Nacho Novo
Encyclopedia
Ignacio Javier "Nacho" Gómez Novo (born 26 March 1979) is a Spanish association footballer who plays for La Liga
side Sporting Gijón
.
Novo formerly played for Huesca
in Spain
then moved to Scotland
with Raith Rovers
and Dundee
. In July 2004, he moved to Rangers
for £450,000. During his first season at the club he scored 25 goals and won a league and League Cup
double. He had to wait four years before lifting the league championship again in the 2008–09 season, where he also scored the winning goal in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final
which won him his second double.
on 4 August, and netted the winner during a Challenge Cup match against Alloa Athletic
three days later. Novo saw himself sent off in only his third match for Raith, whilst playing against Partick Thistle
.
Despite this setback he went on to score consistently in the Scottish First Division
, netting doubles against St Mirren
and twice against Falkirk
. Novo accumulated a total of 22 goals in 38 appearances during his first season in Scotland.
club Dundee who signed him for £100,000 in July 2002. He made his Scottish Premier League debut on 3 August 2002 in a 1–1 draw with Hearts. Novo scored his first and second goals for the club against Dunfermline Athletic
on 17 August but was sent-off in the dying moments of the match for raising his foot at Pars defender Scott Wilson. He went on to score a further seven goals to end the season with a tally of nine.
His second season saw Novo return to form, scoring four goals in the UEFA Cup
, including one against then Serie A
outfit Perugia
, helped him to an end of season tally of 25. This form attracted the interest of several clubs including Celtic
and Rangers
. Celtic had a £500,000 bid accepted but failed to agree terms the player, stating Novo didn't have the "necessary level of commitment" during signing talks.
. In his first season at the club he scored 25 goals, including the goal against Hibernian that won Rangers the league title. He made his debut for Rangers in a Scottish Premier League
match away to Aberdeen
on 7 August 2004. His first goal came in his second appearance, netting in Rangers' 2–1 loss to Russian side CSKA Moscow on 10 August.
Following his first goal Novo failed to score in his next eight appearances and he was dropped from the starting eleven. He came on as a 66th minute subsititute in a league match against his former employers Dundee
. Novo netted two goals in as many minutes which helped Rangers to a 2–0 victory, after that he was a regular in the Rangers side.
At the start of the season
Novo broke his fifth metatarsal, which ruled him out for several months. Upon his return from injury he failed to score in the twenty matches he played the rest of that season, being deployed more as a winger than a striker due to the form of Kris Boyd
. His three goals had come against Celtic
, Falkirk
and Cypriot
club Anorthosis Famagusta
.
With the departure of Alex McLeish
and the arrival of Frenchman Paul Le Guen
, Novo looked set to leave Rangers. However, a proposed transfer to English First Division
club Coventry City
fell through on transfer deadline day. Novo initially found his appearances sporadic, featuring in the first game of the season then waiting seven weeks for his second but after a mixture of poor results, injuries and his good performances for the reserves Novo returned to the first team. His first goal of that season, and in over a year, was during a 3–2 UEFA Cup win over Livorno
on 19 October 2006. The following match, Novo came off the bench to score a late winner against St. Mirren
in a 3–2 win. He then started the next game, Motherwell
held Rangers to a 1–1 draw with Novo named Man of the Match
. His rejuvenated form continued with goals against Heart of Midlothian
, Maccabi Haifa
and AJ Auxerre
. Novo continued to be a regular when Le Guen was replaced with Walter Smith
.
The signings of strikers in the summer of 2007 led to increased competition for attacking positions and most of Novo's appearances in the early months of the season were as a substitute. On 20 October, he started the first Old Firm
derby match of the season and scored twice in a 3–0 victory for Rangers over Celtic. On the 2 December 2007 it was reported that Rangers
were willing to offer Novo a one year extension to his current contract, which was to expire in July 2008. However, Novo said that he would leave the club if he was not offered a longer contract. He was later offered a two-year contract extension, which expires in the summer of 2010, and signed the deal on 21 December 2007.
On 1 May 2008, he scored the winning penalty in the semi final shoot-out against Fiorentina
which put Rangers through to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
. During the 2007–08
season Novo was sent off twice, both in league games before cup finals, meaning that he missed both the 2008 League Cup final
and the 2008 Scottish Cup final
through suspension. The 2008–09 season
saw Novo used almost exclusively as a substitute. He came off the bench in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final
to score the winning goal after only being on the field for 28 seconds.
During what turned out to be his final season with Rangers, he won both the league and Scottish League Cup, scoring nine times, but was mainly used as a substitute, starting just 14 league games. Novo decided not to sign a new contract as he was not getting enough starting opportunities.
side Sporting de Gijón
, on a two-year deal. After a difficult first season in Spain
, Novo was offered to clubs in the summer of 2011 with a return to Scotland
being mooted. Aberdeen
boss Craig Brown
said that he had turn down the chance to sign Novo, this was later denied by the players agent.
but has played for Galicia. His debut was in a 2007 friendly match against Cameroon
and the game was drawn 1–1. In December 2008 he played for the Galician team against Iran
, arriving in his homeland just an hour before the match started after playing for Rangers against Celtic
earlier in the day. He scored two goals and left to the acclaim of the Galician fans.
On 24 October 2008, it was reported that Novo could be selected by the Scottish national team
as he is eligible to acquire a British passport, having lived in Scotland for eight years. This led to much debate amongst the Scottish media as to whether Novo, who was born in Spain and has no Scottish parents or grandparents, should be selected by Scotland. It eventually became clear, however, that the Home Nations
would continue to honour a deal whereby that any player selected by England
, Northern Ireland
, Scotland or Wales
would be required to have a blood tie to that country, or have had five years compulsory education within it. This deal would rule out the prospect of Novo playing for Scotland, or the prospect of Manuel Almunia
or Mikel Arteta
playing for England,
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
side Sporting Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
.
Novo formerly played for Huesca
SD Huesca
Sociedad Deportiva Huesca, S.A.D., is a Spanish football club based in Huesca, in the autonomous community of Aragon. Founded in 1960, it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Estadio El Alcoraz, which seats 8,000 spectators....
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
then moved to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
and Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
. In July 2004, he moved to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
for £450,000. During his first season at the club he scored 25 goals and won a league and League Cup
2005 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2005 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 20 March 2005 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 58th Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Rangers and Motherwell...
double. He had to wait four years before lifting the league championship again in the 2008–09 season, where he also scored the winning goal in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final
2009 Scottish Cup Final
The 2009 Scottish Cup Final was the final of the 124th season of the main domestic football cup competition in Scotland, the Scottish Cup. The final was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 30 May 2009...
which won him his second double.
Raith Rovers
Novo joined Raith Rovers from SD Huesca in July 2001. He made a scoring debut against AirdrieoniansAirdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
on 4 August, and netted the winner during a Challenge Cup match against Alloa Athletic
Alloa Athletic F.C.
Alloa Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division....
three days later. Novo saw himself sent off in only his third match for Raith, whilst playing against Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
.
Despite this setback he went on to score consistently in the Scottish First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
, netting doubles against St Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
and twice 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...
. Novo accumulated a total of 22 goals in 38 appearances during his first season in Scotland.
Dundee
His goalscoring record attracted the attention of then Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Dundee who signed him for £100,000 in July 2002. He made his Scottish Premier League debut on 3 August 2002 in a 1–1 draw with Hearts. Novo scored his first and second goals for the club against Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
on 17 August but was sent-off in the dying moments of the match for raising his foot at Pars defender Scott Wilson. He went on to score a further seven goals to end the season with a tally of nine.
His second season saw Novo return to form, scoring four goals in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, including one against then Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
outfit Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
, helped him to an end of season tally of 25. This form attracted the interest of several clubs including Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Celtic had a £500,000 bid accepted but failed to agree terms the player, stating Novo didn't have the "necessary level of commitment" during signing talks.
Rangers
Novo signed for Rangers on 6 July 2004 for a reported fee of £450,000. He was allocated the number 10 shirt that had been vacated by Michael MolsMichael Mols
Michael Alexander Mols is a retired Dutch footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Born in Amsterdam to Indo parents, Mols, a product of local AFC Ajax's youth system, never appeared officially for its first team, making his professional debuts in the second division, with Cambuur...
. In his first season at the club he scored 25 goals, including the goal against Hibernian that won Rangers the league title. He made his debut for Rangers in a Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
match away to Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
on 7 August 2004. His first goal came in his second appearance, netting in Rangers' 2–1 loss to Russian side CSKA Moscow on 10 August.
Following his first goal Novo failed to score in his next eight appearances and he was dropped from the starting eleven. He came on as a 66th minute subsititute in a league match against his former employers Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
. Novo netted two goals in as many minutes which helped Rangers to a 2–0 victory, after that he was a regular in the Rangers side.
At the start of the season
2005-06 in Scottish football
The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill...
Novo broke his fifth metatarsal, which ruled him out for several months. Upon his return from injury he failed to score in the twenty matches he played the rest of that season, being deployed more as a winger than a striker due to the form of Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish side Eskişehirspor.Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his...
. His three goals had come against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, 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...
and Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
club Anorthosis Famagusta
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
.
With the departure of Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
and the arrival of Frenchman Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade...
, Novo looked set to leave Rangers. However, a proposed transfer to English First Division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
fell through on transfer deadline day. Novo initially found his appearances sporadic, featuring in the first game of the season then waiting seven weeks for his second but after a mixture of poor results, injuries and his good performances for the reserves Novo returned to the first team. His first goal of that season, and in over a year, was during a 3–2 UEFA Cup win over Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
on 19 October 2006. The following match, Novo came off the bench to score a late winner against St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
in a 3–2 win. He then started the next game, 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...
held Rangers to a 1–1 draw with Novo named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
. His rejuvenated form continued with goals against Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
and AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
. Novo continued to be a regular when Le Guen was replaced with Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
.
The signings of strikers in the summer of 2007 led to increased competition for attacking positions and most of Novo's appearances in the early months of the season were as a substitute. On 20 October, he started the first Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
derby match of the season and scored twice in a 3–0 victory for Rangers over Celtic. On the 2 December 2007 it was reported that Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
were willing to offer Novo a one year extension to his current contract, which was to expire in July 2008. However, Novo said that he would leave the club if he was not offered a longer contract. He was later offered a two-year contract extension, which expires in the summer of 2010, and signed the deal on 21 December 2007.
On 1 May 2008, he scored the winning penalty in the semi final shoot-out against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
which put Rangers through to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
2008 UEFA Cup Final
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was the 37th final of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The match was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, home ground of Manchester City F.C., in Manchester, England, at 20:45 CEST on 14 May 2008.The match was contested by Zenit St. Petersburg...
. During the 2007–08
2007-08 in Scottish football
The 2007-08 season was the 111th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Gretna were competing in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first ever season in the top-flight, after being promoted as First Division champions the previous season.* Dunfermline Athletic...
season Novo was sent off twice, both in league games before cup finals, meaning that he missed both the 2008 League Cup final
2008 Scottish League Cup Final
-Statistics:-References:...
and the 2008 Scottish Cup final
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...
through suspension. The 2008–09 season
Rangers F.C. season 2008-09
The 2008–09 season is the 112th season of competitive football by Rangers.-Overview:Rangers played a total of 49 competitive matches during the 2008-09 season. The season began disastrously as the club exited the UEFA Champions League and European football altogether, losing 2–1 on...
saw Novo used almost exclusively as a substitute. He came off the bench in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final
2009 Scottish Cup Final
The 2009 Scottish Cup Final was the final of the 124th season of the main domestic football cup competition in Scotland, the Scottish Cup. The final was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 30 May 2009...
to score the winning goal after only being on the field for 28 seconds.
During what turned out to be his final season with Rangers, he won both the league and Scottish League Cup, scoring nine times, but was mainly used as a substitute, starting just 14 league games. Novo decided not to sign a new contract as he was not getting enough starting opportunities.
Sporting Gijón
In May 2010, Novo moved to La LigaLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
side Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
, on a two-year deal. After a difficult first season in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Novo was offered to clubs in the summer of 2011 with a return to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
being mooted. Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
boss Craig Brown
Craig Brown
Craig Brown may refer to:* Craig Brown , football player and manager* Craig Brown , British critic and satirist* Craig Brown , American curler...
said that he had turn down the chance to sign Novo, this was later denied by the players agent.
International career
Novo has never been selected for the Spanish national teamSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
but has played for Galicia. His debut was in a 2007 friendly match against Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
and the game was drawn 1–1. In December 2008 he played for the Galician team against Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
, arriving in his homeland just an hour before the match started after playing for Rangers against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
earlier in the day. He scored two goals and left to the acclaim of the Galician fans.
On 24 October 2008, it was reported that Novo could be selected by the Scottish national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
as he is eligible to acquire a British passport, having lived in Scotland for eight years. This led to much debate amongst the Scottish media as to whether Novo, who was born in Spain and has no Scottish parents or grandparents, should be selected by Scotland. It eventually became clear, however, that the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
would continue to honour a deal whereby that any player selected by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, Scotland or Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
would be required to have a blood tie to that country, or have had five years compulsory education within it. This deal would rule out the prospect of Novo playing for Scotland, or the prospect of Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia Rivero is a professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal.-Early career:Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Almunia started his senior career with Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B...
or Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta Amatriain is a Spanish footballer who plays for Arsenal as a midfielder.Arteta started out as a trainee with FC Barcelona but could not break his way into the first team and was eventually loaned to Paris Saint-Germain in the French league...
playing for England,
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Raith Rovers Raith Rovers F.C. Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the... |
2001–02 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 38 | 22 |
| Total | 33 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 38 | 22 | |
| Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
2002–03 | 36 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 9 |
| 2003–04 | 35 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 44 | 25 | |
| Total | 71 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 87 | 34 | |
| Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
2004–05 | 35 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 48 | 25 |
| 2005–06 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2006–07 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 39 | 10 | |
| 2007–08 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 49 | 16 | |
| 2008–09 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 10 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Scottish Premier League The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April... |
35 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 49 | 9 | |
| Total | 179 | 47 | 15 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 43 | 12 | 255 | 73 | |
| Sporting Gijón Sporting de Gijón Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division.... |
2010–11 2010–11 La Liga The 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División... |
31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 4 |
| 2011–12 2011–12 La Liga The 2011–12 La Liga season is the 81st since its establishment. Barcelona are the defending champions, having won their 21st La Liga title in the previous season for the third time in a row. The campaign began on 27 August 2011, and will end on 13 May 2012... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| Career total | 316 | 96 | 25 | 8 | 24 | 11 | 49 | 19 | 414 | 134 | |
Honours
Rangers- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
: 2004-05Scottish Premier League 2004-05The 2004–05 Scottish Premier League was won by Rangers.As league champions, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Celtic also qualifying...
, 2008-09Scottish Premier League 2008-09The 2008–09 Scottish Premier League season was the eleventh season of the Scottish Premier League and the second season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank...
, 2009-10 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
: 20092009 Scottish Cup FinalThe 2009 Scottish Cup Final was the final of the 124th season of the main domestic football cup competition in Scotland, the Scottish Cup. The final was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 30 May 2009... - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
: 2004-052005 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2005 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 20 March 2005 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 58th Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Rangers and Motherwell...
, 2009-102010 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:... - UEFA Cup FinalUEFA Cup FinalsThe UEFA Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup, is an association football competition established in 1972. It is considered to be the second most important international competition for European football clubs, after the UEFA Champions League. Clubs qualify for the Europa League based on their...
Runners up : 2007–08
External links
- Sporting Gijón official profile
- BDFutbol profile
- Transfermarkt profile
- Photo and stats at sporting-heroes.net