Danny Shittu
Encyclopedia
Daniel Olusola "Danny" Shittu (born 2 September 1980) is a Nigeria
n footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers
.
"Olusola" is a nickname for the Yoruba
name "Oluwanisola" (meaning "God creates wealth").
, Nigeria
, Shittu started his career at Charlton Athletic
. He spent most of his two years at the club on loan, first at Blackpool
in January and February 2001, then Queens Park Rangers
.
on 23 October 2001 in a Football League One
fixture, was rather inauspicious ending in his being sent off in the 83rd minute. His first goal came away at Chesterfield
on 15 December 2001 in a game in which he was again sent off.
QPR acquired his services permanently for £350,000 in January 2002. He was bought by fan (and later Life President) Harold Winton, who also paid Shittu's wages during his first season at the club. His first game as a permanent player was the home fixture with Bury
on 12 January 2002.
Shittu went on to have a very successful spell at Loftus Road
becoming a fan's favourite for his robust and combative performances in the heart of the defence. He was part of the team that made it to the League One play-off Final
in 2003 where Rangers were narrowly beaten by Cardiff
and the team that won promotion the following season. He made a total of 182 appearances in four seasons and scored 17 goals.
. This move was controversial, as Shittu had passed a medical at West Bromwich Albion
, before a late call from Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd.
Shittu scored his first goal for the club in a penalty shoot-out loss to Newcastle United
after a 2–2 draw in the League Cup
on 7 November 2006. He powered a header past Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper
to give Watford the lead. However Watford went on to lose the match on penalties. Shittu scored his first Premier League goal on 5 May 2007 in a 2–0 win at Reading
.
On 16 February 2008, Shittu managed to score both for and against his former club, Charlton Athletic. After a successful 2007–08
season with Watford in which Shittu scored 9 goals in all competitions, he was named in the PFA
Championship
team of the year. Shittu left Watford in August 2008 to join Premier League side Bolton Wanderers
for a fee of £2m plus further add-ons. He made 69 appearances scoring 8 times for Watford between 2006–2008.
on 6 August 2008, on a three-year contract, for £2m plus further add-ons, beating off competition from Scottish Premier League
club Rangers
.
Shittu made his debut for Bolton on the 30 August during their 0–0 draw with West Brom
. He then went on to start the next two games against Fulham
and Arsenal
, but then did not make another appearance until 28 December in a 1–0 loss at home to Wigan Athletic
. Shittu went on to make 10 league appearances for Bolton in his first season at the club, nine of which were starts.
Shittu did not make a single appearance during the 2009-10 season, only managing to make four appearances as an unused substitute. During Shittu's absence from the Premier League, he made regular appearances for the Bolton reserves team, playing with the likes of Nicky Hunt
before his release.
In May 2010, it was reported that Shittu was a target for Kayserispor
of the Turkish league, with early reports suggesting that he was being offered a lucrative £1m a year contract.
On 1 September 2010, the club announced that they had a come to an agreement with Shittu to release him from his contract. He signed for Millwall on a three month contract, on 20 October 2010 and left the club on 25 January 2011.
on a 6 month contract. He made his second debut for the club on 22 February in the 2-0 win over Ipswich Town
.
against Paraguay
on 26 March 2002.
He was a regular under coach Berti Vogts
and played a significant role for the Super Eagles team that lost in the quarter-finals of the 2008 CAF Africa Cup of Nations to hosts Ghana. He was also a rock in the back four for Nigeria
at 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria as the side finished third.
Shittu was involved in the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
making four appearances for the Super Eagles with his first coming in a 1-0 win away to South Africa
on 6 June 2008. His second came in a 4-1 win at home over Sierra Leone
. As well as the 0-0 draw away with Mozambique
and the 1-0 home win in the reverse fixture.
Shittu was selected for the 23 man Nigeria squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He made his first appearance in the World Cup in their opening game of Group B against Argentina
on 12 June 2010.
:
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
"Olusola" is a nickname for the Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
name "Oluwanisola" (meaning "God creates wealth").
Early career
Born in LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Shittu started his career at Charlton Athletic
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,...
. He spent most of his two years at the club on loan, first at 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...
in January and February 2001, then Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
Queens Park Rangers
Shittu's debut for Rangers as a loanee, away at PeterboroughPeterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on 23 October 2001 in a Football 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....
fixture, was rather inauspicious ending in his being sent off in the 83rd minute. His first goal came away at Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
on 15 December 2001 in a game in which he was again sent off.
QPR acquired his services permanently for £350,000 in January 2002. He was bought by fan (and later Life President) Harold Winton, who also paid Shittu's wages during his first season at the club. His first game as a permanent player was the home fixture with Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
on 12 January 2002.
Shittu went on to have a very successful spell at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
becoming a fan's favourite for his robust and combative performances in the heart of the defence. He was part of the team that made it to the League One play-off Final
2003 Football League Second Division play-off Final
The 2003 Football League Second Division play-off Final was a football match played at Millennium Stadium on 25 May 2003, at the end of the 2002–03 season. It was the 17th play-off final in all at the third level of English football...
in 2003 where Rangers were narrowly beaten by Cardiff
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...
and the team that won promotion the following season. He made a total of 182 appearances in four seasons and scored 17 goals.
Watford
On 6 August 2006 he was signed for £1.6 million by Premiership newcomers WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. This move was controversial, as Shittu had passed a medical at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, before a late call from Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd.
Shittu scored his first goal for the club in a penalty shoot-out loss to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
after a 2–2 draw in the 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...
on 7 November 2006. He powered a header past Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper
Steve Harper (footballer)
Stephen Alan "Steve" Harper is an English footballer. He plays for Premier League club Newcastle United as a goalkeeper....
to give Watford the lead. However Watford went on to lose the match on penalties. Shittu scored his first Premier League goal on 5 May 2007 in a 2–0 win at Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
.
On 16 February 2008, Shittu managed to score both for and against his former club, Charlton Athletic. After a successful 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 with Watford in which Shittu scored 9 goals in all competitions, he was named in the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
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...
team of the year. Shittu left Watford in August 2008 to join Premier League side Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
for a fee of £2m plus further add-ons. He made 69 appearances scoring 8 times for Watford between 2006–2008.
Bolton Wanderers
Shittu joined Premier League club Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 6 August 2008, on a three-year contract, for £2m plus further add-ons, beating off competition from Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
.
Shittu made his debut for Bolton on the 30 August during their 0–0 draw with West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. He then went on to start the next two games against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, but then did not make another appearance until 28 December in a 1–0 loss at home to Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. Shittu went on to make 10 league appearances for Bolton in his first season at the club, nine of which were starts.
Shittu did not make a single appearance during the 2009-10 season, only managing to make four appearances as an unused substitute. During Shittu's absence from the Premier League, he made regular appearances for the Bolton reserves team, playing with the likes of Nicky Hunt
Nicky Hunt
Nicholas Brett "Nicky" Hunt is an English footballer who plays for Bristol City as a right back.-Bolton Wanderers:Hunt made his professional debut as a substitute for Colin Hendry in the First Division match against Sheffield United on the final day of the 2000–01 season, shortly before Bolton won...
before his release.
In May 2010, it was reported that Shittu was a target for Kayserispor
Kayserispor
Kayserispor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Kayseri. Formed in 1966, Kayserispor are nicknamed Anadolu Yıldızı . The club colours are red and yellow, and the club play their home matches at Kadir Has Stadium.The club have won one Türkiye Kupası, in 2008...
of the Turkish league, with early reports suggesting that he was being offered a lucrative £1m a year contract.
On 1 September 2010, the club announced that they had a come to an agreement with Shittu to release him from his contract. He signed for Millwall on a three month contract, on 20 October 2010 and left the club on 25 January 2011.
Return to Queens Park Rangers
On 27 January 2011, Shittu rejoined Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
on a 6 month contract. He made his second debut for the club on 22 February in the 2-0 win over Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
.
International career
Shittu made his international debut for NigeriaNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
on 26 March 2002.
He was a regular under coach Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
and played a significant role for the Super Eagles team that lost in the quarter-finals of the 2008 CAF Africa Cup of Nations to hosts Ghana. He was also a rock in the back four for Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
at 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria as the side finished third.
Shittu was involved in the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
making four appearances for the Super Eagles with his first coming in a 1-0 win away to South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
on 6 June 2008. His second came in a 4-1 win at home over Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone national football team
The Sierra Leone national football team, nicknamed the Leone Stars, is the national team of Sierra Leone and is controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association...
. As well as the 0-0 draw away with Mozambique
Mozambique national football team
The Mozambique national football team , popularly known as Os Mambas, represents Mozambique in association football and is controlled by the Federação Moçambicana de Futebol, the governing body for football in Mozambique...
and the 1-0 home win in the reverse fixture.
Shittu was selected for the 23 man Nigeria squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He made his first appearance in the World Cup in their opening game of Group B against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
on 12 June 2010.
Club
Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
:
- Npower Championship: 2010–11