Natxo Insa

Ignacio 'Natxo' Insa Bohigues (born 9 June 1986) is a Spanish-born Malaysian professional footballer who plays for Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. as a midfielder.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Insa and the second or maternal family name is Bohigues.
Natxo Insa
Insa playing for Antalyaspor in 2013
Personal information
Full name Ignacio Insa Bohigues
Date of birth (1986-06-09) 9 June 1986
Place of birth Cocentaina, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Johor Darul Ta'zim
Number 30
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Valencia B 36 (2)
2007–2009 Valencia 1 (0)
2007–2009 → Eibar (loan) 56 (3)
2009–2011 Villarreal B 74 (2)
2011 Villarreal 1 (0)
2011–2013 Celta 46 (3)
2013–2014 Antalyaspor 16 (0)
2015 Zaragoza 17 (0)
2015–2016 Alcorcón 34 (2)
2016–2017 Levante 35 (2)
2017– Johor Darul Ta'zim 26 (5)
National team‡
2018– Malaysia 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 April 2019
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 March 2018

He spent most of his career in Segunda División, playing 244 matches and scoring and a combined ten goals for Eibar, Villarreal B, Celta, Zaragoza, Alcorcón and Levante. In La Liga, he represented Villarreal's first team and Celta.

Spanish-born, Insa appeared for Malaysia internationally, making his debut in 2018.

Club career

Insa was born in Cocentaina, Province of Alicante, Valencian Community. A product of Valencia CF's youth ranks, he made his first-team debut in a friendly with Fenerbahçe S.K. in July 2006, but spent the vast majority of that season with the B-side in Segunda División B. He first appeared officially for the main squad on 5 December 2006, coming on as an early substitute in a UEFA Champions League game at A.S. Roma (0–1 group stage loss);[1] he played his first La Liga match on 17 June of the following year, featuring the last six minutes of the 3–3 home draw against Real Sociedad.[2]

In 2007–08, Insa was loaned to Segunda División club SD Eibar,[3] scoring twice[4][5] in 33 appearances. The deal was renewed for the following campaign, where he appeared slightly less and also suffered team relegation.[6]

In August 2009, Insa moved to Villarreal CF, spending his first season with the reserves also in the second level.[7] He played just one competitive match with the first team, 11 minutes in a 0–1 away loss to CA Osasuna.[8]

From 2011 to 2013, Insa represented RC Celta de Vigo. In the latter campaign he scored two goals, the first in a 2–2 home draw against FC Barcelona[9] and the second in a 1–0 triumph over RCD Espanyol also at Balaídos;[10] that last matchday win ultimately proved essential, as the Galicians eventually avoided relegation.[11]

After a one-year spell abroad at Turkey's Antalyaspor, Insa returned to Spain and its second tier in January 2015, appearing for Real Zaragoza,[12] AD Alcorcón[13] and Levante UD[14] in quick succession. On 6 June 2017, he signed with Malaysia Super League's Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. for a fee of nearly €400,000.[15]

International career

Insa obtained Malaysian citizenship through his grandmother, who was born in Sabah.[16] He won his first cap for their national team on 22 March 2018 at the age of 31, in a 2–2 friendly draw to Mongolia.[17]

Personal life

Insa's younger brother. Kiko, is also a footballer and a Malaysian international.[18][19]

Career statistics

Club
As of 3 March 2020
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Valencia B 2006–07[20] Segunda División B 342—2[lower-alpha 1]0362
Valencia 2006–07[20] La Liga 10001[lower-alpha 2]020
Eibar (loan) 2007–08[20] Segunda División 33210—342
2008–09[20] Segunda División 23100—231
Total 56310—573
Villarreal B 2009–10[20] Segunda División 342——342
2010–11[20] Segunda División 400——400
Total 742——742
Villarreal 2010–11[20] La Liga 1000—10
Celta 2011–12[20] Segunda División 28130—311
2012–13[20] La Liga 18200—182
Total 46330—493
Antalyaspor 2013–14[21] Süper Lig 16041—201
Zaragoza 2014–15[20] Segunda División 17000—170
Alcorcón 2015–16[21] Segunda División 34210—352
Levante 2016–17[21] Segunda División 35200—352
Johor Darul Ta'zim 2017[21] Malaysia Super League 9292—184
2018[21] Malaysia Super League 14314[lower-alpha 3] 15[lower-alpha 4] 0323
2019[21] Malaysia Super League 300[lower-alpha 3] 01[lower-alpha 5] 040
2020[21] Malaysia Super League 000[lower-alpha 3] 02[lower-alpha 5] 020
Career total 3351832411037721
  1. Appearances in Relegation Play-offs
  2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. Appearances in the Malaysia FA Cup and the Malaysia Cup
  4. Appearances in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and the AFC Cup
  5. Appearances in the AFC Champions League

International
As of 22 March 2018[22]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Malaysia 201810
Total10

Honours

Club

Levante

Johor Darul Ta'zim

Individual

References
  1. "Roma 1–0 Valencia: Panucci sends Roma through". ESPN Soccernet. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  2. "Valencia 3–3 Real Sociedad". ESPN Soccernet. 17 June 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  3. "Eibar ficha al mediapunta Nacho Insa del Valencia B" [Eibar sign attacking midfielder Nacho Insa from Valencia B] (in Spanish). Join Futbol. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. "El Xerez remonta tres goles al Eibar y consigue el empate" [Xerez come back from three goals against Eibar and get draw]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 22 December 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  5. "'Hat trick' de Goiria y goleada del Éibar" [Goiria hat trick and Éibar routing]. Ideal (in Spanish). 23 March 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  6. "Una regeneración completa, o casi, para una nueva etapa" [Complete regeneration, or nearly, for a new spell]. Gara (in Spanish). 3 June 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  7. "Insa, el vecino que añora Alcoi" [Insa, local who yearns for Alcoi]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 5 January 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  8. "Osasuna ensure top-flight status". ESPN Soccernet. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  9. "Messi makes history as Barca draw". ESPN FC. 30 March 2013. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  10. "Insa hands Celta survival". ESPN FC. 1 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  11. "Natxo Insa: "Fue el gol más importante de mi vida"" [Natxo Insa: "It was the most important goal of my life"] (in Spanish). Vavel. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  12. "Natxo Insa refuerza al Zaragoza" [Natxo Insa bolsters Zaragoza]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 January 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  13. "Natxo Insa presentado oficialmente como nuevo futbolista de la A.D. Alcorcón" [Natxo Insa officially presented as new footballer of A.D. Alcorcón] (in Spanish). AD Alcorcón. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  14. "El Levante UD llega a un acuerdo con Natxo Insa para su incorporación para las dos próximas temporadas" [Levante UD reach agreement with Natxo Insa for his signing for the following two seasons] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  15. "Welcome to JDT family Ignacio 'Natxo' Insa". Johor Darul Ta'zim. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  16. K. Rajan (20 March 2018). "Naturalised Natxo ready to work his magic on national team". The Star. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  17. Nicolas Anil (23 March 2018). "We will improve, says Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe after Mongolia draw". Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  18. "Natxo Insa: The newly naturalised Malaysian midfielder shining brightly at JDT". FourFourTwo. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  19. Nicolas Anil (March 2018). "Natxo Insa, Corbin Ong in new-look Malaysia side under Tan Cheng Hoe". Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  20. "Nacho Insa: Ignacio Insa Bohigues". BDFutbol. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  21. "Natxo Insa". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  22. "Natxo Insa – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  23. "PFAM-Asiana Player of the Month Award – Natxo Insa". Johor Darul Ta'zim. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
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