Lee Hendrie:
A Solid Midfielder for Aston Villa from 1996-2007, Hendrie totalled 251 Premier League matches for The Villa during his 11 year stay and was a second Generation Footballer (His father being Scottish Footballer John Hendrie). He flew under the radar for most of his career, but it was his International call up in November 1998 which was perhaps his most career defining moment. Then England Manager Glenn Hoddle gave then 21 year old Hendrie his first and only cap against the Czech Republic in an International Friendly. In January 2012, the 35 year old was declared Bankrupt by her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs at the High Court. He is currently playing for Birmingham side Tamworth FC in the Conference National League.
Chris Sutton:
Sutton began his career with Norwich City in 1990. Initially a Midfielder, he was eventually shifted in to the Striker’s position and was soon showing signs of a promising career as a Centre Forward. It wasn’t long before the transfer offers came, and in 1994 he was signed by then Blackburn Rovers coach Kenny Dalgish. Dalglish had a view to take Blackburn Rovers and turn them in to a Premier League winning side. 1 year later he achieved the unthinkable and little Blackburn Rovers won the 1994/95 FA Premier League title. A large part of this was due to Alan Shearer’s 34 goal haul coupled with Chris Sutton’s goal tally of 15. After suffering relegation in 1999, Sutton was soon poached by Chelsea for a fee of 10 Million Pounds. He failed to replicate the form he had shown in previous years and left the club one year later with only 1 goal out of 28 matches to his name. His best years were still ahead of him and from 2000 to 2006; Sutton enjoyed his fair share of success at Scottish Club Celtic FC. This included 3 Scottish Premier League Titles, 3 Scottish Cups and a UEFA Cup runner up medal. Sutton returned to the Premier League in 2006 and made sporadic appearances for both Birmingham City and Aston Villa. In October 2012 he made a surprise return to Football when he came on the field as a Substitute for Ryman Division One North side Wroxham. His son Oliver Sutton also played in this match, making his debut as a Goalkeeper. Chris Sutton’s only International Cap came in November 1997 in a Friendly against Cameroon. He was introduced in to the game as a late substitute for Paul Scholes. Chris Sutton’s International career ended swiftly after the Former Blackburn Striker refused to play for the England B team in a Friendly match in February 1998. A decision which enraged then manager Glenn Hoddle and ultimately cut short whatever International hopes Sutton may have had.
Neil “Razor” Ruddock:
The Razor. One of the toughest, most uncompromising Footballers of his day. His CV boasts an impressive array of talents. Breaking both of Andy Cole’s legs in a single tackle. Breaking the Jaw of the Good Natured Peter Beardsley and being spat on by Patrick Vieira. In addition to this, he also holds the distinction of being the only player to get under Eric Cantona’s skin (a bit sarcastic I know). All of these things may not have been Football related, but they somehow made Ruddock a memorable/notorious figure of the game. In an Interview conducted in May 2010, (on the eve of the World Cup) Ruddock admitted to breaking Andy Cole’s leg on purpose, but insisted he only intended to break one of his legs. Neil Ruddock began his career with Tottenham Hotspur as an 18 year old in 1986 after receiving no game time with his first club Millwall FC. After a handful of matches over a 2 and a half year time span, he made the move once again, this time to Southampton FC in February 1989. After solid performances over the next few years, he temporarily returned to Spurs in 1992 before making the big move to Liverpool in 1993. It was here that Ruddock played his Finest Football and enjoyed his most memorable/infamous moments. It was also the period which saw him gain his first and only International Cap for England, getting the call up on November 16, 1994 from then manager Terry Venables in a Friendly against Nigeria. Ruddock finished his career with clubs like West Ham FC, Crystal Palace and Swindon Town before retiring in 2003. Since then he spends his time as a guest pundit on various programs like A Question of Sport, Talksport and The Jeremy Kyle Show. He also featured in the 2004 edition of “I’m a Celebrity Get me Out Of Here”. As of January 2013, he was last seen on Celebrity Big Brother 11, where he was selected by housemates Ryan and Frankie to enter the basement instead of the main house.
Owen Coyle:
Owen Coyle will be remembered more so as a Coach than a player. Nevertheless, he was a Professional player back in his day. Born in Paisley Scotland in 1966, Coyle began his career with Dumbarton F.C. in 1985 where he showed signs of a striker in the making. In 1988 he transferred to Clydebank before moving on to Airdrieonians in 1990, where he really began to make a name for himself. In 1993, He was signed by English Premier side Bolton Wanderers for a fee of 250,000 pounds. He failed to replicate the form once shown earlier in his career and in 1995 he went back to Scotland to play for Dundee United, who signed him for a modest fee of 400,000 pounds. After finishing his playing career as a player/coach with St Johnstone in 2007, it wasn’t long before Coyle made the move to coach in England. He assumed the top job as Manager of Burnley in November 2007 and after 18 months the club were promoted to the English Premier League. Midway through the Premier League Season 2009-10, he was snapped up by Bolton Wanderers, who had just sacked there previous coach Gary Megson. Sadly on October 9, 2012, Coyle was sacked by the club after a series of losses, which put the club in 18th place on the ladder. Since then, Coyle has remained a free agent, and it’s been reported that, since his departure, he has turned down a number of offers to coach at other clubs. With clubs like Blackpool and Ipswich Town eager to sign him, Coyle has opted to wait until the right club comes along. As an International, Coyle represented the Republic of Ireland just once, in a Friendly match against the Netherlands. This International cap came in April 1994, when he replaced Tommy Coyne as a Substitute late in the match.
Written by Alex Stilianos.
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