Villarreal’s Russian Super Star Centre-Back

Adding to the doping accusations that have plagued Russian sports for years, the country’s footballing prospects also dropped after the nation invaded Ukraine. This act invited a host of sanctions from several sporting organisations, such as UEFA and FIFA. As a result, the national team and all its clubs were suspended from all competitions. It was a significant setback for all the players plying their trade in the league. However, the ban didn’t affect Russian players in other leagues, so the talented Anton Efremov has been allowed to continue his career with the Spanish club Villarreal.

Christened as the new Pau Torres, Anton Efremov is regarded as one of the best young defenders in the Spanish league. While he has yet to make his senior team debut, big things are expected from the teenager.

So, who is Anton Efremoc, and how good is he?

Playing career so far 

Anton Artyomovich Efremov was born on June 11, 2003 in Nizhniy Novgorod, western Russia. Efremov’s career started at the local club DYuTs Sormovo in 2007 when he was just four. The youngster would spend the next six years at the club but left in 2013 to join Nizhny Novgorod, now known as FC Pari Nizhny Novgorod who play in the Russian Premier League since the 2021-22 season.

However, after three years at the club, one thing became clear; Efremov’s talent was far superior to any team in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. This is why his parents decided that Moscow was the best place for the player to take his game to the next level.

And in 2016, the then-12-year-old joined Lokomotiv Moscow, one of the biggest clubs in Russia. The same story, however, repeated itself precisely after three years as Efremoc’s talent became too big for any club’s youth system in the entire nation.

Efremov then moved to Spain, joining La Liga club Villarreal in 2019. However, what was supposed to be a dream move soon became a nightmare as his work visa was delayed, barring him from playing a game for the club. After one year with no end in sight over the availability of his visa, Efremov returned to his native, joining Chertanovo Moscow.

However, when the 2020-21 season ended, Villarreal put in all their efforts to try to re-sign Efremov. This time the bureaucratic delays were absent as the Russian signed for Villarreal on a professional contract which was valid till 2024.

Anton Efremov stats 

When Efremov returned to Russia in 2020, he spent his time playing for both the under-17 and under-19 teams. He made…