Jesús Navas

Sevilla

Born in Los Palacios y Villafranca, Province of Seville, Navas joined Sevilla's youth system at age 15. In 2003–04, he made his first-team (and La Liga) debut when he played 12 minutes in a 1–0 loss at Espanyol on 23 November 2003. He added four more appearances before the season was over, and in 2004–05 he was permanently promoted to the main squad, scoring two goals from 22 games. On 3 May 2005, his contract was extended until 2010.

In 2005–06, Navas once again impressed, being crucial as the Andalusians claimed victory in that campaign's UEFA Cup; he appeared in all 12 matches in the competition, including the final against Middlesbrough. A deal was arranged for a transfer to Chelsea in August 2006, but the player declined the move citing possible homesickness. He was consistently listed among the best players in the league, appearing in Don Balón magazine's Top 50 each year from 2006 to 2008. For the next three years, Navas continued to be a regular for Sevilla, always leading the team in assists while adding nine league goals in total. He also helped them to the 2006–07 edition of the Copa del Rey, and to third place in the domestic championship two seasons later. Navas was ever-present in the 2009–10 campaign, appearing in more than 50 games. He provided nine decisive passes (including two in the last round against Almería as Sevilla edged Mallorca for fourth place with a 3–2 away win). On 19 May 2010, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory in the…

After breaking into the Sevilla first team, Navas made his debut for the Spain under-21s, scoring in a 1–1 draw against France on 17 August 2004. He had been remarked as a potential star after good performances for club and country, but his anxiety problems forced him to quit international football. In August 2009, he announced his desire to overcome his condition in order to stake his claim in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and made himself available for selection, stating: "To play for your country is the greatest thing and I hope to be able to, too. I have to be calm and make my decision. I have to continue taking the right steps." On 9 November 2009, Navas was called up by coach Vicente del Bosque for friendlies with Argentina and Austria. On 14 November he made his debut against Argentina in a 2–1 win in Madrid, playing the final ten minutes in the place of Andrés Iniesta; four days later, he played the entire second half in a 5–1 win over Austria in Vienna. Called up for the World Cup in South Africa, Navas scored his first international goal on 3 June 2010 in a warm-up match against South Korea, scoring the game's only goal four minutes from time. He appeared in three matches in the tournament, including the last 30 minutes plus extra time in the final against the Netherlands, when Spain lifted its first World Cup trophy.

Navas was also selected for UEFA Euro 2012, where he appeared in several games for the eventual champions as a substitute. On 18 June, he…

Navas' main assets were his speed, dribbling skills and ability to run at opposing defenders. Formerly a winger, in his second spell at Sevilla, he was almost exclusively deployed as a right-back, compensating for his physical weaknesses with speed.

Navas suffered from chronic homesickness, to the extent he walked out of training camps in Spain because they were too far away from Seville. He also suffered from anxiety attacks and seizures, and initially refused to travel with Sevilla during pre-season to the United States due to his homesickness, later changing his mind in a bid to rid himself of this condition. Navas' older brother, Marco, was also a footballer and a midfielder. After also graduating from Sevilla's youth academy he made three first-team appearances, and played mainly in the Segunda División. Their family is of Gitano/Romani origin. Navas' hip problems that forced him to retire affected his capacity of playing most sports. He subsequently took up bicycle touring.