Editing Nayim

{{Short description|Spanish footballer (born 1966)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|Alí|Amar|lang=Spanish}}<!--Son has Alí as penultimate name followed by another surname, so Alí is a Spanish-custom surname and not a middle name https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j22315.html -->
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Nayim
| image = NAYIM 2020.jpg
| caption = Nayim in 2020
| fullname = Mohamed Alí Amar
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|11|5|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Ceuta]], Spain
| height = 1.77 m
| position = [[Central midfielder]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [[AD Ceuta|Ceuta]]
| youthyears2 = 1979–1985 | youthclubs2 = [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]
| years1 = 1984–1985 | clubs1 = [[FC Barcelona C|Barcelona C]] | caps1 = 27 | goals1 = 9
| years2 = 1985–1987 | clubs2 = [[FC Barcelona Atlètic|Barcelona B]] | caps2 = 46 | goals2 = 7
| years3 = 1987–1988 | clubs3 = [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] | caps3 = 7 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1988–1993 | clubs4 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] | caps4 = 112 | goals4 = 11
| years5 = 1993–1997 | clubs5 = [[Real Zaragoza|Zaragoza]] | caps5 = 123 | goals5 = 5
| years6 = 1997–2000 | clubs6 = [[CD Logroñés|Logroñés]] | caps6 = 67 | goals6 = 5
| totalcaps = 382 | totalgoals = 37
| nationalyears1 = 1984–1985 | nationalteam1 = [[Spain national under-18 football team|Spain U18]] | nationalcaps1 = 4 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1985 | nationalteam2 = [[Spain national under-19 football team|Spain U19]] | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1985 | nationalteam3 = [[Spain national under-20 football team|Spain U20]] | nationalcaps3 = 4 | nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 1987 | nationalteam4 = [[Spain national under-21 football team|Spain U21]] | nationalcaps4 = 1 | nationalgoals4 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2006 | managerclubs1 = [[AD Ceuta FC|Atlético Ceuta]]
}}
'''Mohamed Alí Amar''' ({{langx|ar|محمد علي عمار}}; born 5 November 1966), known as '''Nayim''' ({{langx|ar|نعيم}}), is a Spanish former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[central midfielder]].

He scored a [[last-minute goal]] for [[Real Zaragoza]] in the [[1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final]] against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]],<ref name=NAYIM>{{cite web|url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind=4/newsid=3429.html|title=1994/95: Nayim's bolt from the blue sinks Arsenal|publisher=UEFA|date=1 June 1995|accessdate=28 October 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822203449/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind%3D4/newsid%3D3429.html|archivedate=22 August 2010}}</ref> with a 45-yard lob in the final minute of [[Overtime (sports)|extra time]]. Over eight seasons in [[La Liga]], he appeared in 130 matches and scored five goals.

He started his professional career with [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] and also represented [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham]] for five years, making over 100 league appearances.

==Club career==

===Barcelona and Tottenham===
At the age of 12, Nayim left his hometown of [[Ceuta]] and joined [[FC Barcelona]]'s youth academy [[La Masia]].<ref name=PAIS>{{cite news|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/fue/Nayim/heroe/Recopa/Zaragoza/elpepudep/20090206csrcsrdep_3/Tes#|title=Qué fue de Nayim... el héroe de la Recopa del Zaragoza|trans-title=What happened to Nayim...Zaragoza's Cup Winners' Cup hero|newspaper=[[El País]]|first=Beatriz|last=Ortiz|language=Spanish|date=6 February 2009|accessdate=20 January 2010}}{{dead link|date=December 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> He broke into the first team under [[Terry Venables]], but had very few opportunities due to 18 months of injuries. The same manager took him to [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] in November 1988 originally on loan, making him the first Spaniard to play in English football since the Basque child refugee [[Emilio Aldecoa]] in 1947.<ref name=Book>{{cite book|first=Adam|last=Crafton|title=From Guernica to Guardiola: how the Spanish conquered English football|publisher=Simon & Schuster|date=2018|location=London|isbn=978-1-4711-5713-4|pages=78–83}}</ref> Having initially spent several weeks waiting for a [[Work permit (United Kingdom)|work permit]], he signed the following year for [[Pound sterling|£]]400,000 as part of the deal that took [[Gary Lineker]] in the same direction;<ref name=Book/> his first goal for the club came in a 2–0 away win against [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]], and he also found the net in Spurs' 3–0 home victory over [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]].

On 25 October 1989, Nayim scored a [[Free kick (association football)|free kick]] in a 3–0 win away to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], which put pressure on their manager [[Alex Ferguson]].<ref name=Book/> He made a total of 23 appearances in [[1989–90 Football League|1989–90]], helping Tottenham to a third-place finish. The [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] offered him his first experience of English cup competition, playing four games [[1989–90 Football League Cup|''en route'' to the quarter-finals]] and scoring three times.

[[1990–91 Football League|The following season]] proved to be Nayim's most successful in English football. Although the team finished tenth, he appeared in 33 league matches and netted five times; his path to a [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] final was again halted at the League Cup semi-final but, in the [[FA Cup]], they overcame [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] 2–1 in [[1991 FA Cup Final|the final]], with the player replacing injured [[Paul Gascoigne]] early in the game and setting up both goals to bring success to [[White Hart Lane]].<ref name=FACUP>{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/141059.html|title=Spurs' glory overshadowed by Gazza's pain|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=15 March 2012|accessdate=14 June 2018}}</ref> In a pre-match interview, he was praised by [[Bill Nicholson (footballer)|Bill Nicholson]], Tottenham's [[Double (association football)|double]]-winning manager of [[1960–61 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season|1961]].<ref name=Book/>

Nayim took part in 31 league games in [[1991–92 Football League|1991–92]], adding six in the [[1991–92 Football League Cup|League Cup campaign]], including both legs of the semi-final loss to Nottingham Forest. [[1992–93 FA Premier League|The following season]], he won the ''Goal of the Month'' competition for October with a volley against [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sport.co.uk/football/three-tottenham-hotspur-cult-heroes/35357/|title=Three Tottenham Hotspur cult heroes|publisher=Sport.co.uk|date=11 March 2010|accessdate=14 June 2018}}</ref> he added a [[hat-trick]] in the [[1992–93 FA Cup|FA Cup quarter-final]] at [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]], helping his team to a 4–2 win.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12617493.Nayim_hat_trick_overshadowed_by_riot/|title=Nayim hat trick overshadowed by riot|newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|date=8 March 1993|accessdate=2 June 2017}}</ref> [[Spain national football team|Spain national team]] manager [[Javier Clemente]] made a rare foreign trip to monitor him, but he never earned a [[Cap (sport)|cap]].<ref name=Book/>

During his time in England, Nayim was accused by the press of [[Diving (association football)|diving]]; a feign against [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]] earned a rebuke from the usually reserved television commentator [[Trevor Brooking]]. He was dissuaded from continuing to simulate by Venables, who told him that the practice was reviled in England.<ref name=Book/>

===Zaragoza===
In May 1993, Nayim signed for [[Real Zaragoza]] for £500,000. His most notable moment in football came in the final seconds of [[Overtime (sports)#Association football|extra time]] in the [[1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final]] by lobbing [[David Seaman]] from 45 yards to score a [[last-minute goal]] and win it 2–1 against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]];<ref name=NAYIM/> nearly two decades later, he told [[UEFA]]'s website that the strike was premeditated as his experience in England had taught him that the Gunners played a high defensive line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/021b-0f8a73dd18bd-5c4abf051943-1000--nayim-was-looking-at-seaman-the-whole-night/|title=Nayim was 'looking at Seaman the whole night'|publisher=UEFA|first=Richard|last=Martin|date=13 November 2014|access-date=2 June 2017}}</ref>

===Later years===
Nayim retired in 2000, after a stint with Spanish [[Segunda División]] side [[CD Logroñés]]. He took up coaching afterwards, managing [[Atlético Ceuta]] and serving as assistant to [[AD Ceuta]];<ref name=PAIS/> in late 2009, he joined former Zaragoza teammate [[José Aurelio Gay]]'s coaching staff, being named his assistant manager after [[Marcelino García Toral]]'s sacking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rtve.es/deportes/20101023/pep-se-funden-gay/364378.shtml|title=Los de Guardiola se funden a Gay y sus hombres|trans-title=Guardiola's crew melts Gay and his men|publisher=[[RTVE]]|language=Spanish|date=23 October 2010|accessdate=14 June 2018}}</ref>

Nayim returned to his hometown in May 2016, to become sporting director at [[AD Ceuta FC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ceutaactualidad.com/articulo/deportes/luhay-hamido-y-nayim-tomaran-riendas-ceuta-proxima-semana/20160514142208024975.html|title=Luhay Hamido y Nayim tomarán las riendas del Ceuta la próxima semana|trans-title=Luhay Hamido and Nayim will take the reins at Ceuta next week|publisher=Ceuta Actualidad|first=Juanma|last=Navas|language=Spanish|date=14 May 2016|accessdate=2 June 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Nayim, a [[Muslim]], was the only player of the [[Islam]]ic faith to compete in the inaugural [[Premier League]] season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/23159023|title=Premier League: How Muslims are changing English football culture|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|first=Rob|last=Cowling|date=5 July 2013|accessdate=2 June 2017}}</ref> The eldest of his three children, Youssef, pursued a football career in the same position.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20140819/futbol/el-recreativo-ficha-al-hijo-mayor-de-nayim-para-su-equipo-juvenil_54413837230.html|title=El Recreativo ficha al hijo mayor de Nayim para su equipo juvenil|trans-title=Recreativo sign Nayim's eldest son for their youth team|newspaper=[[Mundo Deportivo]]|language=Spanish|date=19 August 2014|accessdate=2 June 2017}}</ref>

In 2006, the [[Aragon]]ese village of [[Trasmoz]] named a street 'Gol de Nayim' ('Nayim's Goal').<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/noticias/aragon/vivir-en-la-calle-gol-de-nayim_256625.html|title=Vivir en la calle Gol de Nayim|trans-title=Living on the Gol de Nayim street|newspaper=[[El Periódico de Aragón]]|language=Spanish|date=18 June 2006|accessdate=2 June 2017}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Tottenham'''
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1990–91 FA Cup|1990–91]]<ref name=FACUP/>
*[[FA Community Shield|FA Charity Shield]]: [[1991 FA Charity Shield|1991]] (shared)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hotspurhq.com/2012/08/10/tottenhams-last-fa-charity-shield-appearance-1991-know-your-tottenham-history/|title=Tottenham's last FA Charity Shield appearance (1991) Know your Tottenham history|publisher=Hotspur HQ|first=Logan|last=Holmes|date=10 August 2012|accessdate=1 August 2022}}</ref>

'''Zaragoza'''
*[[Copa del Rey]]: [[1993–94 Copa del Rey|1993–94]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD01/HEM/1994/04/21/MD19940421-017.pdf|title=Zaragoza campeón|trans-title=Zaragoza champions|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|first=Juan Manuel|last=Merino|language=Spanish|date=21 April 1994|accessdate=14 June 2018}}</ref> 
*[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]: [[1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|1994–95]]<ref name=NAYIM/>

'''Spain U20'''
*[[FIFA U-20 World Cup|FIFA World Youth Championship]] runner-up: [[1985 FIFA World Youth Championship|1985]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cihefe.es/cuadernosdefutbol/2014/11/espana-en-los-mundiales-sub20-urss-1985/|title=España en los mundiales sub'20: URSS 1985|trans-title=Spain in the under'20 World Cups: USSR 1985|publisher=Cuadernos de Fútbol|first=Óscar|last=Díez|language=Spanish|date=1 November 2014|accessdate=14 June 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BDFutbol|2053}}
*{{Soccerbase}}

{{AD Ceuta FC managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nayim}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Spanish Muslims]]
[[Category:Spanish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Ceuta]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Segunda División players]]
[[Category:Segunda División B players]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona C players]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic players]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona players]]
[[Category:Real Zaragoza players]]
[[Category:CD Logroñés footballers]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players]]
[[Category:Spain men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Spain men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Spanish expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:Spanish football managers]]
[[Category:Tercera División managers]]
[[Category:AD Ceuta FC managers]]
[[Category:20th-century Spanish sportsmen]]