Chris Cohen
Encyclopedia
Christopher 'Chris' David Cohen (born 5 March 1987) is an English professional footballer
who currently plays for Nottingham Forest
. Notionally a midfielder
, able to operate equally at centre-midfield or left-midfield, he has also been employed for periods as an emergency left-back. During his time at Forest, Cohen has been known for his energetic and hard-working style of play and the consistency of his performances.
Cohen started his career with West Ham United
in 2003. He joined Yeovil Town
on loan from 2005 until 2006 and signed for the club permanently later in 2006, before moving to Nottingham Forest in summer 2007.
, Essex
.
youth system and he was scouted whilst playing for an amateur football club at the age of six. Cohen made his first breakthrough into the West Ham first team during the 2003–04
season. He made his debut as a 16 year old, coming on as a substitute in West Ham's 3–2 win over Sunderland
on 13 December 2003, which made him the youngest player to appear for the West Ham first-team for 80 years, a record he still holds today. He featured another six times that season and went on to make 14 league and cup appearances the following season.
season, Cohen found his first team chances limited. After a single League Cup
appearance for the club in September, he joined League One
side Yeovil Town
on a month's loan in November 2005. The deal was extended until the end of the season during the January transfer window
. Cohen finished the season with 31 appearances and one goal for Yeovil. Cohen joined the club on a permanent basis on a two-year contract on 28 June 2006. Following Yeovil's exit from the FA Cup
against Rushden and Diamonds, manager Russell Slade
exempted Cohen from criticism, praising his performance. Slade said he would do everything in his power to keep Cohen at Yeovil, saying the club had received a bid from Nottingham Forest
in January 2007. At the end of the 2006–07
season, he won two Player of the Year Awards from Yeovil Town. He made 81 league and cup appearances for Yeovil, scoring eight goals.
, Cohen moved to League One
side Nottingham Forest
on 6 July 2007, signing a four-year contract. He missed the start of the 2007–08
season due to injury but recovered and started in Forest's 2–0 win at Port Vale
in October. He performed very well and contributed significantly to the opening goal and was praised by manager Colin Calderwood
afterwards. He then hit a rich vein of form by helping Forest achieve an eight-game unbeaten run to put them into second spot in the league at Christmas 2008, including an influential display in the 3–0 win at Cheltenham Town
. He finally got a deserved first goal for the club, equalising just three minutes after coming off the bench in Forest's thrilling 2–1 victory over Huddersfield Town
. Cohen was a virtual ever-present for Forest in his first season for the club, only missing the first five league games of the season, and helped The Reds gain automatic promotion to the Championship
.
In the 2008–09
season, Cohen continued to impress with consistent displays, and was picked out for praise by visiting Charlton
manager Alan Pardew
after a 0–0 draw, as being the best player on the pitch. He was voted Forest Player of the Year for the season 2008–09. Manager Billy Davies said of Cohen, "He's a player with a wonderful attitude, can play in several positions, has tremendous energy and has got outstanding ability"
In May 2009 Cohen was rewarded with a new four-year contract until 2013. Cohen has been a first team regular for Forest in his first four seasons at the club.
In the first leg of the 2009–10 Championship play-off semi-final against Blackpool
on 8 May 2010, Cohen put Forest ahead with a 'sublime' outside-of-foot curling volley at Bloomfield Road
.
Cohen was controversially sent off in an away fixture against Leeds United
on 2 April 2011 following his challenge on George McCartney
. Forest appealed the decision, however the decision made by referee Mark Halsey
was upheld.
In an East Midlands derby
match between Nottingham Forest and Derby County
, Cohen suffered damage to his knee ligament. Scans suggest he will be out for a year.
|2003–04||rowspan="3"|West Ham United
||rowspan="3"|Championship
||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||7||0
|-
|2004–05||11||0||1||0||2||0||14||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2005–06||colspan="4"|-||1||0||1||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|Yeovil Town
||rowspan="3"|League One
||30||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||31||1
|-
|2006–07||47||6||1||1||1||0||49||7
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Nottingham Forest
||41||2||3||0||1||0||45||2
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Championship
||41||2||3||1||2||1||46||4
|-
|2009–10||46||4||2||0||3||0||48||3
|-
|2010–11
||37||2||2||0||1||0||40||2
|-
|2011–12
||4||0||0||0||1||0||5||0
|-
220||14||11||2||10||1||241||17
Nottingham Forest:
Individual
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who currently plays for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. Notionally a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, able to operate equally at centre-midfield or left-midfield, he has also been employed for periods as an emergency left-back. During his time at Forest, Cohen has been known for his energetic and hard-working style of play and the consistency of his performances.
Cohen started his career with West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in 2003. He joined Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
on loan from 2005 until 2006 and signed for the club permanently later in 2006, before moving to Nottingham Forest in summer 2007.
Background
Born in Norwich, Cohen went to William Edwards School and Sports College, Stifford Clays, GraysGrays
Grays is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional parishes...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
West Ham United
Cohen was a product of the West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
youth system and he was scouted whilst playing for an amateur football club at the age of six. Cohen made his first breakthrough into the West Ham first team during the 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season. He made his debut as a 16 year old, coming on as a substitute in West Ham's 3–2 win over Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 13 December 2003, which made him the youngest player to appear for the West Ham first-team for 80 years, a record he still holds today. He featured another six times that season and went on to make 14 league and cup appearances the following season.
Yeovil Town
As West Ham returned to the Premier League for the start of the 2005–062005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, Cohen found his first team chances limited. After a single League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
appearance for the club in September, he joined League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
on a month's loan in November 2005. The deal was extended until the end of the season during the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
. Cohen finished the season with 31 appearances and one goal for Yeovil. Cohen joined the club on a permanent basis on a two-year contract on 28 June 2006. Following Yeovil's exit from the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
against Rushden and Diamonds, manager Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...
exempted Cohen from criticism, praising his performance. Slade said he would do everything in his power to keep Cohen at Yeovil, saying the club had received a bid from Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in January 2007. At the end of the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, he won two Player of the Year Awards from Yeovil Town. He made 81 league and cup appearances for Yeovil, scoring eight goals.
Nottingham Forest
In a combined £1.2 million deal with Yeovil team-mate Arron DaviesArron Davies
Arron Rhys Davies is a Welsh international footballer who currently plays for Northampton Town.-Southampton:Davies was brought up in Llantwit Major, where he attended Llantwit Major Comprehensive School....
, Cohen moved to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 6 July 2007, signing a four-year contract. He missed the start of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season due to injury but recovered and started in Forest's 2–0 win at Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in October. He performed very well and contributed significantly to the opening goal and was praised by manager Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood is a Scottish football player and coach. In November 2011 he was appointed as Chris Hughton's assistant manager at Birmingham City....
afterwards. He then hit a rich vein of form by helping Forest achieve an eight-game unbeaten run to put them into second spot in the league at Christmas 2008, including an influential display in the 3–0 win at Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
. He finally got a deserved first goal for the club, equalising just three minutes after coming off the bench in Forest's thrilling 2–1 victory over Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
. Cohen was a virtual ever-present for Forest in his first season for the club, only missing the first five league games of the season, and helped The Reds gain automatic promotion to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
In the 2008–09
Nottingham Forest F.C. season 2008-09
The 2008–09 season was Nottingham Forests first season back in the Football League Championship, following promotion from League One in the 2007–08 season, after spending three years in the third tier...
season, Cohen continued to impress with consistent displays, and was picked out for praise by visiting Charlton
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
manager Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
after a 0–0 draw, as being the best player on the pitch. He was voted Forest Player of the Year for the season 2008–09. Manager Billy Davies said of Cohen, "He's a player with a wonderful attitude, can play in several positions, has tremendous energy and has got outstanding ability"
In May 2009 Cohen was rewarded with a new four-year contract until 2013. Cohen has been a first team regular for Forest in his first four seasons at the club.
In the first leg of the 2009–10 Championship play-off semi-final against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on 8 May 2010, Cohen put Forest ahead with a 'sublime' outside-of-foot curling volley at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
.
Cohen was controversially sent off in an away fixture against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on 2 April 2011 following his challenge on George McCartney
George McCartney
George McCartney is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for West Ham United on loan from Sunderland. He began his youth career at Sunderland, moving to West Ham before returning to Sunderland at the start of Roy Keane's time at charge...
. Forest appealed the decision, however the decision made by referee Mark Halsey
Mark Halsey
Mark R. Halsey is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League. He was formerly based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, currently in Bolton, Lancashire....
was upheld.
In an East Midlands derby
East Midlands derby
This article is only about games featuring Nottingham Forest and Derby County. For games with either of those clubs against Leicester City, see Leicester City F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C. rivalry or Derby County F.C. and Leicester City F.C. rivalry....
match between Nottingham Forest and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, Cohen suffered damage to his knee ligament. Scans suggest he will be out for a year.
Career statistics
|-|2003–04||rowspan="3"|West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
||rowspan="3"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||7||0
|-
|2004–05||11||0||1||0||2||0||14||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2005–06||colspan="4"|-||1||0||1||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
||rowspan="3"|League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||30||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||31||1
|-
|2006–07||47||6||1||1||1||0||49||7
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
||41||2||3||0||1||0||45||2
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||41||2||3||1||2||1||46||4
|-
|2009–10||46||4||2||0||3||0||48||3
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Football League
The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals....
||37||2||2||0||1||0||40||2
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Football League
The Football League 2011–12, called the Npower Football League, is the 112th season of the Football League. It began in August 2011 and will conclude in May 2012, with the promotion play-off finals....
||4||0||0||0||1||0||5||0
|-
220||14||11||2||10||1||241||17
Honours
Yeovil Town:- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
play-offsFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
runner-up: 2006–07The Football League 2006-07The 2006–2007 season was the 107th completed season of the Football League.-Overview:The Football League was contested through three Divisions in England and Wales. The divisions were the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two...
Nottingham Forest:
- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
runner-up: 2007–08The Football League 2007-08The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...
Individual
- Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
Player of the Year: 2008–09The Football League 2008-09The Football League 2008–09, titled the Coca-Cola Football League, was the 109th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2008 and concluded in May 2009, with the promotion play-off finals....
External links
- Chris Cohen player profile at Nottingham Forest website