Nigel Reo-Coker
Encyclopedia
Nigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker (born 14 May 1984 in Croydon
, South London
) is an English footballer of Sierra Leone
an descent. He currently plays for Bolton Wanderers
of the Premier League. He is known for being a robust midfielder with good overall tackling and passing qualities. Reo-Coker came through the youth team ranks at Wimbledon
, and has previously played for West Ham United
and Aston Villa
.
, Croydon
. As a child, Reo-Coker spent six years in Sierra Leone
where his father, Ransford, was a doctor. He moved back to London with his mother Agnes-Lucinda and sisters Natalie and Vanessa and brother Glenn when his parents split up in 1990. As a child he attended Riddlesdown High School in Purley, Croydon.
at the age of twelve after representing the borough of Croydon. He came through the ranks at Wimbledon and became captain after progressing to the first team. He also made his debut for the England Under-21s
while at Wimbledon. In March 2003, Portsmouth
manager Harry Redknapp
agreed a deal to bring Reo-Coker to the south coast club in preparation for their first Premiership season. Financial problems resulted in the player remaining at Wimbledon despite having already signed contracts with Portsmouth. Reo-Coker made 64 appearances for Wimbledon in all competition, scoring 6 goals.
After an impressive first half of the 2003–04 season, he signed for West Ham in January 2004, saying ""It is a big club and there is the opportunity to do well and get back in the Premiership. I am delighted to have signed and really looking forward to the chance of playing. There is a lot of potential at West Ham with the players and the manager we have here." He quickly became a regular member of Alan Pardew
's first team and was made the club captain. He scored three times to help the club win promotion in 2004–05 through the play-offs and led the team to the FA Cup
Final in May 2006.
The 2006–07 Premiership campaign began less successfully for West Ham, and Reo-Coker was singled out by some groups as being the main culprit for this slump, which left West Ham perilously close to the bottom three and ultimately led to the sacking of manager Alan Pardew. Reo-Coker recovered his form in the latter part of the season and a run of seven wins in nine games saw West Ham escape relegation on the last day of the season. Reo-Coker intended to sort his future out in the summer before the 2007–08 season, saying in May 2007, “I do not know what my future is and need to sit down and talk with the manager and the chairman this week. I have been through the mill this season, but it has made me a stronger person and I would not have changed anything. I am a very loyal person but to play at my best I need to be happy. I made a promise to West Ham fans that I would help keep this club in the Premier League and I have done that.” Reo-Coker requested a transfer at the end of the 2006–07 season after the board failed to reassure him concerning his future at West Ham. Aston Villa were reported to have made a £7m bid for Reo-Coker in June and in July 2007, West Ham
and Aston Villa reached an agreement in the region of £8.5 million for the signing of Reo-Coker.
Reo-Coker joined Aston Villa on 5 July 2007 for a reported £8.5 million, signing a four-year deal. At the press conference following the signing, he spoke of being "hung out to dry" by his former club, West Ham United, and said that his reason for joining Villa were, "their aspiration to play in Europe. They have a talented squad and Martin O'Neill has told me what he aims to do and I believe we can achieve it." Reo-Coker scored his first goal for Villa in a 5–0 League Cup 2nd round victory over Wrexham on 28 August 2007. He lives in Stourbridge, England. On 21 January 2008, Reo-Coker captained Aston Villa in the absence of regular captain Gareth Barry against Liverpool at Anfield. He scored his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa in a 2–1 win over Tottenham at White Hart Lane. He then scored again later that week to equalise for Villa in the UEFA Cup against Litex Lovech
. Villa went on to win this game 3–1. During his time at Villa, Reo-Coker has been known to operate as a right-back and right-winger occasionally when players who would usually play in those positions are unavailable.
Reo-Coker captained Aston Villa in the latter stages of the 2009 Peace Cup
, following an injury to teammate Stiliyan Petrov
. This was the case in the final, as Villa were triumphant and Reo-Coker consequently lifted the trophy. Reo-Coker would re-establish himself as a regular starter in the Villa team following the departure of Gareth Barry. However, on 18 September 2009, he was involved in a training ground bust up with manager Martin O'Neill and dropped for the following day's match with Portsmouth.
Reo-Coker enjoyed a resurgence at the start of the 2010–11 season under new Villa manager Gerard Houllier
and following news in October 2010 that captain Petrov would be out injured for 2 months, Houllier named Reo-Coker as captain until Petrov's return. On 27 May 2011 Aston Villa announced that Nigel Reo-Coker had left the club following his contract expiring.
on a free transfer, following his release from Villa, signing a two-year deal. He made his debut in the 4–0 away win at Queens Park Rangers
on 13 August and scored his first goal in Bolton's 3-1 win at Wigan Athletic
on 15 October.
squad against Turkey in October 2003. On 24 March 2007, Reo-Coker led out England Under 21s against Italy Under 21s
, becoming the first Englishman to captain a side at the new Wembley Stadium
. The match finished 3–3.
In May 2006, Reo-Coker was named as the standby midfield player for England's 2006 World Cup
squad. However, on 22 May the FA
announced that Reo-Coker would be replaced by Phil Neville as Reo-Coker's back problems made him unable to compete in the World Cup.
He captained the England U21s throughout the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship
. A second booking in the tournament received needlessly in the semi-final against the hosts, the Netherlands
, meant he would have missed the final if England had progressed. Due to his age, it also meant that the match would be his final game for the team. The semi-final went to penalties and the Netherlands eventually won 13–12, with Reo-Coker's penalty being saved in the shootout.
an descent and has stated that he would consider any future call-ups to the West African nation.
In May 2010, Sierra Leone Football Association
president Nahim Khadi
announced that his interest in inviting Reo-Coker to join up with the Sierra Leone national football team
for their 2014 FIFA World Cup
qualification campaign
. Khadi said that the player's great "leadership and experience" would be a great asset to the team.
On 20 September 2010, it was revealed that Sierra Leone manager Christian Cole had decided to pencil Reo-Coker in to his squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against South Africa
. However, Reo-Coker later rejected the chance to represent the nation, claiming that he wished to concentrate on his football at Aston Villa and maybe even return to the England set-up in the future.
Aston Villa
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
) is an English footballer of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
an descent. He currently plays for 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....
of the Premier League. He is known for being a robust midfielder with good overall tackling and passing qualities. Reo-Coker came through the youth team ranks at Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, and has previously played for 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...
and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
Background
Reo-Coker was born in Thornton HeathThornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. As a child, Reo-Coker spent six years in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
where his father, Ransford, was a doctor. He moved back to London with his mother Agnes-Lucinda and sisters Natalie and Vanessa and brother Glenn when his parents split up in 1990. As a child he attended Riddlesdown High School in Purley, Croydon.
Wimbledon
Reo-Coker was spotted by London club WimbledonWimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
at the age of twelve after representing the borough of Croydon. He came through the ranks at Wimbledon and became captain after progressing to the first team. He also made his debut for the England Under-21s
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
while at Wimbledon. In March 2003, 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...
manager Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
agreed a deal to bring Reo-Coker to the south coast club in preparation for their first Premiership season. Financial problems resulted in the player remaining at Wimbledon despite having already signed contracts with Portsmouth. Reo-Coker made 64 appearances for Wimbledon in all competition, scoring 6 goals.
West Ham United
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
's first team and was made the club captain. He scored three times to help the club win promotion in 2004–05 through the play-offs and led the team to 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...
Final in May 2006.
The 2006–07 Premiership campaign began less successfully for West Ham, and Reo-Coker was singled out by some groups as being the main culprit for this slump, which left West Ham perilously close to the bottom three and ultimately led to the sacking of manager Alan Pardew. Reo-Coker recovered his form in the latter part of the season and a run of seven wins in nine games saw West Ham escape relegation on the last day of the season. Reo-Coker intended to sort his future out in the summer before the 2007–08 season, saying in May 2007, “I do not know what my future is and need to sit down and talk with the manager and the chairman this week. I have been through the mill this season, but it has made me a stronger person and I would not have changed anything. I am a very loyal person but to play at my best I need to be happy. I made a promise to West Ham fans that I would help keep this club in the Premier League and I have done that.” Reo-Coker requested a transfer at the end of the 2006–07 season after the board failed to reassure him concerning his future at West Ham. Aston Villa were reported to have made a £7m bid for Reo-Coker in June and in July 2007, West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
and Aston Villa reached an agreement in the region of £8.5 million for the signing of Reo-Coker.
Aston Villa
PFC Litex Lovech
PFC Litex Lovech or simply Litex is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Lovech, which currently competes in the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, the top division of Bulgarian football...
. Villa went on to win this game 3–1. During his time at Villa, Reo-Coker has been known to operate as a right-back and right-winger occasionally when players who would usually play in those positions are unavailable.
Reo-Coker captained Aston Villa in the latter stages of the 2009 Peace Cup
2009 Peace Cup
The 2009 Peace Cup Andalucia was an invitational friendly football tournament. It was the 4th edition of Peace Cup and was held in Spain from 24 July to 2 August in the cities of Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Jerez and Huelva. It was the first time that the tournament has been hosted by a nation other...
, following an injury to teammate Stiliyan Petrov
Stiliyan Petrov
Stiliyan Alyoshev Petrov is a Bulgarian footballer who captains Aston Villa in the Premier League and the Bulgarian national team. He won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 2003 when he was playing for Celtic...
. This was the case in the final, as Villa were triumphant and Reo-Coker consequently lifted the trophy. Reo-Coker would re-establish himself as a regular starter in the Villa team following the departure of Gareth Barry. However, on 18 September 2009, he was involved in a training ground bust up with manager Martin O'Neill and dropped for the following day's match with Portsmouth.
Reo-Coker enjoyed a resurgence at the start of the 2010–11 season under new Villa manager Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
and following news in October 2010 that captain Petrov would be out injured for 2 months, Houllier named Reo-Coker as captain until Petrov's return. On 27 May 2011 Aston Villa announced that Nigel Reo-Coker had left the club following his contract expiring.
Bolton Wanderers
On 27 July 2011 Reo-Coker joined 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 a free transfer, following his release from Villa, signing a two-year deal. He made his debut in the 4–0 away win at 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...
on 13 August and scored his first goal in Bolton's 3-1 win at 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...
on 15 October.
England
Reo-Coker was first selected for the England U-21England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
squad against Turkey in October 2003. On 24 March 2007, Reo-Coker led out England Under 21s against Italy Under 21s
Italy national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
, becoming the first Englishman to captain a side at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. The match finished 3–3.
In May 2006, Reo-Coker was named as the standby midfield player for England's 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad. However, on 22 May the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
announced that Reo-Coker would be replaced by Phil Neville as Reo-Coker's back problems made him unable to compete in the World Cup.
He captained the England U21s throughout the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
. A second booking in the tournament received needlessly in the semi-final against the hosts, the Netherlands
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
, meant he would have missed the final if England had progressed. Due to his age, it also meant that the match would be his final game for the team. The semi-final went to penalties and the Netherlands eventually won 13–12, with Reo-Coker's penalty being saved in the shootout.
Eligibility for Sierra Leone
Reo-Coker is of Sierra LeoneSierra 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...
an descent and has stated that he would consider any future call-ups to the West African nation.
In May 2010, Sierra Leone Football Association
Sierra Leone Football Association
The Sierra Leone Football Association is the governing body of football in Sierra Leone. It was founded in 1967, and affiliated to FIFA the same year. It is also a member of the Confederation of African Football from 1987. It organizes the national football league and the national team...
president Nahim Khadi
Nahim Khadi
Nahim Khadi is a former Sierra Leonean international football star and the current president of the Sierra Leone Football Association. He was elected to the position in 2004, after defeating his closest rival, Joseph Samba Kelfala during the 2004 election...
announced that his interest in inviting Reo-Coker to join up with the Sierra Leone national football team
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...
for their 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
qualification campaign
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will feature 32 teams. One place was allocated to the hosts, , but no automatic place is given to the defending champions, . The remaining 31 places will be determined by a qualification process, in which entrants from among the other 207 teams from the six FIFA...
. Khadi said that the player's great "leadership and experience" would be a great asset to the team.
On 20 September 2010, it was revealed that Sierra Leone manager Christian Cole had decided to pencil Reo-Coker in to his squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against 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...
. However, Reo-Coker later rejected the chance to represent the nation, claiming that he wished to concentrate on his football at Aston Villa and maybe even return to the England set-up in the future.
Honours
West Ham United- Football League Championship Play-OffsFootball League Championship play-offsThe Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
: Winner 2005 - FA CupFA CupThe 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...
: Runner up 2006
Aston Villa
- Peace CupPeace Cupthumb|right|400px|The opening ceremony of 2003 competitionThe Peace Cup is an invitational pre-season friendly football tournament for club teams, currently held every two years by the Sunmoon Peace Football Foundation. It is contested by the eight clubs from several continents, though 12 teams...
: Winner 2009 - Carling Cup: Runner Up 2010
External links
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Photo and stats at sporting-heroes.net