) is a former professional football

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...

 player who played for Aberdeen

Aberdeen F.C.

Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

 and Metz

FC Metz

Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...

. He played in attack. He won 2 international caps for Scotland

Scotland national football team

The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

. He was caretaker manager at Birmingham City following the departure of Steve Bruce

Steve Bruce

Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...

. He is currently caretaker manager at Sunderland A.F.C.

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...

 succeeding Steve Bruce again.

Playing career

He was involved in possibly the best era ever for Aberdeen who, under the management of Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

, won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1983 with a 2–1 win over Real Madrid

Real Madrid

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...

 in which the then 19 year old Black scored the first goal. Black's main asset was his balletic heading ability and scoring goals. He joined George Hamilton

George Hamilton (footballer)

-External links:* *...

 and Billy Williamson

Billy Williamson (footballer)

William Davidson 'Billy' Williamson from is a Scottish ex-professional footballer who played for Kirkconnel F.C., Aberdeen F.C., Dundee United and Dundee. Williamson played in two Scottish League Cup Finals winning the trophy once.- Career :...

 to become the third Aberdeen player to score three or more goals in a single game against Celtic. He made 180 league appearances (30 as substitute) and scored 70 goals for Aberdeen between 1981 and 1986.

Black joined FC Metz in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. After five seasons (1986–91) with Metz, during which he won the 1988 French Cup

Coupe de France

The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...

, and had two children, Black was forced to retire prematurely from the game due to a chronic back problem. In all, he made 85 appearances, scoring 26 goals. It is from his time in France that Black became fluent in French.

Coaching and management

Since then he has coached and managed most notably as assistant manager at Celtic and manager at Coventry City and Motherwell. Black joined Motherwell in October 2001. He was appointed Coventry manager in January 2004 following the resignation of Gary McAllister. Black was sacked from Coventry for "being inconsistent", despite a 5–2 win against Gillingham. Black joined Birmingham City in July 2004, as assistant manager to Steve Bruce. He managed one game as caretaker manager, after Bruce joined 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...

, before leaving St Andrews

St Andrews (stadium)

St Andrew's is an association football stadium in the Bordesley district of Birmingham, England. It has been the home ground of Birmingham City Football Club for more than a century....

 in November 2007.
Black is now assistant manager to Steve Bruce at Sunderland AFC.

Black was appointed caretaker manager of Sunderland on 30 November 2011 following the departure of Manager Steve Bruce.

External links

• Eric Black's Scotland statistics