Natxo Insa

Natxo Insa
Insa playing for Antalyaspor in 2013
Personal information
Full name Ignacio Insa Bohigues
Date of birth (1986-06-09) 9 June 1986 (age 40)
Place of birth Cocentaina, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Johor Darul Ta'zim
Number 30
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Valencia B 36 (2)
2007–2009 Valencia 1 (0)
2007–2009 → Eibar (loan) 56 (3)
2009–2011 Villarreal B 74 (2)
2011 Villarreal 1 (0)
2011–2013 Celta 46 (3)
2013–2014 Antalyaspor 16 (0)
2015 Zaragoza 17 (0)
2015–2016 Alcorcón 34 (2)
2016–2017 Levante 35 (2)
2017– Johor Darul Ta'zim 83 (6)
International career
2018–2024 Malaysia 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:34, 30 March 2025 (UTC)

Ignacio 'Natxo' Insa Bohigues (born 9 June 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim.

He spent most of his career in the Segunda División, playing 244 matches and scoring ten goals for Eibar, Villarreal B, Celta, Zaragoza, Alcorcón and Levante. In La Liga, he represented Villarreal's first team and Celta.

Born in Spain, Insa appeared for Malaysia internationally, making his debut in 2018.

Club career

Insa was born in Cocentaina, Province of Alicante, Valencian Community. A product of Valencia CF's youth ranks, he made his first-team debut in a friendly with Fenerbahçe S.K. in July 2006, but spent the vast majority of that season with the B side in the Segunda División B. He first appeared officially for the main squad on 5 December 2006, coming on as an early substitute in a UEFA Champions League game at AS Roma (1–0 group stage loss). He played his first La Liga match on 17 June of the following year, featuring the last six minutes of the 3–3 home draw against Real Sociedad.

Insa was loaned to Segunda División club SD Eibar in 2007–08, scoring twice in 33 appearances. The deal was renewed for the following campaign, where he appeared slightly less and also suffered relegation.

In August 2009, Insa moved to Villarreal CF, spending his first season with the reserves also in the second division. He played just one competitive match with the first team, 11 minutes in a 1–0 away defeat to CA Osasuna.

From 2011 to 2013, Insa represented RC Celta de Vigo. In the latter campaign he scored two goals, the first in a 2–2 home draw against FC Barcelona and the second in a 1–0 victory over RCD Espanyol also at Balaídos; that last matchday win ultimately proved essential, as the Galicians eventually avoided relegation.

After a one-year spell abroad at Turkey's Antalyaspor, Insa returned to Spain and its second tier in January 2015, appearing for Real Zaragoza, AD Alcorcón and Levante UD in quick succession. On 6 June 2017, he signed with Malaysia Super League's Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. for a fee of nearly €400,000.

International career

Insa obtained Malaysian citizenship through his grandmother, who was born in Sabah. He won his first cap for their national team on 22 March 2018 at the age of 31, in a 2–2 friendly draw with Mongolia.

In June 2023, five years after his first appearance, Insa was called up by the second time for friendlies against Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to be held that month. He did not take the field on either match, only featuring again on 20 January 2024 in the 1–0 loss to Bahrain in the group stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, subsequently facing heavy criticism for his performance.

Style of play

Insa was described as a defensive midfielder with a high work rate and tactical discipline. According to Malaysia national team coach Peter Cklamovski, he was capable of dictating the tempo of a match by either slowing down or accelerating play. His physical performance data was cited as satisfactory by the Asian Football Confederation, while he was considered to possess attributes that aligned with an attacking and structured tactical approach.

Personal life

Insa's younger brother, Kiko, is also a former Malaysian international footballer.

Career statistics

Club

As of 11 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Valencia B 2006–07 Segunda División B 342—20362
Valencia 2006–07 La Liga 10001020
Eibar (loan) 2007–08 Segunda División 33210—342
2008–09 Segunda División 23100—231
Total 56310—573
Villarreal B 2009–10 Segunda División 342——342
2010–11 Segunda División 400——400
Total 742——742
Villarreal 2010–11 La Liga 1000—10
Celta 2011–12 Segunda División 28130—311
2012–13 La Liga 18200—182
Total 46330—493
Antalyaspor 2013–14 Süper Lig 16041—201
Zaragoza 2014–15 Segunda División 17000—170
Alcorcón 2015–16 Segunda División 34210—352
Levante 2016–17 Segunda División 35200—352
Johor Darul Ta'zim 2017 Malaysia Super League 9292—184
2018 Malaysia Super League 1434 05 0222
2019 Malaysia Super League 300 01 040
2020 Malaysia Super League 600 02 080
2021 Malaysia Super League 1910 05 0241
2022 Malaysia Super League 1501 05 0210
2023 Malaysia Super League 701 02 0100
2024–25 Malaysia Super League 8 0 3 0 4 0 15 0
Total 81 6 18 2 24 0 123 8
Career total 3831924318042921
  1. ↑ Appearances in Segunda División B relegation play-offs
  2. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Appearances in Malaysia FA Cup and Malaysia Cup
  4. ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and AFC Cup
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appearances in AFC Champions League

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Malaysia 201810
202410
Total20

Honours

Levante

Johor Darul Ta'zim

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 Natxo Insa at WorldFootball.net
  2. ↑ Leiva, Pablo (22 March 2018). "¿Cómo ha acabado Natxo Insa debutando con la selección de Malasia?" [How did Natxo Insa end up debuting for the Malaysia national team?]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Roma 1–0 Valencia: Panucci sends Roma through". ESPN Soccernet. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. ↑ Valle, Conrado (21 April 2020). "Valencia: cantera de diamantes" [Valencia: diamond quarry]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  5. ↑ "Valencia 3–3 Real Sociedad". ESPN Soccernet. 17 June 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ↑ "Eibar ficha al mediapunta Nacho Insa del Valencia B" [Eibar sign attacking midfielder Nacho Insa from Valencia B] (in Spanish). Join Futbol. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "El Xerez remonta tres goles al Eibar y consigue el empate" [Xerez come back from three goals against Eibar and get draw]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 22 December 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "'Hat trick' de Goiria y goleada del Éibar" [Goiria hat trick and Éibar rout]. Ideal (in Spanish). 23 March 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  9. ↑ U. Lasagabaster, Amaia (3 June 2009). "Una regeneración completa, o casi, para una nueva etapa" [Complete regeneration, or nearly, for a new spell]. Gara (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  10. ↑ Conde, J. (5 January 2012). "Insa, el vecino que añora Alcoi" [Insa, local who yearns for Alcoi]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "Osasuna ensure top-flight status". ESPN Soccernet. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ↑ "Messi makes history as Barca draw". ESPN FC. 30 March 2013. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "Insa hands Celta survival". ESPN FC. 1 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  14. ↑ Vizcaíno, Nacho (2 June 2013). "Natxo Insa: "Fue el gol más importante de mi vida"" [Natxo Insa: "It was the most important goal of my life"] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Gaudioso, Sonia (21 January 2015). "Natxo Insa refuerza al Zaragoza" [Natxo Insa bolsters Zaragoza]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "Natxo Insa presentado oficialmente como nuevo futbolista de la A.D. Alcorcón" [Natxo Insa officially presented as new footballer of A.D. Alcorcón] (in Spanish). AD Alcorcón. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "El Levante UD llega a un acuerdo con Natxo Insa para su incorporación para las dos próximas temporadas" [Levante UD reach agreement with Natxo Insa for his signing for the following two seasons] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "Welcome to JDT family Ignacio 'Natxo' Insa". Johor Darul Ta'zim. 6 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  19. ↑ Rajan, K. (20 March 2018). "Naturalised Natxo ready to work his magic on national team". The Star. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  20. ↑ Anil, Nicolas (23 March 2018). "We will improve, says Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe after Mongolia draw". Fox Sports Asia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  21. ↑ Manchón, Martín (8 June 2023). "Natxo Insa regresa cinco años después a una convocatoria de la selección de Malasia" [Natxo Insa returns to a Malaysia national team call-up five years later]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  22. ↑ "We gave everything in Asian Cup, Bahrain's last-minute goal 'killed' us, says Malaysian midfielder Mohamed Syamer". Malay Mail. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  23. ↑ Mansor, Zulfaizan (21 January 2024). "Insa gets panned by Harimau Malaya fans after poor display". New Straits Times. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  24. ↑ Mohd Noor, Rizar (17 March 2025). "Kelibat Natxo dan Endrick perkuatkan posisi tengah – Cklamovski" [Natxo and Endrick strengthen midfield – Cklamovski]. BH (in Malay). Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  25. ↑ Vick, Vijhay (2 August 2017). "Natxo Insa: The newly naturalised Malaysian midfielder shining brightly at JDT". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  26. ↑ Anil, Nicolas (March 2018). "Natxo Insa, Corbin Ong in new-look Malaysia side under Tan Cheng Hoe". Fox Sports Asia. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Natxo Insa at BDFutbol
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Natxo Insa at Soccerway
  29. ↑ Martínez de la Calle, Alberto (9 June 2017). "Levante UD | El Ciutat homenajeará a los campeones" [Levante UD | Ciutat to honour champions]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "JDT maintains unbeaten record for third consecutive season". Bernama. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  31. ↑ "Result detail" (in Malay). Football Association of Malaysia. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  32. ↑ Fernández, Manuel (14 December 2025). "El mallorquín Xisco Muñoz conquista su tercera Copa de Malasia" [Mallorca native Xisco Muñoz conquers his third Malaysian Cup]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  33. ↑ "'They gave everything': Head coach Muñoz praises JDT's relentless display in 3–0 Charity Shield rout of Selangor". Malay Mail. 9 August 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  34. ↑ "PFAM-Asiana Player of the Month Award – Natxo Insa". Johor Darul Ta'zim. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.