Leenhan Schnneiderth D'Alessan Romero Pacheco (born 1 November 2006) is a Venezuelan footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chilean side Universidad Católica.

Leenhan Romero
Personal information
Full name Leenhan Schnneiderth D'Alessan Romero Pacheco[1]
Date of birth (2006-11-01) 1 November 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth Maracay, Venezuela
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Universidad Católica
Number 32
Youth career
2020– Universidad Católica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Universidad Católica 1 (0)
International career
2023 Venezuela U17 12 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 November 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 November 2023

Club career

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Born in Maracay in Venezuela, Romero's family migrated to Chile in 2018.[2] In mid-2020, his performances with youth side Católica de Quilicura at a youth tournament in La Serena, Chile caught the attention of professional side Universidad Católica, and he signed with the club following a two-week trial.[2] Having initially faced documentation issues, he was unable to play for the club's youth teams for six months.[3]

Two years later, at the age of fifteen, he was invited by coach Rodrigo Astudillo to train with the first team squad.[2] He impressed then-manager Ariel Holan, with Holan saying of Romero: "he has the qualities, he is dynamic and he has very good footwork".[4] In May 2023, he signed his first professional contract with the club.[3]

International career

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Romero was first called up to the Venezuelan under-17 team in December 2022, ahead of a friendly tournament where the side would face Argentina and Bolivia.[5] However, due to issues with his documentation, he was unable to travel.[3]

Having represented Venezuela at the 2023 South American U-17 Championship, he was called up again for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and in Venezuela's opening game against New Zealand he scored two late goals in a 3–1 win.[6] Following the game he stated that it was "a dream to debut in a World Cup".[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™" (PDF). fdp.fifa.org. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Huerta, Rodrigo (14 December 2022). "La joya venezolana que dio el salto a la selección: "En la UC me ven como aporte"" [The Venezuelan jewel who made the leap to the national team: "At UC they see me as a contribution"]. chile.as.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Leenhan Romero selló su primer contrato con la UC" [Leenhan Romero sealed his first contract with UC]. cruzados.cl (in Spanish). 9 May 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. ^ Moraga Aguirre, Nicolás (22 September 2022). "Ariel Holan está maravillado con su nueva 'joyita' en Universidad Católica: "Tiene condiciones, es dinámico y tiene muy bien pie"" [Ariel Holan is amazed by his new 'jewel' at Universidad Católica: "He has the qualities, he is dynamic and he has very good footwork"]. bolavip.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ^ Moraga Aguirre, Nicolás (11 December 2022). "La 'joya' de Universidad Católica que ha sido convocada para la Selección de Venezuela" [The 'jewel' of Universidad Católica that has been called up for the Venezuelan National Team]. bolavip.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b Castellano, Jesús David (12 November 2023). "Leenhan Romero: "Es un sueño debutar en un mundial"" [Leenhan Romero: "It is a dream to debut in a World Cup"]. liderendeportes.com (in Spanish).
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