Place of birth Cricău, Romania 2004–2008 Unirea Alba Iulia Weight 63 kg | Number 73 Height 1.68 m Date joined 2011 (FC Vaslui) | |
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Full name Nicolae Claudiu Stanciu Date of birth (1993-05-07) 7 May 1993 (age 23) Playing position Parents Eli Stanciu, Nicolae Stanciu Current teams Romania national football team (#10 / Midfielder), R.S.C. Anderlecht (#73 / Midfielder) Similar Alexandru Chipciu, Adrian Popa, Bogdan Stancu, Cristian Săpunaru, Mihai Pintilii Profiles | ||
Nicolae "Nicușor" Claudiu Stanciu ([nikoˈla.e klaˈudju ˈstant͡ʃju]; born 7 May 1993) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Anderlecht and the Romania national team as an attacking midfielder or a winger.
Contents
- Early life
- Unirea Alba Iulia
- Vaslui
- Steaua Bucureti
- Anderlecht
- International career
- Style of play
- Personal life
- Club
- International
- International goals
- Individual
- References
Stanciu began his career with Unirea Alba Iulia, going on to represent in his country Vaslui and Steaua București, winning six domestic honours and making a name for himself with the latter. In 2016, he moved to Belgium with Anderlecht.
Stanciu made his senior international debut for Romania in March 2016, after having previously represented it at under-19 and under-21 levels.
Early life
Stanciu was born in the village of Craiva from Cricău, Alba County. He was raised mainly by his grandmother, who died in 2007 when he was only 14 years old. He dedicated his first senior national team goal to her.
Unirea Alba Iulia
Stanciu joined Unirea Alba Iulia's youth system at the age of 11. On 25 May 2008, aged just 15 years and 18 days, he made his senior debut for the team, coming off from the bench in a 4–1 victory over Corvinul Hunedoara for the Liga II championship. He spent the vast majority of the 2008–09 season on the sidelines, after suffering a long-term injury.
On 1 May 2010, 17-year-old Stanciu made his Liga I debut by playing 20 minutes in a 2–1 home win against Steaua București. In June, he was on trial with VfB Stuttgart, but the economic discrepancies between the two clubs made the transaction collapse.
On 20 March 2011, Stanciu scored his first goal for Unirea in a 3–0 success over Petrolul Ploiești, and he also wore the captain's armband in the closing stages of the match following Adrian Câmpeanu's substitution. His last came on 20 August with the side again in the second division, in the campaign opener against CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea; during his spell, other than Stuttgart, he was tracked by various European clubs, including Brescia, Celtic and Hoffenheim.
Vaslui
On 9 September 2011, FC Vaslui paid Stanciu's release clause. Due to a transfer ban, "The Yellow-Greens" were initially unable to register the player and fellow league teams Dinamo București and Astra Giurgiu tried to sign him. On 4 March 2012, in his competitive debut for his new club, he scored the 2–1 winner at Petrolul Ploiești.
In May 2012, after a series of good performances, Stanciu was included by Sport.ro in a Top 10 list of Romanian youths to watch. On 30 August, he netted from the penalty spot in a 2–2 away draw against Inter Milan for the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League, but his side had lost 0–2 in the first leg.
Steaua București
On 27 March 2013, Steaua București announced the signing of Stanciu for an undisclosed fee, with the player agreeing to a five-year deal with a €20 million buyout clause. He played all 12 matches in the 2013–14 edition of the UEFA Champions League, scoring in the 2–2 away draw against Legia Warsaw in the play-off round which assured qualification to the group stage.
After the departure of Cristian Tănase in the summer of 2015, Stanciu took over his number 10 jersey, also extending his contract in February 2016 until 2021. 2015–16 was his most prolific season individually, as he netted 14 times in 39 competitive games.
On 3 August 2016, Stanciu scored twice against Sparta Prague in the Champions League third qualifying round's second leg. He also found the net in the first match, in an eventual 3–1 aggregate triumph.
Anderlecht
On 29 August 2016, amid interest from various European sides including Chelsea, Stanciu travelled to Belgium to sign a five-year contract with Anderlecht. The latter agreed to pay an initial €7.8 million for his transfer, including one bonus clause worth €2 million related to the number of appearances by the player, taking the potential fee to €9.8 million. Therefore, he surpassed former record holder Steven Defour (€6 million, from Porto to Anderlecht) and became the most expensive player bought by a Belgian club.
Stanciu made his debut in the Belgian Pro League on 11 September 2016, starting in a 3–2 home victory over Charleroi and receiving a standing ovation as he was subtituted in the 85th minute by Olivier Deschacht. His first goals for the club came on 3 November in a Europa League group stage match against Mainz, when he netted twice for a 6–1 win. On 5 December, he was sent off for the first time in his career after receiving a second yellow card while playing against Kortrijk, having previously scored in the first half of the game which Anderlecht eventually won 3–1.
Stanciu netted his first goal of 2017 in a league game against Sint-Truiden on 22 January, with his performance also earning him a man of the match award.
International career
Stanciu was selected in Romania's squad for the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. In the tournament opener, he featured the full 90 minutes against the Czech Republic, scoring in a 1–3 loss in an eventual group stage exit.
Stanciu gained his first cap for the full side on 23 March 2016, playing the second half of a friendly with Lithuania and netting the game's only goal at the Stadionul Marin Anastasovici. On 17 May, he was picked by manager Anghel Iordănescu for his preliminary 28-man UEFA Euro 2016 squad, and eventually made it to the final list after scoring four goals in only five friendly games. He was awarded the number 10 shirt at the tournament in France, and started in the opener against the hosts, gaining a second-half penalty that was converted by Bogdan Stancu in an eventual 1–2 loss; his other appearance was against Albania (90 minutes), the 0–1 defeat leading to group phase elimination.
On 4 September 2016, Stanciu assisted Adrian Popa as Romania scored their first goal of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, in a 1–1 home draw to Montenegro where he also missed a late penalty.
Style of play
Stanciu, who is predominantly right-footed but is good with both legs, primarily plays as an attacking midfielder but can also be used as a winger, and is known for his playmaking skills. He was described as having "good technique, a great shot and vision of play." His talent often drew comparisons to former Romanian internationals Gheorghe Hagi and Adrian Mutu, both of which were highly regarded by him.
Personal life
In 2012, Stanciu began a relationship with Andreea Beldean, a native of Alba Iulia.