Phatmann2003
07-04-2005, 18:35
Norway United
http://www.hat-trik.com/pics/norway_badge.gif
Stadium: Old Trafford
http://www.manutdzone.com/oldtrafford/photos/newoldtrafford.jpg
Mascot: Paddy The Leprechaun
http://www.ksanti.net/free-reed/images/stpatrick/leprechaun.jpg
Kits:
Home
http://www.subsidesports.com/uk/images/product/large/NorwayHSS0506.gif
Away
http://www.subsidesports.com/uk/images/product/large/NorwayASS0506.gif
Manager: Boris Johnson
http://www.boris-johnson.com/photos/borisjohnson.jpg
Players:
1. Edwin Van Der Sar
Date of Birth: 29.10.1970
Country: Netherlands
The arrival of Edwin Van der Sar at Old Trafford ended Sir Alex Ferguson's search for a successor to United legend Peter Schmeichel.
With Ferguson having tried a number of keepers, including Fabien Barthez, Tim Howard and Roy Carroll, he turned to the Dutch international to fill the shoes of the Great Dane.
Van der Sar began his career at Dutch side Ajax, making over 200 appearances for the club and winning numerous trophies, including the UEFA Champions League in 1995.
Those impressive performances with Ajax led to a move to Italian side Juventus. He eventually lost his place at Stadio delle Alpi to Italian international Gianluigi Buffon and subsequently left the club to join Premiership newcomers Fulham for a fee of £5 million.
He continued to impress at Craven Cottage and helped the club earn a place in the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup in the 2002/2003 season, eventually losing 2-1 to Hertha Berlin in Round 3.
Over the next few seasons, Van der Sar helped to establish Fulham as a solid mid-table Premiership side and caught the eye of Ferguson. He made the move north to Old Trafford in June 2005 for a reported fee of around £2 million, signing a two-year contract.
His arrival helped steady the United defence and despite failing in Europe and the FA Cup, he did help United to win the Carling Cup with a 4-0 win over Premiership newcomers Wigan at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/51/van_der_sar_edwin_mufc_profile _2006.jpg
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2. Gary Neville
Date of Birth: 18.02.1975
Country: England
A versatile defender who can operate at right-back or centre-half, Gary Neville has performed at the very highest level throughout a trophy-laden career.
http://www.madmusingsof.me.uk/archives/garyneville.jpeg
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3. Matt Taylor
Date of Birth: 27.11.1981
Country: England
Matthew Taylor began his career as a trainee playing for Luton Town.
He spent four years with the club before signing for Portsmouth in June 2002 - one of the few players that Harry Redknapp actually spent money on, shortly after taking over as manager.
Taylor was seen as a long-term investment, and, at the age of 21 had already caught the eye of the then England Under 21 coach David Platt.
During the 2002/03 season, the Oxford-born midfielder made 38 appearances for Pompey and has been on hand to score the odd crucial goal here and there - seven in total.
The following season was also a successful one for Taylor. He proved that he possesses great pace which can be worrying for any defence. It is a season which will most probably be remembered for his scoring of the equaliser in the FA Cup clash with Liverpool in February 2004 which earned Pompey a replay, and consequently a 6th round tie with Arsenal.
The 2004/05 season continued this success, as did the 05/06 campaign, which saw him play 37 games and score seven goals as his side miraculously stayed up, despite looking doomed to relegation earlier in the season.
The 2006/07 season proved to be his most successful yet as he made 34 starts and scored nine goals, one of which was a wonder volley from 45-yards out against Everton.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/48/taylor_matthew_pfc_profile_200 6.jpg
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4. Tom Huddlestone
Date of Birth: 28.12.1986
Country: England
Stylish midfielder made four substitute appearances for us in 2005-06 and contributed to our reserves' title win with 10 starts.
The Derby County Academy product made his debut for the Rams at just 16 years of age in a 3-0 defeat at home to Stoke City in August 2003.
Won international honours with England from Under-15 to Under-19 level (helping the Under-17s to the semi-finals of the European Championships in 2003).
Made 95 appearances for Derby and helped them into the Championship play-offs in 2004-05, where they lost to Preston North End at the semi-final stage.
Signed for us in January 2005 but was allowed to continue playing for Derby before joining us in July 2005.
Made quite an impression in our Peace Cup success in Korea in pre-season but a knee injury sustained in August sidelined him at the start of the 2005-06 season.
Hooked up with Wolves for a successful loan spell in October 2005 and on his return made his Premiership debut at Fulham on January 31, 2006.
Tom played a big part in season 2006-07, featuring on 35 occasions and gaining a reputation as one of the finest young midfielder's in the country. He was selected for England squad for the European Under-21 Championships in Holland over the summer.
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/photo/tom-huddlestone-$10735$180.jpg
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5. Nemanja Vidic
Date of Birth: 21.10.1981
Country: Serbia
Nemanja Vidic is a beast of a defender. Tall, athletic and solid as a rock, he's uncompromising in the tackle and formidable in the air. His partnership with Rio Ferdinand during the 2006/07 season drew comparisons to great United pairings like Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister.
http://spanskmannen.blogg.se/images/nemanja_vidic_1136285213.jpg
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6. Steven Taylor
Date of Birth: 23.01.1986
Country: England
Young defender Steven Taylor made his Newcastle debut in March 2004 in their 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers, finding himself at the centre of the action for Henrik Pedersen's winning goal.
Taylor had been preparing to head the ball back to keeper Shay Given, but felt that Pedersen had pushed him in the back before looping the ball over the retreating Newcastle keeper. However, Sir Bobby Robson absolved his youngster from blame and insisted that he was happy with his performance.
A product of the Magpies' youth system, Taylor had previously been on a month's loan at Wycombe earlier in the 2003/04 season, where he played six games.
The 2004/05 season saw him make a full breakthrough into first-team football under new boss Graeme Souness. He played 22 games in the Magpies' defence all in all and impressed in most of them.
2005/06 saw him make a further 13 appearances and in 2006/07 he enjoyed over 40 starts for the club. He is now one of the first names on the teamsheet.
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/3d/c8/0,,10278~2803773,00.jpg
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7. Fred
Date of Birth: 03.10.1983
Country: Brazil
Fred made his debut on 27 April 2005 as a late substitute in a friendly match against Guatemala
Fred scored his first goal on 12 November 2005 in a friendly match against United Arab Emirates. He went on to score 2 goals as Brazil won 8-0.
Fred was named in the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad as a striker. His first World Cup goal was the second in a 2-0 victory against Australia on 18 June 2006, when he tapped in a shot from Robinho which had rebounded off the inside of Mark Schwarzer's near post in the 90th minute. Prior to the 2006 World Cup he had scored 2 goals in 3 appearances for Brazil.
Since the World Cup, he's remained a regular with the national team under new coach Dunga. He often starts alongside Robinho in the absence of Adriano and Ronaldo.
http://www.football.fr/fr/football/images/photosjoueurs/9990.jpg
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8. Kevin Kuranyi
Date of Birth: 02.03.1982
Country: Germany
Kevin Kuranyi is 24 Years old. He's a German footballer. He plays for the German Nationalteam. His team is FC Schalke 04. Befor his change he played for VfB Stuttgart. He was born in 1982 in Rio de Janeiro. His nationalities are Brazilian and German, Panama and Hungary.
http://worldcup.itv.com/Images/48916.jpg
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9. Andriy Voronin
Date of Birth: 21.07.1979
Country: Ukraine
Liverpool secured the services of Ukranian striker Andriy Voronin on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2007.
Commenting on the signing, Reds boss Rafael Benitez said: "He is a player will pace, with good movement. He plays between the lines, between defenders.
"He is a good worker also, and he scores goals. He's not the kind of player you can talk about strengths because he has many things he can give to us."
http://www.leverkusen.com/whoiswho/v/VoroninA.jpg
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10. Bernd Schneider
Date of Birth: 17.11.1973
Country: Germany
Bernd Schneider (born November 17, 1973 in Jena, Thuringia region) is a German football player. He currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen, which he helped reach second place in the Bundesliga in 2000 and 2002. In addition, he plays for the German national team, including for the squads that reached second place in the 2002 World Cup and third place in the 2006 World Cup.
On the field, Schneider goes by the nickname "Schnix", and is known for his versatility - although he prefers the center-right midfield, he can also play as a central or defensive midfielder, or even as a defender. He is also known for his strong technical skills, which allow him to create good shooting situations for his teammates. He is a free kick and corner specialist too. Even though he is seldom a finisher, he has in the past proven a strong force on goal (for example, at Bayer Leverkusen he scored ten goals in the 2003/04 season, making him one of the highest-scoring midfielders in the Bundesliga.) He is considered by many one of the best current German midfielders and he is a quiet player who doesn't appear in the media as much as players like Ballack or Podolski, but he is an outstanding versatile player.
http://www.weltfussball.de/bilder/spieler/44.jpg
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11. Miroslav Klose
Date of Birth: 09.06.1978
Country: Germany
Miroslav Klose (born, June 9, 1978 in Opole, Silesia, Poland as Mirosław Marian Kloze) is a German footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, as well as the German national football team.
He was the top scorer and thus the Golden Boot winner of the 2006 World Cup hosted by his country Germany, with 5 goals. Klose also scored 5 goals in his debut World Cup, the 2002 World Cup hosted jointly by the Korea Republic and Japan, giving him a total of 10 goals in World Cup finals. He is the first player representing unified Germany to finish as the World Cup's top scorer, and the only player to have scored 5 or more goals in consecutive World Cups.
More than often, Klose's style of play has drawn comparisons with that of Gerd Müller due to his great finishing abilities and his goal poaching style of play.
http://images.askmen.com/men/celeb_profiles_sports/41_miroslav_klose.jpg
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13. Paul Robinson
Date of Birth: 15.10.1979
Country: England
Having come through the youth ranks at Leeds United, Robinson made his début against Chelsea in 1998, keeping a clean sheet. In the 2003-04 season he scored his first professional goal against Swindon Town in the closing moments of a League Cup game, forcing extra time. The game went to penalties, two of which were saved by Robinson to help his team to victory.[2]
Robinson made 119 appearances for Leeds before transferring to Tottenham Hotspur in May 2004 for a fee of £1,500,000. In 2005-06, Robinson signed a seven-year contract extension after turning down offers from Manchester United.[citation needed] The contract will keep him at the club until 2012.
On March 17, 2007, Robinson scored the second goal of his professional career, in a Premiership game against Watford at White Hart Lane. He took a free-kick from just outside of his own penalty area (85 Yards) and the ball bounced over the head of Watford Keeper Ben Foster, and into goal.[3] He became the third goalkeeper in Premiership history (excluding own goals) to score, after Peter Schmeichel for Aston Villa in 2001 and Brad Friedel for Blackburn Rovers in 2004 although hes the only goalkeeper to have scored out of these 3 and their team had went on and won the match. He was also the third goalscoring goalkeeper in the league in the 2006-07 season, following goals from Gavin Ward for Tranmere Rovers and Mark Crossley for Sheffield Wednesday.
Robinson is third in line for the role of captaincy at Spurs, after Robbie Keane and club captain Ledley King. He captained the team in their 1-0 Carling Cup quarter-final win over Southend [4], and in their 0-0 FA Cup third round draw at Cardiff as King and Keane were both injured.[5]
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/49/robinson_paul_thfc_profile_200 6.jpg
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14. Sami Hyypiä
Date of Birth: 07.10.1973
Country: Finland
Considered one of the best centre-backs in Europe, Sami Hyypiä is the rock in the Liverpool FC defence - strong in the tackle, powerful in the air and a commanding presence with an eye for goal.
http://www.givemefootball.com/images/hyypia_bi.jpg
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17. Niko Kranjcar
Date of Birth: 13.08.1984
Country: Croatia
Kranjčar spent most of his youth playing for Dinamo Zagreb, and later became captain. However, in early 2005, after a disagreement with the management, he made a surprise transfer to Dinamo's biggest rival, Hajduk. His transfer was probably the biggest sport news of the year in Croatia. It was also the most expensive transfer in Croatian football ever. Niko was chosen for "Young gun firing for World Cup glory" on eurosport.com with some of the greatest talents in the world, such as Leo Messi, Lukas Podolski and Sulley Muntari. His father, Zlatko Kranjčar, was the national team head coach, but was dismissed after Croatia's early exit in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. After the tournament, the world press hailed him for his talents, and several clubs wanted to buy him. Among those clubs were the French club Stade Rennes and the Spanish Club Celta de Vigo. But in the end, Pompey came with the best offer for him and he moved quickly (one day after the offer), to the south coast.
In August 2006, Kranjčar was linked with a move to Rennes for €4 million, Hajduk rejected that offer and stated they felt they should get more for Kranjčar. Kranjčar then moved for a reported £3.5million (€5.2 million) to Portsmouth on August 31, 2006. He scored his first Premiership Goal on the 31st March 2007 against Fulham F.C..
http://images.askmen.com/men/celeb_profiles_sports/22_niko_kranjcar.jpg
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20. Maniche
Date of Birth: 11.11.1977
Country: Portugal
Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro is his name, but you might know him as Maniche. The nickname was given after the Benfica’s former forward, Michel Manniche. The 28 years old midfielder who was capped to his national team after his good season at FC Porto will be playing this year in Germany.
He started in Benfica in 1995, but he was transferred in a loan to Alverca for 3 years but it was after his second time at the team of “Luz” that his career changed. After some problems with Benfica’s managers he was hired by FC Porto and met Mourinho for the first time. With him he was one of the main players at the UEFA’s Cup and the Champions League, both won by FC Porto. Today, after a quick time in Dínamo Moskov he joined again Mourinho’s squad, this time, in Chelsea.
His history at Portugal’s national team began with Scolari in the match against Brazil but it was in the Euro04 that he stood as one of “Felipão’s” men of trust. That time he scored his two first goals with Portugal against Russia and Netherlands and figured at Euro04 All-Star Team.
A very versatile player, who helps the team on the defense and offense, Maniche made his way in to Portugal 11 starters. He helped the team to qualify to this World Cup and guaranteed his presence this July in Germany.
http://www.euro-goal.info/eurox/nation/images/photo/world_cup/2006/maniche1.jpg
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22. Gareth Bale
Date of Birth: 16.07.1989
Country: Wales
Bale completed a transfer to Tottenham on 25 May 2007, arranging a four-year deal, with Tottenham making an immediate payment of £5 million, with further additional payments that could see Bale's transfer go up to £10m.[11] He played his first game for Spurs in a friendly against St. Patrick's Athletic on 12 July 2007, but was substituted on the 80th minute with a minor dead-leg.
http://beefbagel.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/gareth-bale-2.jpg
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23. Gianluca Zambrotta
Date of Birth: 19.02.1977
Country: Italy
Zambrotta came to the fore when he made his international debut for Italy at the age of 21 against Norway in February 1999 after a long, fruitful run with the Under-21 side. He was sent off in Italy's UEFA EURO 2000™ semi-final victory against the Netherlands and missed the final loss to France. In 2002 he featured in his first FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan and became Italy's first-choice left-back during qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004™, playing in all three of Italy's matches in Portugal. Remains a key figure under Marcello Lippi.
Club
Zambrotta started out with his hometown club, Como Calcio, spending three seasons in the second and third divisions. AS Bari promoted him to Serie A in 1997, and he soon found his depth among Italy's élite, two impressive seasons attracting the interest of Juventus.
1999: The Bianconeri took him further up the league ladder with a €15.85m swoop, and Zambrotta continued his upward momentum. Denied a title on the final day of the 1999/00 season, he got his hands on a winners' medal two terms later, helping Juve lift the Scudetto. Injury and the form of Mauro Camoranesi prompted Zambrotta to switch to left-back from right midfield in 2002/03, and he remained a regular as Juve won another championship and reached the Champions League final.
2004/05: New coach Fabio Capello continued to field Zambrotta on the left of defence and filled an important role as Juventus won the title by conceding only 27 goals. In the summer extended his deal again, 2010 the new expiry date.
Did you know?
In 2005 he posed for a calendar to raise funds to build a maternity centre in Afghanistan.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/02/64/zambrotta.jpg
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24. Edmilson
Date of Birth: 10.07.1976
Country: Brazil
Edmílson, full name José Edmílson Gomes de Moraes, (born July 10, 1976 in Taquaritinga, Brazil) is a Brazilian football player of Italian descent. He has played as centre-back/defensive midfielder for São Paulo FC, Olympique Lyonnais and currently FC Barcelona, with a contract to end in June 2007.[2]
http://www.sambafoot.com/datas/personnes/32/joueur.jpg
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27. David Di Michele
Date of Birth: 06.01.1976
Country: Italy
David Di Michele (born on January 6, 1976 in Guidonia, Rome) is an Italian football player, who currently plays as a forward for Serie A side Torino.
He began his career with Lodigiani (now Cisco Roma) in the Italian Serie C1, and played for them from 1993 to 1996. He then got traded to Foggia Calcio in the Italian Serie B.
He had a short stint in Foggia, playing just two seasons before being traded to Salernitana. With Salernitana, he made his Serie A debut, however the following year Salernitana were demoted to Serie B.
After two seasons with Salernitana in Serie B, he was traded to Udinese for the 2001-2002 season. After the 2001-2002 season with Udinese, he played two seasons with Reggina, only to be traded back to Udinese in 2004-2005. In the 2005-2006 season, he played half a season with Udinese and took part in the UEFA Champions League. Halfway through the season, after several lacks of understanding, Di Michele's contract was sold to US Palermo, his current club. He debuted for Palermo in a Serie A home match won 4-2 against Parma, in which he scored two goals. In his 2005/2006 period for US Palermo, David Di Michele played 19 matches, scoring 7 goals.
On July 5, 2007 Palermo announced to have sold him to Torino.[1]
http://www.goal.com/resultsimg/3309.jpg
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28. Mario Regueiro
Date of Birth: 14.09.1978
Country: Uruguay
Mario Regueiro, full name Mario Ignacio Regueiro Pintos, (born 14 September 1978 in Montevideo), is a Uruguayan footballer playing for La Liga side Valencia. Regueiro plays mainly as a left winger. However the versatile player is capable of playing as a left fullback, striker, playmaker and also right winger. Apart from his versatility Regueiro is known for his lightning quick pace, acceleration and strength.
Having spent five seasons with Racing Santander, Regueiro was transferred to Valencia in the summer of 2005 for €1.2 million.
He has made occasional appearances for the Uruguay national team, including a friendly against England at Anfield, Liverpool, earlier this year.
He obtained a Spanish passport in June 2006.
http://www.marca.com/ficheros/marca/imagenes/regueiro200706_ES.jpg
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29.Stewart Downing
Date of Birth: 22.07.1984
Country: England
Downing is an England Under-18 international who made the breakthrough into the Middlesbrough first team towards the end of the 2001/02 season.
He made his debut in a 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town from the start - almost netting a late leveller - and was named Man of the Match. Then featured in Boro's final two games of the season against Chelsea and Leeds United.
Downing, a left-sided midfielder, is very highly rated by the Boro coaching staff and possesses a deadly cross.
He had only just turned 18 when handed a squad number for the 2002/03 season.
Downing netted on his first appearance of that campaign after coming on as a substitute in a 4-1 win at Brentford in the Worthington Cup. But he only featured in two further games that term.
He enjoyed some action at the start of the 2003/04 season, but it was a loan spell at Sunderland that kick-started his career.
Downing, a traditional-style left winger, moved to the Stadium of Light at the end of October 2003, and was a real star scoring three times in seven games for the Black Cats.
On his return he was thrust straight back into the Boro first team and never looked back. He turned in a string of fine performances, showing great skill and determination.
Such were the level of his performances that interest from other clubs began to grow and, with his contract up at the end of the campaign, he could have moved on. But Boro managed to tie him to a new four year contract, to run until the summer of 2008.
He also won England Under-21 honours in 2003/04.
Downing truly came of age in 2004/05, winning a firm place in the Boro starting XI with some excellent, energetic performances.
His creativity, ability to beat a man and crossing make him a dangerous customer - a real asset to the side.
Many were calling for him to be in the full England squad for November's friendly against Spain - but he had to be content with a place in the Under-21 squad once more.
His turn with the full squad, on that troublesome left side, will surely come
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/graphics/2004/08/15/sfgmid150804.jpg
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33. Steven Reid
Date of Birth: 10.03.1981
Country: Ireland
Steven John Reid (born 10 March 1981 in Kingston, London, England) is an Irish football player who currently plays for Blackburn Rovers and the Republic of Ireland, primarily as a midfielder.
He made his professional debut for Millwall in the 1997-98 season at the age of 17 and was part of the successful 2000-01 team that gained promotion to the English First Division. He continued to impress for both club and country, which triggered a £1.85 million move to Blackburn Rovers in July 2003.
Reid debuted for Blackburn on 23 August, 2003 as a 76th minute substitute for team-mate Vratislav Greško, but had the misfortune of being dismissed in the 88th minute. He recovered to make 19 appearances through the 2003/04 season, though a hamstring injury would rule him out of action for three months during this time. A change of management in September 2004 saw Mark Hughes replace Graeme Souness as Blackburn boss, a move which would also signify a change for Reid. Despite playing the majority of his career as a wide midfielder, Hughes moved Reid to centre midfield for the match against Everton on March 6 2005. Reid went on to star in a 1-0 victory for Blackburn, creating the winning goal, and has since claimed the central midfield position as his own.
Reid scored one of the goals of the seasons in the FA Premier League 2005-06 campaign against Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium. The ball fell to Reid from 30 yards and he launched a powerful long shot which flew into the top corner of the net. The goal won BBC Match of the Day's Goal of the Month for December. On 2 May 2006, Reid scored the goal that secured Blackburn's place in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, a header that gave them a 1-0 win over Chelsea, who had already secured the Premiership title.
Reid has missed the majority of the 2006-07 season through injury. A back injury limited him to three appearances before he sustained cruciate ligament injury in January, which will keep him out for the rest of the season.[1]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/images/2006/06/14/stephen_reid_2_203x152.jpg
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77. Theo Walcott (on loan from Figo)
Date of Birth: 16.03.1989
Country: England
Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989 in Stanmore, London[1]) is an English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal FC, having signed there from Southampton on 20 January 2006.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/51/walcott_theo_afc_profile_2006. jpg
http://www.hat-trik.com/pics/norway_badge.gif
Stadium: Old Trafford
http://www.manutdzone.com/oldtrafford/photos/newoldtrafford.jpg
Mascot: Paddy The Leprechaun
http://www.ksanti.net/free-reed/images/stpatrick/leprechaun.jpg
Kits:
Home
http://www.subsidesports.com/uk/images/product/large/NorwayHSS0506.gif
Away
http://www.subsidesports.com/uk/images/product/large/NorwayASS0506.gif
Manager: Boris Johnson
http://www.boris-johnson.com/photos/borisjohnson.jpg
Players:
1. Edwin Van Der Sar
Date of Birth: 29.10.1970
Country: Netherlands
The arrival of Edwin Van der Sar at Old Trafford ended Sir Alex Ferguson's search for a successor to United legend Peter Schmeichel.
With Ferguson having tried a number of keepers, including Fabien Barthez, Tim Howard and Roy Carroll, he turned to the Dutch international to fill the shoes of the Great Dane.
Van der Sar began his career at Dutch side Ajax, making over 200 appearances for the club and winning numerous trophies, including the UEFA Champions League in 1995.
Those impressive performances with Ajax led to a move to Italian side Juventus. He eventually lost his place at Stadio delle Alpi to Italian international Gianluigi Buffon and subsequently left the club to join Premiership newcomers Fulham for a fee of £5 million.
He continued to impress at Craven Cottage and helped the club earn a place in the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup in the 2002/2003 season, eventually losing 2-1 to Hertha Berlin in Round 3.
Over the next few seasons, Van der Sar helped to establish Fulham as a solid mid-table Premiership side and caught the eye of Ferguson. He made the move north to Old Trafford in June 2005 for a reported fee of around £2 million, signing a two-year contract.
His arrival helped steady the United defence and despite failing in Europe and the FA Cup, he did help United to win the Carling Cup with a 4-0 win over Premiership newcomers Wigan at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/51/van_der_sar_edwin_mufc_profile _2006.jpg
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2. Gary Neville
Date of Birth: 18.02.1975
Country: England
A versatile defender who can operate at right-back or centre-half, Gary Neville has performed at the very highest level throughout a trophy-laden career.
http://www.madmusingsof.me.uk/archives/garyneville.jpeg
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3. Matt Taylor
Date of Birth: 27.11.1981
Country: England
Matthew Taylor began his career as a trainee playing for Luton Town.
He spent four years with the club before signing for Portsmouth in June 2002 - one of the few players that Harry Redknapp actually spent money on, shortly after taking over as manager.
Taylor was seen as a long-term investment, and, at the age of 21 had already caught the eye of the then England Under 21 coach David Platt.
During the 2002/03 season, the Oxford-born midfielder made 38 appearances for Pompey and has been on hand to score the odd crucial goal here and there - seven in total.
The following season was also a successful one for Taylor. He proved that he possesses great pace which can be worrying for any defence. It is a season which will most probably be remembered for his scoring of the equaliser in the FA Cup clash with Liverpool in February 2004 which earned Pompey a replay, and consequently a 6th round tie with Arsenal.
The 2004/05 season continued this success, as did the 05/06 campaign, which saw him play 37 games and score seven goals as his side miraculously stayed up, despite looking doomed to relegation earlier in the season.
The 2006/07 season proved to be his most successful yet as he made 34 starts and scored nine goals, one of which was a wonder volley from 45-yards out against Everton.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/48/taylor_matthew_pfc_profile_200 6.jpg
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4. Tom Huddlestone
Date of Birth: 28.12.1986
Country: England
Stylish midfielder made four substitute appearances for us in 2005-06 and contributed to our reserves' title win with 10 starts.
The Derby County Academy product made his debut for the Rams at just 16 years of age in a 3-0 defeat at home to Stoke City in August 2003.
Won international honours with England from Under-15 to Under-19 level (helping the Under-17s to the semi-finals of the European Championships in 2003).
Made 95 appearances for Derby and helped them into the Championship play-offs in 2004-05, where they lost to Preston North End at the semi-final stage.
Signed for us in January 2005 but was allowed to continue playing for Derby before joining us in July 2005.
Made quite an impression in our Peace Cup success in Korea in pre-season but a knee injury sustained in August sidelined him at the start of the 2005-06 season.
Hooked up with Wolves for a successful loan spell in October 2005 and on his return made his Premiership debut at Fulham on January 31, 2006.
Tom played a big part in season 2006-07, featuring on 35 occasions and gaining a reputation as one of the finest young midfielder's in the country. He was selected for England squad for the European Under-21 Championships in Holland over the summer.
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/photo/tom-huddlestone-$10735$180.jpg
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5. Nemanja Vidic
Date of Birth: 21.10.1981
Country: Serbia
Nemanja Vidic is a beast of a defender. Tall, athletic and solid as a rock, he's uncompromising in the tackle and formidable in the air. His partnership with Rio Ferdinand during the 2006/07 season drew comparisons to great United pairings like Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister.
http://spanskmannen.blogg.se/images/nemanja_vidic_1136285213.jpg
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6. Steven Taylor
Date of Birth: 23.01.1986
Country: England
Young defender Steven Taylor made his Newcastle debut in March 2004 in their 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers, finding himself at the centre of the action for Henrik Pedersen's winning goal.
Taylor had been preparing to head the ball back to keeper Shay Given, but felt that Pedersen had pushed him in the back before looping the ball over the retreating Newcastle keeper. However, Sir Bobby Robson absolved his youngster from blame and insisted that he was happy with his performance.
A product of the Magpies' youth system, Taylor had previously been on a month's loan at Wycombe earlier in the 2003/04 season, where he played six games.
The 2004/05 season saw him make a full breakthrough into first-team football under new boss Graeme Souness. He played 22 games in the Magpies' defence all in all and impressed in most of them.
2005/06 saw him make a further 13 appearances and in 2006/07 he enjoyed over 40 starts for the club. He is now one of the first names on the teamsheet.
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/3d/c8/0,,10278~2803773,00.jpg
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7. Fred
Date of Birth: 03.10.1983
Country: Brazil
Fred made his debut on 27 April 2005 as a late substitute in a friendly match against Guatemala
Fred scored his first goal on 12 November 2005 in a friendly match against United Arab Emirates. He went on to score 2 goals as Brazil won 8-0.
Fred was named in the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad as a striker. His first World Cup goal was the second in a 2-0 victory against Australia on 18 June 2006, when he tapped in a shot from Robinho which had rebounded off the inside of Mark Schwarzer's near post in the 90th minute. Prior to the 2006 World Cup he had scored 2 goals in 3 appearances for Brazil.
Since the World Cup, he's remained a regular with the national team under new coach Dunga. He often starts alongside Robinho in the absence of Adriano and Ronaldo.
http://www.football.fr/fr/football/images/photosjoueurs/9990.jpg
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8. Kevin Kuranyi
Date of Birth: 02.03.1982
Country: Germany
Kevin Kuranyi is 24 Years old. He's a German footballer. He plays for the German Nationalteam. His team is FC Schalke 04. Befor his change he played for VfB Stuttgart. He was born in 1982 in Rio de Janeiro. His nationalities are Brazilian and German, Panama and Hungary.
http://worldcup.itv.com/Images/48916.jpg
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9. Andriy Voronin
Date of Birth: 21.07.1979
Country: Ukraine
Liverpool secured the services of Ukranian striker Andriy Voronin on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2007.
Commenting on the signing, Reds boss Rafael Benitez said: "He is a player will pace, with good movement. He plays between the lines, between defenders.
"He is a good worker also, and he scores goals. He's not the kind of player you can talk about strengths because he has many things he can give to us."
http://www.leverkusen.com/whoiswho/v/VoroninA.jpg
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10. Bernd Schneider
Date of Birth: 17.11.1973
Country: Germany
Bernd Schneider (born November 17, 1973 in Jena, Thuringia region) is a German football player. He currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen, which he helped reach second place in the Bundesliga in 2000 and 2002. In addition, he plays for the German national team, including for the squads that reached second place in the 2002 World Cup and third place in the 2006 World Cup.
On the field, Schneider goes by the nickname "Schnix", and is known for his versatility - although he prefers the center-right midfield, he can also play as a central or defensive midfielder, or even as a defender. He is also known for his strong technical skills, which allow him to create good shooting situations for his teammates. He is a free kick and corner specialist too. Even though he is seldom a finisher, he has in the past proven a strong force on goal (for example, at Bayer Leverkusen he scored ten goals in the 2003/04 season, making him one of the highest-scoring midfielders in the Bundesliga.) He is considered by many one of the best current German midfielders and he is a quiet player who doesn't appear in the media as much as players like Ballack or Podolski, but he is an outstanding versatile player.
http://www.weltfussball.de/bilder/spieler/44.jpg
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11. Miroslav Klose
Date of Birth: 09.06.1978
Country: Germany
Miroslav Klose (born, June 9, 1978 in Opole, Silesia, Poland as Mirosław Marian Kloze) is a German footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, as well as the German national football team.
He was the top scorer and thus the Golden Boot winner of the 2006 World Cup hosted by his country Germany, with 5 goals. Klose also scored 5 goals in his debut World Cup, the 2002 World Cup hosted jointly by the Korea Republic and Japan, giving him a total of 10 goals in World Cup finals. He is the first player representing unified Germany to finish as the World Cup's top scorer, and the only player to have scored 5 or more goals in consecutive World Cups.
More than often, Klose's style of play has drawn comparisons with that of Gerd Müller due to his great finishing abilities and his goal poaching style of play.
http://images.askmen.com/men/celeb_profiles_sports/41_miroslav_klose.jpg
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13. Paul Robinson
Date of Birth: 15.10.1979
Country: England
Having come through the youth ranks at Leeds United, Robinson made his début against Chelsea in 1998, keeping a clean sheet. In the 2003-04 season he scored his first professional goal against Swindon Town in the closing moments of a League Cup game, forcing extra time. The game went to penalties, two of which were saved by Robinson to help his team to victory.[2]
Robinson made 119 appearances for Leeds before transferring to Tottenham Hotspur in May 2004 for a fee of £1,500,000. In 2005-06, Robinson signed a seven-year contract extension after turning down offers from Manchester United.[citation needed] The contract will keep him at the club until 2012.
On March 17, 2007, Robinson scored the second goal of his professional career, in a Premiership game against Watford at White Hart Lane. He took a free-kick from just outside of his own penalty area (85 Yards) and the ball bounced over the head of Watford Keeper Ben Foster, and into goal.[3] He became the third goalkeeper in Premiership history (excluding own goals) to score, after Peter Schmeichel for Aston Villa in 2001 and Brad Friedel for Blackburn Rovers in 2004 although hes the only goalkeeper to have scored out of these 3 and their team had went on and won the match. He was also the third goalscoring goalkeeper in the league in the 2006-07 season, following goals from Gavin Ward for Tranmere Rovers and Mark Crossley for Sheffield Wednesday.
Robinson is third in line for the role of captaincy at Spurs, after Robbie Keane and club captain Ledley King. He captained the team in their 1-0 Carling Cup quarter-final win over Southend [4], and in their 0-0 FA Cup third round draw at Cardiff as King and Keane were both injured.[5]
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/49/robinson_paul_thfc_profile_200 6.jpg
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14. Sami Hyypiä
Date of Birth: 07.10.1973
Country: Finland
Considered one of the best centre-backs in Europe, Sami Hyypiä is the rock in the Liverpool FC defence - strong in the tackle, powerful in the air and a commanding presence with an eye for goal.
http://www.givemefootball.com/images/hyypia_bi.jpg
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17. Niko Kranjcar
Date of Birth: 13.08.1984
Country: Croatia
Kranjčar spent most of his youth playing for Dinamo Zagreb, and later became captain. However, in early 2005, after a disagreement with the management, he made a surprise transfer to Dinamo's biggest rival, Hajduk. His transfer was probably the biggest sport news of the year in Croatia. It was also the most expensive transfer in Croatian football ever. Niko was chosen for "Young gun firing for World Cup glory" on eurosport.com with some of the greatest talents in the world, such as Leo Messi, Lukas Podolski and Sulley Muntari. His father, Zlatko Kranjčar, was the national team head coach, but was dismissed after Croatia's early exit in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. After the tournament, the world press hailed him for his talents, and several clubs wanted to buy him. Among those clubs were the French club Stade Rennes and the Spanish Club Celta de Vigo. But in the end, Pompey came with the best offer for him and he moved quickly (one day after the offer), to the south coast.
In August 2006, Kranjčar was linked with a move to Rennes for €4 million, Hajduk rejected that offer and stated they felt they should get more for Kranjčar. Kranjčar then moved for a reported £3.5million (€5.2 million) to Portsmouth on August 31, 2006. He scored his first Premiership Goal on the 31st March 2007 against Fulham F.C..
http://images.askmen.com/men/celeb_profiles_sports/22_niko_kranjcar.jpg
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20. Maniche
Date of Birth: 11.11.1977
Country: Portugal
Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro is his name, but you might know him as Maniche. The nickname was given after the Benfica’s former forward, Michel Manniche. The 28 years old midfielder who was capped to his national team after his good season at FC Porto will be playing this year in Germany.
He started in Benfica in 1995, but he was transferred in a loan to Alverca for 3 years but it was after his second time at the team of “Luz” that his career changed. After some problems with Benfica’s managers he was hired by FC Porto and met Mourinho for the first time. With him he was one of the main players at the UEFA’s Cup and the Champions League, both won by FC Porto. Today, after a quick time in Dínamo Moskov he joined again Mourinho’s squad, this time, in Chelsea.
His history at Portugal’s national team began with Scolari in the match against Brazil but it was in the Euro04 that he stood as one of “Felipão’s” men of trust. That time he scored his two first goals with Portugal against Russia and Netherlands and figured at Euro04 All-Star Team.
A very versatile player, who helps the team on the defense and offense, Maniche made his way in to Portugal 11 starters. He helped the team to qualify to this World Cup and guaranteed his presence this July in Germany.
http://www.euro-goal.info/eurox/nation/images/photo/world_cup/2006/maniche1.jpg
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22. Gareth Bale
Date of Birth: 16.07.1989
Country: Wales
Bale completed a transfer to Tottenham on 25 May 2007, arranging a four-year deal, with Tottenham making an immediate payment of £5 million, with further additional payments that could see Bale's transfer go up to £10m.[11] He played his first game for Spurs in a friendly against St. Patrick's Athletic on 12 July 2007, but was substituted on the 80th minute with a minor dead-leg.
http://beefbagel.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/gareth-bale-2.jpg
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23. Gianluca Zambrotta
Date of Birth: 19.02.1977
Country: Italy
Zambrotta came to the fore when he made his international debut for Italy at the age of 21 against Norway in February 1999 after a long, fruitful run with the Under-21 side. He was sent off in Italy's UEFA EURO 2000™ semi-final victory against the Netherlands and missed the final loss to France. In 2002 he featured in his first FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan and became Italy's first-choice left-back during qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004™, playing in all three of Italy's matches in Portugal. Remains a key figure under Marcello Lippi.
Club
Zambrotta started out with his hometown club, Como Calcio, spending three seasons in the second and third divisions. AS Bari promoted him to Serie A in 1997, and he soon found his depth among Italy's élite, two impressive seasons attracting the interest of Juventus.
1999: The Bianconeri took him further up the league ladder with a €15.85m swoop, and Zambrotta continued his upward momentum. Denied a title on the final day of the 1999/00 season, he got his hands on a winners' medal two terms later, helping Juve lift the Scudetto. Injury and the form of Mauro Camoranesi prompted Zambrotta to switch to left-back from right midfield in 2002/03, and he remained a regular as Juve won another championship and reached the Champions League final.
2004/05: New coach Fabio Capello continued to field Zambrotta on the left of defence and filled an important role as Juventus won the title by conceding only 27 goals. In the summer extended his deal again, 2010 the new expiry date.
Did you know?
In 2005 he posed for a calendar to raise funds to build a maternity centre in Afghanistan.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/02/64/zambrotta.jpg
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24. Edmilson
Date of Birth: 10.07.1976
Country: Brazil
Edmílson, full name José Edmílson Gomes de Moraes, (born July 10, 1976 in Taquaritinga, Brazil) is a Brazilian football player of Italian descent. He has played as centre-back/defensive midfielder for São Paulo FC, Olympique Lyonnais and currently FC Barcelona, with a contract to end in June 2007.[2]
http://www.sambafoot.com/datas/personnes/32/joueur.jpg
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27. David Di Michele
Date of Birth: 06.01.1976
Country: Italy
David Di Michele (born on January 6, 1976 in Guidonia, Rome) is an Italian football player, who currently plays as a forward for Serie A side Torino.
He began his career with Lodigiani (now Cisco Roma) in the Italian Serie C1, and played for them from 1993 to 1996. He then got traded to Foggia Calcio in the Italian Serie B.
He had a short stint in Foggia, playing just two seasons before being traded to Salernitana. With Salernitana, he made his Serie A debut, however the following year Salernitana were demoted to Serie B.
After two seasons with Salernitana in Serie B, he was traded to Udinese for the 2001-2002 season. After the 2001-2002 season with Udinese, he played two seasons with Reggina, only to be traded back to Udinese in 2004-2005. In the 2005-2006 season, he played half a season with Udinese and took part in the UEFA Champions League. Halfway through the season, after several lacks of understanding, Di Michele's contract was sold to US Palermo, his current club. He debuted for Palermo in a Serie A home match won 4-2 against Parma, in which he scored two goals. In his 2005/2006 period for US Palermo, David Di Michele played 19 matches, scoring 7 goals.
On July 5, 2007 Palermo announced to have sold him to Torino.[1]
http://www.goal.com/resultsimg/3309.jpg
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28. Mario Regueiro
Date of Birth: 14.09.1978
Country: Uruguay
Mario Regueiro, full name Mario Ignacio Regueiro Pintos, (born 14 September 1978 in Montevideo), is a Uruguayan footballer playing for La Liga side Valencia. Regueiro plays mainly as a left winger. However the versatile player is capable of playing as a left fullback, striker, playmaker and also right winger. Apart from his versatility Regueiro is known for his lightning quick pace, acceleration and strength.
Having spent five seasons with Racing Santander, Regueiro was transferred to Valencia in the summer of 2005 for €1.2 million.
He has made occasional appearances for the Uruguay national team, including a friendly against England at Anfield, Liverpool, earlier this year.
He obtained a Spanish passport in June 2006.
http://www.marca.com/ficheros/marca/imagenes/regueiro200706_ES.jpg
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29.Stewart Downing
Date of Birth: 22.07.1984
Country: England
Downing is an England Under-18 international who made the breakthrough into the Middlesbrough first team towards the end of the 2001/02 season.
He made his debut in a 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town from the start - almost netting a late leveller - and was named Man of the Match. Then featured in Boro's final two games of the season against Chelsea and Leeds United.
Downing, a left-sided midfielder, is very highly rated by the Boro coaching staff and possesses a deadly cross.
He had only just turned 18 when handed a squad number for the 2002/03 season.
Downing netted on his first appearance of that campaign after coming on as a substitute in a 4-1 win at Brentford in the Worthington Cup. But he only featured in two further games that term.
He enjoyed some action at the start of the 2003/04 season, but it was a loan spell at Sunderland that kick-started his career.
Downing, a traditional-style left winger, moved to the Stadium of Light at the end of October 2003, and was a real star scoring three times in seven games for the Black Cats.
On his return he was thrust straight back into the Boro first team and never looked back. He turned in a string of fine performances, showing great skill and determination.
Such were the level of his performances that interest from other clubs began to grow and, with his contract up at the end of the campaign, he could have moved on. But Boro managed to tie him to a new four year contract, to run until the summer of 2008.
He also won England Under-21 honours in 2003/04.
Downing truly came of age in 2004/05, winning a firm place in the Boro starting XI with some excellent, energetic performances.
His creativity, ability to beat a man and crossing make him a dangerous customer - a real asset to the side.
Many were calling for him to be in the full England squad for November's friendly against Spain - but he had to be content with a place in the Under-21 squad once more.
His turn with the full squad, on that troublesome left side, will surely come
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/graphics/2004/08/15/sfgmid150804.jpg
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33. Steven Reid
Date of Birth: 10.03.1981
Country: Ireland
Steven John Reid (born 10 March 1981 in Kingston, London, England) is an Irish football player who currently plays for Blackburn Rovers and the Republic of Ireland, primarily as a midfielder.
He made his professional debut for Millwall in the 1997-98 season at the age of 17 and was part of the successful 2000-01 team that gained promotion to the English First Division. He continued to impress for both club and country, which triggered a £1.85 million move to Blackburn Rovers in July 2003.
Reid debuted for Blackburn on 23 August, 2003 as a 76th minute substitute for team-mate Vratislav Greško, but had the misfortune of being dismissed in the 88th minute. He recovered to make 19 appearances through the 2003/04 season, though a hamstring injury would rule him out of action for three months during this time. A change of management in September 2004 saw Mark Hughes replace Graeme Souness as Blackburn boss, a move which would also signify a change for Reid. Despite playing the majority of his career as a wide midfielder, Hughes moved Reid to centre midfield for the match against Everton on March 6 2005. Reid went on to star in a 1-0 victory for Blackburn, creating the winning goal, and has since claimed the central midfield position as his own.
Reid scored one of the goals of the seasons in the FA Premier League 2005-06 campaign against Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium. The ball fell to Reid from 30 yards and he launched a powerful long shot which flew into the top corner of the net. The goal won BBC Match of the Day's Goal of the Month for December. On 2 May 2006, Reid scored the goal that secured Blackburn's place in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, a header that gave them a 1-0 win over Chelsea, who had already secured the Premiership title.
Reid has missed the majority of the 2006-07 season through injury. A back injury limited him to three appearances before he sustained cruciate ligament injury in January, which will keep him out for the rest of the season.[1]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/images/2006/06/14/stephen_reid_2_203x152.jpg
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77. Theo Walcott (on loan from Figo)
Date of Birth: 16.03.1989
Country: England
Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989 in Stanmore, London[1]) is an English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal FC, having signed there from Southampton on 20 January 2006.
http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/51/walcott_theo_afc_profile_2006. jpg