Levi Garcia

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Levi García
Personal information
Full name Levi Samuel García
Date of birth (1997-11-20) 20 November 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Santa Flora, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Left-winger
Team information
Current team
 AZ
Number 28
Youth career
2011–2014 Shiva Boys' Hindu College
2012–2013 T&TEC
2013–2014 Siparia Spurs
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 T&TEC 0 (0)
2014–2015 Central FC 0 (0)
2015– AZ 8 (1)
International career‡
2012–2013 Trinidad and Tobago U17 4 (0)
2014– Trinidad and Tobago U20 7 (0)
2016– Trinidad and Tobago 3 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 May 2016
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 May 2016

Levi Samuel García (born 20 November 1997)[1] is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a left-winger for Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar. He also represents the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

Garcia began his professional football career in 2013, at the age of 15, with T&TEC in his native Trinidad and Tobago. After one season with the Electricity Boys, he completed a free transfer to fellow TT Pro League club Central FC. However, prior to making his first-team debut for the Couva Sharks, Garcia signed with AZ Alkmaar of the Eredivisie in February 2015.[2]

He is a Trinidad and Tobago international having made his debut in March 2016.

Early life

Garcia was born on 20 November 1997 in Santa Flora, Trinidad and Tobago to parents Carl and Judith,[3] and comes from a football family consisting of three brothers (Daniel, Nathaniel, and Judah) who have represented different local clubs and two sisters (Carla and Adanna) who are also fans of the sport. In fact, the three brothers would play football in their backyard for hours when younger. In particular, Garcia credits his early football influence to his eldest brother Daniel after he encouraged Levi to become a better player and rented a car or ordered a taxi to ensure that he attended youth training and matches.[4][5]

At the age of 14, Garcia attended Shiva Boys' Hindu College in Penal, Trinidad and also enrolled in the youth program at former TT Pro League club T&TEC. However, after one season with the Electricity Boys, the club suspended its football operations citing financial difficulties.[6] Over the next two years, Garcia played alternatively for Shiva Boys' Hindu College and local youth club Siparia Spurs.[2] In 2012, playing as a striker, Garcia led Shiva Boys to the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) South Zone title and qualified as one of four schools for the FA Trophy. During the competition, Garcia scored one goal in three appearances to help the Shiva Boys progress in the competition before falling to Central FC in the quarterfinals.[7]

Club career

Early career

After spending the previous year in the club's youth program, Garcia made his full professional debut for T&TEC of the TT Pro League, at the age of 15, after making appearances during the club's run-in to close the 2012–13 season. Due to the club's severe financial struggles and inability to pay its salaried players, Electricity Boys' manager Dexter Cyrus decided to feature some of its younger players, which included the three Garcia brothers, in Pro League matches.

In March 2014, Garcia signed his first professional contract with Central FC of the TT Pro League on a two-year agreement.[8] However, prior to his first appearance for the club, he was discovered in September 2014 while playing for Trinidad and Tobago during qualification for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship by Dutch scout Humphry Nijman. After an initial struggle between Central and Nijman, the two parties came to an agreement through mediation involving the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association to allow Garcia a trial in the Netherlands.[9]

AZ Alkmaar

On 20 February 2015, Garcia signed a pre-contract agreement for three years with a club option for a two-year extension with AZ Alkmaar of the Eredivisie following a successful trial with the club.[2][10] However, he was unable to begin his professional career until his eighteenth birthday due to existing European Union labour laws. After several months of difficult negotiations, Garcia's former club Central FC agreed upon an undisclosed transfer fee in June 2015 with AZ.

Rise to the first team (2016–present)

During the club's preparation for the 2015–16 season, Garcia received training and special attention from former Dutch international Marco Van Basten who had served as an assistant manager for the club earlier in the year before stepping away for health reasons.[11] On 24 January 2016, Garcia made his professional and league debut for AZ Alkmaar against Feyenoord after coming on for Dabney dos Santos in the 68th minute with his club leading 4–1.[12] Aged just 18 years and 65 days, Garcia became the youngest Trinidadian footballer to make an appearance for a European club, beating a record previously held by former Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke.[13][14] One week later, he scored his first professional goal in less than a minute after coming on as a 71st minute substitute in a 3–0 win over NEC Nijmegen to become the club's second youngest ever scorer.[15][16] In his first season at AZ, Garcia made eight league appearances and nine in all competitions having scored one league goal and recording one assist to help AZ finish fourth in the Eredivisie and qualify for the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.

International career

Garcia has represented Trinidad and Tobago on various levels of international competition, having been capped for the under-17,[17] under-20,[18] and the Trinidad and Tobago national teams.[19]

Youth teams

He made his international debut for the under-17 team after replacing Brent Sam in the second-half of their final match to help the Soca Warriors earn qualification for the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.[17] During the continental tournament, he made two consecutive starts in a loss to Canada and in a 2–0 win against Costa Rica to advance to the knockout round.[20][21] However, following a 4–2 loss to hosts Panama, the Soca Warriors fell one win short of qualifying for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[22]

In September 2014, Garcia represented the under-20 team in central midfield in route to winning the 2014 Caribbean Under-20 Championship and qualifying for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[18][23][24] Although he made four appearances during the CONCACAF Championship and impressed several European scouts, the Soca Warriors finished a disappointing fourth in their group with just one win and failed to qualify for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Senior team

International debut and brace (2016–present)

Garcia made his full international debut for the national team on 24 March 2016 against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines during qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[19] Garcia marked his national team debut with a pair of goals in the second half to lead the Soca Warriors to a 3–2 win.[25][26] Garcia's goals made him Trinidad and Tobago's youngest ever scorer in a FIFA World Cup qualification match at 18 years and 127 days old.[27]

Career statistics

Club

As of 9 May 2016[1]
Club Season League Cup League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental[lower-alpha 2] Other[lower-alpha 3] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Trinidad and Tobago T&TEC 2012–13 TT Pro League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Trinidad and Tobago Central FC 2014–15 TT Pro League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Netherlands AZ 2015–16 Eredivisie 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 1
Total 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 1
Career total 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1
  1. ↑ Includes appearances in the Trinidad and Tobago's Classic, Goal Shield, and Pro Bowl
  2. ↑ Includes appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League
  3. ↑ Includes appearances in the Trinidad and Tobago Charity Shield and CFU Club Championship

International

As of 29 March 2016[28][29]

International appearances

National team Year Friendly Competitive Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
 Trinidad and Tobago
2016 1 0 2 2 3 2
Total 1 0 2 2 3 2

International goals

Scores and results list Trinidad and Tobago's goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1
 19 March 2016 Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
2–1
3–2
 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2
3–2

Honours

Individual

Records

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

External links

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