Scott Matthew Parker (born 13 October 1980) is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United. He is a midfielder, who has represented England at every level; from under-15 to senior, for whom he has made one start and two substitute appearances. He won his three England caps while playing for three different clubs. He is known as a tough tackling central midfielder who likes to get forward.

Early life

Parker was born in Lambeth, Greater London,[1] and attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College in New Cross Gate. As a 13 year old, he appeared in a well-known British advert for McDonald's, in which he played keepie uppie during their 1994 World Cup campaign.[2] Parker is a graduate of the Football Association's now-defunct national School of Excellence at Lilleshall.[1]

Club career

Charlton Athletic

After graduating from Lilleshall, he signed for Charlton Athletic as a trainee and made his debut as a substitute against Bury[1] in the first division on 23 August 1997, a game which ended 0–0. He signed his first professional contract with the club two months later.[1] Over the next couple of years he made only a few sporadic substitute appearances for Charlton, although he was one of the brightest prospects in English football. In October 2000 Charlton, now in the Premier League, loaned Parker to First Division side Norwich City[3] for two months to give the England under-21 some first team experience. At Norwich he scored once against Sheffield Wednesday.[4] On his return to The Valley, Parker was immediately called into the first team to replace injured captain Mark Kinsella. Parker played so well for Charlton that, upon his return from injury, Kinsella could not regain his place in the starting lineup. Parker soon became the linchpin of Charlton's midfield, combining tenacious tackling with an ability to carry the ball quickly from defence to attack and play telling passes, creating many chances for his teammates. There was talk that the Addicks would mount a serious challenge for Champions League qualification. He played 145 times for Charlton, scoring ten goals.[1]

Chelsea

Parker, who had been consistently linked with moves away from Charlton for several years, finally left the Valley on 30 January 2004 to join Chelsea for a fee of £10 million[5] after a protracted and acrimonious transfer saga. Curbishley, the Charlton manager, criticised his attitude following news of Chelsea's interest, accusing him of bad behaviour and saying that "...his conduct in training has not been what it should have been."[6] Parker was initially signed as cover for Claude Makélélé and Frank Lampard, but did not get too many chances to play in his preferred position. He scored his only goal for Chelsea against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.[7] Within just two months of signing for Chelsea, he made another substitute appearance for England on 31 March 2004, this time against Sweden. At the end of the 2003–04 season Parker was named as the PFA Young Player of the Year.[8]

Following the summer signings of Arjen Robben, and Tiago, Parker's first team opportunities were extremely limited during the 2004–05 season. His problems were compounded when he broke a metatarsal bone in a game against his former club, Norwich City.[9] This injury, coupled with the signing of Jiří Jarošík, served to add to the rumours that he would be sold by José Mourinho in the summer.

Newcastle United

Parker was sold the following summer, moving to Newcastle United in July 2005 for a fee of £6.5 million.[10] Parker became a regular in the Newcastle first team and was one of the few players at the club to show any consistency during an often difficult season in which Newcastle finished in 7th place, despite having a very poor start under Graeme Souness. His first Newcastle goal came against his former club Charlton in a 3–1 defeat.[11] In March 2006 he was diagnosed with glandular fever, putting an end to his season.[12] The timing was especially unfortunate for Parker, who had been playing well for Newcastle, as it ended any hopes he may have had of forcing his way into the England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In July 2006, he was named Newcastle United's new captain by manager Glenn Roeder.[13] His first goal as captain came against Wigan Athletic in August 2006.[14] Parker scored his second goal of the season against Fulham in September 2006, but after he was substituted Newcastle conceded 2 goals and subsequently lost the game.[15] Despite Newcastle's poor form, his performances earned him a recall to the England squad in September after an absence of more than two years. In November, Parker scored a goal in the 116th minute against Watford in the Carling Cup and then scored in the penalty shoot-out to allow Newcastle to progress in the competition.[16] He scored his fourth goal of the 2006–07 season season against Tottenham in December 2006.[17]

Scott Parker was found to be the second best player in the country for December 2006 by Sky Sports and Opta Index. He led Newcastle on their way to Intertoto Cup victory and was presented with the UEFA Intertoto Cup plaque in March 2007 before the UEFA Cup first leg tie with AZ Alkmaar, which Newcastle won 4–2.

West Ham United

In June 2007, West Ham United signed Scott Parker for £7 million.[18] Due to injury, he did not make his first team debut until 26 September 2007 in the 1–0 League Cup victory against Plymouth Argyle.[19] His full Premier League debut came on 29 September 2007 in the 1–0 home defeat to Arsenal, a game which saw Parker sustaining yet another injury and being substituted by Hayden Mullins at half-time.[20] Parker scored his first goal for West Ham in the 2–1 win at Middlesbrough on 22 December 2007;[21] The match winner in the 90th minute.

In the 2008/2009 season Parker played a major part of West Hams' season and on 24 May 2009 was voted Hammer of the Year, by the club's supporters, for the 2008–09 season.[22] and became the first player since Julian Dicks in 1997 to retain the award after winning again on 4 May 2010.[23]

He was again one of West Ham's key players in the 2009-10 season, scoring the winning goal in a vital 3–2 win against Wigan Athletic, which ensured another season of Premier League football for West Ham.[24]

In July 2010, West Ham Chairman David Sullivan made a forceful public statement reiterating earlier comments that Parker was not for sale to another club at any price. His latest announcement came on the heels of a bid from Tottenham Hotspur and also very strong and public interest from Aston Villa.

International career

Scott Parker has represented England at every level from under-15 to the senior team.[1] He has 11 caps for the England under-21 team.[25]

Parker's international debut for the senior England team came on 16 November 2003 when he came on in the 66th minute as a substitute replacing Wayne Rooney in a 3–2 defeat against Denmark.[26]

Parker's form earned him a place in the starting line-up for England's European Championships qualifier away to Croatia. Parker was restricted to tracking back and covering due to the attacking players in the team like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. England boss Steve McClaren specifically told Parker to chase the wingers and assist the two wing backs, Gary Neville and Ashley Cole.

On 11 May 2010, Parker was revealed to be among Capello's 30-man preliminary squad list for the 2010 World Cup.[27]

If Parker gains another England cap while at West Ham, he will become the first player to receive his first four full caps whilst playing for four different teams.

Stewart Downing (born 22 July 1984) is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Aston Villa and the England national football team. Primarily a left winger, Downing has previously played for Middlesbrough, with whom he won the Football League Cup, and Sunderland

Club career

Middlesbrough

Downing grew up in Middlesbrough's Pallister Park estate and supported the club since his school days. He was considered one of the most promising graduates of the Middlesbrough Academy.

His debut came on 24 April 2002 in a Premier League game away at Ipswich Town. He was limited to just three appearances during that season, plus a further three the following season despite scoring his first senior goal in a 4–1 League Cup victory over Brentford. He was sent out on loan to Sunderland in 2003 in order to gain experience. His first-team chances at Middlesbrough were limited due to the form of Bolo Zenden in the left-midfield slot. Downing's career began to take-off when he was recalled from his loan during an injury crisis and was pushed into the first-team. The 2004–05 season saw Downing make forty-nine appearances, scoring six goals, as well as providing numerous assists. His performances that season saw him called up to Sven Göran Eriksson's England squad in February 2005 for a friendly against the Netherlands.[1]

A knee injury saw Downing sidelined for five months at the end of 2005,[2] though he returned to play his part in the run to the 2006 UEFA Cup Final, including three assists in the 4–2 (4–3 agg) victory over Steaua Bucharest in the semi-final second leg.[3]

On 26 February 2008, Downing signed a new five-year contract, keeping him signed on at Middlesbrough until 2013.[4]

With the departure of Mark Schwarzer in May 2008, Downing became Middlesbrough's second longest serving player after Brad Jones.

The 2008–09 season was a mixed one for Downing. Middlesbrough had their best start to the season in six years which saw them climb to 8th in the table, however, a terrible winless run which started in November 2008 saw them fall into the relegation zone. On the 5 January 2009, he handed in a written transfer request expressing his desire to leave the club but the request was turned down on the same day.[5] In the penultimate match of the season, he sustained a foot injury after a challenge from Stilian Petrov in a home game against Aston Villa in May, which needed an operation, ruling him out for at least four months.[6] After spending the whole of the second half of the season in the relegation zone, Middlesbrough were relegated on the final day after they lost 2–1 away at West Ham United. Downing, having started every league game, except the last match, ended the season with no league goals, having only scored two against West Ham United in the FA Cup.

Aston Villa

Following Middlesbrough's relegation, Downing signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa, becoming Martin O'Neill's first signing of the 2009 Summer transfer window for a fee of £10 million with an extra £2 million to be paid depending on appearances.[7] On November 7, 2009, O'Neill announced that Downing had returned to full training following his injury against Villa while playing for Middlesbrough during the 2008–09 season. Downing made his Aston Villa début coming on as a 69th minute substitute for Steve Sidwell in the away game versus Burnley.[8] He scored his first goal for Villa in the Carling Cup against Portsmouth on 1 December 2009.[9] Downing's return to action saw him returning to his preferred left wing role, with James Milner moving to central midfield for Villa. Downing played in Villa's first win at Old Trafford against Manchester United since 1983 on 12 December 2009. Downing then went on to score his first and second league goal for Villa in their 5–2 win against Burnley on the 21st February 2010. [10] On the opening day of the 2010-11 season Downing scored his 3rd goal for the club in a 3-0 win against West Ham United.

International career

Downing was first called up as a 19-year-old for the 2003 UEFA European U-19 Championship. With seven Under-21 caps to his credit, Downing made his England debut on 9 February 2005 in a home friendly, played at Villa Park against the Netherlands, replacing Shaun Wright-Phillips in the second half.[11]

Downing's international career took a setback in May 2005 when he was injured training with England on their tour of United States, keeping him out of the game until 2006.

Downing was included in the England World Cup squad in May 2006 by Sven-Göran Eriksson,[12] primarily as a back-up for Joe Cole, and came on as a second half substitute in England's victorious opening game against Paraguay.[13] He was brought on once again in the match against Trinidad and Tobago, when England scored two goals in the last ten minutes.[14]

On 16 August 2006, Downing made his first start for England, as Greece were beaten by 4–0, with Downing involved in three of the goals.[15] He started the subsequent three Euro 2008 qualifiers, against Andorra and the Republic of Macedonia. His performances drew criticism from the press, with many stating that Downing was only being selected due to his friendship with manager Steve McClaren. However, Downing hopes to have proven many of his critics wrong after Fabio Capello became the third successive England manager to give him an England cap, on 26 March 2008 in a 1–0 friendly defeat to France.[16] He was also called up (alongside Middlesbrough teammate David Wheater) for Capello's friendlies against United States and Trinidad and Tobago, where he received the nod ahead of Ashley Young. His performance justified his selection by contributing with the first two goals and won praise from the press who had previously slated his inclusion in the squad.[17] A few months after Capello took charge of England, the Italian boss stated that he had been most impressed by Downing

Honours

Club

Middlesbrough

League Cup

Winner: 2003–04

Aston Villa

League Cup:

Runner up: 2009–10

Personal life

Downing has been involved in several charitable and community projects outside his playing career. He supports the nationwide No Messin' campaign, along with freestyler Colin Nell and boxer Amir Khan, warning youngsters against playing on railway lines. Downing held a charity dinner with special guest boxer Ricky Hatton to raise funds for the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle Upon Tyne in February 2008.[20] The hospital had cared for Vicky, Stewart's sister, who died of leukaemia in 1993 at the age of 4. The honorary position of president of Middlesbrough Futsal Club was bestowed on Downing in December 2007. During his spare time Downing has DJ-ed at several nightclubs in Middlesbrough.[21]

Downing's former agent Ian Elliott was arrested by Cleveland Police in September 2008 after he was reported to the police by the player himself after he had concerns "regarding the way his and his company's affairs [had] been handled". He told Middlesbrough about his concerns some time earlier and the club advised him to involve lawyers and accountants to investigate, while The FA acted as liaison between the police and the club.[22]

Gabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor (born 13 October 1986)[3] is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa of the Premier League. He is of Nigerian and Scottish descent.[4][5] Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy system and has earned three caps for the English national team.[6] He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, playing professionally for the club since 2005.[7]

Club career

Aston Villa

2005–06 season

Born in Erdington, Birmingham, Agbonlahor came through the youth ranks at local club Aston Villa. As an 18-year-old, he was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday and Watford in 2005 to gain first team experience. Agbonlahor's FA Premier League debut for Villa came on 18 March 2006 at the age of 19, under manager David O'Leary, against Everton at Goodison Park. O'Leary was forced to delve into the youth academy because of a lack of senior strikers due to injury, thus earning Agbonlahor a rare start. He scored after 63 minutes, although Villa went on to lose the match 4–1.[8]

2006–07 season

In five pre-season games of the 2006–07 season, Agbonlahor netted four goals in five games for Aston Villa. After netting a quick double salvo against Walsall (the first a near-post header, the latter a close range finish) in a 5–0 victory.[9] Agbonlahor also netted in the second match of Aston Villa's tour against NEC, which turned out to be a consolation goal, in a 2–1 victory for NC.[10]

Agbonlahor started the season on the right wing in Martin O'Neill's new-look Villa side, and would be part of the team that managed a get a point from the first Premiership game at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium.[11] Agbonlahor's first goal of the season came at home against Charlton Athletic, in a 2–0 win.[12] On 30 September, Agbonlahor scored a crucial equaliser against Premiership champions Chelsea just before half-time, heading in Liam Ridgewell's cross with a glancing header to earn Villa a 1–1 draw.[13]

Agbonlahor also provided cup heroics in 2006, scoring an extra-time injury-time winner to beat Leicester City 3–2 at the Walkers Stadium.[14] The following game, he scored a consolation effort in Villa's first loss of the season, on 28 October, ten games in.[15]

Agbonlahor completed his run of scoring against the Big Four, when he added Manchester United to a list of his victims that included Chelsea and Liverpool. Aston Villa were beaten 3–1 in the game at Old Trafford.[16] Agbonlahor then scored deep into injury time in the following game, against Watford on 20 January, to end a Villa winless run that stretched back to 11 November.[17]

Agbonlahor had played every minute of Aston Villa's campaign in 2006–07, until he was replaced by Patrik Berger, in the 2–0 away fixture against Reading, on 10 February 2007. The following match was the first of the season that Agbonlahor did not start — he instead appeared from the bench, replacing new Villa signing Shaun Maloney. Manager Martin O'Neill suggested that Agbonlahor, who had been playing out of position on the right wing for much of the season, had done superbly, and being dropped from the first 11 was in order to rest him, and alleviate growing crowd pressure.

Following this break, Agbonlahor went on a scoring spree. He scored from the right-wing against Everton on 2 April, to gain Villa a valuable point.[18] Following this match, Agbonlahor signed a new-four year contract at Aston Villa.[19] The following Saturday, in the absence of John Carew, he was moved back to his natural position at centre forward and again found his name on the scoresheet.

Agbonlahor made it three in a row on Easter Monday, again scoring an equaliser, adjudged to have crossed the line by assistant referee Dave Richardson.

2007–08 season

Agbonlahor also scored the vital second goal in the match between Aston Villa and Chelsea on 2 September, in which Villa won 2–0.[20][21] Agbonlahor scored the winning goal in the 86th minute of the Birmingham Derby, 60 seconds after saving the ball on the line from a Liam Ridgewell shot. After 13 games, Agbonlahor was the clubs top goal scorer, with six Premier League goals. On 7 December it was announced that Agbonlahor had won the Barclays Premier League Player of the month award and Manager Martin O'Neill had won the Manager of the month award for the same month.[22]

On 12 April 2008, Agbonlahor scored the fourth goal against Derby County in a 6–0 victory at Pride Park in the Premier league.[23] In the Birmingham derby on 20 April 2008, he scored the fifth and final goal in the 5–1 victory.[24]

2008–09 season

On 15 August 2008, Aston Villa announced that Agbonlahor had signed a new four-year deal, tying him to the club until 2012.[25]

Following his contract extension, on 17 August 2008, Agbonlahor scored a "perfect" hat-trick (scoring goals with his head, right foot and left foot) against Manchester City in Villa's opening game of the 2008–09 season at Villa Park. The three goals were netted in the space of seven minutes, making it the second-fastest hat-trick in the history of the Premier League. He was later named man of the match for this performance, which led to a 4–2 victory.[26]

Early in the season he began to form a successful strike partnership with team-mate John Carew, this demonstrated in the Premier League away games against West Bromwich Albion[27] and Wigan Athletic[28] where both players scored in both games and provided assists. On 3 November, Agbonlahor was at the centre of a controversy with Newcastle United's Joey Barton when, during the match, Barton appeared to brush his fingers on Agbonlahor's face. It later emerged that Barton's attack might have been race-orientated but, after careful consideration by both Aston Villa and the FA, no further action was taken.[29][30] On 8 November, it emerged in some national newspapers that the reason Agbonlahor decided not to pursue legal action against Barton was because he "felt sorry" for him.[31][32] On 15 November, he scored once and played a part in the other goal, when Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2–0 at the Emirates Stadium.[33] He scored a brace against Bolton Wanderers on 13 December.[34] Agbonlahor notched his tenth league goal of the season in the 90th minute in a 2–0 win against Blackburn Rovers on 7 February.[35]

However, this was a high point in a dismal run of form in which he scored just 1 goal in 12 league games. Some fans began to get frustrated with Agbonlahor and in Villa's home defeat against Spurs there were some sarcastic cheers as he was substituted off by Martin O'Neill. He was subsequently dropped to the bench for Villa's next game away to Liverpool which Villa lost 5–0. After the heavy defeat to Liverpool and despite his lack of form Agbonlahor was recalled to the starting 11 and went on to score a goal against Manchester United on 5 April in a 3–2 defeat for Villa. Gabriel Agbonlahor was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year with fellow team mate Ashley Young winning the honour.

2009–10 Season

Agbonlahor's first goal of the 2009–10 season came at home in a 2–0 victory over Fulham on 30 August 2009. The striker brought the ball from the centre of the field to strike, left-footed, past Mark Schwarzer from around 20 yards out.

The striker scored the only goal in the season's opening Second City Derby against Birmingham City, netting an open header past Joe Hart as a result of a free kick taken by Ashley Young. Agbonlahor scored his third goal of the season scoring in a 2–0 win against Portsmouth.[36] He scored his fourth and fifth consecutive goals of the season against Cardiff City in the League Cup and Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League. His next goal came on 24 October 2009 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in the Premier League. Fellow Villa forward Emile Heskey played the ball into the penalty area where Agbonlahor turned a defender and placed a low shot past Wolverhampton goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. The game finished 1–1. He scored the only goal in the 1–0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, heading in a cross from Ashley Young after 21 mins, providing Villa's first league win at Old Trafford since 1983. In the first leg of the League Cup semi final at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers Agbonlahor was booked for diving. Agbonlahor scored in the scond leg of the game helping Villa to get to the final where they lost to Manchester United 2–1. He scored twice in 2–0 win at Fulham on 30 January 2010. On 21 February, Agbonlahor provided an assist for Emile Heskey before adding Villa's final goal in a 5–2 victory over Burnley for his 11th league goal of the season.

Agbonlahor finished the season with thirteen goals in the Premier League, and 16 in all competitions.

2010–11 Season

Agbonlahor had a difficult start to the 2010–11 season due to injury. He did not feature until 26 August 2010 in a UEFA Europa League fixture at home to Rapid Vienna; a game that saw Villa bow out of the competition via a 3–2 loss. Agbonlahor opened the scoring, but had to be withdrawn prior to half time due to more injury concerns.

Despite Villa suffering some issues on and off the field at the beginning of the season such as the resignation of manager Martin O'Neill and a humiliating 6–0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United, Agbonlahor defended the club and stated his intent to remain there for the long term.[37]

International career

Agbonlahor's ancestry qualifies him to play for Scotland or Nigeria at International level, but he chose to play for his homeland of England.

On 20 September 2006, Agbonlahor was pencilled in as a player in the Nigeria U20 team for the match against Rwanda. He turned down the chance, whilst not ruling out playing for the country in the future.[38] He later pledged his future to England.[39][40]

On 28 September 2006, Agbonlahor received his first call-up to the England U21 squad, and won his first U21 cap as a substitute against Germany U21 on 6 October.

Agbonlahor was then omitted from the England's U21 Championship squad, by manager Stuart Pearce, on 30 May 2007, as a result of missing the England U21 training camp in Spain. David Bentley, also included in the England first team lineup, took his place.

Agbonlahor was later recalled to the side by Pearce, in September 2007,[41] netting his first goal for the under-21s, by scoring the second in a 3–0 victory, over Montenegro U21.

On 1 February, Agbonlahor was named in Fabio Capello's 23-man England squad to play Switzerland in February 2008,[42] although a hamstring injury forced him to withdraw from the game.[43]

Agbonlahor was also an unused substitute in England's respective 2–0 and 3–0 friendly victories against the United States[44] and Trinidad & Tobago[45] in May–June 2008.

On 15 November 2008, he was called up to Fabio Capello's squad for the upcoming match against Germany in Berlin, joining three other Aston Villa players in the squad; Ashley Young, Curtis Davies and Gareth Barry. On 19 November, he was named to start against Germany. He played for 76 minutes, had a goal disallowed[46] and received high praise from John Terry. Terry declared Agbonlahor in his post-match interview "a nightmare to play against".[47]

On 11 February 2009 he was in the starting line up against Spain, he played for 75 minutes before being substituted for debutant Carlton Cole.

On 31 March 2009 he was called into the England squad to face Ukraine in a World cup qualifier after Darren Bent limped out of training with an injury. Bent was the third England striker to drop out of the squad through injury, after Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole.[48]

On 15 October 2009 he started for England against Belarus and was replaced in the 66th minute and was replaced by Carlton Cole. Agbonlahor playing in his first competitive international, managed to assist a goal.

Honours

Aston Villa

League Cup: Runners Up 2009–10

Individual

Young Player of the Season: 2006–07,2007–08

Player's Young Player of the Season: 2006–07,2007–08

England

UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Runner Up 2009

[49]

Aaron Justin Lennon (born 16 April 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a winger for who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. He is widely regarded to be the quickest player with the ball in the Premier League.[1]

Early life

Lennon's family is of Jamaican, Irish and English descent. He has one older brother and a younger sister and brother. He attended Boston Spa School.[2]

Club career

Leeds United

Born in Chapeltown, Leeds, Lennon began his professional career at Leeds United, where he became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League at the age of 16 years and 129 days, coming off the bench at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2–1 loss in August 2003.[3] Initially a student at City of Leeds High School, he then continued his studies at Leeds' partner school, Boston Spa School. Lennon gained an assist against Arsenal where Alan Smith got a deft touch onto Lennon's cross shot. He had been a member of the Leeds United Academy for a long time before breaking into the first team setup.

In 2001, he set a record as the youngest player ever to have his boots sponsored when he signed up with Adidas at the age of just 14. Lennon scored his only goal for Leeds against Sunderland on Boxing Day 2004 during a 3–2 win. Lennon had been a regular on the bench up until that point, but when John Oster was sacked Lennon took his place and never looked back and became a regular starter after that point. His pace and skills on the wing excited Leeds fans, and he was one of the star performers in Leeds' first season in the Championship under the management of Kevin Blackwell with his performances earning rave reviews.

His last involvement at Leeds was playing and scoring in Lucas Radebe's testimonial. His older brother Anthony was also at the Leeds Academy, but never made it into the first team as he was involved in a car accident. With Leeds' financial problems Lennon was sold to Spurs for a heavily reduced fee, with a sell on clause inserted into the deal.

Tottenham Hotspur

With Leeds suffering financial difficulties, Lennon made a £1 million move to Tottenham Hotspur in early June 2005.[4] His Spurs debut came a couple of months later in an August defeat against Chelsea. On 18 March 2006, Lennon scored his first Premier League goal in Tottenham's 2–0 victory over Birmingham City at St. Andrew's, early in the second half.

He was nominated by fellow Premiership players for the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2005–06 season, and subsequently again in the 2006–07 season. The awards ultimately went to Wayne Rooney, and to Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.

Lennon signed a new 5 ½ year deal worth £20,000 a week with Tottenham on 8 January 2007, which will keep him at the club until 2012.[5] He signed an improved deal in March 2009 which contracts him to Spurs until 2014.[6] For the third successive year, in the 2008–09 season, he was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year. The award was ultimately awarded to Aston Villa's Ashley Young. Lennon also won both the Tottenham Hotspur 'Player of the Season' and the 'Young Player of the Season' award in the 2008–09 season.

The winger was named the supporters' Player of the Season for 2008–09. He terrorised left-backs up and down the country during his 47 games in all competitions, earning a new five-year contract at the Club in March 2009 as well as a recall to the England senior squad the same week. Aaron also scored five goals during the campaign, including a memorable last minute equaliser during a 4–4 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in October 2008.

His goals early in the 2009–10 season – against West Ham at Boleyn Ground, and Birmingham City – kept Tottenham at the top of the league table, with four successive wins, their best start to a league season since the 1960–61 season.[7]

On 24 October 2009, Lennon was injured in a match against Stoke; Tottenham were consequently reduced to ten men as Harry Redknapp had used all three available substitutes. However he returned on November 22 in a 9–1 victory against Wigan Athletic. He provided three assists and scored one goal. He was substituted in the 79th minute for David Bentley receiving a standing ovation from the fans at White Hart Lane.

The Tottenham winger suffered a groin injury in December 2009, against West Ham United, which kept him out of the team during the first months of 2010 and in the run up to the 2010 World Cup. He made his return from the groin injury in a 3–1 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 24 April.[8]

International career

Lennon was called up to the England U-21 team team for the first time in October 2005 and on 8 May 2006, he was picked in England's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, despite being only 19 years of age and uncapped at senior level.

He was named Man of the match in the England B match with Belarus on 25 May 2006 in England's World Cup warm-up match at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Berkshire, which ultimately England B lost 2–1. He made his full England debut as a second-half substitute in the 6–0 win over Jamaica on 2 June.

Lennon came on as a substitute for England in their second group stage game of World Cup 2006 (his first World Cup finals appearance) against Trinidad and Tobago. England scored twice following his and Wayne Rooney's arrival on the field, winning the game 2–0. There were some suggestions amongst fans for him to replace David Beckham on the right side of midfield.[9] Lennon then played in the quarter-final match against Portugal, coming on as a substitute for the injured David Beckham. Lennon was then himself substituted for Jamie Carragher immediately prior to a penalty shootout, in which England lost.

Lennon also came on as a substitute against Andorra during a UEFA Euro qualifier and made an instant impact by assisting Peter Crouch's second goal after receiving the ball for the first time.

Lennon made his first start for England against Israel in a UEFA Euro qualifier on 24 March 2007 and four days later, he was again selected in the first XI against Andorra. This proved to be Lennon's last appearance for exactly two years as it wasn't until 28 March 2009 that he was selected again by England, starting in a friendly match with Slovakia at Wembley Stadium. Lennon started again for England when they played Ukraine on 1 April 2009 at Wembley Stadium, although Lennon was substituted in both games for Beckham.

He was called up for the friendly against Slovenia and the World Cup qualifier versus Croatia, following his fine form for Tottenham,[10] and was named Nationwide Man of the Match for the 5–1 win over Croatia.

Lennon made it into the final 23-man squad with England for the World Cup. Lennon started for England in the opening two fixtures in Englands World Cup campaign; in the 1-1 between the USA and in the 0-0 draw with Algeria.

Personal life

Aaron is currently dating model and actress Montana Manning. They have been dating since 2007.[11]

Honours

Club

Carling Cup: 2007–08

Premier League Asia Trophy: 2010

Individual

Leeds United Football Club 'Young Player Of The Year': 2004–05

PFA Fans' Player of the Month: March 2009

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club 'Player Of The Year': 2008–09

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club 'Young Player Of The Year': 2005–06, 2008–09

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club 'Moment Of The Year': 2008–09 (for his last gasp equaliser vs Arsenal in the dramatic 4–4 draw.)

PFA Young Player of the Year (nominated): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09

Joseph John "Joe" Cole (born 8 November 1981) is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool, and the England national team. He started his career with West Ham United where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003. He won a number of trophies with Chelsea, including three Premier League titles and two FA Cups before leaving on a free transfer in July 2010 to join Liverpool.

Biography

Cole was born in Paddington, London and lived there until he moved to Camden at the age of six. He was educated at St. Mary's Primary School, Bryanston Square in Marylebone along with brother Nicky and sister Charly, He also attended Haverstock School (Now Haverstock Business & Enterprise College) in Chalk Farm, Camden and St. Aloysius RC College in North London.[1]

Club career

West Ham United

A child prodigy who received national media attention as a schoolboy, he famously scored 7 of the 8 goals the England youth team scored against Spain in one match. Cole is a product of the famed West Ham United youth system. He was long touted as the hottest prospect in English football with Manchester United reportedly offering to pay £10 million for his services as a 16-year-old.[2] Playing in a mould similar to former England favourite Paul Gascoigne, he quickly progressed through the West Ham ranks before making his first-team debut at the age of 17. In 1999 Cole was part of West Ham's victorious FA Youth Cup winning squad (alongside Michael Carrick), defeating Coventry City 9–0 on aggregate in the final. In January 2003 Glenn Roeder, then West Ham United manager gave Cole the club captain's armband at the age of 21.[3] The club was relegated from the Premier League at the end of that season. Cole won the "Hammer of the Year award" for 2003.[4]

Chelsea

Cole took advantage of injuries to other players to become one of the stars of Chelsea's Premier League title winning team in 2004–05. He also won a starting place in the England team on the left side of midfield, which England had struggled to fill for several years. Cole's form saw him hit a run of goals towards the end of the season, and his goal against Norwich City (blasted in from 22 yards off his weaker left foot) was voted in the top ten goals of the 2004–05 Premier League season. Cole scored 10 goals for Chelsea in 2004–05 and ended the season with the first of his three Premier League Champions' medals. He was subsequently named in the PFA's team of the season.

Cole, playing for Chelsea, taking on Sunderland player George McCartney

In the first half of the 2005–06 season Cole secured himself in the Chelsea first team line up, ahead of Shaun Wright-Phillips and Damien Duff. Cole also extended his contract with Chelsea for another four seasons. He ended his season by scoring the one of the three goals against Manchester United, which sealed the title for Chelsea.

Just weeks after Cole's participation in England's 2006 World Cup squad, in which he made his mark by scoring the side's best goal of the tournament, he was injured in the pre-season. In January 2007, Cole underwent surgery for a stress fracture on his foot he suffered in late 2006. Cole made his return for Chelsea in the first leg of Chelsea's 1–1 draw in the Champions League quarter-final tie against Valencia. Cole worked hard in Chelsea's 2–1 victory in the second leg. He started for Chelsea in their victory over Manchester United in the 2007 FA Cup Final, and went on to be substituted at half time.

Joe Cole training before a match

In 2007–08 Cole scored another goal in the League Cup semi finals against Everton which sent Chelsea to another final.

On 17 August 2008, Cole scored the first Premier League goal of the Scolari era in a 4–0 win against Portsmouth. He scored his second against Bordeaux in the Champions League Group Stage in the 4–0 victory. He scored his third goal against Aston Villa on 5 October in a 2–0 victory.

After surgery on his knee to repair an injury he picked up in the FA Cup clash with Southend United, Cole missed the rest of the season.

Cole did not play for Chelsea in the pre-season, due to cruciate ligament damage in his knee, suffered in January 2009. He was one of the substitutes for Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League clash against F.C. Porto, which Chelsea won 1–0, however he was never brought on in a match that saw torrential rain lashing Stamford Bridge in London. He made a return to the starting squad in Chelsea's Carling Cup Match with QPR on 23 September 2009, in which he was also handed captain's armband. He also came on as a substitute in the Champions League game between Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia.[5] Cole made his first Premier League 2009-10 appearance for Chelsea against side Blackburn Rovers. He played in the attacking midfield role and influenced Chelsea to blast 5 goals against Blackburn.[6] On 8 November Cole played his 250th game for Chelsea, coming on as a substitute against Manchester United in the 62nd minute for Deco, on his 28th birthday. On 21 November he scored the last goal in Chelsea's 4–0 win against Wolves. On 3 April, he scored the opener against Manchester United at Old Trafford after 19 minutes with a masterful back heel deflection from a Florent Malouda cross, Chelsea went on to win the game 2–1. He came on as a substitute as Chelsea won the 2010 FA Cup Final, his second appearance in a victorious FA Cup final for Chelsea.

His contract with Chelsea expired on 30 June 2010, making him a free agent.[7]

Liverpool

Cole joined Liverpool on a free transfer after signing a four-year deal in July 2010.[8][9] He was manager Roy Hodgson's first signing at the club and was given the number 10 shirt.[10]

Cole made his Liverpool debut against Borussia Moenchengladbach in a pre-season friendly before making his competitive debut in a 2-0 win against Rabotnicki in the Europa League.[11] His league debut, against Arsenal on 15 August 2010, lasted just 45 minutes as he was sent off for a challenge on Laurent Koscielny.[12] In his next match on 19 August 2010, Cole missed a penalty against Trabzonspor in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg, as Liverpool won 1-0.[13] Joe cole played in Jamie Carragher's Testimonial match , where , he scored his first goal for the club.

International career

As an England youth international Cole scored seven goals in an 8-1 victory against Spain, as well as playing for England's Under 17 team, where he scored the winning goal against Norway in a final of the Nordic Tournament.[14]

Cole made his senior international debut against Mexico in May 2001.[15] He was a member of England's 2002 World Cup squad, and made one substitute appearance. Cole was also a squad member at Euro 2004, but did not play.

His displays in England's friendlies leading up to the 2006 World Cup enhanced his reputation ahead of the summer's finals in Germany. In May 2006 he was confirmed in the England squad for the World Cup, ahead of Chelsea teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips.[16] He played on the left side of midfield in England's opening game against Paraguay on 10 June 2006.

On 20 June 2006, England drew with Sweden, in the World Cup, with a final score of 2–2. Cole scored a volley in the 34th minute of the match and got an assist in the 85th when he sent in a ball to Steven Gerrard. At the end of the match, Budweiser announced that Cole received the Man of the match. The Swedish football fans congratulated England for having such a valuable player in the tournament. Cole lined up for the England squad for the first time since the 2006 World Cup in the 1–1 friendly draw against the Netherlands, providing an assist for Wayne Rooney from a cross. After another injury, he returned to start the friendly against Brazil at Wembley on 1 June.

Cole scored his seventh goal for England in June 2007, in their European Championship qualifier, away to Estonia.

On 7 February 2008, Cole was one of the 23-man squad selected for the friendly against Switzerland which they won 2–1, courtesy of Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips goals. For Jenas' goal, Cole received the ball on the left wing, and with a quick bit of trickery, he lured his defender into an early tackle and skipped past. He then passed a smart ball through the box to Jenas who did not have to raise a leg. Cole received Man of the match for his performance.

In August 2008, Cole scored a late equalising goal in a 2–2 draw at Wembley against the Czech Republic after coming on as a substitute. He then scored England's two goals in the next fixture after coming on as a second half substitute in the 2–0 defeat of Andorra in the opening match for the 2010 World Cup Qualifers. In England's next world cup qualifier against Croatia he suffered a head injury in a clash with Croatian defender Robert Kovač which resulted in the Croatian's sending off. After initially getting up he then collapsed and had to be substituted. However he was able to come back and watch the remainder of the match.

Cole was named in the final 23 man selection for England's 2010 World Cup squad.[17] He played in, and scored, in a 3-0 victory against the Platinum Stars, of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, in an unofficial warm-up game.[18] However he was limited to just two substitute appearances in the tournament itself as England lost to Germany in the second round.

Personal life

Cole married fitness instructor[19] Carly Zucker in June 2009.[20] Cole had been dating Zucker since 2002 and proposed to her in 2007. The couple have a daughter, Ruby Tatiana Cole, born in March 2010.

In November 2009, Cole was caught driving his Audi A4 at 105mph on a 70mph section of dual carriageway in Claygate, Surrey.[21] At the subsequent court case, Cole was warned he could lose his driving licence and was ordered to pay £600 costs.[21] He has launched an appeal concerning his driving ban.[21]

Honours

West Ham United

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

Chelsea

Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10

Football League Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07

FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10

FA Community Shield: 2005

Individual

West Ham 'Hammer of the Year': 2003

PFA Team of the Year: 2006

Chelsea Player of the Year: 2008

Premier League Player of the Month: March 2005

Ledley Brenton King (born 12 October 1980) is an English footballer who plays as a central defender for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League and the England national team. He is the longest serving player at the club and captained Spurs for four years. He is currently contracted to Tottenham until 2012. Known for his pace, strength, heading, composure on the ball with both feet and ability in timing his tackles, he has been described as "the best central defender I have seen in my career" by Martin Jol[2] In March 2009 an article in The Times named King as Tottenham's 25th best player of all time.[3]

In recent seasons King has been plagued by chronic knee problems, for which no effective treatment or remedy has been found, which prevent him from playing more than one game a week.[4] Instead of training with the rest of the squad King undertakes fitness exercises on his own.[5] His manager Harry Redknapp has called King "an absolute freak" for being able to perform at a high level despite not training.[6] King has also received praise from former team mate and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, saying that “He is like a magnet for the ball, a thoroughbred of a defender, the best centre-half in the country.”[7]

Club career

Tottenham Hotspur

1997–2001

King joined Tottenham as a trainee in July 1997 and became a professional the following year. His debut came in May 1999 at Anfield ending in a 3–2 defeat to Liverpool. When breaking into the first team under former manager George Graham he was often used as a midfielder. It was with a performance in central midfield during Tottenham's 2–1 win over Liverpool in November 2000 that he established himself as a regular in the Spurs side. His first goal for Tottenham was scored in December 2000 in a 3–3 draw away to Bradford City which was scored in 10.2 seconds, setting a new Premier League record for the quickest goal. [8]

2001–2006

After Graham was sacked, King was moved back into defence under new manager Glenn Hoddle, and with the departure of Sol Campbell to rivals Arsenal, there was a chance for King to establish himself as the club's top centre-back. He began the season with a clean sheet against Aston Villa and a performance man-marking Duncan Ferguson as Spurs held on for a point against Everton at Goodison Park despite playing the final 25 minutes with 9 men. By the end of the season he'd been capped for England and was regarded as one of the best young defenders in the country as Tottenham finished 9th, their highest league finish in 6 years.

A hip injury sustained in the summer meant he did not start the campaign until November. However, King was criticised due to the large amount of goals Tottenham were conceding. The season ended with Tottenham letting in 9 goals in their final two games against Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers.

When Hoddle was sacked in September 2003, caretaker manager David Pleat moved King into midfield to offer a better defensive presence in the middle of the park. In February 2004, having not scored in over 3 years, King scored from the edge of the box in the FA Cup against Manchester City, and followed that up by scoring against Charlton a week later, before scoring on his first start for England the following week. Despite playing out of position for most of the season, he had done enough to convince Sven-Göran Eriksson to call him up to England's Euro 2004 squad.

In the summer of 2004, the Tottenham management team and squad was changed dramatically. Jacques Santini was appointed as manager and with defensive midfielders such as Michael Carrick, Pedro Mendes and Sean Davis joining the club, King was able to move back into his preferred centre-back slot. Noureddine Naybet was signed to bring experience to the Tottenham defence and King formed a fine partnership with him. This new partnership, as well as the form of newly signed England goalkeeper Paul Robinson meant that compared with 57 and 62 in the previous two seasons, Tottenham conceded just 41 goals in the Premier League, the fewest amount of league goals Tottenham had conceded in a season since the 1970–1971 season (albeit some of the seasons played in that time were 42 game seasons instead of 38). King played the full 90 minutes in all 38 of Tottenham's league games and 9 of Tottenham's 10 cup games, the only game he missed all season was a 3–0 win away to Nottingham Forest. Spurs kept 13 clean sheets in the Premiership, King scored 3 goals that season, one in the North London derby against Arsenal. He was voted Premier League Player of the Month for September 2004, the first defensive based player to win the award in almost 3 years. In January 2005, after the sale of Jamie Redknapp to Southampton, new manager Martin Jol appointed King as club captain.

In the summer of 2005, King captained Tottenham to win the Peace Cup, beating French champions Lyon in the final. King formed a new partnership with Michael Dawson. Spurs were even stronger in defence than the previous season, conceding only 38 league goals. King was helping at the other end of the pitch too, with goals against Charlton, Portsmouth, and once again in the derby against Arsenal. For much of the season, Spurs occupied fourth place and a possible Champions League place. However, in April he broke his metatarsal, meaning he missed the final four games of the season, in which Spurs took just 4 points, meaning they slipped down to 5th place on the final day of the season.

2006–Present

After injuring his knee in training before the start of the season, King didn't start his season until mid-September. Then after breaking his metatarsal again, he didn't feature for Spurs from Boxing Day until the UEFA Cup quarter-final clash with Sevilla FC in mid-April. Spurs played 59 games in all competitions that season, but King featured in less than half of them. Tottenham only managed 3 clean sheets against top flight opposition without King in the side. In a Premier League clash with reigning champions Chelsea at White Hart Lane, Spurs went on to win the game 2–1, meaning King had captained Tottenham to their first league win over Chelsea since 1990, and the first at White Hart Lane since 1987.

King underwent surgery in the summer, meaning he would miss the start of the season. Manager Martin Jol had been sacked and replaced by Juande Ramos. But on Boxing Day 2007, King made a surprise return to the starting lineup against Fulham, playing 73 minutes before being replaced by Adel Taarabt. He appeared sporadically for the rest of the season, but captained Tottenham to a 2–1 victory over Chelsea in the 2008 Carling Cup final, the first major honour of his career.

On 3 April 2008 it was announced that he would be rested for the remainder of the season, Spurs having been knocked out of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and unable to qualify for the Champions League through the League.[9] King had featured in just 10 games all season, with just 4 Premiership games under his belt.

On 12 August 2008, Ledley picked up the trophy for the cleanest team in the Premier league for the season. He received the award at the 'Get on With the Game' programme which was shown on Sky Sports News.[citation needed]

It became clear at the start of the 2008/2009 season that King's injury problems meant that he could not play in every game. Ramos picked him in all 5 of the cup games he managed the club for that season, but only two of the eight league games. With Spurs rooted to the bottom of the league, having picked up just 2 points from those 8 games, Ramos was sacked and replaced by Harry Redknapp, who chose to prioritise the league and only play King in those games. On 26 October 2008, King made his 200th league appearance for Tottenham Hotspur as they defeated Bolton Wanderers 2–0. He captained the club in the Carling Cup final yet again, this time against Manchester United, keeping a clean sheet after 120 minutes of play, but Tottenham lost on penalties.

Harry Redknapp said of King's knee injury:

"There's no cure. There's no cartilage, nothing to operate on. It's just bone on bone. So it's just a question of managing it. It swells up after games and it normally takes seven days to recover but having played on Monday night he's had less time than usual. He rarely trains, he mostly just goes to the gym to keep himself ticking over. But not running or anything like that. But even if he only plays 20 games a season, he's worth having because he's so good we have a much better chance of winning."[10]

King won his first game ever against Arsenal in the league on April 14th 2010, with a 2–1 win, which he played 90 minutes of. Exactly three weeks later, on May 5th 2010 King captained Tottenham to a 1–0 away victory at Manchester City, thus guaranteeing Tottenham's highest ever finish in the Premier League and securing entry into the qualification round of the UEFA Champions League for the first time. King had been a major doubt for the match having played against Bolton just 4 days earlier, however his performance in this game and many other games in early 2010 look to have secured his place in Fabio Capello's England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On May 16th 2010 it was reported that King had signed a new two-year contract extension with Spurs which will keep him at the club to 2012.

International career

King's England debut came in a 1–2 loss to Italy in March 2002.[11] He was called into the England squad for the friendly against Portugal on 18 February 2004, and netted his first goal on his third appearance.

King received his England call-up for Euro 2004 deputising for the injured John Terry in the opener against France in Portugal.[12] He also made a substitute appearance in midfield in the final group game against Croatia.[13]

After featuring regularly in the qualifiers, King looked a likely participant in the England 2006 World Cup squad before fracturing a bone in his foot on 15 April 2006. Although not as bad as a similar injury affecting David Beckham, Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard, King's injury prevented him from being named in Sven-Göran Eriksson's squad.[14]

"Ledley King is injured and he can't train. If you talk about centre-halves we are very well covered, so taking another one half-injured when we have so many good ones it is not a good idea."

King played in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia on 6 June 2007. King played 90 minutes and England won 3–0. Although he featured in Fabio Capello's first squad, he had to pull out through injury. Due to a chronic knee condition which preventing him holding down a regular place in the club side he was also not selected for England games for the rest of 2007 and during the whole of 2008.

On 22 March 2009, King was given a recall by head coach Fabio Capello to the England team to play Slovakia and Ukraine.[4] However, two days later he was removed from the squad after being assessed by England's medical staff, who thought it was in his best interests to continue his personal training regime at his club, due to the chronic knee condition that he has.[15] Fabio Capello later said, in response to Harry Redknapp's objection to King's call-up, "Without doubt, King is one of the best central defenders in England. If he was fit, Redknapp would not need to make the journey. King could come with us." He later promoted King's cause again, saying that "We hope (he has an international future), because he's a very interesting player – one of the best centre-backs. But I don't know the future."

On May 11, 2010 King was named in the 30-man provisional squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup alongside fellow Spurs central defender Michael Dawson. He went on to score a headed goal against Mexico in the first preparation friendly on 24th May.[16]

King made it into England's World Cup 2010 squad.

On 12th June 2010 King played 45 minutes for England in their opening game against the USA, before picking up a groin injury which kept him out of the rest of the tournament [17]

2009 arrest

On 10 May 2009 at 2:30 am, King was arrested on Soho Street on suspicion of assault and causing actual bodily harm outside a London nightclub. He was subsequently bailed until mid-July while the police investigated the incident.[18] King later issued an apology to his club, saying:

"I sincerely regret that a night out with friends went too far. I have apologised to Harry and I fully appreciate that, as a professional footballer, I have a duty to behave in a responsible manner," King said in a statement on the club's website. "I am assisting the police with their enquiries. Anyone who knows me, knows that much of what has been suggested is totally out of character. I am keen to resolve this as soon as possible and concentrate on my football."[19]

This prompted his manager at Tottenham, Harry Redknapp, to promise a ban on alcohol for Tottenham players:

"I'll implement a strong rule next season that drinking is a no-no here. Footballers should not drink. You shouldn't put diesel in a Ferrari. I know it's hard but they are earning big money, they are role models to kids. We wouldn't get these problems if the players weren't drinking. There's still too much of a drinking culture in English football but it's not as bad as it used to be. At Tottenham we do a lot with kids, a lot of them underprivileged. We have to set an example. Too much drinking goes on in this country. Too many people are not happy unless they have had a drink." [20]

Despite his arrest, Harry Redknapp later stated that King would start Tottenham's next league game.

James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher (born 28 January 1978) is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool. He is the current vice-captain and is one of the club's longest-serving players; he made his 600th appearance for Liverpool in all competitions in December 2009.

Carragher started his career with the Liverpool youth team. He made his professional debut in the 1996–97 season and became a first team regular the following season. He gained his first senior honours in 2001, winning a cup treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. Having initially played as a full back, the arrival of manager Rafael Benítez in 2004 saw Carragher move to the centre back position and that season he won his greatest honour to date—the UEFA Champions League. In the next season, he won the FA Cup and was selected in the PFA Team of the Year. Carragher set a record for the most appearances in European competition for Liverpool in 2007.

Internationally, Carragher held the national record for most caps at under-21 level and earned his senior debut in 1999. Although he competed at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, he failed to pin down a first team place in the England national team. Carragher decided to retire from international football in 2007, with 34 senior England caps, and released his autobiography, Carra, in 2008. However, he came out of retirement after being selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad.

Club career

Carragher in action against Manchester City

Born James Lee Carragher in Bootle, Merseyside,[2] Carragher attended the former FA school of excellence in Lilleshall in his youth.[3] He chose to join Merseyside rivals Liverpool and was a member of their FA Youth Cup winning team in 1996 along with his friend Michael Owen. He signed a professional contract in October 1996 and then made his first team debut under Roy Evans' management three months later in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough, coming on as a substitute for Rob Jones. Next came his Premiership debut, again coming on as a substitute, against West Ham United. He then started the next game against Aston Villa and marked the occasion with his first goal (a header in front of the Kop) in a 3–0 win to temporarily take the side to the top of the table, but Liverpool finished the season in fourth place. In the 1997–98 season, Jamie broke into the first team, making twenty Premier League appearances. The following season he cemented his place in the first-team squad, missing just four league games all season, and Kevin Keegan awarded him his first full international cap.

Throughout his early years he was essentially used as a utility player spending time as a centre-half, right and left full-back and defensive midfield in a squad that was often negatively labelled the "Spice Boys". Carragher, young and caught up with the negative media reputations of that squad initially[4], learned to shun the spotlight and focus on football as new coach Gerard Houllier used him consistently in a new continental side focused on discipline and a new era. Carragher's versatility meant he would be deployed to fill in wherever there was a hole, but ironically harmed his ability to hold down a first team position of his own. In 1999–2000 he played mainly as a right-back, this season saw one of Carragher's darkest Liverpool moments as he scored two own goals in 3–2 home defeat to Manchester United, then in 2000–01 he made the left-back position his own. 2001 also saw Carragher gain his first senior trophies: the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, League Cup (scoring in the shootout in the final against Birmingham), Community Shield and European Super Cup.

He hit the headlines in January 2002 during an FA Cup tie against Arsenal, when he threw a coin back into the stands that had been tossed at him, Carragher earned a red card.[5][6] He escaped an FA misconduct charge after apologising, but did receive a formal police warning about the incident.[7]

From 2002 till 2004 Jamie was hit by two serious injuries, firstly missing the 2002 FIFA World Cup for an operation on his troublesome knee and later due to a broken leg in the first half of the 2003–04 season after a tackle by Blackburn's Lucas Neill at Ewood Park in the Reds' fifth game of the season. During this period, Carragher's place in the team was also threatened by signings of Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise. However, he succeeded in retaining his place in the team, making 24 appearances in the first half of 2004.

Carragher in action against Benfica

The 2004–05 season was a career defining one for Carragher. New manager Rafael Benítez moved him to centre-half where he managed 56 appearances alongside Sami Hyypiä. Carragher shrugged off the utility tag and established himself as a centre half. Carragher developed a reputation as a strong and positionally astute defender.[8] His partnership with Hyypiä was central in Liverpool's 2004–2005 UEFA Champions League victory. One of the most memorable moments of the match was when Carragher made two vital last ditch intercept into extra time whilst suffering from cramp.[9] Carragher was voted as Liverpool's player of the year at the end of the campaign. He later went on to captain the team in their 2005 UEFA Super Cup victory over CSKA Moscow.

On 13 May 2006, Carragher played in the FA Cup final against West Ham. It was his tenth final in as many years of club football. He scored an own goal in the 21st minute, but Liverpool went on to win 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 3–3 after extra-time.

On 9 December 2006, Carragher scored his first league goal since January 1999, in a match against Fulham at Anfield. His central defence partner Daniel Agger flicked the ball on from a corner, and Carragher slid the ball under Fulham keeper Jan Lastuvka at the far post. The goal was only his fourth in his Liverpool career.

In Liverpool's Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea on 1 May 2007, Carragher set a record for the most appearances in European competition for the club. His 90th European match took him past Ian Callaghan's 89 matches between 1964 and 1978.[10] Carragher was voted as Liverpool's Player of the Year for the 2006–07 season by the fans and soon after extended his contract till 2011. That season also saw Carragher's international retirement, with the defender citing frustration with a lack of appearances under Steve McClaren.

The 2007–08 season saw Carragher reach his 500th appearance for Liverpool. He was made captain for this match. He currently stands at 9th in the all time Liverpool appearances table in all competitions, just behind Alan Hansen.

On 18 May 2009, in the match against West Bromwich Albion, Carragher was involved in an on-field clash with fellow defender Álvaro Arbeloa and the twosome to be separated by team mates Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger and others. Manager Rafael Benítez refused to comment any further on the matter. The former England defender later explained, "We want to keep a clean sheet and we want Pepe to have a chance of the Golden Glove for the fourth season running."[11]

During the 2009–10 season, Carragher made a slow start and many questioned of his performances and whether he should remain in the starting line-up. He however put a solid performance against Manchester United on 25 October 2009, keeping a clean sheet and silencing his critics.[12]

On 31 October 2009, Carragher was sent off in a game against Fulham, this was his first red card in more than seven years.[13] On 19 December 2009 Carragher recorded his 600th Liverpool appearance, in a 2–0 away defeat to Portsmouth.[14] On the 4th September 2010, a mixture of Liverpool players past and present played an Everton XI in Carragher's charity fund-raising testimonial match. All proceeds from the game at Anfield went to local charities through Carragher's 23 Foundation.[15] He scored a goal for each side as his Liverpool team beat Everton XI 4-1, first by scoring from the spot for the Reds before converting a penalty own goal for the club he had supported as a boy after the break.

International career

In 1996, Carragher had his first appearance for the England under-21 team. Playing as a defensive midfielder, he became a regular for the team, and eventually captain. In 2000, when he became ineligible for the team, he held the national record for most caps at this level, with 27. The record was eclipsed in 2007 by former Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson.[16]

On 28 April 1999 he earned his first cap for the senior England team, as a substitute against Hungary. He made his full international début against Holland at White Hart Lane in 2001, and later came on as a substitute as England famously beat Germany 5–1 in the Olympiastadion. Carragher missed the 2002 World Cup through injury, but travelled with England to Euro 2004. He eventually ended up with no playing time, losing out to Ledley King when a vacancy opened up. He was selected for the England squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and was not in the original starting eleven, but came into the team after Gary Neville suffered an injury.

Carragher has played centre-back, right-back, left-back, and in the defensive midfield for England. Despite his many caps and regular squad appearances, he has never held down a consistent place in the starting eleven. Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson generally used two central defenders from John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell in preference to Carragher, but occasionally used Carragher as right-back as deputy for Gary Neville, as he did during the 2006 World Cup.

On 1 July 2006 Carragher was one of three players to have a penalty saved by Ricardo Pereira, as England yet again succumbed on penalties to exit the 2006 World Cup in the quarter finals against Portugal. Carragher, who had been brought on as a substitute for Aaron Lennon late in he game, scored with his first attempt but was forced to re-take his penalty by the referee, who had not blown his whistle. Carragher then saw his second effort saved.

On 9 July 2007 it was reported that Carragher was considering quitting the England squad. TalkSport host Adrian Durham accused Carragher of "bottling it." Carragher confirmed on the show that he was indeed thinking about retirement, but he had already had two talks with England head coach Steve McClaren and would leave it until the upcoming match against Germany to decide.[17]

Carragher did subsequently retire from international football. McClaren attempted to persuade him to return to the International level on at least one occasion, whilst McClaren's replacement Fabio Capello has reportedly suggested that he would be happy to consider Carragher. Carragher's responses have suggested that he would not respond positively to any offers of a call-up. Carragher was said to have been unhappy at the failure of successive England managers to pick him at centre-back,[18] preferring to use him as cover along the back four and even as a holding midfielder.

On 11 May 2010, Carragher was named in Fabio Capello's preliminary 30-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[19] Capello and assistant Franco Baldini managed to persuade Carragher into reversing his decision to retire, "The FA got in touch a few weeks ago and asked if I would have a rethink, due to injury problems; I said I would make myself available" Carragher said.[20] On 24 May, Carragher played his return match for England, in a friendly against Mexico, which England won 3–1.

Carragher appeared as a substitute for an injured Ledley King in England's opening World Cup game and replaced King in the following game versus Algeria, receiving a booking in each resulting in a one match ban. He was not selected for the knockout stage exit at the hands of Germany, being dropped in favour of Matthew Upson. Although not formally stating his retirement, Carragher subsequently stated he would prefer to focus on Liverpool under Roy Hodgson and that his international return had been a "one-off" due to injuries to other players[21]

Personal life

Carragher was an ardent supporter of Everton in his childhood and his teens, like several other high profile players to have worn the Liverpool shirt; including Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen.[3] However, he states that an incident in January 1999 brought an end to his desire to support the team: Manchester United defeated Liverpool in 2-1 the FA Cup fourth round with two late goals and he returned, demoralised, to his local pub in Bootle. His friends taunted him about the loss and he chose to stop being an Everton supporter, later saying: "that did it for me. I couldn't take it any more. People who I thought loved me, were getting off on my misery."[22]

Carragher received the freedom of his home borough of Sefton for his local charity work and "the exceptional example he sets to the youth of today."[23] He occasionally visits schools as part of his charity work, promoting the importance of family life.[24]

Carragher is married to his childhood sweetheart, Nicola Hart, and has two children; James and Mia.[25]

Carragher has no navel due to having been born with gastroschisis.[26]

Carragher is a supporter of the Labour Party and endorsed Andy Burnham in the 2010 Labour Leadership election.[27]

Controversy

On 28 February 2008, Carragher was arrested and cautioned for assault outside a school near his home in Crosby. Liverpool refused to comment.[28]

On September 11, 2008, Carragher's biography, Carra, was released, but controversial excerpts were leaked to the press beforehand. In one instance, Carragher claimed that his close friends were looking to assault Australian defender Lucas Neill. He also claimed that the incident was averted only because Neill was in the company of David Thompson, one of Carragher's former team-mates, who Carragher did not want to "become a witness to an assault." Carragher sent a text to Thompson, "telling him Neill should give him a hug of thanks," suggesting had Thompson not been there, Neill would have faced an assault.[29][30]

There was a popular rumour circling Merseyside for years prior to the release of Carragher's autobiography, that Jamie sported an Everton tattoo on his right arm, and that this was why Jamie always wore long sleeved Liverpool shirts. This rumour was proven untrue by the release of Jamie's autobiography.[30]

Carragher claimed he launched a deliberate assault in a practice session against former Liverpool team-mate Rigobert Song because of the latter's perceived mockery of Carragher's defending.[31] "Song walked on to the training pitch with a smile on his face. He was limping off it with a grimace an hour later. The first chance I got, I did him. Never have I hunted down a 50–50 tackle with greater appetite. 'You're not fucking laughing now, are you, you soft cunt?' I said as he hobbled away."[30]

He stated that, though he was fully committed when playing for England, international defeats did not affect him as much as club defeats with Liverpool did.[30][32] Carragher ended his international abscence to return for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after being persuaded by manager Fabio Capello. He never actually stated this time that he had retired or that he would never play again for his country, just that he would rather focus on his career with his beloved Liverpool for the time being and that his call-up to the England Squad was due only to injuries to other players.

Honours

Liverpool

FA Cup: 2000-01, 2005-06

League Cup: 2000-01, 2002-03;

FA Community Shield: 2001, 2006;

UEFA Champions League: 2004-05;

UEFA Cup: 2000-01

UEFA Super Cup: 2001–02, 2005–06

Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 2006

Liverpool fc player of the year: 2006-07