Keylor Navas

Keylor Navas

Navas playing for Costa Rica at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full nameKeylor Antonio Navas Gamboa
Date of birth15 December 1986
Place of birthPérez Zeledón, Costa Rica
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Real Madrid
Number13
Youth career
1999–2005Saprissa
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2005–2010Saprissa60(0)
2010–2012Albacete36(0)
2011–2012→ Levante (loan)1(0)
2012–2014Levante46(0)
2014–Real Madrid5(0)
National team‡
2003Costa Rica U173(0)
2008–Costa Rica60(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:52, 29 April 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 November 2014
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Navas and the second or maternal family name is Gamboa.

Keylor Antonio Navas Gamboa (born 15 December 1986) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Costa Rica national football team, as a goalkeeper.

After starting out at Saprissa he moved to Albacete, and then to Levante in La Liga. Navas joined Real Madrid in 2014 for €10 million.

Navas has played over 50 times for Costa Rica since making his debut in 2008. He has represented the country at two CONCACAF Gold Cups and the 2014 World Cup, his impressive performances helped the team reach the quarter-finals of the latter tournament.[2]

Club career

Saprissa

Born in San Isidro de El General, Navas made his professional debut with Deportivo Saprissa on 6 November 2005, in a league match against Asociación Deportiva Carmelita.[3] He was the first-choice keeper in his two final seasons with the club, winning seven titles including six national championships.[4]

Albacete

In July 2010, Navas signed with Albacete Balompié of the Segunda División in Spain exactly 20 years after countryman Luis Conejo, who occupied the same position.[5] He played in 36 games out of 42 during his first season, but his team suffered relegation after finishing in last position.

Levante

In the 2011–12 campaign, Navas reached La Liga, being loaned to Levante UD for a year.[6] He made his debut in the competition on 13 May 2012 in the last round, playing in a 3–0 home win against Athletic Bilbao that confirmed the club's first ever qualification for the UEFA Europa League,[7] and joined the Valencian club on a three-year contract in July of that year.[8] Despite initially being back-up to Gustavo Munúa,[9] Navas was the first-choice goalkeeper for Levante in the 2013–14 season, and was nominated as the league's best goalkeeper alongside Thibaut Courtois of Atlético Madrid and Willy Caballero of Málaga CF,[10] going on to win the prize.[11] In March 2014, he was La Liga Player of the Month, the first goalkeeper to win the accolade.[12]

Real Madrid

On 3 August 2014, Real Madrid triggered Navas' €10 million buyout clause, and he signed a six-year contract with the club.[13] His first competitive call-up was on 12 August, sitting on the bench as Iker Casillas played in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup, which Real Madrid won 2–0 against Sevilla FC at the Cardiff City Stadium.[14]

International career

Navas and Giancarlo González celebrating Costa Rica's victory over Uruguay at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Navas was part of the Costa Rican squad that played in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Finland. He was called up for the full national team for the first time in August 2006, to play a friendly tournament in Europe against Austria and Switzerland, but he only gained his first cap two years later.

Navas appeared with Los Ticos in two CONCACAF Gold Cup competitions, being named the best goalkeeper in the 2009 as he helped his country reach the semi-finals.

2014 World Cup

He made his debut in the FIFA World Cup on 14 June 2014, appearing in a 3–1 group stage win against Uruguay in Fortaleza,[15] and only conceded that single goal in the three Group games as Costa Rica qualified for the knockout stages as group winners.[16]

On 29 June, in the round of 16 match against Greece, Navas was named Man of the match after several outstanding saves in normal time and a save from Theofanis Gekas' kick during the penalty shootout, which led to Costa Rica reaching the quarter-finals for the first time ever.[17] He ended the tournament with three clean sheets from five matches, as the country was knocked out by the Netherlands after a penalty shootout,[18] where he was named man of the match for the third time.[2] He was also one of the nominees for the Golden Glove Award, losing out though to Manuel Neuer of Germany.

Career statistics

Club

As of 29 April 2015[19][20]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Deportivo Saprissa 2008–09 Primera División 00005050
2009–10 Primera División 2700040310
Total 2700090360
Albacete 2010–11 Segunda División 3600000360
Total 3600000360
Levante 2011–12 La Liga 10500060
2012–13 La Liga 9040120250
2013–14 La Liga 3702000390
Total 470110120700
Real Madrid 2014–15 La Liga 503020100
Total 503020100
Career total 11501402301520

Honours

Navas playing for Levante in 2013

Club

Real Madrid

Individual

Personal life

Navas is a Christian. He spoke about his faith saying, "God for me comes first. Before every game I kneel, I open my arms and pray ... My favourite passage of the Bible is Galatians 1:10 which says: "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."[22][23] On the 3 December 2014, Keylor Navas announced that he had obtained Spanish citizenship.[24][25]

References

  1. ↑ "Keylor Navas". Real Madrid C.F. Real Madrid C.F. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "World Cup: Costa Rica hero hails nation's efforts as Holland end journey". Sky Sports. 6 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Juego apenas para el gasto" [I play only to make ends meet] (in Spanish). La Nación. 7 November 2005.
  4. ↑ "Monarca usó 24 jugadores" [Monarca used 24 players] (in Spanish). La Nación. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Navas: "Vengo con mucho compromiso"" [Navas: "I come full of commitment"] (in Spanish). Albacete's official website. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Keylor Navas, cedido al Levante" [Keylor Navas, loaned to Levante] (in Spanish). Fichajes. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Ghezzal helps Levante secure European place". ESPN Soccernet. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Keylor Navas ficha por el Levante" [Keylor Navas signs for Levante]. Marca (in Spanish). 7 July 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Keylor Navas ante su oportunidad en el Levante si Gustavo Munúa deja el equipo" [Keylor Navas before his chance at Levante if Gustavo Munúa leaves team] (in Spanish). Al Día. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  10. ↑ Fernandez-Abascal, Eduardo (14 October 2014). "Chelsea Duo Thibaut Courtois And Filipe Luis Nominated For La Liga Awards". International Business Times. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "gala de premios LFP 2013/14" [LFP Awards show 2013/14] (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Profesional. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Premios BBVA a los mejores de marzo" [BBVA awards for the best in March] (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Profesional. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  13. ↑ "Official statement: Keylor Navas". realmadrid.com. 2014-08-03.
  14. ↑ Phillips, Rob (12 August 2014). "Super Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice in Real Madrid win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "Costa Rican comeback undoes Uruguay". FIFA.com. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  16. ↑ "Keylor Navas: A draw against England isn’t bad at all". Inside Spanish Football. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "Navas-inspired Ticos win shootout, reach quarters". FIFA.com. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Netherlands 0–0 Costa Rica". BBC Sport. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Soccer Base profile". soccerbase.com. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "Soccerway profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "Best Goalkeeper" (Press release). CONCACAF. 26 July 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
  22. ↑ "The Christian goalkeepers at the Brazilian World Cup". Zenit. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  23. ↑ "World Cup 2014: Costa Rica’s Keylor Navas is the man Greece must beat". The Guardian. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  24. ↑ "Keylor Navas now has Spanish citizenship". Real Madrid. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  25. ↑ "Keylor Navas obtains Spanish nationality". MARCA. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

External links

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