Alan Smith

Personal information
Date of birth	October 28, 1980 (1980-10-28) (age 26)
Place of birth	Rothwell, Leeds, England
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Midfielder, Striker
Club information
Current club	Newcastle United
Number	17
Youth clubs
1997-1998	Leeds United
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998-2004 2004-2007 2007-	Leeds United Manchester United Newcastle United	172 (38) 061 0(7) 004 0(0)
National team2
2001- 2007-	England England B	019 0(1) 001 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:56, 1 September 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 20:49, 26 August 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Alan Smith (born 28 October 1980 in Rothwell, Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English professional football player. He has played centre-forward for most of his career, having started at Leeds United, transferring to Manchester United before moving to Newcastle United in August 2007.

Career

Leeds United

His senior Premiership debut was as a substitute for Leeds vs. Liverpool at Anfield, where he displayed his natural scoring ability by scoring with his first touch of the ball. That goal helped propel him into the 1998-99 season, as he was one-half of manager David O'Leary's first-choice striker pairing, along with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Smith continued his run through the Leeds side, as the club began to grow in stature. Smith showed his class in 2001 while helping to lead the Leeds side through the much vaunted Champions League, though his experience ended on a sour note as he was sent off in the semi-final. The following season saw Smith switched to the midfield, his versatility being utilised by O'Leary, as the Leeds Utd manager tried to accommodate new signings. 2001 was also the year for Smith's break into the England squad. An England youth international at multiple levels, Smith made his senior England debut in May 2001. He did not make the final cut for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and accepted a position with the England Under-21 side.

A hometown hero for supporters of Leeds United, Smith won the "Supporter's Player of the Year" award two years running between 2003 and 2004 - a first in Leeds' history. Though his goal tally was not excellent by any means, his willingness to play any role on the pitch and his tireless efforts to save "The Whites" from relegation was greatly appreciated by the Leeds fans.

When Leeds were relegated in May 2004, Smith ended his Leeds career by kissing the badge and crying at his last match. His transfer to bitter rivals Manchester United, however, led to controversy and his exit was marred by accusations of treachery going from hero to villain in the eyes of some Leeds fans in the space of a day; this was despite the fact that club had publically stated that they could not afford to pay his wages, that they were open to offers for him, and that no other club had registered an interest. Due to Leeds financial difficulties, Smith chose to waive his personal transfer fee owed to him by the club. However, some Leeds fans held up banners in the following games, which proclaimed Alan Smith as "Judas", to reflect how they felt he had betrayed them.

Manchester United

Smith started the second chapter of his career on August 8, 2004 at the Community Shield clash against Arsenal, netting for the "Red Devils" with a swerving volley in the 55th minute. Man Utd went on to lose the game 3-1. Smith has impressed at Old Trafford since his arrival, with several prominent former players hailing him as something akin to the next Mark Hughes.^{[citation needed]} Despite only being at the club for a few months, he developed a fearsome reputation for both long-ranged strikes such as his strikes against Arsenal and Norwich City, and more intelligent, "poacher"-type goals, akin to those crafted by Ruud van Nistelrooy, such as the double against Dinamo Bucureşti in the UEFA Champions League.

An injury hampered his first season, causing him to miss out on several matches including the Carling Cup semi-final against Chelsea. He missed out in the FA Cup final against Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium as Manchester United lost out to penalties in the game. As the 2004-05 season ended rumours were rife about Smith's future, despite Smith saying he wanted to continue at United for his entire career. The forward scored 10 goals in his first season at Old Trafford. However, with Wayne Rooney in sparkling form and Ruud van Nistelrooy back in the team after injury, Smith was relegated to the bench. However, he remained a fans' favourite.

In the summer of 2005 it emerged that Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was grooming Smith as a successor to Roy Keane in the Manchester United midfield. Ferguson stated, "Roy sees characteristics in Alan that he saw in himself as a young player, which could help Alan develop into a very good player in that position." Smith got his chance to prove his credentials as a replacement for Keane when the United skipper was injured early on in the 2005-06 season. Smith began a prolonged run in the midfield 'anchor' role, with little effectiveness. However, as United began to stutter in the absence of several senior players, the midfield came under heavy flak from fans and it was questioned whether Smith was cut out for the vital midfield role he was being asked to play. These criticisms aimed at Smith and his team-mates reached its nadir with United's embarrassing 4-1 capitulation away to Middlesbrough and the subsequent 1-0 defeat to Lille OSC in the Champions League. Smith was believed to be one of several United stars who were heavily criticised by Roy Keane in an MUTV interview that was thought too explosive to be aired and consigned to the cutting room floor by club officials. It seemed that Smith's performance in the crucial home match against league leaders Chelsea would be meticulously scrutinised in the light of Keane's damning words. Smith responded in determined fashion, giving a much better performance as his side won 1-0.

Smith cemented his place in the hearts of Manchester United fans when he turned down the honourable chance of playing for his country, in order to work on his fitness in his new midfield role, in the reserve squad. Here, the fans got another glimpse of his commitment to the club, which is regarded almost as highly as anything else amongst supporters.

He had only one goal in the 2005-2006 season, that came in a 3-1 away win over Charlton Athletic at The Valley. On February 18, during a 1-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup, Smith broke his leg and dislocated his ankle while attempting to block a free-kick from Liverpool's John Arne Riise, an injury described by Sir Alex Ferguson as "one of the worst I've seen". Despite the rivalry between the two clubs, he was given an ovation by many of the Liverpool fans as he was stretchered off the pitch. A number of Liverpool fans attacked the ambulance during its departure from the scene, something which was widely condemned. In response to this injury, some Leeds United fans at the Leeds United vs Leicester City match which took place on the same day sang ridiculing and derogatory remarks about Smith. On the next day it was confirmed that Smith would miss action for at least 12 months. Although in May, after a successful operation on his ankle, it was reported that he would likely be back in action as soon as mid-September; he had been recovering alongside Wayne Rooney for several weeks, who was also reported to be making a "miraculous" recovery on a broken foot. "I felt my leg go from under me as I went to block a free-kick", Smith told The Sun. "When I looked down, the leg was lying one way and my ankle was pointing towards Hong Kong so I knew I was in serious trouble." There was however, a small consolation for Smith and his club when United beat Wigan Athletic 4-0 in the Carling cup final of the same season. After the match United players paid tribute to Smith by wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "For you Smudge" (his nickname), in homage to Smith and his horrific injury.

Alan Smith at Manchester United's training ground in 2006.

In the build up to the 2006-07 season Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted saying that he planned to replace the departing Ruud van Nistelrooy by returning Smith to his natural position on centre-forward; "We are going to convert Alan Smith back into being a forward. He will be back in training soon and should be available by the end of August or the beginning of September."

On 26 September 2006 Smith made a return to action as a substitute in the 85th minute of the 1-0 Champions League victory over S.L. Benfica at the Estadio da Luz, immediately showing the passion he still has for the game by making a couple of crunching tackles in the 5 minute cameo appearance.

On 10 November 2006, Leeds United boss Dennis Wise revealed he was interested in bringing Smith back to Elland Road on loan. Ferguson told the press that Cardiff City were also interested and he would let Smith go out on a short-term loan for Smith to regain his fitness. There had also been reported interest from other Premiership and Championship clubs, with Newcastle United and Aston Villa seemingly keen on the player. This, however, proved to be untrue for Smith, through his agent, Alex Black, publicly announced his wish to remain at Manchester United, and his will to solidify his place in Sir Alex Ferguson's first team. Sir Alex Ferguson himself voiced his desire to have Smith back at top fitness, stating that he was undergoing special training in order to aid and speed his recovery. On Friday 22 December 2006, reports suggested Smith may be the subject of a £6 million pound transfer to Everton, however, this was quickly denied by manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who also revealed Smith's fitness had greatly improved.

Smith made his comeback for United in a 2006-07 UEFA Champions League first knockout round win against Lille OSC. He made his first start at Old Trafford since his injury on March 19, 2007 in an FA Cup quarter-final replay win against Middlesbrough. His 70 minute run-out will be a relief for Ferguson, who has Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjær on the treatment table and has seen Henrik Larsson return to Helsingborg. He also made a substitute appearance in the Premier League game against Bolton Wanderers and set up the 4th goal in United's 4-1 win.

Since then he played in United's 7-1 demolition of AS Roma in which he played a vital part in the game scoring a goal; his first for 18 months. Smith also continued to gain Sir Alex's trust by gaining a place in the starting line up against Manchester City on 5 May 2007. United won the game 1-0 and were Premiership Champions a day later when Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal.

Despite falling one game short of the ten appearances needed to qualify for a Premiership winners medal, the Premier League granted special dispensation for Smith to receive a medal on the last day of the season. This medal was followed a week later with an FA Cup runners-up medal after the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the first FA Cup Final at the new Wembley. Smith wore the number 14 shirt for United.

After a prolonged absence from the international scene Smith was called up for a England "B" match on 26 May against Albania. He scored the first goal of the game which ended in a 3-1 win for England B. The next day he was named in the senior England team to face Brazil on June 1, 2007.

[edit] Newcastle United

On 2 August 2007, Newcastle United confirmed they have agreed a fee with Manchester United of around £6m for Smith. The deal was confirmed on August 3, with Smith moving on a five-year contract. He scored the winning goal on his debut appearance for the Magpies, in a 1-0 victory in a friendly against Sampdoria.

Career statistics

Club Performance^[11][12]

Club	Season	Premiership			FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Others		Total
		App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Newcastle United	2007-08	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Subtotal	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester United	2006-07	9	0	1	3	0	2	0	4	1	0	0	18	1
	2005-06	21	1	2	2	0	2	0	8	0	0	0	33	1
	2004-05	31	6	4	3	0	2	1	5	2	2	1	43	10
	Subtotal	61	7	7	8	0	6	1	17	3	2	1	94	12
Leeds United	2003-04	34	9	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	39	9
	2002-03	33	3	5	4	1	0	0	6	5	0	0	44	10
	2001-02	22	4	0	1	0	2	0	5	1	0	0	30	5
	2000-01	33	11	0	2	0	1	0	16	7	0	0	52	18
	1999-00	26	4	0	3	1	0	1	8	1	0	0	38	6
	1998-99	22	7	0	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	9
	Subtotal	170	38	7	15	4	5	1	35	14	0	0	225	57
Grand total		231	45	14	23	4	11	2	52	17	2	1	319	70

(Statistics correct as of August 22, 2007)

International Appearances

National Team	Year	Total
		Apps	Goals
England	2007-08	1	0
	2004-05	3	0
	2003-04	7	0
	2001-02	3	1
	2000-01	3	0
	Total	17	1
England B	2006-07	2	1
	Total	2	1

(Statistics correct as of August 23, 2007)

Honours

With Man United:

• Premier League: 2007 (Special application)

***From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gary Neville

Personal information
Full name	Gary Alexander Neville
Date of birth	February 18, 1975 (1975-02-18) (age 32)
Place of birth	Bury, England
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Right back
Club information
Current club	Manchester United
Number	2
Youth clubs
	Manchester United
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1992-	Manchester United	364 (5)
National team2
1995-	England	085 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 March 2007. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 7 February 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Gary Alexander Neville (born 18 February 1975 in Bury, Greater Manchester) an English footballer who is England's most capped right full back, and Manchester United's club captain. Neville started his career at Old Trafford as a central defender, but was later converted into a full back because it was felt he may have been too short to play centrally.^{[citation needed]} He made his international debut in 1995 and has been first choice right back for club and country for more than ten years.

Personal

Gary Neville comes from a sporting family; his younger brother Philip Neville is also a footballer and their sister Tracey Neville has represented England at netball. Their father, the idiosyncratically-named Neville Neville, worked in the commercial side of football, including a long spell at Bury in the 1990s when his sons rose to fame.

Gary and Phil Neville were team-mates at both club and international level all their careers until Phil joined Everton in 2005. Indeed, they play the same position and therefore often found themselves as rivals for a place in the Manchester United side.

Gary married 26-year-old Emma Hadfield in June 2007 after a three-year courtship. In August 2004 The Sun tabloid accused her of cheating on Gary, while he was playing for England in Portugal. She demanded an immediate retraction and, when refused, began legal proceedings against the paper. In May 2005 the two parties settled out of court, with the Sun issuing a correction and paying Ms. Hadfield £75,000. Their wedding was part of an England footballers' trilogy, falling on the same day as the weddings of Steven Gerrard and Michael Carrick. The couple plan to live in a new £6 million, 11 bedroom mansion in Bradshaw, Greater Manchester.

Club

Gary made his senior debut for United, his only club, in 1992 against Torpedo Moscow in the UEFA Cup. Gary emerged as part of Alex Ferguson's phenomenal youth oriented fledgling side of the 1990s (nicknamed Fergie's Fledglings; an updated take on the 1950s equivalent, the Busby Babes) that included his brother Phil, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. He became a regular choice at right back in 1994 and has stayed there ever since. In the summer of 2004 signed a four year contract with United and seems now destined to spend his entire playing career there.

Some players have been highly critical of the Neville brothers, the most notable instance being Jaap Stam. Whilst a teammate of the Nevilles at Manchester United the Dutchman made headlines in a book he had written, stating that the brothers were "whingers" and making other claims. In December 2005, Gary was appointed the new captain of Manchester United, following Roy Keane's departure.

In January 2006, his actions were the subject of some controversy after his celebration in front of the visiting Liverpool fans at Old Trafford, when he was seen to run from the half-way line towards the opposing fans to celebrate the 90th minute injury-time winning-goal header by United defender Rio Ferdinand. His actions were criticised by Liverpool player Jamie Carragher, sections of the media, and even the police who blamed him for disturbances between fans after the game. He was subsequently charged with improper conduct by the Football Association which he contested asking if it was preferable for players to act like "robots" and show no emotions. He was fined £5,000 with a warning about his future conduct.

Thus far, Gary Neville has won seven Premiership titles, three FA Cups, one European Cup and one League Cup, the last of which was his first trophy as captain.

International

Neville made his first appearance for England in 1995 when he was picked by Terry Venables for the friendly against Japan. He has been the first choice right back for his country ever since, playing for five different coaches. He was the only player above 30 years of age to be selected in Steve McClaren's first squad with the omission of David Beckham, David James, and Sol Campbell. Gary and his brother Phil are the only players from Euro 96 who remain regular squad selections.

Neville is considered a good candidate, injury permitting, to achieve 100 appearances for England; or, at the very least, become his country's most capped full back overall - Kenny Sansom, the former Crystal Palace and Arsenal left back, currently holds that honour with 86 caps. The emergence of teenager Micah Richards in Neville's period of absence due to injury has placed his position in the England team under a little threat, although McClaren is still expected to recall Neville to his squad once his fitness is re-established.

He had been the youngest first choice player in the England first team during Euro 96, his first tournament, playing in each game until the semi-final, when he was suspended and England were subsequently knocked out by eventual winners, Germany. He also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. A broken foot put paid to his hopes of playing the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but he quickly returned to the side after regaining his fitness, and was once again the first choice right back by the time of Euro 2004.

Neville missed the latter stages of the qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup with injury. He returned to the England team in March 2006 for a friendly against Uruguay.

As expected, Neville was selected for England's 2006 World Cup squad. He played in his normal position of right fullback in England's opening Group B game against Paraguay. However, Neville pulled his calf in training the night before the team's second game against Trinidad & Tobago. He was forced to miss that game, the team's final group game against Sweden, and England's round of sixteen game against Ecuador.

He returned to training on June 27, and played the full match, including extra time, in England's losing quarter-final against Portugal on July 1. It was his 81st England cap, taking him a clear ninth in the all-time rankings, ahead of Gary Lineker and team-mate Michael Owen, who had briefly drawn level with Neville during the World Cup.

Neville also took over the England captaincy during this game after the substitution of David Beckham due to an injury shortly after half-time, despite the previous match's deputy captain John Terry also being on the field.

After the defeat to Portugal, Neville announced that he would continue to be available for selection for his country under new coach Steve McClaren and added that, unlike some former international team-mates, he would not ever make the decision to retire from the England set-up, stating: "That decision is not Gary Neville's to make". As one of three club captains (along with Terry and Steven Gerrard) in the first choice England line-up, he was mentioned as a contender for the England captaincy which Beckham vacated after elimination from the World Cup. However, he was clearly an outsider and Terry was given the job.

On October 11, Neville was involved in a game-changing incident during a Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia when his straightforward backpass took an unfortunate bounce and caused goalkeeper Paul Robinson to miss his kick, which resulted in the ball ending up in the net. Although Robinson was at the centre of the moment, Neville had to be officially credited with an own goal, the second of his England career.

On February 7, 2007, Neville won his 85th cap in England's 1-0 friendly defeat to Spain. His appearance took him to within one cap of equalling Sansom's record for an England full back, and eighth in the all-time appearances list for his country. However, an ankle injury suffered on March 17 2007 while playing for Manchester United robbed him of the chance to equal and then beat Sansom's record, as he was forced to miss the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Andorra on March 24 and 28 respectively. Surgery on his ankle ruled him out of two summer matches at the new Wembley, and then a calf muscle injury delayed his recovery in the autumn. He now will not be able to become England's most capped full back until the end of 2007 at the earliest.

Neville does hold or co-hold a number of England records already:

• When he came on as a substitute against Italy at Leeds in 2002, he earned his 51st cap, breaking the record for a right back held previously by Phil Neal.
• His 11 appearances for England in the European Championship finals (over three tournaments) is a record.
• With his brother Phil, the Nevilles hold the record of England's most capped brothers, with 142 appearances between them. It was Phil's appearance as a substitute against Israel in 2007, a game for which Gary was injured, which broke a record they had jointly held with Jack and Bobby Charlton.
• The Nevilles hold outright the record for the most appearances in the same England team by a pair of siblings with 31, although the 31st in 2007 came a whole seven years after the 30th.
• Neville also holds the record for the most appearances by an outfield player without having scored a goal (other than own goals) for the England team. This less prestigious record was broken in 2004, having previously been held by Ray Wilson.

Neville has now appeared at least once for England in each of the last 13 years, a feat which is bettered only by Billy Wright and Peter Shilton (14 consecutive years) and the record holder David Seaman (15 consecutive years).

Media

The elder Neville brother has occasionally been criticised for supposedly underwhelming displays, but most football observers see a solid, experienced defender who rarely puts a foot wrong and can lead teams from the back. He is also useful joining the attack - David Beckham has spent most of his career with Gary playing close behind him in support, which he has said acts as a great reassurance. The two are best friends - Gary was the best man when David married Spice Girl Victoria Adams. This friendship has often been ridiculed in the satirical cartoon sketch show 2DTV and also on They Think It's All Over.

Gary has a reputation as a "union" figure within the England camp - he was allegedly the ringleader of an idea to boycott an important Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey in support of team-mate Rio Ferdinand who had been issued with a ban for missing a drugs test. The strike never occurred and the match went ahead. He was believed to be behind a similar player protest in support of Alan Smith, after the striker was dropped from the England squad because of his arrest related to an alleged off-the-field indiscretion, later proven to be untrue. Gary was also thought to be the chief instigator of the England players' snub of the British press and media after a match. The public perception of these incidents has led to Gary being lampooned in the media, for example his dubbing by the often-irreverent website Football365, as "Citizen Neville" (after Citizen Smith), while another cited nickname is "Red Nev". Neville's face has since frequently been superimposed onto the iconic image of Che Guevara in a range of contexts, including a humorous t-shirt. For some followers of football this has turned Neville from a hate figure, reviled for his devotion to Manchester United to a cult figure, celebrated for his loyalty and hard graft for both club and country.

In 2005, Gary prompted another debate in the aftermath of an England game against the Netherlands, which had been used to promote the "Let's kick racism out of football" campaign. Gary questioned whether certain corporate sponsors involved in the match believed in the cause enough to justify the publicity they received.

Gary has a long standing relationship with the Mediterranean island of Malta, he has been an official tourism ambassador since 2001 and works with Air Malta to promote the country which he has regularly visited since childhood. In return the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta sponsor the Gary Neville Soccer School on the island, which Gary tutors at every summer.

Honours

Major Honours Only

• FA Premier League (7): 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07
• UEFA Champions League (1): 1998-99
• FA Cup (3): 1996, 1999, 2004
• League Cup (1): 2006

***From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jonathan Woodgate

Personal information
Full name	Jonathan Simon Woodgate
Date of birth	January 22, 1980 (1980-01-22) (age 27)
Place of birth	Middlesbrough, England
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Centre Back
Club information
Current club	Middlesbrough
Number	8
Youth clubs
1993–1998	Middlesbrough Leeds United
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998–2003 2003–2004 2004-2007 2006–2007 2007–	Leeds United Newcastle United Real Madrid → Middlesbrough (loan) Middlesbrough	104 (5) 028 (0) 009 (0) 027 (0) 005 (0)
National team2
1999–	England	006 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:06, 16 May 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of February 7, 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Jonathan Simon Woodgate (born January 22, 1980 in Middlesbrough) is an English footballer, who plays as a defender for Premier League side Middlesbrough.

Club career

Leeds United

Woodgate began his career at Middlesbrough but moved to Leeds United at the age of sixteen after disagreements over his future between Middlesbrough and his family. He helped Leeds to win the FA Youth Cup in 1997, and in November the following year made his debut for the senior side.

Controversey

Following an incident in Leeds in January 2000, in which an Asian student suffered severe injuries, Woodgate and teammate Lee Bowyer were charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray. A initial trial collapsed in April 2001 after an article in a Sunday newspaper and following a second trial, which ended in December 2001, Bowyer was cleared of both charges while Woodgate was convicted of affray and sentenced to community service.

Newcastle United

Woodgate signed for Newcastle United, in January 2003 for £9 million. He impressed and quickly became a fan's favourite, but a serious injury saw him end his final season somewhat early. Woodgate never really had an injury-free run in the team, although his finest moment in a Newcastle shirt arguably came in the UEFA Cup Semi-Final in the 2003-04 season at St James Park where he marked Didier Drogba out of the game.

Real Madrid

Woodgate signed for Real Madrid in August 2004 for a transfer fee of £13.4 million. This was to the surprise of many in the football world,due to his frequent absences through injury at his previous clubs, and indeed he was injured at the time of the transfer. It is, however, widely accepted that had Woodgate had a better fitness record Newcastle would not have sold him.

Woodgate did not make any appearances for Real Madrid in his first season in Spain, eventually making his debut on 22 September 2005, in a league match against Athletic Bilbao. However, the game went extremely badly for him, as he scored an own goal and was later sent off for a second bookable offence. He scored his first goal for Real Madrid in the 4-1 UEFA Champions League defeat of Rosenborg B.K. on 19 October 2005, his first appearance for the club in European competition.

By February 2006, Woodgate had established himself as a first-team player, with the other centre half position alongside him often rotating among the likes of Sergio Ramos, Iván Helguera, Francisco Pavon and Álvaro Mejía. One Spanish newspaper even described him as having "become Madrid's true leader". However, further injury setbacks again stopped him playing. He was considered to have an outside chance of making the England squad for Germany 2006, but due to surgery on his back was not named in the squad.

Woodgate confirmed in August 2006 that he was returning to the English Premiership on a loan move. Newcastle and his home town Middlesbrough were the favourites to capture him, as Liverpool stated they had no interest in acquiring him.

In July 2007, Woodgate was voted the worst signing of the 21st century by readers of www.marca.com, the website for Spain's biggest selling sports daily, Diario Marca. The 27-year-old was the runaway winner polling 37.11 percent of the votes cast.

Middlesbrough

On 30 August, 2006, Woodgate signed a one-year loan move to hometown club Middlesbrough.

He made his debut against Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium on the 9th of September. He was later voted man of the match by Middlesbrough legend Bernie Slaven on a local radio station. He was made captain for his second game for Middlesbrough, with usual captain George Boateng out with suspension. Woodgate was one of Middlesbrough's best players in a somewhat mediocre season, in which the team didn't struggle with relegation but never really got into the top half of the table.

On 26 April 2007, Middlesbrough announced that Woodgate became their first summer signing for a transfer fee of £7 million. He signed a four year contract, keeping him at the club till 2011.

International career

He was capped several times by England while at Leeds, making his debut for the national side under manager Kevin Keegan in 1999, when he became the first player born in the 1980s to win a full England cap. However, both his club and international career have frequently been interrupted, not only by injury, but by controversy.

In 2000 he was a defendant in a Crown Court trial due to his involvement with an incident outside Majestyks nightclub nightclub in Leeds. He was convicted of affray and sentenced to one hundred hours of community service, as well as having been banned from international selection by the Football Association, which prevented him from being selected for the England squad for the 2002 World Cup.

Woodgate won his sixth cap - almost three years after his fifth - and his first start in the international friendly against Spain on 7 February 2007.

***From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wayne Rooney

Personal information
Full name	Wayne Mark Rooney
Date of birth	October 24, 1985 (1985-10-24) (age 21)
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Deep-lying forward
Club information
Current club	Manchester United
Number	10
Youth clubs
2000-2002	Everton
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2002-2004 2004-	Everton Manchester United	067 (15) 101 (41)
National team2
2003-	England	038 (12)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:53, 16 July 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 21:53, 16 July 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Liverpool) is an English footballer who currently plays for the English Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team. He is seen as one of the most exciting prospects of the modern game, his transfer fee from Everton still stands as the highest ever paid for a teenager. He normally played as a second striker to Ruud van Nistelrooy for his club team before van Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid, although during 2005-06, he showed his versatility as a player by shifting to the midfield and playing on both flanks. He wore the number 8 shirt for Manchester United from 2004 until June 2007, when his shirt number was changed to number 10. He wears the number 9 shirt for England.

Rooney was brought up in Croxteth, Liverpool, where he and his two brothers attended the local De La Salle Catholic School.^{[citation needed]}

Rooney grew up supporting Everton, for whom his childhood hero Duncan Ferguson played. Rooney joined the Everton youth team, and during his time there, after scoring a wonder-goal in the FA Youth Cup, he revealed a T-shirt under his jersey that read "Once a blue, Always a blue". However, he would end up playing just two seasons in the Everton first team before demanding, and then executing, a transfer. This has left him on unfavourable terms with Everton fans, and this showed when he returned to Goodison Park and was booed severely.

Rooney has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in 2002, particularly coming to the public's notice on 19 October 2002 when he scored a memorable goal against title-holders Arsenal, ending their 30-match unbeaten run. Receiving the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box, Rooney brought it down with instant control and turned away from his marker before firing it into the top left-hand corner of the goal, beating England keeper David Seaman and giving Everton a late 2-1 victory at Goodison Park. This goal provoked Clive Tyldesley, the match commentator, to exclaim "Remember the name: Wayne Rooney!". Rooney was only 16 years old when he scored the goal, making him the youngest ever goalscorer in the Premiership at the time. Rooney gained a huge reputation on the world stage due to his performance at Euro 2004, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring four goals in three [group] games.

Career

Everton

After excelling for Liverpool Schoolboys and The Dynamo Brownwings, Rooney was signed by Everton shortly before his 11th birthday. Rooney gained national prominence on the 19th of October 2002 when he became the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League at 16 years and 360 days while playing for Everton (though this record has since been surpassed twice by James Milner and current record holder James Vaughan). His goal against then-champions Arsenal was a last-minute winner and brought to an end the London side's 30-match unbeaten run. At the end of 2002 he won the BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year.

Transfer

Before turning 17 and becoming eligible for a professional contract, he was playing for £80 a week and living with his family on a council estate. His salary has since been increased several times and Rooney now earns an estimated £51,755 a week. Following intense media coverage of Rooney at Euro 2004, Everton claimed that they would not transfer his contract for less than £50 million. The club offered Rooney a new contract for £12,000 a week for three years. This, however, was turned down by Rooney's agent on the 27 August 2004, leaving Manchester United and Newcastle United to compete for his signature.

The Times newspaper reported that Newcastle were close to signing the young star for £18.5 million, a fact later confirmed by Rooney's agent. Manchester United, however, were the successful club in signing the young talent. Rooney handed in a transfer request to Everton and on 31 August 2004, Rooney signed for Manchester United after a deal worth around £31 million (£49 million including wages) was agreed. The deal was concluded just hours before the transfer deadline.

The initial fee of £23m was paid to Everton over two years; the rest of the money depends on appearances and/or success at Manchester United and/or England. It is likely the fee will reach the maximum £31m within the next 3 years. A final fee in the region of £30m plus costs is more likely. In the club's 2004-05 accounts, Rooney's contract is recorded as having a book cost of £25.066 million as at 30 June 2005, with contingent payables of £4 million, giving a maximum final fee of £29.066 million including costs.

Rooney's transfer fee is the second highest for an exclusively British deal, with only his Manchester United team-mate, Rio Ferdinand, commanding a higher fee. Rooney does, however, have the honour of being the most expensive teenage footballer ever, being only 18 when Manchester United signed him.

Manchester United

Rooney made his debut for Manchester United on 28 September 2004 in the UEFA Champions League against Fenerbahçe, scoring a hat-trick and also an assist (the match finished in a 6-2 win for United). For the 2005-06 season, Rooney initially started playing in wider positions than his more favoured central role. Pundits and fans alike agreed that he seemed less effective in such positions.Eventually, after Manchester United's poor run of form early in the season, Sir Alex Ferguson moved him back to his stronger position, playing behind Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy as a second striker. He got his first professional Winners Medal in the 2006 English League Cup. He was also named Man of the Match in the League Cup final against Wigan Athletic, after scoring two goals in the final (a 4-0 victory for United), en route to winning his first senior medal. He was also a member of the United side defeated in the 2005 FA Cup Final by Arsenal. He captained Manchester United for the first time in a home Champions League match against Copenhagen on 17 October 2006, becoming probably the youngest captain in the clubs' history.^[9] On 26 November 2006 he signed a two-year extension to his contract, which will keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2012; the contract extension negotiations only took one month, which was interpreted as showing how keen both sides were to conclude the extension.

Rooney has been a prolific goal scorer for Manchester United and Everton, matching the level of goals scored by other strikers such as Ruud van Nistelrooy. Also, he is a regular assist contributor. In the 2005-2006 season he achieved a final total of 14 assists and 16 goals, fewer goals than his current strike partner Louis Saha, but more assists.

During the first half of the 2006-7 season, Rooney went 10 games without a goal before scoring a hat-trick against Bolton. There was speculation about his fitness and confidence on the pitch, as he seemed less active than he usually is and his presence on the field was somewhat overshadowed by the brilliant form of Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo. Rooney's scoring rate had been matched by Louis Saha and exceeded by Cristiano Ronaldo, a winger. Nevertheless, as of February 2007 he was the top English goalscorer in the Premiership, and had received significantly fewer bookings than in previous seasons. In the FA Cup tie against Portsmouth, Rooney came on as a substitute and scored two goals, one of which was a 25-yard chip over goalkeeper David James, and soon after scored two of United's four goals in the derby against Bolton. Rooney scored his first goal for two-and-a-half years in Europe in a 2-1 defeat to A.S. Roma on 4 April 2007 in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League. His scoring in the tournament continued in the quarter-final second leg against Roma and the semi-final first leg on, when he scored two goals in the 3-2 victory over A.C. Milan, the second a low first-time drive into the bottom right-hand corner. By the end of April, Rooney had scored 23 goals for his team in all competitions, putting him level with team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals scored in all competitions in the 2006-07 season.

On 30 June 2007, it was announced that Rooney would take over the number 10 shirt vacated by Ruud van Nistelrooy when he left for Real Madrid just over a year earlier. He was formally presented with the shirt by former United and Scotland striker Denis Law, who famously wore the number during his prolific spell with the club.

On 12 August 2007, Rooney's injury problem returned to haunt him, when, in United's opening game of the 2007-08 Premier League (a 0-0 draw with Reading), he suffered a hairline fracture to a bone in his foot. It is expected that this will keep him sidelined for around two months. On 26 August 2007, Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that he might be back in three weeks.

International career

Rooney playing for England

He has also figured prominently in recent England international matches, after having become the youngest ever player to play for England, in a friendly against Australia, on 12 February 2003, aged 17 years, 111 days. This record has since been surpassed by Theo Walcott, who came off the bench to play in England's friendly against Hungary on 30 May 2006. Before Rooney, England's youngest ever player was James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who made his debut almost one and a quarter centuries before, on 5 April 1879, aged 17 years, 253 days. Rooney is also the youngest England scorer ever (17 years, 317 days).

His reputation as one of the world's most exciting young players was further enhanced by his highly regarded performances for England at Euro 2004 in Portugal. At the tournament Rooney became the youngest player ever to score in the UEFA European Football Championships, when on 17 June 2004 he scored twice against Switzerland; although the Swiss player, Johan Vonlanthen, broke this record against France four days later. Unfortunately Rooney was injured early in the quarter final match against Portugal and England were subsequently knocked out on penalties.

On 29th April 2006 Rooney was stretchered off in the 82nd minute of a Premier League game between United and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It was later confirmed that Rooney had suffered a broken metatarsal in a seemingly innocuous challenge with Paulo Ferreira, and was left with a race against time to be fit for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Due to his status as a cult hero and the fact that he was by now a key player in the national side, Rooney's recovery made front and back page headlines, as, aided by an oxygen tent, he made a staggering recovery, coming on as substitute for England's second group game against Trinidad and Tobago, and starting alongside Michael Owen in the following match against Sweden. However, the World Cup was to turn sour for Rooney. Struggling for match fitness, his frustration came to the fore as he was sent off for a stamp on Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho in the quarter final, and England crashed out of the tournament on penalties, with Rooney having failed to find the net.

2004 Court Case

In and around 2002 there was a dispute between two groups over who had the right to manage Rooney and this led to a criminal trial after allegations that one side was trying to demand money with menaces from the other. The court was told that one group sought the help of the infamous London gangster Tommy Adams in resolving the dispute.

Disciplinary issues

Wayne Rooney's career has been tainted with moments of ill-discipline. In September 2005, against Northern Ireland, Rooney launched an on-field outburst at former England captain David Beckham, but since then the pair have played down the bust-up.

His ill-discipline led to his dismissal in the 0-0 draw with Villarreal during United's Champions League encounter in Spain. Rooney was sent off for dissent following his sarcastic applauding of the referee, Kim Milton Nielsen, after he was initially booked for what he felt was an unfair booking.

Rooney has pledged to keep his temper under control and both his club and international managers have defended him, citing his youth as the main reason for his behaviour. It is known that other teams and players are familiar with Rooney's disciplinary problems and sometimes use them against him, teasing him or provoking him. Since the 2004-05 season he has been trying to keep his temper in check, as shown by a drop in cards received in the 2005-06 season. In the 2006 World Cup quarter-final match with Portugal, Rooney was sent off after an incident during the 62nd minute of the match. He became only the third English player to be given a red card while playing a match in a World Cup Finals. Rooney was struggling to gain proper control of the ball as he was involved in a tangle with Ricardo Carvalho and Petit, during which he appeared to stamp on Carvalho's groin. The incident occurred right in front of Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo. As play was stopped, Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo, a fellow teammate of his at Manchester United, remonstrated with the referee. Rooney then pushed Ronaldo and was shown the red card for what was thought to be a combination of the incidents involving Carvalho and Ronaldo. However, on 4 July, Elizondo told The Times that the red card was due to the stamp on Carvalho, and not the scuffle afterwards. He said "It was violent play and therefore he got a red card. People can say what they want (about Ronaldo) but this had absolutely no influence. For me it was a clear red card, so I didn't react to the Portuguese players."

After the match, which England lost on penalties, the BBC pundit team, led by Gary Lineker, showed a clip of what they found interesting in light of Rooney's dismissal. Before the match, Rooney's Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo approached him from behind and placed his head close to Rooney before speaking into his ear.However the pundits in the studio each said that it was a friendly thing between two friends and teamates. Following Rooney's dismissal, Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portuguese bench but again no-one knows what was said to Ronaldo and the reason for the wink and once again the people of England and the media look for someone to blame and more often than not this is a Manchester United player or the referee. Cristiano Ronaldo said in a post-match press conference that he had not urged the referee to take out a red card, but just pointed out that Rooney had committed a foul.

On 3 July, Rooney released a statement saying, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not team-mates." He also claimed that his actions were accidental. He also defended his own actions in the statement: "I want to say absolutely categorically that I did not intentionally put my foot down on Ricardo Carvalho. He slid in from behind me and unfortunately ended up in a positioning where my foot was inevitably going to end up as I kept my balance. That's all there was to it. When the referee produced the red card I was amazed - gobsmacked."

Wayne Rooney was investigated by FIFA's disciplinary committee after being sent off during England's World Cup quarter-final defeat against Portugal, banned for two competitive matches and fined 5,000 Swiss francs.

Rooney was sent off again for Manchester United in an Amsterdam Tournament game against FC Porto on 4 August 2006 for the use of an elbow, and was subsequently handed a three-match ban by the FA following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen explaining why he felt it was necessary to send Rooney off in the aforementioned game. This was viewed as surprising, as other players sent off in pre-season friendly matches were not so sanctioned, and Rooney wrote to the FA threatening to withdraw the FA's permission to use his image rights if the ban was not revoked - however the FA has no procedure to do so.

Though not related to on-field action, there were reports by British media that Rooney punched Blackburn Rovers' Michael Gray on 2 September 2006. The alleged incident that happened inside a Manchester restaurant was a result of suggestive comments by Gray towards Rooney's fiancée Coleen McLoughlin. Police were not informed about the incident.

On 24 November 2006, Wayne Rooney was questioned by the police over a fight outside a Manchester nightclub. This supposedly happened when a photographer started hassling Rooney. The photographer did not need any medical treatment.

Personal life

Rooney is the eldest of three children (all sons) born to Thomas Wayne Rooney and Jeanette Rooney. His brothers are Graham (born 1987) and John (born 1990). . He didn't achieve a single GCSE.

He has rarely been out of the media spotlight since his goal against Arsenal in October 2002, and has received criticism for his relationship with fiancée Coleen McLoughlin, who is often featured in the tabloid press for her shopping habits. They currently live in a £4.25 million mansion in the village of Prestbury in Cheshire, built by a company owned by Dawn Ward, the wife of former Sheffield United striker Ashley Ward. When he moved to Manchester United and was told to find a home in the posh area of Cheshire, Rooney passed a pub which he thought was named "Admiral Rooney" and saw it as a good omen for his future home. It was actually "Admiral Rodney", but Rooney chose the place, Prestbury, anyway (kicker, April 18, 2006, p. 79-80). He also owns property in Marbella and Harbor Pointe, Port Charlotte, Florida.

Rooney has also lucrative contracts with Nike, Nokia, Ford, Asda and Coca Cola. His marketing value is estimated at €46 million, making him the third-highest rated football player behind Ronaldinho and David Beckham.Rooney appears on the cover of the FIFA 06, FIFA 07 and FIFA 08 video game in the United Kingdom and was featured on 500 million Coca-Cola cans during the 2006 World Cup. Regarding his private life, Rooney's favourite rappers are Eminem and 50 Cent. His favourite film is Grease, and his favourite TV series is Only Fools And Horses.^] Moreover, he is an avid reader of the Harry Potter series. He enjoys boxing, and idolises Mike Tyson.(kicker, April 18, 2006, p. 79-80).

Rooney was "Merk'd" along with other England teammates (the equivalent to the American TV Show "Punk'd") by his Manchester United and England team mate, Rio Ferdinand on a mini-series TV show build up to the World Cup, "World Cup Wind Ups". This comical scenario left Wayne holding a drip for a young Manchester United fan's dog.

In his spare time, Wayne likes to play video games, his favourite game is FIFA 07, which he plays with Man United teammates Wes Brown, John O'Shea and Rio Ferdinand.

Rooney's personal life has also often been marred by accusations from the press surrounding his visits to prostitutes, which he later confirmed to be true. Rooney has spoken of his deep regret regarding his actions.

Press accusations

In April 2006, newspapers suggested that he owed in excess of £700,000 in gambling debts, possibly connected to a business partner of Michael Owen. Days later, he accepted £100,000 (which he donated to charity) in libel damages from The Sun and News of the World newspapers which had claimed he had assaulted his fiancée in a nightclub.

In September 2006, Rooney was again at a the centre of controversy, accused of punching Michael Gray in the eye following provocation from the Blackburn defender.

Books and website

On 9 March 2006, Rooney signed the largest sports book deal in publishing history with the publishers HarperCollins. He is to receive a £5 million advance, plus royalties, for a minimum of five books to be published over a twelve-year period. The first book, My Story So Far, a ghost-written autobiography, was scheduled to be published after the World Cup. On 1 September 2006 Everton manager David Moyes started a libel action against the Daily Mail, which was publishing extracts of Rooney's book and threatened to also sue Rooney and his book publishers over statements made in the book concerning the circumstances of Rooney's leaving Everton.

In July 2006, Rooney's lawyers went to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to gain ownership of the internet domain names "waynerooney.com" and "waynerooney.co.uk", which Welsh television actor Huw Marshall had registered in 2002. In October 2006, the WIPO ruled that "waynerooney.com" should be handed over to Rooney.

Honours

With Manchester United (2004 - present)

• Premier League - Champions : 2006-07
• League Cup Winner: 2006
• FA Cup Runners Up: 2005, 2007
• Community Shield: 2007

Personal Honours:

• Barclays Player of the Month: February 2005, December 2005, March 2006
• PFA Team of the Year: 2005-06
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2005-06
• FIFPro Young Player of the Year: 2005
• FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2005
• PFA Young Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
• PFA Fans' Player of the Year (Premiership): 2006
• Match of the Day's Goal of the Season: 2004-05, 2006-07

Career stats

All-Time Club Performance

Club	Season	Domestic League			Domestic Cups			Europe			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assts	Apps	Goals	Assts	Apps	Goals	Assts	Apps	Goals	Assts
Everton F.C.	2002–03	33	6	4	4	2	0	0	0	0	37	8	4
	2003–04	34	9	3	6	0	0	0	0	0	40	9	3
	Total	67	15	7	10	2	0	0	0	0	77	17	7
Manchester United	2004–05	29	11	4	8	3	0	6	3	1	43	17	5
	2005–06	36	16	10	7	2	4	5	1	0	48	19	14
	2006–07	35	14	13	8	5	3	12	4	0	55	23	16
	Total	100	41	27	23	10	7	23	8	1	146	59	35
Career Totals		167	56	35	33	12	7	23	8	1	223	76	41

(Correct as of 19 June 2007)

***From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joe Cole

Personal information
Full name	Joseph John Cole
Date of birth	November 8, 1981 (1981-11-08) (age 25)
Place of birth	Romford, East London, England
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	10
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998-2003 2003-	West Ham United Chelsea	126 (10) 112 (17)
National team2
2001- 2006	England U21 England England B	008 0(2) 042 0(7) 001 0(0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:32, 1 June 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 12 September 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Early life

Cole was born in Romford, East London and lived there until he moved to Camden at the age of seven. He was educated at St. Mary's Primary School in Marylebone along with brother Jarrod Cole, who is a rising rugby star, Haverstock school (Now Haverstock Business & Enterprise College) in Chalk Farm, Camden and St. Aloysius RC College in North London. The family home in recent years was in Romford.

West Ham

A child prodigy who received national media attention as a schoolboy and a product of the famed West Ham United youth system, Cole 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. 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 also part of West Ham's victorious Youth Cup winning squad, defeating Coventry City 9-0 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. Sadly, for Cole and for West Ham United, the club was relegated at the end of that season from the Premiership with the highest points total ever recorded, 42.

Chelsea

2003-2004

In 2003, Cole moved to Chelsea as part of Roman Abramovich's 'Russian Revolution' for £6,600,000 with a view to establishing himself in the England national team. However, due to the stiff competition for places at the club, he initially struggled to hold down a place in the team for both Chelsea and England under Claudio Ranieri.

According to Cole, Ranieri had wanted to send him to Russia on loan to CSKA Moscow just days after finalizing his transfer. Cole refused to move and stayed in Chelsea, but figured irregularly throughout the first half of season 2003-04 and was reduced to a peripheral figure after Ranieri signed Scott Parker in January 2004.

2004-2005

Cole had long been praised for his technical skills and creativity but criticised for his lack of all-round contribution to the team. After the arrival of new Chelsea manager José Mourinho in 2004, Cole initially continued to struggle, though he soon found himself making more appearances than he did during Ranieri's stewardship.

In January 2005, Cole was publicly criticised by Mourinho after scoring the winner against Liverpool for neglecting his defensive duties. Mourinho famously described Cole as a player 'with two faces', with one 'face' that he liked (Cole's vision and technical ability) and another 'face' that he did not (Cole's lack of appetite for defensive duties). Mourinho also substituted Cole with Portuguese midfielder Tiago Cardoso Mendes shortly after Cole's goal, and explained later that it was because "after Cole scored, the game ended for him. We were playing with ten men afterwards because Cole stopped running, stopped playing."

Cole responded positively to this and took advantage of injuries to other players (most notably Arjen Robben) to become one of the stars of Chelsea's Premiership 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 adequately for several years. Cole's form saw him hit a run of goals towards the end of the season, and his goal against Norwich (blasted in from 22 yards off his weaker left foot) was voted in the top ten goals of the season in the Premier League for 2004-05. Cole scored 10 goals for Chelsea in 2004-05, and ended the season with the first of his two FA Premier League champions' medals.

2005-2006

At Chelsea, the strong competition for places meant that he struggled to hold a first team role, with Arjen Robben and new arrival Shaun Wright-Phillips providing stiff competition. In the first half of the 2005-06 season Cole enhanced his reputation considerably, moved up the Chelsea pecking order ahead of Wright-Phillips and Duff, and was named in the PFA's team of the season. His status was such that by March 2006, he was considered Chelsea's most creative player by many pundits, and his omission from the starting lineup by Mourinho, who was testing a narrower 'midfield diamond' approach, was held up as the principal cause of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the 2006 FA Cup competition.Joe Cole scored important goals,against Liverpool at Anfield,Arsenal at Highbury and against Manchester United at home by evading Ferdinand and Vidic. During the 2005-06 season, Cole extended his contract with Chelsea for another 4 seasons. He ended his season by scoring a solo goal against Manchester United, which sealed the premiership.

2006-2007

Cole missed the first three months of Chelsea's season and England's first four Euro 2008 qualifiers after sustaining an injury to his right knee in Chelsea's pre-season tour of America, but made his return to first-team action on 14 October 2006, coming on as a second-half substitute in Chelsea's 1-0 victory at Reading. Cole scored his first goal of the 2006-07 season against Blackburn Rovers in a 2 goal win in the third round of the Carling Cup.

However, in January 2007, Cole underwent surgery for a stress fracture in the navicular bone of his foot he suffered in late 2006. Although he stated in a January 30th interview on the Chelsea FC website that he didn't want to give a timetable for his return, club doctor Bryan English stated on February 24, 2007 that Cole would return to play at the end of March or beginning of April.

Although not fully fit, Cole made his return for Chelsea in the first leg of Chelsea's 1-1 draw in a 2006-07 UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Valencia at Stamford Bridge. Cole contributed hugely to Chelsea's 2-1 victory in the second leg and 3-2 victory on aggregate. Cole started Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final against Blackburn, which Chelsea won 2-1 after extra-time, and made substitute appearances against Tottenham and West Ham. In April 2007, Cole scored the only goal in Chelsea's defeat of Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions' League semi-final, at Stamford Bridge, giving Chelsea an advantage going into the away leg, which they lost 1-0 and crashed out of the Champions League on penalties.

Honours

• FA Youth Cup: 1999
• FA Premier League: 2005, 2006
• Football League Cup: 2005, 2007
• FA Community Shield: 2005
• FA Cup: 2007

National Team

Joe Cole was a member of England's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, but did not start any games and only made one substitute appearance off the bench.

He was also a squad member at Euro 2004, but did not play.

Doubts have been expressed over his ability to play in the left wing position for the England national side, with some calling for natural left-footer Stewart Downing and even pacy teenager Theo Walcott to be given a chance. However, Cole played in the England side throughout 2005 and early 2006, competing in internationals against Denmark, Northern Ireland, and Argentina.

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 2006 FIFA World Cup, ahead of Chelsea teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips. He played on the left-side of midfield in England's opening game against Paraguay on June 10, 2006.

On June 20, 2006, England drew with Sweden, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with a final score of 2-2. Cole scored a spectacular 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 FIFA 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 Stadium on 1 June.

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

Miscellaneous

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into other sections and removing inappropriate items. (June 2007)

In January 2006 Cole received publicity as the loser in a drunken bustup over Page 3 Girl Keeley Hazell, triggered when another admirer saw the two "getting on well [and] copped the right hump about it." (NSFW)

He is engaged to fitness instructor Carly Zucker. The couple live in Cole's £2.1 million home in Cobham, Surrey. According to close friends, Cole is expected to marry her in summer next year. A rumour had it that during one weekend he had proposed to her with a £50,000 wedding ring.

Cole is a big fan of cars. He currently owns a Ferrari Enzo and has owned various luxury sedans including a Mercedes S-Class.

He has recently become a patron of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Towards the end of the 2005-06 season, Cole was nominated by then England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson to be named Footballer of the Year.

Cole's 30-yard volley against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup was voted goal of the tournament in many programmes featuring World Cup goals.

Cole bought his father a small shop in Camden Town's Arlington Road for £250,000 and paid off his fathers debts to allow him to restart his minicab service. Months later it was closed down and is now a ticket office, which was opened by Cole's friend.

Joe Cole is also an avid musician, playing the bass guitar in his free time.

He says about himself : "I was always known as the kid who always had a ball at his feet."

***From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia