Arnold Peralta
Peralta with Rangers in 2013
Personal information
Full name Arnold Fabián Peralta Sosa[1]
Date of birth (1989-03-29)29 March 1989
Place of birth La Ceiba, Honduras
Date of death 10 December 2015(2015-12-10) (aged 26)
Place of death La Ceiba, Honduras
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2013 Vida 114 (2)
2013–2015 Rangers 24 (1)
2015 Olimpia 23 (1)
Total 161 (4)
International career
2009 Honduras U20 3 (1)
2010 Honduras U21 2 (0)
2011–2012 Honduras U23 9 (0)
2011–2015 Honduras 26 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 December 2015

Arnold Fabián Peralta Sosa (29 March 1989 – 10 December 2015) was a Honduran footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

He began his career at Vida in 2008, and five years later he joined Scottish club Rangers, where he won the Scottish League One in 2013–14. After being released in January 2015, he returned to his homeland with Olimpia. Peralta was a full international with 26 caps for the Honduras national football team from his debut in 2011, representing the nation at the 2012 Olympics, although he was not selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad due to injury.

He was shot dead on 10 December 2015 in his hometown of La Ceiba. He was buried in Jardines de Paz Ceibeños cemetery.[2][3]

Career

Club

Vida

Born in La Ceiba, Peralta began his career in 2008 with his hometown LINA club Vida.[4]

Rangers

In June 2013, Peralta agreed to join the Scottish club Rangers on a four–year deal, subject to receiving a work permit. He was eligible to play once Rangers' player registration embargo was lifted on 1 September 2013.[5] Peralta scored his first goal for Rangers in a friendly against Dundee.[6] Already crowned Scottish League One champions, his first competitive goal came against Stranraer on 26 April 2014, a 3–0 win at Ibrox which saw Rangers pass 100 points in the season.[7]

On 21 January 2015, Rangers announced that Peralta's contract had been terminated by mutual consent.[8] He went on trial with Kazakhstan's Shakhter Karagandy,[9] but did not earn a contract.[10]

Olimpia

Peralta later returned to his home country after signing for Olimpia.[11][12]

International

Peralta was the Honduran Under-20 captain. He helped his country qualify for the 2009 FIFA World Youth Championship, in Egypt, in which he played three games scoring against eventual third place team from Hungary. He also participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics, making his debut on 26 July in a 2–2 draw against Morocco at Hampden Park, Glasgow.[13]

He made his senior debut for Honduras in a September 2011 friendly match against Paraguay and represented his country in seven FIFA World Cup qualification matches,[14] as well as playing at the 2013 Copa Centroamericana.[15] He missed Honduras' 2014 FIFA World Cup attempt due to injury.[16] At the time of his death, he had appeared 26 times for his country.

Death

Peralta died after being fatally shot outside a shopping mall in his hometown of La Ceiba on 10 December 2015, at the age of 26.[17] He was hit by eighteen bullets, and police ruled out robbery as a motive.[16]

Two days later, a minute of silence was observed at Ibrox before a Scottish Championship game between Rangers and Morton.[18]

Career statistics

Club

[19][20]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
CD Vida 2008–09 Liga Nacional 21 0 - - - - 21 0
2009–10 20 0 - - - - 20 0
2010–11 26 0 - - - - 26 0
2011–12 24 0 - - - - 24 0
2012–13 23 2 - - - - 23 2
Total 114 2 - - - - - - - - 114 2
Rangers 2013–14[21] Scottish League One 20 1 4 0 0 0 - 2 0 26 1
2014–15[22] Scottish Championship 4 0 0 0 1 0 - 0 0 5 0
Total 24 1 4 0 1 0 - - 2 0 31 1
CD Olimpia 2014–15 Liga Nacional 9 0 - 2 0 - 11 0
2015–16 14 1 - 2 0 - 16 1
Total 23 1 - - 4 0 - - 27 1
Career total 161 4 4 0 1 0 4 0 2 0 172 4

International

Honduras[20]
Year Apps Goals
2011 1 0
2012 5 0
2013 13 0
2014 3 0
2015 4 0
Total 26 0

Honours

Rangers

References

  1. ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009™: List of Players: Hoduras" (PDF). FIFA. 6 October 2009. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2009.
  2. ^ DiarioMas.hn – ¡Asesinaron al defensor Arnold Peralta! – 11 December 2015
  3. ^ LaPrensa.hn – Asesinan al futbolista hondureño Arnold Peralta – 11 December 2015
  4. ^ "Arnold Peralta". Worldfootball.net. 29 March 1989.
  5. ^ "Peralta Agrees Rangers Deal". David Melvin. Rangers.co.uk. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Arnie Will Keep Improving". Andrew Dickson. Rangers.co.uk. 31 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  7. ^ Murray, Keir (26 April 2014). "Rangers 3-0 Stranraer". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Arnold Peralta Leaves Rangers". Rangers Football Club. Rangers.co.uk. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Игрок Глазго Рейнджерс и сборной Гондураса в Шахтёре". sport.gazeta.kz (in Russian). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Перальты не будет в Шахтёре". sports.kz (in Russian). 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Arnold Peralta ya entrena con Olimpia de Honduras - Diario La Tribuna Honduras". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  12. ^ Arnold Peralta: "Es una bendición ponerme la camiseta de Olimpia" - Diario Diez
  13. ^ "Arnold Peralta". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  14. ^ Arnold Peralta – FIFA competition record (archived)
  15. ^ Copa Centroamericana 2013 (UNCAF Nations Cup) – RSSSF
  16. ^ a b "Arnold Peralta: Honduras footballer shot dead". BBC News. BBC. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  17. ^ "Asesinan al futbolista hondureño Arnold Peralta" [Honduran footballer Arnold Peralta murdered]. laprensa.hn (in Spanish). 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  18. ^ Wilson, Richard (12 December 2015). "Rangers 2-2 Morton". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  19. ^ "A.Peralta". uk.soccerway.com/. Soccerway. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  20. ^ a b "Arnold Fabián Peralta Sosa". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  21. ^ "Games played by Arnold Peralta in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  22. ^ "Games played by Arnold Peralta in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 December 2015.

External links

Honduras men's football squad – 2012 Summer Olympics
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