Nasser Al-Shamrani


Nasser Al-Shamrani is a Saudi Arabian footballer who plays for the Saudi Arabia national team as a forward. Often considered one of the most versatile, effective Saudi Arabian strikers of all time, he has won the Asian Footballer of the Year award in 2014.

Club career

Al-Wehda

Nasser began at the age of 20 playing with Al-Wehda's first team, in the 2003-04 season. He was young then, but with his teammate, Essa Al-Mehyani, were the main strikers in Al-Wehda. Even though Al-Wehda had talented young strikers, but Nasser could not win any tournament with Al-Wehda, and the highest rank they achieved in the Saudi Premier League was 3rd place in the 2006-2007 season.

Al-Shabab

During the 2005-2006 season, Al-Shabab decided to try Nasser out, and had a deal with Al-Wehda for a loan in the middle of the season, till the end of the season. Al-Wehda accepted because at that time Al-Wehda had no chance of competing in all of the local tournaments. During these couple of months, Nasser was able to prove his worth as a striker. He scored 4 goals in the AFC Champions League, which helped Al-Shabab qualify to the quarterfinals that year. In the league, he scored 3 goals, one which was the third goal in the Saudi Premier League final against Al-Hilal, which ended 3-0. After the end of the season, Al-Shabab were impressed by his performance, and tried sign a contract with him, but Al-Wehda refused and by the 2006-2007 season he returned to Al-Wehda.
Nasser had one of his best seasons with Al-Wehda, he was able to score 9 goals in the Saudi Premier League. He helped his team reach the 3rd rank in the league, even though he did not score any goal in the golden play-off games against Al-Shabab and Al-Ittihad. By the end of the season, Al-Wehda went through a financial problem. Al-Shabab soon noticed this and offered 13 million riyals for Nasser. Al-Wehda accepted, and Nasser moved to Al-Shabab by the beginning of the 2007-2008 season.
In July 2007, he signed a contract with Al-Shabab for 13 million riyals for 5 seasons. Nasser's move to Al-Shabab was anticipated by many Al-Shabab fans. But he began the season dry, without scoring any goal in the league. By the 6th round in the Saudi Premier League, he started his scoring with a hattrick in Al-Qadisiya. He then continued his score frenzy continually in every game by scoring 1 goal against Al-Watani, 1 against Al-Nasr, 2 against Al-Ittihad, 1 against Al-Ta'ee, 1 against Al-Ahli, 1 against Al-Wehda, and 2 against Najran SC. He was able to be the first in the league goalscorers, with 12 goals, but his teammate in Al-Wehda, Eisa Al-Mehyani, was closing the gap. After 3 rounds in the league, and the semi-final games against Al-Hilal in the Crown Prince Cup, Nasser could not score a goal. This has caused him to go behind in the league goalscorer's as Eisa Al-Mehyani was able to score 13 goals, and also Al Hasan Al-Yami with 13 goals.
By the end of the season, Nasser was able to score 18 goals with Al Shabab, and won the Saudi Premier League's top goal scorer. This is the first time for Nasser Al-Shamrani to win the goalscorer of the Saudi League.

Al-Hilal

On 30 June 2013, he agreed to a three-year deal with the club of the century in Asia Al-Hilal. After losing the 2014 Asian Champions League final, he spat at Western Sydney Wanderers player Matthew Spiranovic before attempting to headbutt him. As a result of his conduct, Al-Shamrani was handed an 8 match Champions League ban from the Asian Football Confederation.

Al Ain (loan)

In 2017, it was reported that Nasser joined United Arab Emirates' side Al Ain FC in a 2 million Dhs deal for a six-month loan contract. This was his first experience playing outside Saudi Arabia, and in one of the most successful clubs in Asia. In his third match against Al Ahli FC he assisted a goal in minute 91 which helped Al Ain FC to win in the classico.

Return to Al-Shabab

On summer 2017, he returned to Al-Shabab.

International career

On 30 December 2014, Al-Shamrani pushed a fan prior to Saudi Arabia's 4–1 loss to Bahrain and later missed the 2015 AFC Asian Cup due to "injury". In March 2015 Al-Shamrani received an 8-game ban for spitting at, and then attempting to headbutt Australian player Matthew Spiranovic.

Career statistics

Club

International

Source:

International goals

As of 14 January 2017
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
129 January 2005King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia1–01–0Friendly
212 August 2009Al-Saada Stadium, Salalah, Oman1–21–2Friendly
39 September 2009King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia1–01–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
414 October 2009Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia1–01–0Friendly
514 November 2009Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam, Saudi Arabia1–11–1Friendly
613 July 2011Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan1–11–1 Fox International Quartet Championship
723 July 2011Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam, Saudi Arabia1–03–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
823 July 2011Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam, Saudi Arabia3–03–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
928 July 2011Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Siu Sai Wan, Hong Kong3–05–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
106 September 2011Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam1–21–32014 FIFA World Cup qualification
1129 February 2012AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia2–12–42014 FIFA World Cup qualification
1215 October 2013Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan2–02–02015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1315 November 2013Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam, Saudi Arabia2–12–12015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1416 November 2014King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia1–03–02014 Gulf Cup of Nations
1523 November 2014King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia1–03–22014 Gulf Cup of Nations
166 October 2016King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia2–22–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification
1714 January 2017Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates1–17–2Friendly
1814 January 2017Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates2–17–2Friendly
1914 January 2017Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates3–17–2Friendly

Honours

Al-Shabab
Al-Hilal
Individual