Solomon Taiwo
Encyclopedia
Solomon Oladiran Taiwo is a Nigeria
n born English
footballer currently playing for Cardiff City
.
, Nigeria
, Taiwo moved to London
with his family when he was eighteen months old.
but was unable to break into the first team and was released. He joined Sutton United
in March after a second spell with Bromley
. He has also had spells with Charlton Athletic
, Maidenhead United
, Weymouth
and Fort Wayne Fever
in the USA.
side Dagenham & Redbridge
on an initial one-month loan deal from Sutton United
, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Leyton Orient
in the Football League Trophy
. His loan spell was later extended to the end of the 2007–08 season. At the end of the season he signed for the side on a permanent basis. He was voted club player of the year the season before his sale to Cardiff City.
side Cardiff City
for a fee which could eventually rise to £250,000 depending on appearances and promotion. Described by Cardiff manager Dave Jones as "a good prospect, a strong player, a good athlete and comfortable on the ball", Taiwo had played against the side two weeks earlier in the first round of the Football League Cup
. He made his debut in a 2–0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers
at the Keepmoat Stadium as a substitute in place of Peter Whittingham. He made his first start and his home debut against Queens Park Rangers
. He played his first South Wales Derby
on 7 November 2009 in a 3–2 loss, coming on for Tony Capaldi
. On 12 January, during a post match interview against Bristol City
, Dave Jones stated that they had agreed a deal with Colchester United
for Taiwo to join them on loan, but the move was later cancelled due to an ongoing midfield injury crisis at Cardiff. On 31 May 2010, Taiwo was set to sign for Championship rivals Norwich City
, for a fee of £150,000, however the move later collapsed after he failed a medical.
confirmed that Taiwo would be re-joining the daggers on loan until the end of the season. He made his return debut at home against Hartlepool United
, with the match ending in a 1–1 draw.
was put in place, and after not making an appearance the previous season for the Bluebirds, Taiwo made his first appearance in a year for Cardiff in the League Cup
against Oxford United
, only to be taken off after 15 minutes with an ankle injury. His first league appearance of the season came in a 2-1 win over Southampton
coming on for an injured Filip Kiss
. After only two appearances for the Bluebirds, Taiwo's agent, Simon Dent, confirmed he had enquires from two unnamed League One
clubs for a small term loan.
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 born 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...
footballer currently playing for Cardiff City
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...
.
Personal life
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...
, Taiwo moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his family when he was eighteen months old.
Early career
Taiwo began his career as a YTS trainee at MillwallMillwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
but was unable to break into the first team and was released. He joined Sutton United
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Conference South. They are based in Sutton, London, and play their home games at the Borough Sports Ground in Gander Green Lane....
in March after a second spell with Bromley
Bromley F.C.
Bromley Football Club are an English football club based in Bromley, in Greater London, England. They currently play in the Conference South, and play their home matches at Hayes Lane.-Early years:...
. He has also had spells with 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,...
, Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
, Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
and Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever was an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
in the USA.
Dagenham & Redbridge
In October 2007, Taiwo joined Football League TwoFootball League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
on an initial one-month loan deal from Sutton United
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Conference South. They are based in Sutton, London, and play their home games at the Borough Sports Ground in Gander Green Lane....
, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. His loan spell was later extended to the end of the 2007–08 season. At the end of the season he signed for the side on a permanent basis. He was voted club player of the year the season before his sale to Cardiff City.
Cardiff City
On 25 August 2009 he signed a three-year deal with ChampionshipFootball 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...
side Cardiff City
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...
for a fee which could eventually rise to £250,000 depending on appearances and promotion. Described by Cardiff manager Dave Jones as "a good prospect, a strong player, a good athlete and comfortable on the ball", Taiwo had played against the side two weeks earlier in the first round of the Football 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...
. He made his debut in a 2–0 defeat to 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...
at the Keepmoat Stadium as a substitute in place of Peter Whittingham. He made his first start and his home debut against 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...
. He played his first South Wales Derby
South Wales derby
The South Wales derby is a football local derby between Welsh clubs Cardiff City and Swansea City and is regarded as one of the most fierce rivalries in British football....
on 7 November 2009 in a 3–2 loss, coming on for Tony Capaldi
Tony Capaldi
Anthony Charles "Tony" Capaldi is a Norwegian-born Northern Ireland international footballer, who plays as a defender for Oxford United. He is also a long-throw specialist.-Club career:...
. On 12 January, during a post match interview against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, Dave Jones stated that they had agreed a deal with 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 Taiwo to join them on loan, but the move was later cancelled due to an ongoing midfield injury crisis at Cardiff. On 31 May 2010, Taiwo was set to sign for Championship rivals Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, for a fee of £150,000, however the move later collapsed after he failed a medical.
Return to Dagenham
On 29 October, Dagenham boss John StillJohn Still
John Still , bishop of Bath and Wells enjoyed considerable fame as a preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of the early English comedy drama Gammer Gurton's Needle .-Career:...
confirmed that Taiwo would be re-joining the daggers on loan until the end of the season. He made his return debut at home against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, with the match ending in a 1–1 draw.
Return to Cardiff
After returning to Cardiff, Malky MackayMalky Mackay
Malcolm George "Malky" Mackay is a Scottish football manager and former player, who played as a central defender. He is currently the manager of Cardiff City. Mackay began his playing career in Scottish football, with Queen's Park and Celtic. He joined English side Norwich City in 1998, remaining...
was put in place, and after not making an appearance the previous season for the Bluebirds, Taiwo made his first appearance in a year for Cardiff 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...
against Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
, only to be taken off after 15 minutes with an ankle injury. His first league appearance of the season came in a 2-1 win over Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
coming on for an injured Filip Kiss
Filip Kiss
Filip Kiss is a Slovak footballer who plays for Championship club Cardiff City as a midfielder, on loan from ŠK Slovan Bratislava.-Career:Kiss started his professional career at Inter Bratislava in 2008, before moving to Petržalka the following year where he made 23 league appearances...
. After only two appearances for the Bluebirds, Taiwo's agent, Simon Dent, confirmed he had enquires from two unnamed 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....
clubs for a small term loan.
Football League statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham... |
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... |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 6 | |
| 2009–10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 54 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 63 | 6 | |
| Cardiff City 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... |
2009–10 Cardiff City F.C. season 2009–10 The 2009–10 season is Cardiff City F.C.'s 83rd season in The Football League since joining in 1920. The season is also the club's first in the Cardiff City Stadium, replacing their former ground Ninian Park, which had been used by the club for 99 years. Cardiff had their most successful season in... |
8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham... |
2010-11 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Cardiff City 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... |
2011-12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 81 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 95 | 7 | |