Chris Riggott
Encyclopedia
Christopher Mark "Chris" Riggott (born 1 September 1980 in Derby
, Derbyshire
) is an English
footballer. He is a defender
and has recently re-signed for his first professional club Derby County
after spending the 2011-2012 pre-season with the squad.
where he came through the youth system, whilst studying at St Benedict's RC secondary school in Derby. Whilst at Derby he was coached by future England manager Steve McClaren
and Middlesbrough coaches Steve Round
and Bill Beswick
. He made his debut for the club on 14 May 2000 as a substitute in place of Steve Elliott during a 4–0 defeat to Chelsea
. He went on to make 100 appearances for Derby in all competitions and scored 7 goals during his spell at the club. At the end of the 2000–01 season he was named Derby's Player of the Year.
in the 2001–02 season, he eventually joined Middlesbrough
, along with Malcolm Christie
for a combined fee of 3 million pounds in January 2003, though it could rise to 5 million in the future.
Riggott immediately became popular among the fans, scoring twice on his second appearance in the Tees-Wear derby against Sunderland
at the Stadium of Light
, which Middlesbrough won 3–1. He was also part of the 2004 League Cup
final squad but did not play in the final. In the 2004–05 season he made 32 appearances, mostly covering for the much injured Ugo Ehiogu
, contributing to the team's most successful season since the Premier League was established.
In the 2005–06 season, Riggott became the first choice central defensive partner for Gareth Southgate
, in a successful season which saw the club reach the UEFA Cup
final he stood out and was generally regarded as being one of the outstanding players for Middlesbrough during the season. In the UEFA Cup semi final against Steaua Bucharest, Boro found themselves 3–0 down on aggregate and needing four goals to get through to the final. Riggott crucially scored the third of the four needed as Middlesbrough miraculously reached the final.
The next season, new manager Southgate strengthened his defence by signing England
and Germany
internationals Jonathan Woodgate
and Robert Huth
, from Real Madrid
and Chelsea
respectively. This cast into doubt Riggot's place in the starting line up, and a series of injuries and the form of Middlesbrough's new defensive partnership of Woodgate and player of the year Emanuel Pogatetz
limited his appearances that season. At some points he was even relegated to fourth choice centre-back, behind new signing Huth, who himself had injury problems. During the close season he was linked with a move to former club Derby, who had been promoted to the Premiership the previous season, but the rumours proved unfounded and he remained at Middlesbrough. Riggott joined Stoke City
on loan on 29 February 2008, until the end of the season, in the hope of assisting the Potters in their promotion race, which he succeeded in doing. He returned to Middlesbrough on 2 May.
later stated: "He wants to change his whole lift in terms of life, the club and the area he lives in. He's got great experience and he's had a rough time with injuries." Riggott spent time on trial at his former club Derby County but eventually joined Cardiff City
on 17 September following a rigorous fitness test. On the 26th December, Riggot made his long awaited Cardiff City debut against Coventry City before coming off in the second half in his bid to regain full fitness. Cardiff City won the game 2-0. On February 1, his contract at Cardiff was cancelled by mutual consent due to ongoing injuries.
, a game which was his sole appreance during his trial period. As was anticipated for much of pre-season, particularly after undergoing a back operation at Derby County's expense, Riggott signed a one-year contract with the club on 10 August 2011. However, he fell victim to his recurring injuries and didn't play football again until mid-November, when he appeared in a reserve fixture against Sheffield United.
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer. He is a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and has recently re-signed for his first professional club 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...
after spending the 2011-2012 pre-season with the squad.
Derby County
Riggott played at Derby CountyDerby 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...
where he came through the youth system, whilst studying at St Benedict's RC secondary school in Derby. Whilst at Derby he was coached by future England manager Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
and Middlesbrough coaches Steve Round
Steve Round
Steve Round is an English football coach and ex-player, currently on the coaching staff of Everton.-Career:...
and Bill Beswick
Bill Beswick
Bill Beswick is a British sports psychologist who has worked with many of the game’s top coaches and players, he was the performance coach at Nottingham Forest F.C. until this week....
. He made his debut for the club on 14 May 2000 as a substitute in place of Steve Elliott during a 4–0 defeat to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. He went on to make 100 appearances for Derby in all competitions and scored 7 goals during his spell at the club. At the end of the 2000–01 season he was named Derby's Player of the Year.
Middlesbrough
After being strongly linked with LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the 2001–02 season, he eventually joined Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, along with Malcolm Christie
Malcolm Christie
Malcom Neil "Malcolm" Christie is an English footballer who is a free agent. He has previously played for Nuneaton Borough, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Leeds United and has earned 11 England under-21 caps.-Career:...
for a combined fee of 3 million pounds in January 2003, though it could rise to 5 million in the future.
Riggott immediately became popular among the fans, scoring twice on his second appearance in the Tees-Wear derby against 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...
at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
, which Middlesbrough won 3–1. He was also part of the 2004 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...
final squad but did not play in the final. In the 2004–05 season he made 32 appearances, mostly covering for the much injured Ugo Ehiogu
Ugo Ehiogu
Ugochuku "Ugo" Ehiogu is an English former footballer who played as a centre back, most recently for Sheffield United...
, contributing to the team's most successful season since the Premier League was established.
In the 2005–06 season, Riggott became the first choice central defensive partner for Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...
, in a successful season which saw the club reach the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
final he stood out and was generally regarded as being one of the outstanding players for Middlesbrough during the season. In the UEFA Cup semi final against Steaua Bucharest, Boro found themselves 3–0 down on aggregate and needing four goals to get through to the final. Riggott crucially scored the third of the four needed as Middlesbrough miraculously reached the final.
The next season, new manager Southgate strengthened his defence by signing England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
internationals Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...
and Robert Huth
Robert Huth
Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside...
, from Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
respectively. This cast into doubt Riggot's place in the starting line up, and a series of injuries and the form of Middlesbrough's new defensive partnership of Woodgate and player of the year Emanuel Pogatetz
Emanuel Pogatetz
Emanuel Pogatetz is an Austrian footballer who currently plays for Hannover 96 as a defender.- Club career :Pogatetz's career started at Sturm Graz before going to Kärnten and later to Bayer Leverkusen...
limited his appearances that season. At some points he was even relegated to fourth choice centre-back, behind new signing Huth, who himself had injury problems. During the close season he was linked with a move to former club Derby, who had been promoted to the Premiership the previous season, but the rumours proved unfounded and he remained at Middlesbrough. Riggott joined Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on loan on 29 February 2008, until the end of the season, in the hope of assisting the Potters in their promotion race, which he succeeded in doing. He returned to Middlesbrough on 2 May.
Cardiff City
Riggott decided against signing a new deal with the club, turning down a new contract. Middlesbrough manager Gordon StrachanGordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
later stated: "He wants to change his whole lift in terms of life, the club and the area he lives in. He's got great experience and he's had a rough time with injuries." Riggott spent time on trial at his former club Derby County but eventually joined Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on 17 September following a rigorous fitness test. On the 26th December, Riggot made his long awaited Cardiff City debut against Coventry City before coming off in the second half in his bid to regain full fitness. Cardiff City won the game 2-0. On February 1, his contract at Cardiff was cancelled by mutual consent due to ongoing injuries.
Derby County
Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Riggott has been training with his hometown club Derby County in an attempt to regain fitness. He scored the only goal in a 2-1 pre-season friendly defeat at Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, a game which was his sole appreance during his trial period. As was anticipated for much of pre-season, particularly after undergoing a back operation at Derby County's expense, Riggott signed a one-year contract with the club on 10 August 2011. However, he fell victim to his recurring injuries and didn't play football again until mid-November, when he appeared in a reserve fixture against Sheffield United.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| 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... |
1999–2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2001–02 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| Subtotal | 91 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 7 | |
| Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
2002–03 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| 2003–04 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2005–06 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 42 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 2008–09 in English football The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while... |
17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 in English football The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League... |
6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 104 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 148 | 8 | |
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... (loan) |
2007–08 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
2010–11 2010–11 in English football The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 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... |
2011–12 2011–12 in English football The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 204 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 257 | 15 | |
Honours
Middlesbrough- Football League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
Winner: 1
-
- 20042004 Football League Cup FinalThe 2004 Football League Cup Final was played between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium on 29 February 2004. Middlesbrough won the game 2-1 to clinch their first major trophy...
- 2004