Asier del Horno

Asier del Horno

Personal information
Full name	Asier del Horno Cosgaya
Date of birth	19 January 1981 (1981-01-19)
Place of birth	Barakaldo, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current club	Levante
Number	15
Youth career
1992–1993	Gallarta
1993–2000	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2000	Bilbao Athletic	26	(1)
2000–2005	Athletic Bilbao	108	(13)
2005–2006	Chelsea	25	(1)
2006–2011	Valencia	15	(0)
2007–2008	→ Athletic Bilbao (loan)	16	(0)
2010	→ Valladolid (loan)	13	(0)
2010–2011	→ Levante (loan)	22	(2)
2011–	Levante	11	(0)
National team
1999–2000	Spain U18	14	(2)
2000–2003	Spain U21	16	(1)
2004–2006	Spain	10	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Del Horno and the second or maternal family name is Cosgaya.

Asier del Horno Cosgaya (born 19 January 1981) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Levante UD mainly as a left defender.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Barakaldo, Biscay, del Horno began his career at Athletic Bilbao in 1999, where his combative tackling and strength in the air saw him rise through the ranks as a stout left-footed centre-back. However, his pace and ability to contribute to the attack led to his being switched to left-back by the time he had arrived in the seniors for both club and country.

Del Horno made his main squad debut in the 2000–01 opener at only 19, and eventually scored 13 goals in 108 league appearances for the Basque giants.

Chelsea

In June 2005, del Horno moved to Chelsea for a fee of £8 million. He won the first league championship of his career with the Blues, as part of the squad that won the English title.

He played 34 matches overall for Chelsea, scoring one goal against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Valencia

On 21 June 2006, del Horno returned to Spain to sign for Valencia, on a six-year deal, for €8 million, seen as a natural replacement for Amedeo Carboni, who had retired at 41. Athletic Bilbao had expressed interest, but withdrew from further negotiations, forfeiting any further financial advantage. Following surgery on his injured Achilles heel, which kept him off the pitches for most of the season, del Horno made his debut for his new club on 3 March 2007, in a 1–0 league win over Celta de Vigo.

Del Horno was placed on the transfer list by then-Valencia manager Quique Flores, as the coach announced that the defender would not retain his position in the team for 2007–08.

In the last day of the transfer window, del Horno agreed to join his former team Athletic Bilbao on a one-year loan deal, returning to Valencia after an injury-filled campaign; at the Che, his physical problems persisted. After an unassuming first half of 2009–10 – only played in the cup, and only when Valencia faced rivals of smaller entity – del Horno was loaned to Real Valladolid until the end of the season, on January 30. An undisputed starter since his arrival, he could not however prevent the Castile and León club from returning to level two, after a three-year stay in the top division.

For the 2010–11 season, 29-year old del Horno was loaned once again, joining freshly promoted Levante UD. He was used regularly in both defensive positions as the Valencian Community side eventually retained its top division status, but also missed the campaign's final stretch due to physical ailments which had been bothering him since early into the season.

Later years

Upon returning to Valencia, del Horno's contract was immediately terminated. In early August 2011, he re-joined Levante on a permanent deal.

International career

Del Horno made his Spain debut against Scotland on 3 September 2004. He scored the winner in a 1–0 friendly against England played in Madrid, two months later.

An ankle injury forced del Horno to withdraw from the 23-man team named by Luis Aragonés for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Medical staff in the RFEF alleged that Chelsea had prior knowledge of del Horno's injury, but allowed him to continue playing. His vacant position was controversially filled in by naturalised Argentinian Mariano Pernía, of Getafe CF.

International goals

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	17 November 2004	Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain	England	1–0	1–0	Friendly
2.	9 February 2005	Juegos Mediterráneos, Almería, Spain	San Marino	5–0	5–0	2006 World Cup qualification

Honours

Team	Award	Year(s)
Chelsea	Premier League	2005–06
Chelsea	Community Shield	2005

Club statistics

Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Cup	Apps	Goals	Supercup	Apps	Goals	Continental	Apps	Goals	International	Apps	Goals
2000–01	Athletic Bilbao		14	0		1	0		0	0		0	0		0	0
2001–02	Athletic Bilbao		10	1		2	0		0	0		0	0		0	0
2002–03	Athletic Bilbao		24	4		1	0		0	0		0	0		0	0
2003–04	Athletic Bilbao		31	5		0	0		0	0		0	0		0	0
2004–05	Athletic Bilbao		29	3		6	1		0	0		8	3		7	2
2005–06	Chelsea		25	1		4	0		1	0		4	0		3	0
2006–07	Valencia		6	0		0	0		0	0		2	0		0	0
2007–08	Athletic Bilbao		16	0		5	1		0	0		0	0		0	0
2008–09	Valencia		9	0		4	0		0	0		8	2		0	0
2009–10	Valencia		0	0		0	0		0	0		0	0		0	0
2009–10	Valladolid		13	0		0	0		0	0		0	0		0	0
Total			177	14	Total	23	2	Total	1	0	Total	22	5	Total	10	2

External links

• Levante official profile (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Athletic Bilbao profile
• Asier del Horno career stats at Soccerbase
• Asier del Horno at National-Football-Teams.com
• Asier del Horno – FIFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile