Jean Beausejour

Early life

Beausejour was born in Santiago, to a Haitian father and a Chilean-Mapuche mother. He was raised in Estación Central commune.

Early career

He began his professional career at Universidad Católica. In 2002, he debuted after being loaned to Universidad de Concepción where he had an impressive season alongside Jorge Valdivia.

In 2004, he joined Switzerland's Servette in a one-year deal, reuniting with Valdivia to face the UEFA Cup. After spending one year in Swiss football he moved to Brazilian Grêmio in 2005, where he helped the team to win the Série B title. He joined KAA Gent of Belgium in January 2006, but he made no appearances for the club and returned to Chile where he signed for Cobreloa in 2007.

In January 2008, Beausejour joined O'Higgins where he was used as left winger by Jorge Sampaoli and re-gained status after impressing once again. His performances led him to the national team coached by Marcelo Bielsa who usually used him in the same position.

On 1 December 2008, it was reported that Beausejour completed a three-and-half year deal with Mexican club América. He made his debut on 4 January 2009 during a 1–1 draw with rivals Guadalajara, scoring the opening goal.

Following a one-and-half year spell with the México DF–based side and his FIFA World Cup participation, he signed a three-year contract with Premier League side Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee in August 2010.

Birmingham City

Manager Alex McLeish stated that Beausejour was a player that had been on their "list of targets for a long time because he is strong and quick with the ability to beat his man and get crosses in." His debut was delayed while he awaited a working visa, but he made his first appearance on 18 September as a late substitute, replacing Alexander Hleb in the 83rd minute as Birmingham lost 3–1 at West Bromwich Albion. He made more impact on his first start, setting up goals for Hleb and Nikola Žigić in the 3–1 League Cup victory over MK Dons. Described by the Sunday Mirror as "at the heart of everything good about Birmingham" in the FA Cup third round against Millwall, Beausejour provided the assist for the opening goal and "crashed a 20-yard strike off the bar". He scored his first goal for the club, six minutes into the FA Cup fifth-round defeat of Sheffield Wednesday, with a side-footed shot from a Lee Bowyer cut-back. He was a second-half substitute as Birmingham won the 2011 League Cup, beating favourites Arsenal 2–1 at Wembley Stadium, thus earning qualification for the Europa League. On 5 March 2011, Beausejour scored his first league goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion, and his second came four days later in a 1–1 draw at Everton. But his club struggled with injuries for most of the 2010–11 season, and The Blues were eventually relegated from the Premier League.

Beausejour was the Birmingham Mail's man of the match in Birmingham's first appearance in major European competition for nearly 50 years, the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, which finished goalless. Just days after manager Chris Hughton suggested he wanted more from Beausejour in an attacking role, the player had an eventful man-of-the-match performance as Birmingham beat Leicester City 2–0. In the first few minutes of the second half, he "hit the angle of post and bar with a fierce shot", was considered fortunate by visiting manager Sven-Göran Eriksson to escape a second yellow card, and was tripped by Andy King to earn a penalty kick from which Marlon King opened the scoring. In the Europa League group stage, an error by Beausejour led to Club Brugge's second goal, but he scored from the rebound after Žigić's shot was blocked and was fouled for the penalty from which King equalised. His first league goal of the season came against Burnley in November, again from a rebound, in the second minute of a match that Birmingham won 2–1 in stoppage time.

Wigan Athletic

On 25 January 2012, Beausejour joined Premier League club Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. He made his debut in the 3–1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 31 January. On his home debut, against Everton, his man-of-the-match performance featured a "low cross [that] struck Phil Neville on the foot, before heading in the direction of Tim Howard, but the ball spun sharply, slipping through the American's grasp" for an own goal. Since joining Wigan Beausejour has slotted well into the 3–4–3 formation playing at left wing back. With The Latics he won the FA Cup on 11 May 2013, even though Beausejour was unavailable for the final at Wembley against Manchester City due to an injury. However, three days later Beausejour was relegated from Premier League for the second time in his football career, following the 4–1 defeat of Wigan at the hands of Arsenal. He left Wigan Athletic in June 2014 when his contract expired.

2014–15 season

After his participation in the World Cup, it was reported that Beausejour would return to Chile to play for recent league champion Colo-Colo, which agreed a US$1,5 million fee with Wigan Athletic for his services. He reached a two-season deal with Pedreros team and a $34 million pesos (US$68.000 approx.) salary per month.

He made his official debut on 27 June against Deportes Iquique for the Torneo Apertura second week where Colo-Colo won 2–0 with a brace of Esteban Paredes. Since his arrival, Beausejour was quickly adapted as left back in the starting lineup by coach Héctor Tapia as in Chile with Jorge Sampaoli, so he relegated Luis Pavez to the bench. On 31 August, Beausejour scored his first competitive goal in a 4–0 home win over Deportes Antofagasta. His second goal came on 14 September against Palestino in a 3–1 away win where was sent off after elbowing Leonardo Valencia, reason which he received a two-game banned. After completing the punishment he returned to the pitch for the derby against Universidad de Chile on 19 October, scoring his side's second goal in a 2–0 victory at Estadio Monumental.

On 30 December 2014, Beausejour appeared in the club's 3–2 Noche Alba win over Unión Española where the club presented Humberto Suazo and Luis Pedro Figueroa as new signings to face the 2015 season.

After a poor season start, losing 1–0 as home with San Marcos de Arica on 4 January 2015, Beausejour scored his first tournament goal against O'Higgins in a 2–0 win at Estadio Parque El Teniente, breaking a four-game winless streak. He started the most part of the tournament as full back, completing fourteen games and one goal in a tournament which Colo-Colo finished runner-up.

2015–16 season

For the 2015–16 season he returned his original position of left winger with new coach José Luis Sierra. On 15 September, he scored his fifth competitive goal for the club and his first Torneo Apertura goal in a 3–1 home win over Unión La Calera which sealed a brilliant six-match unbeaten league start. Later, on 31 October, Beausejour reached his second consecutive goal in Chilean derbies following open the score following a header in a new 2–0 Colo-Colo's victory over Universidad de Chile. On 6 December, he finally reached alongside the team the league honour after winning the race for the title to Universidad Católica which lost 1–0 with Audax Italiano whilst Colo-Colo didn’t play his game with Santiago Wanderers at Elías Figueroa Brander Stadium field.

International career

Beausejour has played for Chile at youth and senior levels. He was capped for the Chile U-23 team at the 2004 South American Pre-Olympic Tournament alongside Jorge Valdivia, Mark González, Claudio Bravo and Rodrigo Millar. However, the team failed to qualify to the Summer Olympics at Greece, finishing at the bottom of the final stage after impressing in the first stage at Concepción against rivals like Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

In July 2004, he made his senior debut during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in a 2–0 away win and scored his first international goal on 10 June 2009 against the same rival in a 4–0 thrash at the Estadio Nacional, now for the 2010 World Cup qualifier.

On 2 July 2010, Beausejour was included in the 23-man 2010 World Cup squad by Marcelo Bielsa and scored Chile's only one goal in their inaugural group H match against Honduras on 16 June, which was the first match that Chile won at a World Cup since 1962. He played all Chile matches at the tournament until its elimination by Brazil in the round of 16.

During the 2014 World Cup qualifier, he alongside four teammates were dropped from the national team by coach Claudio Borghi before a match against Uruguay in 2011 after arriving late and intoxicated to Chile's concentration. The ANFP (Chilean Football Federation) later suspended them for ten matches and Borghi even said he wouldn't chose Beausejour or Valdivia once completed the banning. However, before Borghi's firing, his assistant coach Jaime Vera re-considered Beausejour for play against Colombia on 22 August 2012. Then with Jorge Sampaoli arrival — Beausejour former coach at O'Higgins – he played the most part of the qualifying process for the World Cup alongside Valdivia, also reconsidered.

In June 2014, he was included in the 23-man roster that'll face the FIFA World Cup at Brazil. On 13 June, during Chile's first group B match, Beausejour became the first ever Chilean to score in two different World Cup finals after netting his side's last goal in the 3–1 victory over Australia after a shot from outside the box that beat keeper Mathew Ryan.

On 30 May 2015, he was nominated in the 2015 Copa América squad and was part of the first ever title of Chile in the tournament. He played the final against Argentina the full 120-minutes, which Chile won 4–1 on penalties at the Estadio Nacional.

In 2016, he was nominated in the 2016 Copa América squad and was part of the second Chilean victory. He played in the final against Argentina for the full 120-minutes, which Chile won 4–2 on penalties where he converted the 4th spot kick.

International goals

The scores and results list Chile's tally first, scores list each Beausejour goal

Club

International

Individual