Mart Poom
Encyclopedia
Mart Poom (ˈmɑrt ˈpoːm; ˌmɑrt ˈpoʊm; born 3 February 1972) is an Estonia
n former football goalkeeper. He retired after Estonia's
0–0 draw against Portugal
on 10 June 2009 to focus on his job as goalkeeping coach at Arsenal
and the Estonian national team
, as well as other more "personal" projects.
in his home country, before a brief stint at Finnish
club KuPS
and Swiss
club Wil
. In 1994, he moved to English
club Portsmouth
, but only played seven games and was loaned back to his former club Flora.
, making his Premier League debut against Manchester United
at Old Trafford
. Poom became a fan favourite at Derby, with supporters often confusing unfamiliar commentators with a low chant of 'Pooooom' before games, which sounded like booing. Poom won the Jack Stamps Trophy (player of the year) at the end of the 99/00 season.
in the summer of 2002, Poom moved to Sunderland
in November of that year. On 20 September 2003, he headed a 90th minute equaliser for Sunderland against his former club at Pride Park
.
This was described as "the best goal ever scored by a goalkeeper in the 90th minute on his first match against his former club" by the commentator. The goal was cheered by both sets of fans.
Poom's career at Sunderland was beset by several injuries, and he spent much of the 2003–04
season on the sidelines.
in August 2005 as temporary cover for Jens Lehmann
and Manuel Almunia
. The deal was made permanent in January 2006. He was Arsenal's third-choice keeper, and did not play a single match in the 2005–06
season. However, he became the first Estonian to receive a Champions League runners-up medal after Arsenal lost to Barcelona
. Poom did not play nor did he make the substitutes' bench for the final, but was a member of Arsenal's 25-man European squad, each of whom won a silver medal.
He made his debut for Arsenal on 8 November 2006 in a League Cup
match against Everton
, replacing the injured Manuel Almunia at half-time; Arsenal won 1–0 with an Emmanuel Adebayor
goal. His first and only appearance for Arsenal in the Premier League came on the last day of the 2006–07 season against his former team Portsmouth
, in a goalless draw.
, who had recently been relegated from the Premier League, for an undisclosed fee. He had become surplus to requirements with Arsenal after they signed Polish
international goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański. He started the new season as Watford's first choice but went on to lose his place to Richard Lee
.
Poom returned to the side for the start of the 2008–09 season. However, he sustained a dislocated shoulder in a game against Reading
in September 2008 that ruled him out for the majority of the season. Although he returned to training before the end of the campaign, he was not considered for the first-team and he was released from his contract, which due to end in June, on 30 April 2009.
on 120 occasions. He made his debut in a 1992 international friendly against Slovenia
, while playing for KuPS
in Finland
. In November 2003, he was selected
by the Estonian Football Association
as the country's greatest player of the last 50 years. He played his last, 120th, international game on 10 June 2009 in a goalless draw against Portugal
in Tallinn
.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n former football goalkeeper. He retired after Estonia's
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
0–0 draw against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
on 10 June 2009 to focus on his job as goalkeeping coach at 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...
and the Estonian national team
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
, as well as other more "personal" projects.
Early career
Poom started his football career in the clubs Tallinna Lõvid ("Lions of Tallinn") and Flora TallinnFC Flora Tallinn
MTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system...
in his home country, before a brief stint at Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
club KuPS
KuPS
Kuopion Palloseura is a Finnish football club, based in the 8th most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. The team plays its home matches at Kuopion keskuskenttä...
and Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
club Wil
FC Wil
FC Wil, also known as FC Wil 1900, is a Swiss football club, playing in the town of Wil, Canton St. Gallen in the east of Switzerland. The club was founded in 1900, hence the name....
. In 1994, he moved to 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...
club Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, but only played seven games and was loaned back to his former club Flora.
Derby County
In 1997, Poom moved to 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...
, making his Premier League debut against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
. Poom became a fan favourite at Derby, with supporters often confusing unfamiliar commentators with a low chant of 'Pooooom' before games, which sounded like booing. Poom won the Jack Stamps Trophy (player of the year) at the end of the 99/00 season.
Sunderland
After Derby County's relegation to the First DivisionFootball League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in the summer of 2002, Poom moved to 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...
in November of that year. On 20 September 2003, he headed a 90th minute equaliser for Sunderland against his former club at Pride Park
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
.
This was described as "the best goal ever scored by a goalkeeper in the 90th minute on his first match against his former club" by the commentator. The goal was cheered by both sets of fans.
Poom's career at Sunderland was beset by several injuries, and he spent much of 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 on the sidelines.
Arsenal
Poom was signed by ArsenalArsenal 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...
in August 2005 as temporary cover for Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
and Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia Rivero is a professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal.-Early career:Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Almunia started his senior career with Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B...
. The deal was made permanent in January 2006. He was Arsenal's third-choice keeper, and did not play a single match in the 2005–06
2005-06 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. However, he became the first Estonian to receive a Champions League runners-up medal after Arsenal lost to Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. Poom did not play nor did he make the substitutes' bench for the final, but was a member of Arsenal's 25-man European squad, each of whom won a silver medal.
He made his debut for Arsenal on 8 November 2006 in a 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...
match against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, replacing the injured Manuel Almunia at half-time; Arsenal won 1–0 with an Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
goal. His first and only appearance for Arsenal in the Premier League came on the last day of the 2006–07 season against his former team Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, in a goalless draw.
Watford
On 26 May 2007, Poom signed for 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...
, who had recently been relegated from the Premier League, for an undisclosed fee. He had become surplus to requirements with Arsenal after they signed Polish
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
international goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański. He started the new season as Watford's first choice but went on to lose his place to Richard Lee
Richard Lee (footballer)
Richard Anthony Lee is an English footballer. He is a goalkeeper and currently plays for Brentford.-Playing career:...
.
Poom returned to the side for the start of the 2008–09 season. However, he sustained a dislocated shoulder in a game against 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...
in September 2008 that ruled him out for the majority of the season. Although he returned to training before the end of the campaign, he was not considered for the first-team and he was released from his contract, which due to end in June, on 30 April 2009.
International career
Poom has represented EstoniaEstonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
on 120 occasions. He made his debut in a 1992 international friendly against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, while playing for KuPS
KuPS
Kuopion Palloseura is a Finnish football club, based in the 8th most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. The team plays its home matches at Kuopion keskuskenttä...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. In November 2003, he was selected
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
by the Estonian Football Association
Estonian Football Association
The Estonian Football Association is the governing body of football, beach soccer and futsal in Estonia. It organizes the football league, including the championship which is called Meistriliiga, Estonian Cup and the Estonian national football team. It is based in Tallinn...
as the country's greatest player of the last 50 years. He played his last, 120th, international game on 10 June 2009 in a goalless draw against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.
Personal
Poom is married to Lissel (born 1975), with whom he has two sons named Markus (born 1999) and Andreas (born 2003).Arsenal
- Runner Up
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2005-06 - 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...
: 2007
- UEFA Champions League
Individual
- Estonian Footballer of the YearEstonian Footballer of the YearEstonian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the best Estonian footballer. The award was launched in 1992. Mart Poom has won the award a record six times.-Footballer of the Year:-Female Footballer of the Year:...
: 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 - The Jack Stamps Trophy (Derby County Player of the Year): 99/00 season
- Order of the White StarOrder of the White StarThe Order of the White Star was instituted on 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state.- Classes :The Order of the White Star comprises five classes:...
, 4th Class: 2010