In the small town of Jarkurgan, Uzbekistan— a place in Central Asia not often mentioned in football circles—Azamat Shomurodov raised his son Eldor, who would eventually become a football hero in his homeland. Eldor grew up alongside his brother and two cousins, Umid and Shavkat. The boys were always cheerful and deeply passionate about football, dreaming of surpassing their fathers one day.
The Early Life of Eldor Shomurodov: A Football Passion That Began in Jarkurgan
When Eldor’s father left soccer behind, he started a business that helped support the family. Despite the shift, football remained a constant in Eldor’s life, thanks to his uncles and father. He and his cousins would frequently head to the pitch, each with their own ball, cherishing every moment spent playing with friends.
Eldor idolized Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba and was especially inspired by José Mourinho, who gave him the rare opportunity to play under him at AS Roma. This article tells the untold story of Eldor Shomurodov’s humble beginnings and his rise to become one of the greatest footballers in Uzbekistan’s history, including his dream of working with the Special One, José Mourinho. Now, let’s dive into the heart of Eldor’s story.
Preamble:
In essence, this biography takes you through Eldor Shomurodov’s journey from his early days to his rise to fame. Our detailed account covers his childhood, early life, family background, parents, wife (Omina), lifestyle, and personal life. To give you a glimpse into his story, we’ve crafted a gallery that spans from his boyhood to adulthood, showcasing how far Eldor has come in his remarkable journey.
From Local Football Fields in Jarkurgan to the Spotlight: Eldor Shomurodov’s Untold Story
Eldor Shomurodov Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, his first name (Eldor) is often used as his nickname by fans. Eldor Azamat oʻgʻli Shomurodov was born on the 29th day of June 1995 to his father, Azamat Shomurodov, and mother in Jarkurgan, Uzbekistan.
The striker is one of the two children born of the union between his parents. Right from birth, Shomurodov had lots of soccer potential running through his vein.
A rare photo of Eldor with one of his parents – Azamat. Indeed, he feels happy spending a beautiful moment with his father.
This is because he came from a football-centric family. Hence, the young boy developed an interest in the game before he could even walk.
Early Life and Growing Up Days:
Shomurodov was raised alongside his brother and two other cousins (Umid and Shavkat). But he spent most of his time with his cousins, who were born in the same year as him.
His childhood never had a glimpse of loneliness because his cousins were on the watch out for him.
The boys were often cheerful and more concerned about football more than anything else. They were passionate about surpassing their fathers in the future.
Hence, Shomurodov and his cousins spent less time on toys and paid more attention to exercise.
Eldor Shomurodov Family Background:
The forward is lucky to have parents who earn fairly enough to provide for all their necessary needs. Even when his father quit soccer, he built a business that has helped his family fared as an average household.
Eldor Shomurodov Family Origin:
Moving on to his ancestry, the striker comes from the most popular country in Central Asia. He is a native of Jarkurgan, a town in the Surxondaryo Region (whose capital is Termez), Uzbekistan.
The map shows the location of his family origin.
You probably didn’t know that his country of origin declared its independence after the Soviet Union was dissolved. Hence, it became known as the Republic of Uzbekistan on the 31st day of August 1991.
The hometown of Shomurodov is not quite popular among the cities in his country. But, it is known for its beautifully designed minaret, which was erected in 1109.
Eldor Shomurodov Education:
His parents were aware of their responsibility to give him a proper education, and they never failed in that regard. Though he studied like every other kid, Shomurodov did not stop to think about soccer for a single day.
Whenever he got home from school, he usually strikes some conversions that were tailored towards sports. In a nutshell, he received a formal education and also delved into the career of his dream.
Eldor Shomurodov Biography – Untold Football Story:
There is no way his mother could dismiss the possibility of her son getting injured while playing soccer. Her fears led her to forbid him from joining other kids in their games until he turned 7.
Thanks to the career endeavours of his uncles and father, Shomurodov never lacked a ball. He often accompanied his cousins to the pitch, with each boy holding their personal balls. Indeed, the trio savoured every moment spent on the fields with their friends.
What a beautiful way to start out as an athlete. See how he holds onto his ball with his cousins by his side like professional referees.
Eldor Shomurodov Early Career Life:
Playing on the streets with friends was never a guarantee of a brighter future in the game. Hence, his parents enrolled him at Mashal Academy in 2007.
While training as a rookie in the sports’ institute, his uncle played as a professional for the club. This became a motivation that assured him he could climb onto the top if he worked very hard.
Moreso, he had his eyes fixed on two of his football idol – Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba.
They were the players he wanted to imitate so badly. His first step to success was to follow the senior players of his team to the pitch on match days.
He kept on looking at the squad behind. Perhaps his thoughts were quite hopeful about how soon he would get to their level.
Journey to Fame:
For about four years, the athlete trained thoroughly and learnt many technical skills. Moreso, his days at Mashal Academy exposed him to real-life challenges in the game.
In 2011, he left the first grooming ground of his career to join Mash’al Mubarek. As expected, it took him quite a while before he ascended the ranks of his team’s first squad.
Do you know?… Shomurodov was 19 when he made his senior debut in the Uzbek League in 2014. Sadly, the striker couldn’t find the back of the net in all his nine appearances for Mash’al Mubarek.
Eldor Shomurodov Biography – Success Story:
The year 2015 came with many breakthroughs for the attacker. It was the period in which he successfully broke into his country’s U-20 national team as well as sealed a deal with Bunyodkor.
See how he puts in great efforts as he represents his country in international matches.
In 2017, Shomurodov’s performance attracted scouts from the Russian club, FC Rostov. They offered him a better payment than Bunyodkor, which he didn’t decline. Hence, he played for Rostov for three years before joining the Serie A club, Genoa.
Mourinho’s Surprising Interest in The Forward:
It was absolutely difficult for the striker to adjust to the new League. Competing against world-class professionals like Romelu Lukaku and Ciro Immobile wasn’t an easy job for him.
In August 2021, the world stood in awe when Jose Mourinho expressed his interest in Shomurodov. No one could understand what the Special One had in mind while seeking the striker’s signature.
He would likely become good at scoring under Mourinho’s tutelage.
But fans believe in his judgement as he signed Eldor on a 5-year deal worth €17.5 million with Roma. Perhaps the athlete’s career will record a meteoric rise with his new club. The rest, as they say about the striker who, as of August 2024, is preparing for his second coming with AS Roma, is history.
Eldor Shomurodov Wife – Omina:
Rather than going through the usual route of long-time dating before marriage, the forward has taken a different path. Yes, since his early career days, Shomurodov was not known to have a girlfriend.
However, when the time was right, he looked for a wonderful woman who would make a good wife. In the end, he found Omina and two months afterwards, the couple got married.
Behold, one of the happiest days of his life. Both Eldor and his wife (Omina) have got great smiles.
His marriage has so far (as of 2024) yielded the birth of only one child. According to one of his interviews, Shomurodov revealed he doesn’t score more goals anymore because he is married.
Thanks to his baby, Eldor has gotten a taste of fatherhood. Wow! His baby is so cute.
Personal Life:
One attribute that stands out as a trademark of his personality is his humble nature. During his days in the Russian League, Shomurodov often visited one market in Rostov to eat pilaf with average folks. Obviously, he has typical cancer zodiac traits, like Artem Dovbyk.
Aside from soccer, he enjoys watching ice hockey. It is a hobby he has developed over the years. Moreover, Shomurodov can spend enough cash on trips to any arena just to watch some games.
Aside from football, he enjoys watching hockey. You can hardly imagine what fans would felt as they watched two celeb shake each other in the arena.
Eldor Shomurodov Lifestyle:
Regardless of the money he has made, the footballer doesn’t share information about his luxury on social media. However, he has acquired so many assets, which include some exotic cars.
As I compiled this biography, there was no information about Shomurodov’s house. We believe that he may have purchased a beautiful mansion, which he has no interest in showing off just yet.
Eldor Shomurodov Family Facts:
Perhaps if he had grown up in a different home, he would have probably aspired to become a doctor or an engineer. But his actual family has contributed to his profound aspiration to succeed as a player.
It was as if he was being pre-destined for sports since his father and uncles were all involved in the games themselves. Hence, we present you with facts about each member of his family.
About Eldor Shomurodov’s Father:
Azamat Shomurodov is the striker’s dad. As mentioned earlier, he was also a footballer who featured for Shurchi back in the day. Sadly, he sustained a terrible leg injury during his playing days.
The sad event worried his family so much that they stopped him from returning to the pitch. Hence, Shomurodov’s father gave up on soccer to make his parents and brothers happy.
In the end, he worked towards raising his son to achieve the kind of success he never got to attain in his career.
A rare photo of Eldor’s father, Azamat Shomurodov.
About Eldor Shomurodov’s Mother:
The scorer’s mom has been a major inspiration in his Biography. She was the one person who spent so much time with him since his childhood.
However, the striker hasn’t spoken much about his mother to date. All we know is that he often discussed his failures and achievements with her whenever he returned home on vacation.
About Eldor Shomurodov’s Siblings:
Life turned out to smile on the athlete as it graced him with one biological brother. Indeed, his only sibling also followed in their father’s footsteps and played soccer. But he didn’t turn out to be as successful as Shomurodov in the game.
About Eldor Shomurodov’s Relatives:
Even before his birth, many of his members had established themselves in football. His grandfather worked as a coach for a particular club. Two of his uncles, as well as his dad, featured in the professional League of his country.
His uncle Ilhom Shomurodov was so talented that fans gave him the nickname ‘Builder’. While featuring for Nasaf, he won the AFC Cup. Also, he won the Uzbekistan Cup with Bunyodkor.
Meet his most talented uncle, Ilhom Shomurodov. He was indeed a prodigy on the field during his career days.
Amongst all his relatives, Shomurodov is closer to Umid and Shavkat (his cousins). They were his childhood’s most trusted allies.
Although the three boys shared their passions for sport in their early days, they all subsequently walked distinct career paths.
An unbreakable family bond between the three cousins. They’ve been together since childhood till they became adults.
Untold Facts:
To wrap up Eldor Shomurodov Biography of the striker, here are a few realities that will enlighten you about his Life Story:
Net Worth And Salary Breakdown:
Before his move to Roma (where he will feature alongside Pedro Rodriguez), Shomurodov was earning an annual salary of €2.26 million at Genoa. Of course, his income is on the verge of skyrocketing at AS Roma.
However, when compiling this Biography, we estimated Eldor Shomurodov’s Net Worth to be a whopping sum of €3 million (2021 Stats). Do you know?… An average Uzbek citizen will have to work for 33 years to earn what the forward receives in a week.
Eldor Shomurodov’s Religion:
Research shows that 75% of the population in Uzbekistan are Muslims. On this note, there is a high probability that Shomurodov was raised in accordance with the Islamic Faith.
While this is only a speculation, it has a greater chance of being the truth about his religion.
Eldor Shomurodov FIFA Stats:
From what we have observed, he needs to work on his dribbling skills to make himself a more formidable attacker. His agility, shot power, and finishing are just below average. However, we believe he, like Marc Guiu, can still develop their potential to the level of professionals like Alexander Mitrovic or Wout Weghorst.
An analysis of his potential. He does need to work on many areas of his prowess.
Conclusion:
Even though his move to Roma has raised many questions, it is only a matter of time before the athlete proves his worth to the world.
Of course, with the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini in his team, Shomurodov will perform beyond everyone’s expectations.
It’s all thanks to his father, mother and family members that he has succeeded in his career path. Today, his entire country celebrates him as the second citizen to have made it to Serie A.
We hope he records many glorious achievements in his new club. Thanks for reading our Biography of Eldor Shomurodov.
Kindly share your thoughts on his profile in the section below. And stay tuned for more European Childhood Stories – (especially those of Benjamin Sesko and Jakub Kiwior).
