Imran Louza
{{Short description|Footballer (born 1999)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Imran Louza
| image = RC Lens - FC Nantes (25-11-2020) 10 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Louza with Nantes in 2020
| full_name = Imran Louza{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/2247219 |title=2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed |publisher=Premier League |date=10 September 2021 |access-date=12 September 2021}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|5|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Nantes, France
| height = 1.78 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Watford
| clubnumber = 10
| youthyears1 = 2005–2006
| youthclubs1 = Etoile du Cens
| youthyears2 = 2006–2017
| youthclubs2 = Nantes
| years1 = 2017–2019
| clubs1 = Nantes B
| caps1 = 40
| goals1 = 10
| years2 = 2019–2021
| clubs2 = Nantes
| caps2 = 58
| goals2 = 9
| years3 = 2021–
| clubs3 = Watford
| caps3 = 89
| goals3 = 8
| years4 = 2024
| clubs4 = → Lorient (loan)
| caps4 = 14
| goals4 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2017
| nationalteam1 = Morocco U20
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalyears2 = 2019
| nationalteam2 = France U20
| nationalcaps2 = 2
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = France U21
| nationalcaps3 = 6
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2021–
| nationalteam4 = Morocco
| nationalcaps4 = 15
| nationalgoals4 = 2
| club-update = 3 May 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 17 June 2023 (UTC)
}}
Imran Louza ({{Langx|ar|عمران لوزة}}; born 1 May 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|Watford}} club Watford. Born in France, he represents the Morocco national team.
Louza came through Nantes' youth academy and made his first team debut in 2019, and his international debut in 2021.
Club career
=Nantes=
Louza joined the youth academy of Nantes in 2006 from Etoile du Cens, and was captain of several youth categories in the club.{{cite web|url=https://www.fcnantes.com/articles/article2809.php?num=15105|title=Formation - Imran Louza, Made In FC Nantes|website=www.fcnantes.com}} He made his professional debut with Nantes in a 4–1 Coupe de France win over Châteauroux on 4 January 2019, and scored in his debut.{{cite web|url=https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/football/il-marque-pour-son-premier-match-en-pro-avec-le-fc-nantes-imran-louza-vit-un-reve-de-gosse-1546680126|title=Il marque pour son premier match en pro avec le FC Nantes : Imran Louza vit "un rêve de gosse"|date=5 January 2019|website=France Bleu}}
=Watford=
On 1 June 2021, Watford completed the signing of Louza from Nantes for a reported fee of €10 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2021/watford-sign-imran-louza-for-e10m-from-nantes/|title=Watford sign Imran Louza for €10m from Nantes|website=www.getfootballnewsfrance.com|date=June 2021 }} He signed with The Hornets on a five-year deal lasting until 2026.{{cite web|url=https://www.fcnantes.com/articles/article2809.php?num=37202|title=Pro Group - Imran Louza leaves FC Nantes|website=www.fcnantes.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/official-hornets-sign-louza|title=Official: Hornets Sign Louza|publisher=Watford F.C.|date=1 June 2021|accessdate=22 June 2021}} On 21 August 2021, Louza made his debut for Watford in a 2-0 loss against Brighton.{{Cite news |title=Brighton make it two wins from two with Watford victory |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58193436 |access-date=2022-03-07}}
On 8 October 2022, in Louza's third appearance of the season, he opened his account for Watford with an impressive free-kick to equalise in an eventual 3–1 defeat to Blackpool.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63099156|title=Blackpool 3–1 Watford: Jerry Yates double ends Tangerines' winless run|publisher=BBC Sport|date=8 October 2022|accessdate=21 October 2022}} On 19 October 2022, Louza was stretchered off during a 3–0 defeat to Millwall.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63224177|title=Millwall 3–0 Watford: Tom Bradshaw's first-half hat-trick downs Hornets|publisher=BBC Sport|date=19 October 2022|accessdate=21 October 2022}} Manager Slaven Bilić would go on to reveal that Louza had fractured his fibula as well as suffering ligament damage, an injury that would rule him out for several months and see him miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63345282|title=Imran Louza: Watford's Morocco midfielder 'out for a few months' with broken leg|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 October 2022|accessdate=21 October 2022}}
In January 2024, Louza joined Ligue 1 club Lorient on loan until the end of the season, the deal containing a purchase option.{{cite web|url=https://www.watfordfc.com/news/official-louza-joins-lorient-on-loan|title=Official: Louza Joins Lorient On Loan|website=www.watfordfc.com|date=15 January 2024|accessdate=15 January 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fclorient.bzh/imran-louza-prete-au-fc-lorient/|trans-title=Imrân Louza loaned to FC Lorient|title=Imrân Louza prêté au FC Lorient|language=French|website=www.fclorient.bzh|date=15 January 2024|accessdate=15 January 2024}}
International career
Louza was born in France to a Moroccan father and a French mother. He represented the Morocco U20s in a 3–2 friendly win over the France U20s, and scored a goal for his side.{{cite web | url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/football/fc-nantes/fc-nantes-imran-louza-le-canari-qui-grandit-dans-l-ombre-6069597 | title=FC Nantes. Imran Louza, le Canari qui grandit dans l'ombre | date=14 November 2018 }} He switched to represent France internationally, debuting for the France U20s and U21s.
Louza formally decided to represent the senior Morocco national team and debuted and scored in a 5–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Guinea-Bissau on 6 October 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/football/equipe-maroc/fc-nantes-premiere-selection-et-premier-but-pour-imran-louza-ancien-canari-avec-le-maroc-70e3b3e6-26de-11ec-8dc7-65fb792c4248 | title=FC Nantes. Première sélection et premier but pour Imran Louza, ancien Canari, avec le Maroc | date=6 October 2021 }}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 3 May 2025}}{{Soccerway|imran-louza/502748}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Coupe de la Ligue, EFL Cup}} !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Nantes B
|20 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 20 | 4 | ||||
| 2018–19
|20 | 6 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 20 | 6 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!40 | 10 | colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||40 | 10 | |||||||
| rowspan="4"|Nantes
|1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20
|Ligue 1 |24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21
|Ligue 1 |33 | 7 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 2{{efn|Appearances in Ligue 1 relegation play-offs}} | 0 | 36 | 7 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!58 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 67 | 12 | |
| rowspan="5"|Watford
|20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23
|21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 5 | |||
| 2023–24
|Championship |15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25
|Championship |33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 37 | 2 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!89 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 97 | 8 | ||
| rowspan="1"|Lorient (loan)
|14 | 1 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 14 | 1 | ||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!201 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 217 | 30 |
{{notelist}}
=International =
:Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Louza goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Imran Louza{{NFT player|84193|access-date=12 November 2021}} | ||||||
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center"|1 | 6 October 2021 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | {{fb|GNB}} | style="text-align:center"|2–0 | style="text-align:center"|5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| style="text-align:center"|2 | 12 November 2021 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | {{fb|SUD}} | style="text-align:center"|3–0 | style="text-align:center"|3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{FFF player}}
- {{LFP}}
- {{Soccerway}}
{{Watford F.C. squad}}
{{Watford F.C. Player of the Season}}
{{Morocco squad 2021 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Louza, Imran}}
Category:Footballers from Nantes
Category:Moroccan men's footballers
Category:21st-century Moroccan sportsmen
Category:Morocco men's international footballers
Category:Morocco men's youth international footballers
Category:French men's footballers
Category:France men's youth international footballers
Category:France men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Championnat National 2 players
Category:Championnat National 3 players
Category:Premier League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Moroccan expatriate men's footballers
Category:French expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Moroccan expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in England