Rowan Vine
Encyclopedia
Rowan Lewis Vine is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers
as a striker
.
, Vine began his career at Portsmouth
, making his way through the club's youth scheme. He made his first-team debut in a goalless draw with Sheffield United
in December 2000 at the age of 18. However, he struggled to break through into the side on a regular basis and was loaned out to Division Two
side Brentford
for the 2002–03
season.
Vine enjoyed a successful campaign at Griffin Park
, netting his first ever goal on his debut in a 2–0 win at Huddersfield Town
, and going on to score 13 further goals in 44 starts for the Bees. Despite his impressive season, he was again loaned out, this time to Colchester United
for the 2003–04
campaign where he scored 10 league goals in 30 starts.
For the third year running, Vine spent an entire season away from Portsmouth on loan, this time at Luton Town
for the 2004–05
season. Vine's nine goals helped the Hatters clinch the League One
title. Despite this relative lack of goals for a striker during a season, a section in the Luton News newspaper showed that Vine was the "King of Assist
s" – one of the main reasons for the Hatters' success.
Vine signed for Luton for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £250,000, on 4 July 2005. In his first season after his permanent move to the club, he scored 10 goals in 30 games after missing the start of the season with a back injury. Again, he was near the top of the assist charts, proving his worth further to Luton Town.
On 11 January 2007, a £2.5 million deal with Birmingham City
saw Vine leave Luton, which later rose to £3 million when Birmingham gained promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season. Vine's only goal in his short stay at St Andrew's came in a 1–0 win over Derby County
.
On 2 October 2007, he joined Queens Park Rangers
on loan until November 2007;
when this expired, it was extended until 1 January 2008.
Vine signed for Queens Park Rangers
on a four-and-a-half-year contract on 8 January 2008 for a fee of £1 million.
Vine suffered a serious fracture
of his left tibia
and fibula on 3 April 2008 during a training session. He did not make another first-team appearance until April 2009, and has since been used mainly as a substitute. Vine has been told by manager Neil Warnock
in July 2010 that he had no future with the club, and was not given a squad number come the new season. He was then consequently loaned out to Hull City
on a month's loan on 1 October 2010. He made his debut the following day at the KC Stadium
in the 0–0 draw against Coventry City
.
On 25 November 2010 he started a loan period at Brentford
until 4 January 2011, but never played. He joined MK Dons
on an initial one-month loan on 15 January 2011.
In July 2011 Vine joined Doncaster Rovers
on trial, but on 2 August, manager Sean O'Driscoll
said he had not yet decided whether to offer him a contract.
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...
as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
.
Career
Born in BasingstokeBasingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, Vine began his career at 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...
, making his way through the club's youth scheme. He made his first-team debut in a goalless draw with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
in December 2000 at the age of 18. However, he struggled to break through into the side on a regular basis and was loaned out to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
side Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
for the 2002–03
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
season.
Vine enjoyed a successful campaign at Griffin Park
Griffin Park
Griffin Park is a football ground situated in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It has been the home ground of League One side Brentford since it was built in 1904. It is known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner, and is situated in a...
, netting his first ever goal on his debut in a 2–0 win at Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, and going on to score 13 further goals in 44 starts for the Bees. Despite his impressive season, he was again loaned out, this time to Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
for 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....
campaign where he scored 10 league goals in 30 starts.
For the third year running, Vine spent an entire season away from Portsmouth on loan, this time at Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
for the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season. Vine's nine goals helped the Hatters clinch the 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....
title. Despite this relative lack of goals for a striker during a season, a section in the Luton News newspaper showed that Vine was the "King of Assist
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
s" – one of the main reasons for the Hatters' success.
Vine signed for Luton for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £250,000, on 4 July 2005. In his first season after his permanent move to the club, he scored 10 goals in 30 games after missing the start of the season with a back injury. Again, he was near the top of the assist charts, proving his worth further to Luton Town.
On 11 January 2007, a £2.5 million deal with Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
saw Vine leave Luton, which later rose to £3 million when Birmingham gained promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season. Vine's only goal in his short stay at St Andrew's came in a 1–0 win over 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...
.
On 2 October 2007, he joined 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 loan until November 2007;
when this expired, it was extended until 1 January 2008.
Vine signed 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...
on a four-and-a-half-year contract on 8 January 2008 for a fee of £1 million.
Vine suffered a serious fracture
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
of his left tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and fibula on 3 April 2008 during a training session. He did not make another first-team appearance until April 2009, and has since been used mainly as a substitute. Vine has been told by manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
in July 2010 that he had no future with the club, and was not given a squad number come the new season. He was then consequently loaned out to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on a month's loan on 1 October 2010. He made his debut the following day at the KC Stadium
KC Stadium
The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,...
in the 0–0 draw against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
.
On 25 November 2010 he started a loan period at Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
until 4 January 2011, but never played. He joined MK Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
on an initial one-month loan on 15 January 2011.
In July 2011 Vine joined Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
on trial, but on 2 August, manager Sean O'Driscoll
Sean O'Driscoll
Sean Michael O'Driscoll is an English-Irish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having been relieved of his duties as manager of Doncaster Rovers in September 2011. He joined Doncaster in September 2006 following Dave Penney's departure. He was previously manager at...
said he had not yet decided whether to offer him a contract.
Honours
Luton TownLuton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
- Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
winner: 2004–05
External links
- Rowan Vine profile at qpr.co.uk