Junior Diaz (footballer, born 2003)

Junior Diaz
	Junior Diaz in a press conference with Troyes in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Michel Junior Diaz
Date of birth	23 July 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth	Saint-Herblain, France
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Troyes
Number	4
Youth career
2012-2022	Nantes
Senior career*
Years	Team
2021–2024	Nantes B
2022–2024	Nantes
2023–2024	→ Annecy (loan)
2024–	Troyes
International career
2023-2023	Ivory Coast Olympic
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 August 2024 (UTC)

Michel Junior Diaz (born 23 July 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ligue 2 club Troyes. Born in France, he represents the Ivory Coast at international level.

Club career

Diaz was a youth player of Nantes. He joined Nantes' youth team in 2012, playing in the academy for ten years and winning the 2022 Under-19 league title under manager Pierre Aristouy.^{[citation needed]}

During the 2022–23 season, Diaz started training with Nantes' first team and made his senior debut in a Coupe de France match against AF Virois, on 7 January 2023.^[1]

On 30 August 2023, Diaz joined Ligue 2 side Annecy on loan.^[2]^[3] Benched in the first matches of the season, on 26 September 2023, he made his Ligue 2 debut against Auxerre.^[4] Diaz immediately started get more space in the club's roster, becoming a starter.^[5] At the end of the season, he had a cumulative number of 22 appearances.^[6]

Back from the loan, on 8 August he joined Troyes on a permanent transfer.^[7]^[8] The transfer reportedly commanded a fee of almost €2.5 million.^[9] On 16 August, he made his club debut in a 4–0 loss against Guingamp.^[10]

International career

Junior Diaz has represented Ivory Coast at youth international level, having played for the Olympic team.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Diaz is the brother of Hillary Diaz.^[11]

Career statistics

As of match played 20 December 2024^[12]

Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup^[a]		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Nantes	2021–22	National 2	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	2022–23	National 2	24	1	—		—		—		24	1
	2023–24	National 3	1	1	—		—		—		1	1
			26	2	—		—		—		26	2
Nantes	2022–23	Ligue 1	0	0	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
Annecy (loan)	2023–24	Ligue 2	20	0	2	0	—		—		22	0
Troyes	2024–25	Ligue 2	16	0	3	0	—		—		19	0
Career total			62	2	6	0	0	0	0	0	68	2

^ Including appearances in Coupe de France.

Honours

Nantes U19

Championnat National U19: 2021–22^[13]

Nantes

Coupe de France runner-up: 2022–23^[14]

References

^ "Coupe de France. FC Nantes : Doucet, Diaz, Zézé… Face à Vire, une jeunesse au niveau" (in French). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "JUNIOR DIAZ PRÊTÉ AU FC ANNECY (L2)" (in French). 30 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "Mercato : Bienvenue à Junior Diaz" (in French). 30 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ Arthur Diard (27 September 2023). "Ex-FC Nantes. Junior Diaz a vécu un match difficile pour sa première avec le FC Annecy" (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ Jean-Marcel Boudard (29 December 2023). "FC Nantes. À Annecy, le Canari Junior Diaz prend de l'altitude" (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ Arthur Diard (28 May 2024). "FC Nantes. Junior Diaz de retour, bilan de sa saison à Annecy" (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "JUNIOR DIAZ TRANSFÉRÉ À L'ESTAC" (in French). 8 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "JUNIOR DIAZ EST TROYEN !" (in French). 8 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "FC Nantes. Encore une belle offre de Troyes pour Junior Diaz, un accord devrait être trouvé" (in French). 6 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "L'ESTAC CHUTE D'ENTRÉE À GUINGAMP" (in French). 17 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^ "Académie - Junior Diaz, Made in FC Nantes". FC Nantes (in French).
^ Junior Diaz at Soccerway
^ Soyer, Julien (5 June 2022). "FC Nantes. Les Canaris remportent le championnat de France U19 et découvriront l'Europe". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
^ "Toulouse thrash Nantes 5-1 in French Cup final". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2024.

External links

Junior Diaz at Soccerway
Junior Diaz – French league stats at Ligue 2 (in French) (archived)

[a-13] Including appearances in Coupe de France.

[1] "Coupe de France. FC Nantes : Doucet, Diaz, Zézé… Face à Vire, une jeunesse au niveau" (in French). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[2] "JUNIOR DIAZ PRÊTÉ AU FC ANNECY (L2)" (in French). 30 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[3] "Mercato : Bienvenue à Junior Diaz" (in French). 30 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[4] Arthur Diard (27 September 2023). "Ex-FC Nantes. Junior Diaz a vécu un match difficile pour sa première avec le FC Annecy" (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[5] Jean-Marcel Boudard (29 December 2023). "FC Nantes. À Annecy, le Canari Junior Diaz prend de l'altitude" (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[6] Arthur Diard (28 May 2024). "FC Nantes. Junior Diaz de retour, bilan de sa saison à Annecy" (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[7] "JUNIOR DIAZ TRANSFÉRÉ À L'ESTAC" (in French). 8 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[8] "JUNIOR DIAZ EST TROYEN !" (in French). 8 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[9] "FC Nantes. Encore une belle offre de Troyes pour Junior Diaz, un accord devrait être trouvé" (in French). 6 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[10] "L'ESTAC CHUTE D'ENTRÉE À GUINGAMP" (in French). 17 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

[11] "Académie - Junior Diaz, Made in FC Nantes". FC Nantes (in French).

[12] Junior Diaz at Soccerway

[14] Soyer, Julien (5 June 2022). "FC Nantes. Les Canaris remportent le championnat de France U19 et découvriront l'Europe". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 28 December 2024.

[15] "Toulouse thrash Nantes 5-1 in French Cup final". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2024.

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