Shaun Wright-Phillips

Shaun Wright-Phillips (born 25 October 1981 in
London) is an England|English football
(soccer)|association football player. He is the
adopted son of famous player Ian Wright, and
brother to fellow player Bradley Wright-Phillips
and upcoming youth player Bret Wright-Phillips. He
currently plays for Chelsea F.C..

Released by Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham
Forest at the age of 15 for being "too
small"  Manchester City F.C. took him to Maine
Road.  He later made his debut at Port Vale
F.C.|Port Vale and went on to become a regular
starter in the Premiership. His determination and
courage make him one of the most exciting players
to emerge from the English Academy in years.

He scored an impressive goal on his England
national football team|England debut against
Ukraine national football team|Ukraine on 18
August 2004, after coming on as a substitute, and
made his first start for England on February 9
2004 against Netherlands national football
team|the Netherlands. On 17 November, he became
one of the main targets of Racism|racist chants
from the crowd at an international "friendly"
between England and Spain national football
team|Spain in Madrid. However, he brushed that
aside with an incredible match-winning performance
in his next Manchester City game at Portsmouth
F.C.|Portsmouth, saying to reporters after the
game, "I just let the football do the talking."

He also has a similar response regarding his
father, saying in an interview with
manchesteronline.co.uk: "The press brought up my
adopted father's name. They relate to his name and
that is fine by me - it comes with the name, but I
will be my own man. I have made my own path and
started to take my own steps."

The England winger completed his £21million move
to Stamford Bridge on 17 July to join the Barclays
Premiership champions and return to his native
London.

Wright-Phillips joins Chelsea on a five-year
contract after agreeing personal terms and passing
a medical.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu

Aiyegbeni Yakubu (born November 22, 1982 in Benin
City, Nigeria) is a Nigeria|Nigerian football
(soccer) player, who currently plays for
Middlesbrough F.C. He weighs 81 kg and is 1.85
meters in height.

A striker, Yakubu started his career at Israeli
team Maccabi Haifa F.C., where he won two
championships and had a phenomanal scoring record
both in the domestic and international
competitions - breaking serveral club records.
After scoring 7 goals in 8 European Cup
appearances (including a hat-trick against
Olympiakos) in the 2002/03 season UEFA Champions
League, Yakubu moved to English club Portsmouth
F.C. on January 2003.

His goals helped fire Portsmouth to the Division
One (now Football League Championship) title,
scoring at a rate of one goal every two games.

During the club's debut FA Premier
League|Premiership season, during which they
finished 13th, he scored 19 times in 40 starts, a
massive return for a striker at a small club.
During the summer of 2004 several other
Premiership teams were interested in purchasing
Yakubu for upto £10 million, but he chose to stay
and help consolidate the club's Premiership
position.

He has been capped several times for Nigeria
national football team|Nigeria, and is a regular
in the national team.

After the 2004-05 season, he transferred from
Pompey to Middlesbrough F.C.|Boro for a £7
million fee.

== Career Data ==

* Maccabi Haifa Youth team (1999)
* Hapoel Kfar Saba (2000)
** A second division club, played on loan
* Maccabi Haifa (2001 - 2003)
** 24 domestic league goals in 50 appearances
** 8 domestic cup goals in 9 appearances
** 7 domestic European Cup goals in 11 appearances
* Portsmouth F.C. (2003 - 2005)
** 19 Premier League goals in 40 appearances
* Middlesbrough F.C. (2005 - )

Mikael Silvestre

Mikael Silvestre (born August 9,1977 in
Chambray-Les-Tours) is a France|French football
(soccer)|footballer, playing  as a Defender
(football)|defender. He currently plays for
Manchester United F.C., as well as France national
football team|France internationally.

He began his career with the France|French club
Stade Rennais FC|Rennes in the 1995/96 season. His
time at the club helped build his reputation, and
in the 1997/98 season was signed by
Internazionale|Inter Milan. He made 18 league
appearances for Inter, as well as 6 European Cup
games. Silvestre signed for Manchester United F.C.
on September 10, 1999 for £3,500,000.

Silvestre is adept as both a centre-back and a
full-back, though he has stated that he prefers
playing in the centre. His first season at Man Utd
wasn't exceptional; replacing an injured Ronny
Johnsen in the centre with Jaap Stam; but he has
since improved and is now a regular first team
member, being called up for France's national
squad frequently. He received criticism for his
performance in Euro 2004, where he gave away
penalties to both England national football
team|England and Croatia national football
team|Croatia, before France were knocked out by
Greece national football team|Greece in the
quarter-finals.

Silvestre's most positive attribute is his pace,
and he often sets up scoring opportunities. He is
also noted for his crossing and tackling
abilities, though he isn't as adept at marking
opposition strikers.

Dino Zoff

Dino Zoff (born February 28, 1942 in Mariano del
Friuli, Italy) is an Italian legendary football
(soccer)|football goalkeeper and the oldest ever
winner of the Football World Cup|World Cup as a
captain of the Italy national football
team|Italian national team in Spain in the
Wc|1982. With 112 caps, Zoff is second only to
Paolo Maldini in number of appearances for the
Azzurri.

Zoff spent most of his career at Juventus. He
holds the record for the longest stretch (1142
minutes) without allowing any goals.

After his retirement as a player, Zoff went into
coaching. He coached Italy to a second-place
finish in Ec2|2000. In 2005, he was named the
coach of ACF Fiorentina|Fiorentina after
previously coaching Juventus and S.S. Lazio|Lazio,
on three occasions. But after saving the team from
relegation on the last day of the seasion, Zoff
was let go.

Clubs
* 1961 - 1963 Udinese Calcio|Udinese
* 1963 - 1967 A.C. Mantova|Mantova
* 1967 - 1972 SSC Napoli|Napoli
* 1972 - 1983 Juventus

Club honors
* 1973 Serie A
* 1975 Serie A
* 1977 Serie A
* 1977 UEFA Cup
* 1978 Serie A
* 1979 Coppa Italia|Italian Cup
* 1981 Serie A
* 1982 Serie A
* 1983 Coppa Italia|Italian Cup

International appearances
* 1968 to 1982 for Italy national football
team|Italy (112 appearances in all, 59 as captain)
* 3 Football World Cup|World Cup Finals

International honors
* 1968 European Football Championship|1968
European Championship
* Football World Cup 1982|1982 World Cup

Teams coached
* 1988 - 1990 Juventus
* 1990 - 1994 S.S. Lazio|Lazio
* 1997 S.S. Lazio|Lazio
* 1998 - 2000 Italy national football team|Italy
* 2001 S.S. Lazio|Lazio
* 2005 ACF Fiorentina|Fiorentina

Coaching honors
* 1990 Coppa Italia|Italian Cup
* 1990 UEFA Cup

Claudio Taffarel

Cláudio André Mergen Taffarel (born May 8, 1966
in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul|Santa Rosa,
Brazil) is a former football (soccer) goalkeeper,
who backstopped Brazil national football
team|Brazil to victory at the Football World Cup
1994|1994 World Cup.

On the club level, Taffarel played for Sport Club
Internacional|Internacional (1984-90), Parma
A.C.|Parma (1990-93 and 2001-02), A.C.
Reggiana|Reggiana (1993-94), Clube Atlético
Mineiro|Atlético Mineiro (1994-97), and
Galatasaray (1998-2001). For the Brazilian
national team, Taffarel is the highest-cap
goalkeeper in its history, with 101 appearances.
Other than the 1994 triumph, he also played in the
Football World Cup 1990|1990 and Football World
Cup 1998|1998 World Cup tournaments.

He had a key role in Galatasary's UEFA Cup triumph
in 2000, he was made the man of the match in the
final.

Andriy Shevchenko

Andriy Shevchenko
(Андрій
Шевченк&
#1086;,
Андрій
Миколай&
#1086;вич
Шевченк&
#1086; (Ukrainian language|Ukrainian) - Andriy
Mykolayovych Shevchenko, nicknamed "Sheva", born
September 29, 1976 in Dvirkivschyna, near
Kiev|Kyiv) is a Ukraine|Ukrainian soccer|football
player who is a striker for A.C. Milan and the
Ukraine national football team|Ukrainian national
team. Shevchenko started off his career with
Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv, where under the
guidance of Valeri Lobanovsky he flourished into
one of the team's most prominent and skillful
players.

In 1999 he joined Italian side A.C. Milan for $26
million and has been one of their key players.
Since he moved to Italy, he has won the Serie A
scoring title twice, in 1999-2000, and 2003-2004.

In 2003, Shevchenko scored the winning Penalty
shootout (football)|penalty in UEFA Champions
League|Champions League final against Juventus,
giving A.C. Milan the title. Two years later, his
penalty was saved by Jerzy Dudek to hand the title
to Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool (the English side had
one kick left).

In December of 2004 Shevchenko was named the
European Footballer of the Year. He was also named
by Pelé as one of the FIFA 100|top 125 greatest
living footballers in March 2004.

During the summer of 2004, Roman Abramovich, the
owner of Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea, offered a record
sum of 50 million Euro and striker Hernan Crespo
to A.C. Milan in exchange for Andriy. Milan
refused but took Crespo on loan.

After that, the determined Abramovich offered
another record sum of 85 million Euros to AC Milan
and another record weekly wage of 225.000 Euros to
transfer him to Chelsea, but was again refused.

Teddy Sheringham

Edward 'Teddy' Sheringham (born April 2, 1966 in
Walthamstow, London, United Kingdom|UK) is an
English football (soccer)|footballer. He plays as
a striker, and has had a successful career at both
club and international level.

==Club career==
===Millwall===
Sheringham began his professional career at
Millwall F.C.|Millwall in 1982 at the age of
sixteen, after impressing a scout when playing for
the small club Leyton & Ilford during a Youth Team
game against Millwall.

He was signed up, initially as an apprentice, and
scored on only his second appearance for the club
in a match away at AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth in
January 1984. After being loaned out by the club
twice in 1985, to Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot and
later a Sweden|Swedish side, Djurgårdens IF
Fotboll|Djurgårdens, on his return he quickly
became a first choice selection at Millwall, and
during the late 1980s formed a famous striking
partnership with Tony Cascarino. He was the club's
top goalscorer in four different seasons (1986-87,
1987-88, 1988-89 and 1990-91) and played in every
single game of the season for them twice, in
1986-87 and 1990-91.

The 1987-1988|88 season saw the club promoted to
the Football League First Division|First Division,
then the highest tier of English league football,
for the first time. Many had predicted that
Millwall would not survive their first season in
the top flight and would be relegated back to the
Football League Second Division|Second Division in
their first season, but the goals of Sheringham
and Cascarino helped them to finish in a
surprising 10th position. However, it was not to
last, as the following season Millwall were indeed
relegated, finishing bottom of the Division and
returning to the second flight.

The club had an opportunity to bounce straight
back up at the end of the 1990-1991|91 season,
reaching the semi-finals of the Division Two
play-offs, but they were beaten by Brighton & Hove
Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion and thus
remained in the Division.

===Nottingham Forest===
Sheringham was by now in his mid-twenties and
although loyal to Millwall, not keen to linger
outside of the highest tier of football for long.
Salvation came in the form of a transfer to
Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest, then one
of the major clubs in the country, for a then
record fee of £2 million in July 1991. However,
after two years at the club he found himself a
victim of the pain of relegation for the second
time, as Forest went down at the end of the
inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93.

===Tottenham Hotspur===
He had impressed many with his appearances for the
club, however, and was quickly signed by another
big club, Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham
Hotspur, for £2.1 million. Sheringham became a
great favourite of the Tottenham fans and scored
many goals for the club, forming a particularly
impressive partnership with the German striker
Jürgen Klinsmann during the 1994-1995|95 season:
Klinsmann was later quoted as claiming that
Sheringham was the best strike partner he ever
had.

Despite his success and popularity at Tottenham,
however, Sheringham was disappointed that he had
failed to win any trophies with the club, and when
England's largest and most successful club,
Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United offered
Tottenham £3.5 million for his services in the
summer of 1997, he quickly accepted.

===Manchester United===
His early time at United was difficult, as he had
been signed to replace the iconic Frenchman Eric
Cantona, who had retired at the end of the
previous season, leaving him with an imposing
legacy to live up to. He was mocked in certain
quarters when, having publicly stated that he had
joined the club "to win trophies", during the
1997-1998|98 season the team won nothing for the
first time in three years.

The arrival of striker Dwight Yorke at the
beginning of the following season was expected to
push Sheringham out of the team, but instead it
seemed to have the effect of producing a fine run
of form from him. He finally got the trophy he had
waited so long for when United won the Premier
League in May 1999, and it quickly got much
better: they added the FA Cup and the UEFA
Champions League|European Cup to their haul, with
Sheringham scoring in both cup finals, including a
dramatic injury-time equaliser against Bayern
Munich at the very end of the European final. This
treble of trophies was unprecedented by any club
in the history of English football, and has not
been equalled or bettered since.

Sheringham spent two further seasons at Manchester
United, winning two further Premier League titles
and enjoying a fine final season with the club in
2000-01, at the end of which he was honoured with
both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the
Football Writers' Association Player of the Year
Awards.

===Tottenham and Portsmouth===
In the summer of 2001 he was allowed by United to
move on a free transfer back to Tottenham Hotspur,
Sheringham considering that at the age of
thirty-five his days at United had reached their
peak. He was welcomed back by the Tottenham fans,
amongst whom he was still greatly respected, and
was made the club Captain by manager Glenn Hoddle.

In 2003 he left Tottenham, many expecting him to
end his front line career, but instead he joined
the newly-promoted Premier League side Portsmouth
F.C.|Portsmouth, his goals helping the club to
remain in the top flight against the expectations
of many, much as they had done with Millwall 16
years previously.

Sheringham, the oldest player in the whole of the
FA Premier League|Premiership, was released by
Portsmouth at the end of the 2003-04 in English
football|2003-04 season, and his immediate future
was unclear. He had stated his desire to find a
new club and remain playing in the top flight for
at least one more season, which would take him up
to the age of thirty-nine - incredible career
longevity for any player, but especially so for a
striker, a position perhaps more than others
usually reliant on pace.

===West Ham United===
Sheringham opted to drop down a division, signing
a one-year deal with West Ham United F.C.|West Ham
United in the Football League Championship|League
Championship. He expressed a desire to help West
Ham earn promotion. In the 2004-05 in English
football|2004-05 season, he yet again belied his
advanced age for a footballer, scoring 20 goals in
league play (third in The Championship) and
helping lead West Ham to the promotion playoff
final, which they went on to win. He was also
selected by a fans poll run by The Football League
as the 2004-05 Player of the Season in The
Championship. In the close season, Sheringham
signed a one-year deal to play for the Hammers in
the Premiership.



===Clubs:===
* Millwall F.C.|Millwall (1982-1991)
* Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot (1985, loan)
* Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgårdens IF (1985, a
Swedish club, loan)
* Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest
(1991-1993)
* Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur
(1993-1997)
* Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United
(1997-2001)
* Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hostpur
(2001-2003)
* Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth (2003-2004)
* West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United
(2004-present)

===Honours:===
* FA Premier League|Premier League Championship
(1999, 2000, 2001)
* FA Cup (1999)
* Champions League (1999)
* European/South American Cup|Intercontinental Cup
(1999)
* Football League Second Division|Division Two
Championship (1988)
* Football League Championship Play-Off Winner
(2005)
* Swedish Division Two North Championship (1985)

==International career==
Something of a late developer on the international
scene, he didn't win his first England national
football team|England cap until the age of
twenty-seven in 1993. However, he scored against
Poland that year, and under the reign of manager
Terry Venables (1994-1996|96) came to be favoured
as the preferred strike partner for Alan Shearer
in the England team.

The two formed a famous partnership at
international level, as they complemented each
other's strengths: Shearer the out-and-out
goalscorer, big, strong and powerful, Sheringham
just 'dropping off' his strike partner, finding
spaces, creating play and providing key passes,
forming the link between Shearer and the England
midfield. The pairing came to be known as 'The
SAS' ('Shearer & Sheringham') and their most
successful match together was the 4-1 victory over
Netherlands national football team|Holland in the
opening round of the 1996 European Football
Championship|1996 European Championships, held in
England, a game in which they both scored twice
against one of the strongest teams in the
tournament.

Sheringham continued to be a first choice
selection under new England manager Glenn Hoddle
(1996-1999|99) until the emergence of new teenager
superstar Michael Owen during the course of 1998
saw him overshadowed. Although Sheringham began
the Wc|1998 as a starting player with Owen on the
bench, after Owen replaced him and almost turned
around a defeat against Romania national football
team|Romania in England's second game of the
tournament, it seemed likely that Sheringham's
front line international career had come to and
end.

He was not selected at all for the 2000 European
Football Championship|2000 European Championships
by then manager Kevin Keegan, but the retirement
of Alan Shearer|Shearer (ironically four years
younger than Sheringham) from international
football after that tournament and the arrival of
new manager Sven-Göran Eriksson in 2001 saw a
return to international favour for him. He was
often deployed as a tactical substitute late in
games by Eriksson, valued for his ability to hold
the ball up and create intelligent play, and he
scored a vital goal for England in a World Cup
qualifying match against Greece national football
team|Greece in September 2001.

He was selected as part of Eriksson's Wc|2002
squad and played in the famous 1-0 win against
Argentina national football team|Argentina, almost
scoring a goal with a shot that was well saved by
the Argentine goalkeeper, and made his final
England appearance as a substitute in the 2-1
quarter-final defeat to Brazil national football
team|Brazil.

At the age of thirty-six, that defeat signalled
the final end of Sheringham's international
career, during which he had earned fifty-one caps
and scored eleven times for England national
football team|England.