Damián Escudero

Damián Escudero
Personal information
Full name Damián Ariel Escudero
Date of birth (1987-04-20) 20 April 1987
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Vasco Gama
Number 21
Youth career
Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 Vélez Sarsfield 84 (18)
2008–2010 Villarreal 13 (1)
2008–2009 → Valladolid (loan) 15 (0)
2010–2013 Boca Juniors 13 (0)
2011 → Grêmio (loan) 31 (4)
2012 → Atlético Mineiro (loan) 27 (4)
2013 → Vitória (loan) 27 (2)
2014–2015 Vitória 37 (11)
2016 Puebla 27 (3)
2017– Vasco Gama 0 (0)
National team
2007 Argentina U20 3 (1)
2008 Argentina U23 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 February 2017.

Damián Ariel Escudero (born 20 April 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Brazilian club CR Vasco da Gama as a left midfielder.

He is often nicknamed Pichi, the same used by his father Osvaldo Escudero who was also a football player.[1]

Club career

A product of Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield's youth system, Escudero made his first-team debut in a 0–1 away defeat against Newell's Old Boys on 4 March 2006. He found himself at the centre of a controversy at the end of the year, when the club refused to release him along Mauro Zárate for the 2007 South American Youth Championship.

When the 2007 edition of the Copa Libertadores started, Escudero showed why the club was so keen in retaining his services, quickly becoming a dynamic part in the team's offensive movements. He helped Vélez reach the round-of-16 in the tournament, scoring four goals.

Escudero had an irregular 2007–08 season, during which his team failed to qualify for the Copa Sudamericana. However, he did net three times in the Clausura, including once against Boca Juniors.

For 2008–09, Escudero was bought by La Liga side Villarreal CF in a US$12,000,000 move.[2] However, he was quickly loaned to Real Valladolid because his club's non-EU quota was already full,[3][4] appearing rarely throughout the campaign due to injury.[5]

Escudero returned to Villarreal for 2009–10, but continued to be barred by the likes of Robert Pirès and Santi Cazorla. Most of his appearances were due to injury problems to the latter, and he scored against Xerez CD on 14 March 2010 (2–0 home win) after only playing six minutes in the game.[6]

In June 2010, Escudero was sold to Boca Juniors, with Villarreal retaining 50% of the player's rights.[7] In the following year he was loaned to Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense and performed solidly but, after the two clubs could not agree on a transfer fee for another loan, he returned to Buenos Aires.

In January 2012, Escudero returned to Brazil with Clube Atlético Mineiro, who paid Boca US$700.000 for a one-year contract.

International career

In 2007, Escudero was picked to join the Argentina under-20 squad to compete in the FIFA World Cup in Canada, but was hardly ever played due to injury. The following year, he first played for the Olympic side against Guatemala in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics, appearing as a left back in the 5–0 routing.[8]

Honours

Club

Atlético Mineiro
Vitória

Country

References

  1. ↑ Giovani, Adrián, Escudero, Borges, Bradley, en el nombre del padre (Giovani, Adrián, Escudero, Borges, Bradley, in the name of the father); La Nación, 3 July 2007 (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Escudero, encantado de recalar en el Villarreal (Escudero, delighted to have joined Villarreal); Marca, 4 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ Escudero llega cedido para potenciar el ataque (Escudero arrives on loan to strengthen offense); Diario AS, 12 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ Mientras tramita los papeles... (Paperwork pending...); ESPN Deportes, 5 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  5. ↑ Escudero: "Tengo muchas ganas de volver a jugar" (Escudero: "I want to play again so badly"); Marca, 9 September 2009 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ El Villarreal perdona primero la goleada y termina sufriendo frente al Xerez (2–0) (Villarreal starts by forgiving rout then ends suffering against Xerez (2–0)); El Mundo, 14 March 2010 (in Spanish)
  7. ↑ El argentino Escudero vuelve a casa: Ficha por Boca Juniors (Argentine Escudero returns home: Signs for Boca Juniors); Marca, 22 June 2010 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ 5–0. Argentina golea a Guatemala con el mínimo esfuerzo (5–0. Argentina routs Guatemala without a sweat); Terra, 7 February 2008 (in Spanish)
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