Omar Kader
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{For|the Canadian formerly held in Guantanamo|Omar Khadr}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Omar Kader
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1986|4|29}}
|birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
|height = {{convert|1.75|m|order=flip}}{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/omar-kader/ |title=Omar Kader |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HEIM:SPIEL |access-date=26 May 2020}}
|position = Midfielder
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 =
|years1 = 2005–2012
|clubs1 = Spartans
|caps1 =
|goals1 =
|years2 = 2012–2015
|clubs2 = Forfar Athletic
|caps2 = 91
|goals2 = 10
|years3 = 2015
|clubs3 = Alloa Athletic
|caps3 = 1
|goals3 = 0
|years4 = 2015–2016
|clubs4 = Forfar Athletic
|caps4 = 14
|goals4 = 2
|years5 = 2016–2020
|clubs5 = Arbroath
|caps5 = 107
|goals5 = 12
}}
Omar Kader (born 29 April 1986) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a midfielder. He began his career at amateurs Spartans, where he spent seven years before moving to the Scottish Football League to represent Forfar Athletic in 2012. He played three seasons at Forfar before leaving to join Alloa Athletic, having impressed their manager while playing against them, but two months later he left to return to Forfar then join Arbroath for four seasons. Kader has since retired as a professional footballer.
Career
=Spartans=
Born in Edinburgh, Kader began his career at amateur team Spartans, of the East of Scotland Football League. On 6 January 2006, he was an 80th-minute substitute as they won 3–2 against Scottish Third Division club Queen's Park in the third round of the Scottish Cup.{{cite news|title=Spartans 3–2 Queen's Park|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/4584916.stm|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=6 January 2006}} On 5 February, he was again a late substitute in the next round as they achieved a goalless draw with St Mirren, the team then in first place in the First Division.{{cite news|title=Spartans 0–0 St Mirren|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/4676072.stm|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=5 February 2006}} In total, he spent seven years at the City Park club.{{cite news|title=Kader in line to join Loons|url=http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/kader-in-line-to-join-loons/|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=Scottish Professional Football League|date=25 July 2012}}
=Forfar Athletic=
On 25 July 2012, after a successful trial, Kader joined Forfar Athletic. Three days later, he made his debut at Station Park in the first round of the Scottish Challenge Cup, and scored the first goal of a 3–2 win against First Division Dunfermline Athletic, finishing a cross by Danny Denholm.{{cite news|title=Ramsdens Cup: Forfar 3–2 Dunfermline|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19029804|accessdate=29 August 2015|date=28 July 2012}} He made his first appearance in the Scottish Football League on 11 August, as the Second Division season began with a 2–0 loss at Queen of the South.{{cite news|title=Queen of the South 2–0 Forfar Ath|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19203958|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=11 August 2012}} Kader did not record a league goal until his 17th game, netting in a 3–1 home win over Stranraer on 2 March 2013,{{cite news|title=Athletic take maximum points|url=http://spfl.co.uk/league-one/fixture/3539453/|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=Scottish Professional Football League|date=2 March 2013}} and was also on the scoresheet in his next game two weeks later, when he scored Forfar's first of a 3–3 draw against Stenhousemuir.{{cite news|title=Forfar 3–3 Stenhousemuir|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21795734|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=16 March 2013}} Across 25 games of his first season in a nationwide league, his only other goal came on 27 April, concluding a 3–0 victory at Stranraer's Stair Park.{{cite news|title=Stranraer 0–3 Forfar Athletic|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22305139|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=27 April 2013}} Forfar finished the season in a play-off place, where they lost 7–4 on aggregate to Dunfermline.{{cite news|title=Dunfermline Athletic 6–1 Forfar Athletic (aet, agg 7–4)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22476068|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 May 2013}}
Kader's second season with Forfar began in the Challenge Cup first round on 27 July 2013, with him scoring the first goal of a 2–1 win over East Fife.{{cite news|title=East Fife 2–1 Forfar|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28382013|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=26 July 2014}} It took him 18 games to achieve a goal in the newly rebranded Scottish League One, doing so on 1 February 2014 in a 1–1 home draw with Airdrieonians.{{cite news|title=Forfar 1–1 Airdrieonians|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25892398|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=1 February 2014}} His season ended with three goals in 30 league games.
In his third season, Kader scored in two consecutive games over November 2014, helping Forfar to a 3–3 draw at Brechin City{{cite news|title=Brechin 3–3 Forfar|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29965301|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=16 November 2014}} and a 2–0 home triumph over Ayr United.{{cite news|title=Forfar 2–0 Ayr|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30066253|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=22 November 2014}} He featured in all 36 matches over the league season, recording four goals, as Forfar made the promotion play-offs. In the semi-final first leg, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 home victory over Ayr,{{cite news|title=Forfar 3–0 Stranraer: Athletic on brink of final|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/forfar-3-0-stranraer-athletic-on-brink-of-final-1-3765443|accessdate=29 August 2015|work=The Scotsman|date=6 May 2015}} and in the first leg of the final, he scored the first goal of a 3–1 victory against Alloa Athletic.{{cite news|title=Forfar 3–1 Alloa|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32679086|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=13 May 2015}} However, Alloa, who were in the play-offs to maintain their place in the Scottish Championship, came back to defeat Forfar in the second leg.{{cite news|title=Alloa 3–0 Forfar: 10-man Wasps seal comeback win|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/alloa-3-0-forfar-10-man-wasps-seal-comeback-win-1-3775703|accessdate=29 August 2015|work=The Scotsman|date=18 May 2015}}
=Alloa Athletic=
After impressing Alloa manager Danny Lennon with his play-off performances against them for Forfar, Kader was one of five players whom he signed on 8 July 2015.{{cite news|title=Danny Lennon adds a further five new faces at Alloa Athletic|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13416255.Danny_Lennon_adds_a_further_five_new_faces_at_Alloa_Athletic/|accessdate=29 August 2015|work=The Herald|date=8 July 2015}} He made his debut 17 days later as they won 1–0 away to Highland Football League team Brora Rangers in the first round of the Challenge Cup, replacing Eddie Ferns for the last ten minutes.{{cite news|title=Brora Rangers 0–1 Alloa|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33578672|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=25 July 2015}} On 29 August, he made his league debut, as an 82nd-minute substitute for Mark Williams in a 1–0 home loss to Greenock Morton.{{cite news|title=Alloa 0–1 Morton|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34025544|accessdate=29 August 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=29 August 2015}}
=Return to Forfar=
Kader left Alloa by mutual consent, and returned to Forfar on 1 September 2015.{{cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Neil|title=Forfar boss Dick Campbell welcomes familiar face back to Station Park|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/league-1/forfar-boss-dick-campbell-welcomes-familiar-face-back-to-station-park-1.897728|accessdate=7 September 2015|work=The Courier|date=2 September 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920004550/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/league-1/forfar-boss-dick-campbell-welcomes-familiar-face-back-to-station-park-1.897728|archivedate=20 September 2015|df=dmy-all}} The first game of his second spell came four days later, a 4–0 loss to Dunfermline Athletic at Station Park.{{cite news|title=Forfar 0 Dunfermline 4: Lesson for Loons as Pars sweep to top of table|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/league-1/forfar-0-dunfermline-4-lesson-for-loons-as-pars-sweep-to-top-of-table-1.898632|accessdate=7 September 2015|work=The Courier|date=7 September 2015}} In his next game on 12 September, he scored the first goal of his return to the team, confirming a 2–0 win at Brechin City.{{cite news|title=Brechin 0–2 Forfar|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34161006|accessdate=19 October 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 September 2015}} In a season which ended with relegation, he added only one more goal, in a 1–1 draw at Airdrieonians on 8 March 2016.{{cite news|title=Airdrieonians 1–1 Forfar|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35270862|accessdate=11 May 2016|publisher=BBC Sport|date=8 March 2016}}
=Arbroath=
On 10 May 2016, Kader joined up with former Forfar manager Dick Campbell, being one of four players to sign for Scottish League Two team Arbroath, alongside his Forfar teammates Michael Dunlop and Gavin Malin.{{cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Neil|title=Arbroath boss Dick Campbell in quadruple signing swoop|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/scottish-league-2/170139/arbroath-boss-dick-campbell-quadruple-signing-swoop/|accessdate=11 May 2016|work=The Courier|date=10 May 2016}} The team won promotion at the end of the season as League Two champions.{{cite news |title=Arbroath are League Two champions! |url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/arbroath-are-league-2-champions |accessdate=31 January 2019 |publisher=Scottish Professional Football League |date=6 May 2017}}
Arbroath won the League One title in 2019, though Kader scored only once, in a 5–2 home win over Stenhousemuir on 1 December 2018.{{cite news |title=Arbroath 5 – 2 Stenhousemuir – GoPro Goals |url=https://www.arbroathfc.co.uk/arbroath-5-2-stenhousemuir-gopro-goals/ |accessdate=9 April 2020 |publisher=Arbroath F.C.}} On 9 November 2019 he scored his first professional goal at the age of 33, wrapping up a 3–0 win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle as a substitute at Gayfield Park.{{cite news |title=Arbroath 3–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50271813 |accessdate=9 April 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 November 2019}}
Personal life
Kader grew up supporting hometown team Hibernian.{{cite news|title=Alloa new boy Omar Kader can't wait to face boyhood heroes Hibs in exciting SPFL Championship|url=http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/sport/alloaathletic/articles/2015/07/17/539199-alloa-new-boy-omar-kader-cant-wait-to-face-boyhood-heroes-hibs-in-exciting-spfl-championship/|accessdate=29 August 2015|work=Alloa Advertiser|date=27 July 2015}} He is a graduate of Heriot-Watt University, and scored as their football team won a fifth consecutive university league title in 2008.{{cite news|title=Heriot Watt claim University title for fifth year in a row|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/heriot-watt-claim-university-title-for-fifth-year-in-a-row-1-1243093|accessdate=11 May 2016|work=The Scotsman|date=31 January 2008}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 4 January 2020}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
Honours
;Arbroath
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|omar-kader/69085}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kader, Omar}}
Category:Footballers from Edinburgh
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:The Spartans F.C. players
Category:Forfar Athletic F.C. players
Category:Alloa Athletic F.C. players
Category:Arbroath F.C. players
Category:Scottish Football League players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players