Junior Diaz (footballer, born 2003)

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Junior Diaz
Michel Junior Diaz 2024.jpg
Junior Diaz in a press conference with Troyes in 2024
Personal information
Full name Michel Junior Diaz
Date of birth (2003-07-23) 23 July 2003 (age 22)
Place of birth Saint-Herblain, France
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Brest
(on loan from Troyes)
Number 4
Youth career
2012-2022 Nantes
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2021–2024 Nantes B 29 (2)
2022–2024 Nantes 0 (0)
2023–2024 → Annecy (loan) 20 (0)
2024– Troyes 34 (0)
2025– → Brest (loan) 0 (0)
International career
2023-2023 Ivory Coast Olympic 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 May 2025

Michel Junior Diaz (born 23 July 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ligue 1 club Brest on loan from Troyes. Born in France, he represents the Ivory Coast at international level.

Contents

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]

On 13 July 2025, Diaz was loaned by Ligue 1 club Brest. [11]

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. [12]

Career statistics

As of match played 20 December 2024 [13]
Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] EuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nantes 2021–22 National 2 10———10
2022–23 National 2241———241
2023–24 National 3 11———11
262———262
Nantes 2022–23 Ligue 1 001000—10
Annecy (loan) 2023–24 Ligue 2 20020——220
Troyes 2024–25 Ligue 227030——190
Career total732600000792
  1. ↑ Including appearances in Coupe de France.

Honours

Nantes U19

Nantes

References

  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. ↑ "Junior Diaz, un renfort de taille pour les Ty-Zefs" [Junior Diaz, a major reinforcement for the Ty-Zefs] (in French). Stade Brestois 29. 13 July 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "Académie - Junior Diaz, Made in FC Nantes". FC Nantes (in French).
  13. ↑ 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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