- Nayim
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Nayim Personal information Full name Mohammed Ali Amar Date of birth 5 November 1966 Place of birth Ceuta, Spain Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) Playing position Midfielder Youth career Ceuta 1979–1985 Barcelona Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1985–1987 Barcelona B 46 (7) 1987–1988 Barcelona 7 (0) 1988–1993 Tottenham 144 (18) 1993–1997 Zaragoza 123 (5) 1997–2000 Logroñés 67 (5) National team 1984–1985 Spain U18 4 (0) 1985 Spain U19 1 (0) 1985 Spain U20 4 (0) 1987 Spain U21 1 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Mohammed Ali Amar (born 5 November 1966 in Ceuta), commonly known as Nayim, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.
He is best known for scoring a last-minute goal for Real Zaragoza in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final against Arsenal,[1] with a lob over opposing goalkeeper David Seaman from 45 yards in the final minute of extra time.
Having started his professional career with FC Barcelona, with little impact, Nayim also represented Tottenham during five Premier League seasons.
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Club career
At almost 19, Nayim left his hometown and joined FC Barcelona's La Masia,[2] then managed by Terry Venables, but had very few opportunities in two seasons with the first team, and came to Tottenham Hotspur originally on loan, in November 1988 (11 league appearances during the 1988–89 campaign, scoring twice), signing the following year for £400,000. His first goal for the club came in a 2–0 win at Southampton, and he also found the net in Spurs' 3–0 home win over West Ham United.
In 1989–90, Nayim made a total of 23 appearances, helping Tottenham to a third-place finish. The League Cup offered him his first experience of English cup competition, playing in four games en route to the semi-final and scoring three goals.
The following season proved to be Nayim's most successful campaign in English football. Although Spurs finished in only 11th, he enjoyed 33 league outings and scored five times. His path to a Wembley final was again halted at the League Cup semi-final but, in the FA Cup, Tottenham overcame Nottingham Forest 2–1 in the final, with Nayim replacing injured Paul Gascoigne early in the match, and setting up both of his team's goals to bring success to White Hart Lane.
In 1991–92, Nayim appeared in 31 league games, adding six appearances in the League Cup campaign, including both legs of the semi-final where Nottingham Forest, this time, bested the Spurs. The following season, he won the Goal of the Month competition for October with a spectacular volley against Liverpool. Later in the season, Nayim scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City, helping to a 4–2 success.
In May 1993, after 144 appearances and 18 goals for Spurs, Nayim signed for Real Zaragoza for £500,000. His most notable moment in football came in the final seconds of extra-time in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final by lobbing David Seaman from 45 yards to score a last-minute goal and win it 2–1 against Spurs' arch rivals Arsenal.[1]
Nayim retired in 2000, after a stint with Spanish second division side CD Logroñés. He took up coaching afterwards, managing Atlético Ceuta, and serving as assistant to AD Ceuta.[2] In 2006 the Aragonese village of Trasmoz named a street 'Gol de Nayim' ('Nayim's Goal').
In late 2009, he joined former Zaragoza teammate José Aurelio Gay's coaching staff, being named his assistant manager after Marcelino García Toral's sacking.
Honours
Club
- Barcelona:
- Spanish Cup: 1987–88
- Zaragoza:
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1994–95
- Spanish Cup: 1993–94
Country
- Spain U20:
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: Runner-up 1985
References
- ^ a b "1994/95: Nayim's bolt from the blue sinks Arsenal". UEFA.com. 1 June 1995. http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind=4/newsid=3429.html. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ a b Ortiz, Beatriz (6 February 2009). "Qué fue de Nayim... el héroe de la Recopa del Zaragoza (What happened to Nayim...Zaragoza's Cup Winners' Cup hero)" (in Spanish). El País. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/fue/Nayim/heroe/Recopa/Zaragoza/elpepudep/20090206csrcsrdep_3/Tes#. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
External links
Categories:- 1966 births
- Living people
- People from Ceuta
- Spanish Muslims
- Spanish people of Moroccan descent
- Spanish footballers
- Association football midfielders
- La Liga footballers
- FC Barcelona Atlètic footballers
- FC Barcelona footballers
- Real Zaragoza footballers
- CD Logroñés footballers
- Premier League players
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
- Spain youth international footballers
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Spanish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Barcelona:
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