Biography
Who is Radja Nainggolan?
Early life and background
Radja Nainggolan was born in Antwerp, Belgium, on May 4, 1988. He grew up in the working-class and multicultural neighborhood of Kiel. His mother, Lizy Bogaerts, raised him alongside his three half brothers and his twin sister, Riana Nainggolan. His father, Marianus Nainggolan, abandoned the family when Radja was still a child.
He began playing football at a young age with Tubantia Borgerhout before joining the youth team of Germinal Beerschot. He was raised Roman Catholic and learned to speak Dutch, English, French, and Italian fluently. After his mother passed away in 2010, he commemorated her by tattooing two large wings on his back with her dates of birth and death.
Italian club career highlights
Radja moved to Italy in 2005 to join the Serie B club Piacenza, where he made his senior debut in May 2006. He established himself as a regular starter during the 2008-09 campaign to help the team avoid relegation. In January 2010, he transferred to Cagliari on loan before the club acquired a permanent stake in his contract. His strong performances made him very popular among supporters of the Sardinian club.
In January 2014, Radja joined Roma on loan before signing a permanent deal with the capital side in 2015. He scored key goals that secured UEFA Champions League qualification for his team. Later, in June 2018, he signed with Inter Milan for a significant fee and became the first Belgian player to score for the club in the Champions League group stage. He later returned to Cagliari on loan for two separate stints.
Later career and international play
After leaving Inter Milan, Radja played for Royal Antwerp in his home country, helping them secure victories in the domestic league before moving on to SPAL and Bhayangkara in Indonesia. He later returned to Belgium to play for Lokeren-Temse and Patro Eisden in the Challenger Pro League. Throughout his club path, he earned a reputation as a lively and versatile midfielder with a powerful long-range shot.
On the international stage, Radja chose to represent the Belgium national team after being eligible for both Indonesia and Belgium. He earned his first senior cap in May 2009 against Chile and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2016, where he scored crucial goals against Sweden and Wales. He officially retired from international football in May 2018 after not being selected for the World Cup in Russia.
Birthday and age
Radja Nainggolan was born on May 4, 1988, which makes Radja 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Radja shares the date with 57 other famous people.
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