Brandon Aguilera

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Aguilera and the second or maternal family name is Zamora.

Brandon Aguilera
Personal information
Full name Brandon Aguilera Zamora[1]
Date of birth (2003-06-28) 28 June 2003 (age 21)[1]
Place of birth Naranjo, Costa Rica
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rio Ave
Number 16
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Carmelita 4 (1)
2019–2022 Alajuelense 40 (3)
2021–2023 → Guanacasteca (loan) 28 (6)
2022–2024 Nottingham Forest 1 (0)
2023 → Estoril (loan) 0 (0)
2024 → Bristol Rovers (loan) 12 (2)
2024– Rio Ave 9 (1)
International career‡
2018 Costa Rica U15 1 (0)
2018–2019 Costa Rica U17 4 (0)
2022 Costa Rica U20 5 (0)
2022– Costa Rica 24 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:28, 4 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:12, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

Brandon Aguilera Zamora (born 28 June 2003) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club Rio Ave and the Costa Rica national team.

Club career

In July 2022 Premier League side Nottingham Forest announced they had signed Aguilera on a four-year deal from Alajuelense, and would immediately be loaned to fellow Costa Rican side Guanacasteca for six months.[2] In January 2023, Aguilera joined Primeira Liga club Estoril on loan until the end of the season. He played with the team's under 23 squad.[3]

On 1 February 2024, Aguilera joined League One club Bristol Rovers on loan until the end of the season.[4] He made an impressive debut for the club two days after signing, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Exeter City, smashing the ball into the top corner from twenty yards.[5][6] In just his third match of his loan spell however, he picked up a hamstring injury, having to temporarily return to his parent club.[7] At the Bristol Rovers end of season awards, he was awarded the club's Goal of the Season for his debut strike.[8]

On 2 July 2024, Aguilera signed with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Rio Ave on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[9][10]

International career

A youth international for Costa Rica since 2018, Aguilera made his senior team debut against the United States on 30 March 2022.[11][12] In November 2022 he was named to the 26-man Costa Rica squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 4 October 2024[14]
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
Carmelita 2018–19 Liga FPD 4 1 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 4 1
Alajuelense 2019–20 Liga FPD 2 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 2 0
2020–21 Liga FPD 26 1 0 0 — 3[a] 0 0 0 29 1
2021–22 Liga FPD 12 0 1 0 — 1 0 0 0 14 0
Total 40 1 1 0 — 4 0 0 0 45 1
Nottingham Forest 2022–23 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
2023–24 Premier League 1 0 1 0 1 0 — — 3 0
Total 1 0 1 0 1 0 — — 3 0
Guanacasteca (loan) 2021–22 Liga FPD 18 4 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 18 4
2022–23 Liga FPD 10 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 10 0
Total 28 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 4
Estoril (loan) 2022–23 Primeira Liga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nottingham Forest U21 2023–24 — — — — 1[b] 0 1 0
Bristol Rovers (loan) 2023–24[15] League One 12 2 — — — 0 0 12 2
Rio Ave 2024–25 Primeira Liga 6 0 0 0 0 0 — — 6 0
Career total 87 8 2 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 95 8
  1. ^ Two appearances in CONCACAF League, one appearance in CONCACAF Champions Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy

International

As of match played 18 November 2024[16]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Costa Rica 2022 8 0
2023 4 0
2024 12 0
Total 24 0

Honours

Alajuelense

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Costa Rica (CRC)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 7. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. ^ "FOREST SECURE COSTA RICA INTERNATIONAL AGUILERA". Nottingham Forest. 17 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Agiulera joins Estoril on loan". www.nottinghamforest.co.uk. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Aguilera loaned to Bristol Rovers". www.nottinghamforest.co.uk. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Exeter City 0–1 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  6. ^ Langstaff, Harry (3 February 2024). "Bristol Rovers player ratings: "mesmeric" and "heroic" 9/10s received in Exeter City victory". Bristol World. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  7. ^ Langstaff, Harry (22 February 2024). "Bristol Rovers confirm loanee returns to Premier League side Nottingham Forest for 'rehab' on injury". Bristol World. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Rovers celebrate campaign at End Of Season Awards". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Brandon Aguilera assina e reforça meio-campo". 2 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Aguilera departs". 2 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Brandon Aguilera: Nottingham Forest sign Costa Rica midfielder". BBC Sport. 17 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Nottingham Forest sign Costa Rica teenager Brandon Aguilera from LD Alajuelense". FourFourTwo. 17 July 2022.
  13. ^ FCRF [@fedefutbolcrc] (3 November 2022). "Les dejamos la imagen también" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Brandon Aguilera at Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Games played by Brandon Aguilera in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Aguilera, Brandon". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 April 2024.