Ramón Núñez
Encyclopedia
Ramón Núñez is a Honduran
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

 international footballer, currently playing for Leeds United. Núñez plays primarily as an attacking central midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 playmaker. He can also play as a Winger or as a second striker. In his homeland he is nicknamed El Principito meaning The Little Prince. In 2011, he had a loan spell at Scunthorpe United.

Early career

Núñez grew up in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, coming with his family on his father's investor visa
EB-5 visa
The EB-5 visa for Immigrant Investors is a United States visa created by the Immigration Act of 1990. This visa provides a method of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the United States. To obtain the visa, individuals must invest $1,000,000 , creating or preserving...

 in the early 1990s and graduating from W. T. White High School in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. He was drafted by the Dallas Burn
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...

 sixth overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft
2004 MLS SuperDraft
The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft, and was most notable for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in American sporting history, Freddy Adu, with the first pick.-Player...

 after one season of college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...

 at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

 for which he was named the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...

 freshman of the year.

MLS career

In his first year with the Dallas Burn (which later changed their name to 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...

), Núñez saw very limited action, playing a total of 107 minutes in eight games. However, he came on strong at the end of his second season, earning a starting role and finishing with five league goals and three assists. After losing a starting spot, he transferred to Chivas USA in August 2007. He was released on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Deportivo Olimpia

Soon after, Ramón joined Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

 of Honduras
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...

 where he made 34 appearances, finding the net three times. He was a key player in Olimpia's lineup and played mostly as an attacking midfielder, providing several assists. He was renowned for his extraordinary vision and was instrumental in Los Leones’s 2007/08 Clausura triumph, his performances also securing him the player of the season award.

Puebla

Núñez's excellent form with Olimpia and with the Honduran national football squad
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

 led to him signing on loan for six months at Mexican First Division
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...

 side Puebla. He scored his first goal with Puebla on February 18, 2009 against C.F. Pachuca. He continued to score for 'La Franja' since then and brought his goal tally up to five goals. He also created five assists throughout the season.

Cruz Azul

His performances on loan for Puebia earned Núñez a move to Cruz Azul for the 2009-2010 season, where he scored two goals in the CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...

 Champions League. He left the club after six months after not making the same sort of impression he made at Puebia. He decided to return to Honduras so he could get regular games to guarantee his spot in the 2010 Honduras World Cup Squad.

C.D. Olimpia

Núñez returned to Honduras after leaving Mexico, where he re-joined the nation's most successful side in C.D. Olimpia where he scored 5 goals in 11 games for them. After his 6 month contract ended, Núñez wanted to try his luck in Europe after turning down offers to join Mexican Premier League clubs. After becoming a free agent, he left Olimpia to join Leeds initially on a trial basis before signing a permanent contract.

Leeds United

In August 2010, Núñez joined English club Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 on trial. Núñez scored in his first game for the club in a pre-season friendly victory against Bradford Park Avenue. After impressing manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....

 during his trial, Núñez's trial period was extended at Leeds by a further week. On 31 August 2010, Núñez signed a professional contract with Leeds United until January 2011, when there is an option to extend the contract even further. On 14 September, in order to gain match fitness, Núñez played 90 minutes in Leeds' 3–1 behind closed doors friendly win against Middlesbrough. Núñez put in an impressive performance, scoring a goal and gaining an assist for Mike Grella
Mike Grella
Michael Grella is an American professional soccer player who plays for Brentford. He plays as a striker. He was a United States Under-20 International and a highly rated talent in USA...

. Núñez revealed on 23 September, that he was eligible to play for Leeds' first team after going to New York to get a green light on the necessary paperwork.

On 28 September, Núñez was named on the bench for Leeds against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

 and against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

. He made his debut as a second half substitute against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

, as Leeds were comprehensively beaten 4–0 at home. Núñez came on as a second half substitute against Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

. On 1 January 2011, manager Grayson revealed that Núñez might get a new contract despite not playing many games.

On 13 January, Núñez signed a new contract extension with Leeds until the end of the 2010–11 season. The extension also includes the option of a further year on the contract.

Despite the new contract and some impressive performances for Leeds United's reserve team (including all four goals in the 4-1 victory of Lincoln City on 7 March), Núñez struggled for chances in the Leeds United first team, making do with a place on the bench and a regular spot in Leeds' reserves.

Leeds chose to exercise the option on Núñez's contract and the midfielder has extended his stay at Elland Road for another year.

Scunthorpe loan

On 24 March, he joined Scunthorpe United on loan in order to get some more experience in English football. On 2 April, Núñez made his debut in the 6-0 thrashing by Norwich at Carrow Road on 2 April 2011, however after a sending off to a Scunthorpe player Núñez was substituted in the first half. He scored his first goal for Scunthorpe against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

 on 16 April 2011. After impressing in his first month, Núñez's loan was extended until the end of the season. Núñez's impressive form continued when he scored an important equaliser for Scunthorpe against Coventry City on 22 April, after the game manager Alan Knill
Alan Knill
Alan Richard Knill is a former Wales international footballer who played as a central defender. He is presently manager of League One side Scunthorpe United.-Playing career:...

 revealed when he signed Núñez he first spoke to him in pidgin English only for Núñez to speak back to him in his broad American accent.

Núñez won a penalty for Scunthorpe against Nottingham Forest, however Scunthorpe lost the match 5-1 and were relegated to League One. Núñez capped a productive loan spell when he scored his third goal of the season in the final match of the season against Portsmouth.

Return to Leeds

After his spell on loan at Scunthorpe, Núñez signed a new contract at Leeds on 9 May 2011. After playing five games for Honduras over the summer in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...

, Núñez was given extra time off before returning to Leeds for pre season training. Núñez played a part in Leeds' 2011 pre-season matches scoring against Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...

 when his cross was turned in for an own goal in Leeds 2–0 pre-season victory, following this impressive performance up with a goal against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...

. He also scored a late equaliser in the 1–1 draw with Norwegian club Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....

.

Núñez was given the number 20 shirt for Leeds United. He came on as a substitute for Leeds the opening day of the season as they crashed to a 3–1 defeat against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

. Núñez scored his first goals for Leeds with a brace against Bradford City in the League Cup 3–2 win on 9 August. Núñez made his first ever league start for Leeds on August 16 against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

, and scored his 3rd goal of the season during the match- his first league goal for the club. Núñez scored his 4th and 5th goals of the season against Doncaster Rovers in the League Cup on 23 August. After the sale of Max Gradel
Max Gradel
Max-Alain Gradel is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Saint-Étienne in the French Ligue 1 after joining from Leeds United....

, Núñez came into the starting lineup against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...

 on 10 September. Núñez dropped to the bench in place of Andy Keogh
Andy Keogh
Andrew Declan "Andy" Keogh is a Republic of Ireland International footballer who plays as a striker. He can also play as a winger. He is currently on loan at Championship side Leeds United from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers...

 against Manchester United, he came on as a second half substitute and managed to miss one of Leeds' best scoring chances late on in the game.

On the 11th of October 2011 Núñez signed a new four year deal with an option of a fifth year with Leeds United.

International career

Núñez was part of the Honduran
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

 U-20 team at the 2005 World Youth Championship in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. Then, on October 2006, Núñez was called up to the Honduran senior team for the first time. He made his début for the national side on September 9, 2007 coming in as a substitute in a match against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...

. Ramón made his second and third appearances in September after being called up by Reinaldo Rueda to play in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
The CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...

. In 2008, Núñez appeared for the Honduras U-23 side at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing. Ramón Núñez scored two goals for the Honduran national football team
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

 after the team was down one goal against Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

 on September 6, 2008 to defeat the squad 2-1. Four days later he found the net again in Honduras'
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

 2-0 match against Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...

.

Núñez was named in the Honduras 2010 World Cup squad and was given the number 7 shirt, He played in all three of Honduras' games at the 2010 World Cup In South Africa. Honduras failed to progress beyond the group stages, with Spain and Chile qualifying for the next stage.

After joining Leeds, Núñez was called up for the Honduras national side to play in a friendly against Guatemala Núñez managed to win his 35th cap in the game and managed to create a goal in Honduras' 2-0 win Núñez was called up to play against Panama before Christmas. He was then called up for Hondruas to play Costa Rica and Guatemala in the Copa Americana games. 15 January, Núñez scored against Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

 in injury time to earn Honduras a 1-1 draw. Núñez scored in his second successive game by scoring in Honduras' win against Guatemala 23 January, Núñez played in the Central American Cup final and helped Honduras win the tournament after beating Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

 2-1. Núñez won the award for best player of the tournament when he won the MVP On 21 March, Núñez was called up into the Honduras squad.

In June 2011, Núñez played for Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...

, he was used as an impact player and came on as a substitute in each of the first four games. Nunez denied on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 page that he had critisced the Honduras manager Luis Fernando Suarez
Luis Fernando Suárez
Luis Fernando Suárez is a Colombian retired football player and current manager of Honduras.Suárez led the Ecuador national football team to the round of 16 at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and won the 1999 Colombian championship with Atlético Nacional. In 2005, he led Ecuador to their second...

 after the 1-1 match against Guatemala in the Gold Cup. Honduras played Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

 in the semi-final of the Gold Cup with Núñez making his fifth appearance of the tournament as a substitute. However, Mexico beat Honduras 2–0 in extra time to reach the final.

Núñez revealed in August 2011 he turned down a call up for Honduras to feature against Venezuela as it meant he would miss Leeds match against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

. Núñez started against Bradford and scoring his first two goals for Leeds.

Awards

Club
  • Olimpia
    Club Deportivo Olimpia
    Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

    : Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras Champions 2007–08


International
  • Honduras
    Honduras national football team
    The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

    : Copa Centroamericana Champions 2011


Personal
  • Olimpia
    Club Deportivo Olimpia
    Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

    : Player of the season 2007–08
  • Southern Methodist University
    Southern Methodist University
    Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

    : Missouri Valley Conference
    Missouri Valley Conference
    The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...

     2003 Freshman of the Year
  • Honduras
    Honduras national football team
    The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...

    : Copa Centroamericana MVP 2011

Career statistics

|-
|2004||rowspan="4"|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...

||rowspan="4"|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...

||8||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005||21||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006||25||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....

||13||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....

||Chivas USA||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...

||8||0||||||||||||||||

|-
|2007-08||rowspan="2"|Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

||rowspan="2"|Liga Nacional
Liga Nacional de Futbol de Honduras
Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening and Closing . One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso...

||34||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|2008-09||11||5||||||||||||||||
75||14||||||||||||||||
45||8||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||||

International goals

External links

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