Eddy Kaspard (born 27 May 2001) is a Tahitian association footballer who currently plays for Trélissac FC of the Championnat National 2, and the Tahiti national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eddy Helfara Aru Kaspard | ||
| Date of birth | (2001-05-27) 27 May 2001 (age 21) | ||
| Place of birth | Papeete, Tahiti | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Trélissac | ||
| Number | 33 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2011 | Manu-Ura | ||
| 2011–2016 | Tefana | ||
| 2017–2020 | Trélissac | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020– | Trélissac | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2017 | Tahiti U17 | 3 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Tahiti U20 | 6 | (3) |
| 2022– | Tahiti | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:19, 27 March 2022 (UTC) | |||
As a youth Kaspard began playing with A.S. Manu-Ura from age five to ten. He then moved to A.S. Tefana where he remained until 2015. That year he participated in a trials in Metropolitan France organized by Tefana. After being spotted by Ligue 1 club AS Saint-Étienne in a tournament, he was invited to return when he turned sixteen.[1] However, the return trial was unsuccessful and he then had a test period with AJ Auxerre. After not being offered a spot in the club, he had a successful trial with Trélissac FC of the Championnat National 2 in 2017.[2][3][4][5] That year he reportedly also drew interest from AS Monaco.[6] In the 2021–22 Coupe de France Kaspard appeared for Trélissac in the club's Seventh Round victory over A.S. Vénus, Tahiti's representative in the tournament that season.[7]
As a youth Kaspard represented Tahiti at the under-17 and under-20 levels. He captained the Tahiti team at the 2017 OFC U-17 Championship[6] and scored against Papua New Guinea in the final match of the Group Stage.[8][9] After turning down an offer to play for France at the under-19 level, Kaspard scored three goals in the 2018 OFC U-19 Championship. He scored against New Zealand[10] and Papua New Guinea[11] in the Group Stage before adding a goal against the Solomon Islands in the Semi-finals.[12] Kaspard's three goals put him tied for third place in the tournament's Golden Boot race.[13] Tahiti ultimately finished as runners-up in the tournament and qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.[14][6] Kaspard was then named to Tahiti's final roster for the tournament[15] and appeared in all three of the nation's Group Stage matches.[16] Ahead of the tournament he was identified as Tahit's Player to Watch by Goal.[17]
In February 2022 Kaspard was named to Tahiti's roster for a training camp in France and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. He was one of four foreign-based players in the squad.[7][18]
| Tahiti | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |
Kaspard's father, Abet Kaspard Tahi, is a former footballer from Pentecost Island, Vanuatu and a former member of the New Hebrides national team. His mother is from Tahiti where the younger Kaspard was born and raised.[6]