the score 3–3. However, Iran lost the game in a penalty shootout.
On 1 September 2016, Reza scored a winning goal in the final minutes of a 2–0 victory against Qatar in a World Cup qualifying match. On 10 November 2016, he scored his first hat-trick for Iran in an 8–1 friendly win against Papua New Guinea.
Reza was part of Iran's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but he did not play in any matches. On 27 June 2018, he announced that he was retiring from international football.
Style of Play
Reza Ghoochannejhad was known for his excellent ability to score goals. He was also praised for finding the best positions in attacking situations. Some people compared his playing style to that of the famous Iranian football legend Khodadad Azizi.
Outside Football
Reza Ghoochannejhad is very talented with languages. He can speak at least four languages: English, Dutch, French, and Persian (which is his first language). He also understands German and has learned some Italian and Portuguese. Besides football, he enjoys playing musical instruments, especially the violin.
Personal Life
Reza Ghoochannejhad's parents are Jalal and Mahin Ghoochannejhad. His uncle, Jabar Ghoochannejhad, is a volleyball coach in Iran.
Reza married Sarvin Bayat, who is the sister of the Iranian actress Sareh Bayat, on 30 March 2016. They had a son named Doran, who was born on 29 January 2018. Reza has said that he has always supported his hometown football club, Aboomoslem.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Heerenveen | 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2007–08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Go Ahead Eagles (loan) | 2006–07 | Eerste Divisie | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | |
| FC Emmen (loan) | 2008–09 | Eerste Divisie | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 2009–10 | Eerste Divisie | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | |
| Cambuur | 2009–10 | Eerste Divisie | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2010–11 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 27 | 14 | |||
| Total | 37 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 16 | ||
| Sint-Truiden | 2011–12 | Belgian Pro League | 22 | 11 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 12 | |
| 2012–13 | Belgian Second Division | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 | ||
| Total | 32 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 21 | ||
| Standard Liège | 2012–13 | Belgian Pro League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | ||
| Total | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 5 | ||
| Charlton Athletic | 2013–14 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 25 | 4 | |||
| Total | 38 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 5 | ||
| Kuwait SC (loan) | 2014–15 | Kuwaiti Premier League | 10 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 12 |
| Al-Wakrah (loan) | 2014–15 | Qatar Stars League | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Heerenveen | 2016–17 | Eredivisie | 34 | 19 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 39 | 22 | |
| 2017–18 | 33 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 36 | 10 | |||
| Total | 67 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 75 | 36 | ||
| APOEL | 2018–19 | First Division | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Sydney FC (loan) | 2018–19 | A-League | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| PEC Zwolle | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | |
| 2020–21 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 6 | |||
| Total | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 36 | 13 | |||
| Career total | 292 | 103 | 21 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 345 | 121 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 2012 | 3 | 0 |
| 2013 | 8 | 8 | |
| 2014 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 44 | 17 | |
- Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ghoochannejhad goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 February 2013 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  Lebanon |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||
| 3 | 4 June 2013 | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar |  Qatar |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 11 June 2013 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | Lebanon |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 18 June 2013 | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea |  South Korea |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 15 October 2013 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  Thailand |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 7 | 15 November 2013 | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | Thailand |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 8 | 19 November 2013 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon | Lebanon |
4–0 | 4–1 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 9 | 5 March 2014 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  Guinea |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 8 June 2014 | CT Joaquim Grava, São Paulo, Brazil |  Trinidad and Tobago |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 25 June 2014 | Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1–2 | 1–3 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
| 12 | 19 January 2015 | Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane, Australia |  United Arab Emirates |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
| 13 | 23 January 2015 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia |  Iraq |
3–3 | 3–3 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
| 14 | 1 September 2016 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | Qatar |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 10 November 2016 | Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Malaysia |  Papua New Guinea |
5–1 | 8–1 | Friendly |
| 16 | 6–1 | |||||
| 17 | 7–1 |
Honours
SC Heerenveen
- KNVB Cup: 2008–09
APOEL FC
- Cypriot First Division: 2018–19
Sydney FC
- A-League: 2018–19
Individual Achievements
- Eredivisie Team of the Season: 2016–17
- Heerenveen Player of the Year: 2016–17
- Scored the Eredivisie's fastest goal in 9 seconds, tying Johan Cruyff's record.
- First Iranian player to score a Hat-trick in a European league.
- The first and only player in Eredivisie history to score four goals as a substitute.
- First Iranian player to score four goals in a single match in Europe.
- The first ever Charlton Athletic player to score at a World Cup.
See also
In Spanish: Reza Ghoochannejhad para niños
- Iranians in the Netherlands
