Andy Najar
Encyclopedia
Andy Najar Rodriguez is a Honduran
footballer currently playing for D.C. United
in Major League Soccer
in the United States.
in southern Honduras, Najar moved to the United States when he was 13, attended Edison High School
in Alexandria, Virginia
, and joined D.C. United
's youth academy in 2008. During his time with the Academy program, Najar received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding play. He was named to the USSF Development Academy Starting XI in 2009 and was the leading scorer in the US Developmental Academy Finals in Los Angeles in 2009.
and signed a professional Generation Adidas
contract with D.C. United
on March 22, 2010. Once part of MLS, the league and his team became responsible for his education. He is the second player to sign with the first team directly from United’s Academy, after goalkeeper Bill Hamid
who signed with the first team in September 2009.
He made his professional debut on March 27, 2010, in DC's opening game of the 2010 MLS season against the Kansas City Wizards
, and scored his first professional goal on April 28, 2010 in a U.S. Open Cup
game against FC Dallas
. He was named MLS Rookie Of The Year following the 2010 season.
Najar is considered by pundits such as Soccer America's Paul Gardner
to be one of DC United top players already, at the young age of 17. He has received interest from European clubs, according to his agent, and is expected to move his services there later in his career, possibly as soon as the end of this season. However, it was announced in mid-December that Najar had signed a multi-year contract with D.C. United
..
Najar was voted MLS Rookie of the Year
for the 2010 season ahead of Tim Ream
and Danny Mwanga
.
He is currently the youngest player on DC United.
On November 27th, Najar agreed to join with Tottenham Hotspur for a 1 week trial.
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
footballer currently playing for D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in the United States.
Amateur
Born in CholutecaCholuteca, Choluteca
Choluteca is a municipality and the capital city of the Honduran department of the same name. Situated in southern Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua, the city is generally considered the regional center of southern Honduras and is a major transit point on the Pan-American Highway. It...
in southern Honduras, Najar moved to the United States when he was 13, attended Edison High School
Thomas A. Edison High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
Thomas A. Edison High School is a high school in Rose Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools.In the 1990s, the school's debate and forensics teams gained widespread recognition. The Policy Debate Team won the Harvard Tournament , the Glenbrooks , and two...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, and joined D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
's youth academy in 2008. During his time with the Academy program, Najar received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding play. He was named to the USSF Development Academy Starting XI in 2009 and was the leading scorer in the US Developmental Academy Finals in Los Angeles in 2009.
Professional
Najar left Edison High SchoolThomas A. Edison High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
Thomas A. Edison High School is a high school in Rose Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools.In the 1990s, the school's debate and forensics teams gained widespread recognition. The Policy Debate Team won the Harvard Tournament , the Glenbrooks , and two...
and signed a professional Generation Adidas
Generation adidas
Generation adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...
contract with D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
on March 22, 2010. Once part of MLS, the league and his team became responsible for his education. He is the second player to sign with the first team directly from United’s Academy, after goalkeeper Bill Hamid
Bill Hamid
Abdul "Bill" Hamid is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
who signed with the first team in September 2009.
He made his professional debut on March 27, 2010, in DC's opening game of the 2010 MLS season against the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, and scored his first professional goal on April 28, 2010 in a U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
game against FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. He was named MLS Rookie Of The Year following the 2010 season.
Najar is considered by pundits such as Soccer America's Paul Gardner
Paul Gardner
Paul Gardner may refer to:*Paul Gardner , Soccer Writer*Paul Gardner , Canadian ice hockey player*Paul Gardner , Melbourne Football Club president...
to be one of DC United top players already, at the young age of 17. He has received interest from European clubs, according to his agent, and is expected to move his services there later in his career, possibly as soon as the end of this season. However, it was announced in mid-December that Najar had signed a multi-year contract with D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
..
Najar was voted MLS Rookie of the Year
MLS Rookie of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. MLS, as opposed to other American sports leagues like Major League Baseball, only designates a player as a rookie if the player has had no prior professional experience...
for the 2010 season ahead of Tim Ream
Tim Ream
Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:...
and Danny Mwanga
Danny Mwanga
Jean-Marie Daniel "Danny" Mwanga is a Congolese-American footballer who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.-Youth:...
.
He is currently the youngest player on DC United.
On November 27th, Najar agreed to join with Tottenham Hotspur for a 1 week trial.
International
On April 6, 2011 Najar formally announced that, should the opportunity arise, his choice would be to play for the national team. He made his first appearance for Honduras on September 3, 2011, against Venezuela entering in the 67th minute.Career statistics
| Club | Season |  Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
US Open Cup | CONCACAF CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region .... |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
2010 2010 Major League Soccer season The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... |
26 | 5 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 31 | 7 |
| 2011 2011 Major League Soccer season The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver... |
31 | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 33 | 6 | |
| Club Total | 57 | 10 | 7 | 3 | - | - | 64 | 13 | |