Reza Ghoochannejhad facts for kids
![]() Ghoochannejhad in 2014
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Personal information | |||
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Date of birth | 20 September 1987 | ||
Place of birth | Mashhad, Iran | ||
Height | 1.80 m | ||
Playing position | 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 | (7) |
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 | (99) | |
National team | |||
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) |
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Reza Ghoochannejhad Nournia (born 20 September 1987) is a former professional footballer from Iran. He played as a forward, which means he was usually 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 chose to play for the Iran national team as a senior player. He scored 17 goals in 44 games for Iran. He also played in two FIFA World Cups, in 2014 and 2018, and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to the Netherlands
Reza Ghoochannejhad was born in Mashhad, Iran. When he was just four years old, his family moved to the Netherlands. This is where he grew up and started his football journey.
Reza's Club Football Journey
Reza played for many different football clubs during his career. He started in the Netherlands and later played in Belgium, England, Kuwait, Qatar, Cyprus, and Australia.
Starting at Heerenveen
Reza spent 12 years learning and growing in the youth academy of Heerenveen, a team in the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league). He first played for smaller clubs like LAC Frisia 1883 and Cambuur. Then, in 2006, he made his first professional appearance for Heerenveen against AZ Alkmaar.
In 2009, Reza decided to leave Heerenveen. He wanted to focus on his studies at the Vrije University in Amsterdam. He was studying law and political ideas. But then, he met Marc Overmars, a famous former footballer. Marc convinced Reza to sign with the Go Ahead Eagles club.
Playing for Cambuur
On 22 January 2010, Reza played his first game for Cambuur. He scored his first goal for the team after only nine seconds! This goal tied a record set by the legendary Johan Cruyff for the fastest goal in the Netherlands. While at Cambuur, he also played as a winger. In February 2011, Reza scored three goals in one game, which is called a hat trick, against FC Emmen.
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 August 2012, Sint-Truiden and Standard Liège agreed on a transfer. Reza joined Standard Liège in January 2013. He signed a contract for three and a half years. Before leaving Sint-Truiden, he scored 10 goals in 12 matches. The next season, he played for Liège in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, which is a big European competition.
Playing for Charlton Athletic
On 30 January 2014, Reza joined Charlton Athletic, a team in England's Championship. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. He was only the second Iranian player to ever play for Charlton.
He played his first game for Charlton on 1 February. He also made his FA Cup debut in a win against Sheffield Wednesday. On 1 April, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Leeds United.
Loan Spells in Kuwait and Qatar
In August 2014, Reza went on loan to Al-Kuwait for a season. He quickly started scoring goals there. He scored his first goal in the 2014 AFC Cup. In one game, he scored four goals in an 8–1 win! He scored 11 goals in 10 league matches for Al-Kuwait.
In February 2015, Reza went on another loan, this time to Al-Wakrah in Qatar. He helped the team avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Back 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. He had played 42 games and scored five goals for Charlton.
On 22 June 2016, Reza went back to his old club, Heerenveen, signing a two-year contract. He started strong, scoring two goals in his first friendly match. In January 2017, he scored another hat-trick in a game 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 and was named Heerenveen's player of the year. He was also in the Eredivisie's team of the year.
Playing in Cyprus and Australia
In July 2018, Reza signed a two-year contract with APOEL, a club in Cyprus. He played there for half a season and scored two goals.
In January 2019, Reza went on loan to Sydney FC in Australia. He became the first Iranian international player in Australia's 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. This made him the first Iranian to win the A-League title.
Finishing His Career at PEC Zwolle
Reza joined PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands in September 2019. In his very first game for them, he came on as a substitute and scored four goals! This was amazing because it made him the first Eredivisie player ever to score four goals after coming off the bench. He was also the first Iranian to score four goals in one game in a top European league.
In January 2021, he scored another hat-trick after coming on as a substitute. This made him the first player in Eredivisie history to score two hat-tricks as a substitute. He left PEC Zwolle in summer 2021.
Reza Ghoochannejhad officially retired from professional football in September 2022.
Reza's International Career with Iran


Reza played for the Netherlands' youth teams from 2003 to 2007. But then, the coach Carlos Queiroz invited him to play for the Iran national team.
He made his debut 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 international game against Lebanon.
Reza became a key player for Iran, scoring important goals in World Cup qualifiers. He scored the winning goal against Qatar and then again against South Korea. These goals helped Iran qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also scored goals that helped Iran get into the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. He was the top scorer in the Asian Cup qualifiers!
On 1 June 2014, Reza was chosen for Iran's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 25 June 2014, he scored Iran's only goal in the tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the first player from Charlton Athletic to score in a FIFA World Cup.
In the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Reza scored the only goal against the United Arab Emirates. This helped Iran finish first in their group. In the quarter-final against Iraq, he scored a 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 last moments of a game against Qatar in a World Cup qualifying match. On 10 November 2016, he scored his first hat-trick for Iran in a friendly match against Papua New Guinea.

Reza was named in Iran's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, he did not play any minutes in that tournament. On 27 June 2018, Reza announced that he was retiring from playing for the national team.
How Reza Played Football
Reza Ghoochannejhad was known for his great ability to score goals. He was very good at finding the best places to be in attacking situations. Some people compared him to the famous Iranian football legend Khodadad Azizi.
Reza's Life Outside Football
Reza is very talented with languages. He can speak at least four languages: English, Dutch, French, and Persian (his first language). He also understands German and has learned some Italian and Portuguese.
He also enjoys playing musical instruments and can play the violin.
Reza's Family Life
Reza Ghoochannejhad's parents are Jalal and Mahin Ghoochannejhad. His uncle, Jabar Ghoochannejhad, is a volleyball coach in Iran.
Reza married Sarvin Bayat on 30 March 2016. Sarvin is the sister of the Iranian actress Sareh Bayat. They have 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 Appearances and Goals
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 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 8 |
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 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 75 | 32 | ||
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 | 99 | 21 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 345 | 117 |
International Appearances and Goals
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 | ![]() |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
2 | 4–0 | |||||
3 | 4 June 2013 | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
4 | 11 June 2013 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | ![]() |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
5 | 18 June 2013 | Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
6 | 15 October 2013 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
7 | 15 November 2013 | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
8 | 19 November 2013 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon | ![]() |
4–0 | 4–1 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
9 | 5 March 2014 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
10 | 8 June 2014 | CT Joaquim Grava, São Paulo, Brazil | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
11 | 25 June 2014 | Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–3 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
12 | 19 January 2015 | Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane, Australia | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
13 | 23 January 2015 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia | ![]() |
3–3 | 3–3 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
14 | 1 September 2016 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
15 | 10 November 2016 | Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Malaysia | ![]() |
5–1 | 8–1 | Friendly |
16 | 6–1 | |||||
17 | 7–1 |
Awards and Achievements
Reza Ghoochannejhad won several awards and achieved special things during his football career:
SC Heerenveen
- KNVB Cup: 2008–09
APOEL FC
- Cypriot First Division: 2018–19
Sydney FC
- A-League: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- 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 to score a Hat-trick in Europe.
- First Iranian to score four goals in a single match in Europe.
See also
In Spanish: Reza Ghoochannejhad para niños
- Iranians in the Netherlands