Amir Abedzadeh

Amir Abedzadeh (Persian: امیر عابدزاده‎, born 26 April 1993) is an Iranian footballer who plays for Portuguese club Marítimo and the Iran national team as a goalkeeper. He is the son of former Iranian national team legendary goalkeeper Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh.[2]

Amir Abedzadeh
Abedzadeh with Iran in 2018
Personal information
Full name Amir Abedzadeh[1]
Date of birth (1993-04-26) 26 April 1993[1]
Place of birth Tehran, Iran[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Marítimo
Number 1
Youth career
2006–2007 Persepolis
2008 Brentford
2008–2009 Dinamo Dorigo
2009 Tottenham Hotspur
2009–2010 London Tigers
2010 Persian F.C. London
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 LA Blues 14 (0)
2011 LA Blues 23 3 (0)
2012–2014 Persepolis 0 (0)
2014–2015 Rah Ahan 9 (0)
2016–2017 Barreirense 10 (0)
2017– Marítimo 46 (0)
National team‡
2014–2016 Iran U23 9 (0)
2017– Iran 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 September 2019
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 November 2020

Club career

Youth teams

Abedzadeh was a member of the Persepolis Youth Academy from 2006 to 2007,[3] having previously trained under his father since he was 7. He moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 15,[2] and after spending two months with the third-tier outfit of Brentford[4] and taking part in a trial with Arsenal,[5] he joined Tottenham Hotspur's academy team in 2009. Abezadeh left Tottenham in the same year, following their signing of Italian goalkeeper Mirko Ranieri.[6]

During his time in the UK, Abedzadeh also played for amateur youth teams Dinamo Dorigo,[7] London Tigers,[2][8] and Persian FC, the latter of the G.E. Roberts Enfield Football Alliance League.[9]

United States

Abedzadeh was unable to obtain a work permit in UK and after briefly returning to Iran and training with Iran Pro League side Steel Azin, where his father was a coach, to keep himself on form,[10] he moved to the United States in 2011,[8] and signed for the Los Angeles Blues in the USL Pro, where his father was an assistant coach.[11] He made his debut on 7 June 2011, playing for Los Angeles Blues 23 (LA Blues' reserve team) in a USL Premier Development League game against Orange County Blue Star. He made 8 saves but conceded 5 goals, and was also shown a yellow card.[12][13] In 2012, he had the option to join Chivas USA of Major League Soccer, but he decided to extend his contract with the Blues.[14]

Persepolis

He signed a three-years contract with Persepolis on 15 July 2012.[15] He played for Persepolis U21 in AFC Vision Asia U-21 Tehran Premier League. He scored goal for Persepolis U21 in game with Niroye Zamini U21.[16] Abedzadeh left the Persepolis in 2014 and without playing a single game for the club.

Rah Ahan

On 3 July 2014, Abedzadeh joined Rah Ahan with signing a four-year contract. He worked under the supervision of his father, Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh who also worked at Rah Ahan as goalkeeping coach. He played his first professional match on 19 September 2014 against his former team Persepolis, where he came in as a substitute of injured Igor Nenezić in 34th minute. He was released by Rah Ahan at the end of the 2014–2015 season.

Marítimo

Abedzadeh signed with Portuguese Primeira Liga club Marítimo on 23 January 2017 after good performances with Barreirense in the Campeonato de Portugal.[17] He became the second Iranian goalkeeper to sign for the club after Alireza Haghighi who played for the club in 2016. He made his first appearance in September 2017 in a Portuguese League Cup match.

He made his debut in the Taça de Portugal on 14 October 2017 in a third round match against Torcatense. Abedzadeh kept a clean sheet and was named man of the match, as Marítimo won the match 1–0.

International career
Abedzadeh in training with Iran Olympic team in 2014

Abedzadeh was once called up to Iran national under-17 football team's camp for 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Kish Island, but never invited again.[4][6]

About his playing probability in Iran national under-23 football team, Abedzadeh said: "Again, they told me that they wanted to take the players who have been together for a long time and know each other well... They also explained that if we should qualify, they are going to call in and examine new players . So hopefully they can beat Iraq and qualify for the Olympics, and hopefully I'll get my chance then. I think the problem is that I was in England for the past four years and that they weren't able to watch me play as much as the local players. That has been pretty disappointing for me."[4]

Abedzadeh was part of Iran's team for in 2014 AFC U-22 Championship, but he did not play any match. In 2015, he was invited to Olympic team for 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification.

Senior
Abedzadeh in training with Iran.

On 5 November 2017, Abedzadeh was called into the Iran national team for the first time for friendlies against Panama and Venezuela.[18] In June 2018, he was named in Iran's final squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[19] He made his debut against Uzbekistan on 19 May 2018.

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 September 2019

CS = Clean Sheets

Season Club League League Cup League Cup Total
Apps CS Apps CS Apps CS Apps CS
2011 LA Blues USL Pro 40—40
→ LA Blues 23 USL PDL 3131
2012 LA Blues USL Pro 102102
2012–13 Persepolis Persian Gulf Pro League 0000—00
2013–14 0000—00
2014–15 Rah Ahan 9210—102
2016–17 Barreirense Campeonato de Portugal 1030010113
2017–18 Marítimo Primeira Liga 813243156
2018–19 1330011144
2019–20 251000002510
Total United States 1730000173
Iran 921000102
Portugal 561732646523
Career total 822242647128

International
Statistics accurate as of match played 12 November 2020.[20]
Iran
YearAppsGoals
201830
202010
Total40

Honours
Persepolis

References
  1. Profile at uslsoccer.com Archived 24 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Amir Abedzadeh: Wait for the Second Generation of Abedzadeh Family" (in Persian). Khanevadeye Sabz Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  3. (in Persian) Haddadpour, Mehdi; Zarei, Asghar. Persepolis F.C. Official pictorial lexicon and Yearbook of 2007–2008. Honarkade Khojaste
  4. Amir Abedzadeh: Filling the Shoes. 31 May 2011 – USL PRO (USL PRO) Los Angeles Blues
  5. (in Persian) Iran Varzeshi Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "With Amir Abedzadeh: I want to replace my daddy!" (in Persian). Goal Newspaper. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  7. Dinamo Dorigo home page Dinamo Dorigo – 2008/09
  8. (in Persian) Aftab Archived 12 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Challenge Cup Final
  10. (in Persian) Seyyed Ehsan Hashemi, Goal Daily
  11. Iranian Legend Making a Home in Los Angeles Archived 9 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Official Match Information Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  13. Blue Star Too Much For Blues 23 Archived 21 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. LA Blues 23 News Release, Tuesday, 7 June 2011. Koonie faghat !
  14. Abedzadeh Re-Signs with Los Angeles Blues: Top goalkeeping prospect has sights set firmly on starting job
  15. Abedzadeh joins Persepolis Archived 19 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Abedzadeh Score Goal Persepolis Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  17. http://www.zerozero.pt/news.php?id=188971
  18. لقب جوان‌ترین گلر تیم ملی به عابدزاده رسید. ورزش سه (in Persian). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  19. "World Cup 2018: Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz names final squad". BBC Sport. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  20. Amir Abedzadeh at National-Football-Teams.com
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