Throwback Thursday: Nigel Reo-Coker

Last night, hours after Barcelona ended English hopes in this year’s UEFA Champions League, a former Premier League star took a giant step towards a place in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Nigel Reo-Coker started for Montreal Impact as they beat Costa Rican side Alajuelense 2-0 in the first-leg of their semi-final tie.

The match was just the second appearance of the English midfielder’s spell in Montreal, having left Chivas USA at the end of the 2014 MLS campaign.

Almost three years on from the last of his 205 Premier League appearances, we take a look at Reo-Coker’s career to date.

Captain Marvel: Reo-Coker in action for West Ham

Factfile:
Full Name: Nigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker
Date of Birth: 14/5/1984
Nationality: English
Height: 1.75m
Clubs: Wimbledon FC, West Ham, Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, Vancouver Whitecaps, Chivas USA, Montreal Impact*
Career Appearances: 404*
Career Goals: 24*

The Early Years:

Reo-Coker joined Wimbledon FC aged 12 and made his debut in 2002 before becoming club captain at just 19.

The midfielder scored six goals in 64 appearances for the first team before earning a £500,000 move to West Ham in January 2004.

In March that year, Reo-Coker scored his first goal for the Hammers in a 5-0 win against his former club and quickly established himself as one of English football’s brightest prospects.

Manager Alan Pardew soon made the tough tackling midfielder captain, and Reo-Coker repaid his faith; West Ham earned promotion to the Premier League via the 2005 play-offs.

The Nearly Man:

Reo-Coker captained England U-21

In his first Premier League season, Reo-Coker, aged 22, was one of the youngest Premier League captains ever but scored five times in 31 Premier League appearances as West Ham finished ninth.

West Ham also reached the 2006 FA Cup final where LA Galaxy’s latest signing, Steven Gerrard, scored twice for Liverpool in a 3-3 draw as Reo-Coker’s side lost on penalties.

The midfielder was named a standby for England’s 2006 World Cup squad but still hasn’t played full international football – although he did turn down the chance to play for Sierra Leone in 2010.

Reo-Coker was eligible through his father Ransford, a doctor, and lived in the country for six years as a child.

European Adventure:
The following season, West Ham and Reo-Coker suffered a slump and although they avoided relegation on the final day of the season, he was sold to Aston Villa for £8.5million in July 2007.

Once again Reo-Coker scored his first goal for the club in a 5-0 win, this time against Wrexham in the League Cup second round.

He spent four years at Villa playing 102 times for a team that finished in sixth place three times in a row under Martin O’Neill.

During this time Reo-Coker played in the Europa League each year from 2008 to 2010, scoring once against Litex Lovech, but Villa never progressed beyond the last 32.

Reo-Coker enjoyed a successful debut season in MLS

The American Dream:

After leaving Villa the former England Under-21 captain joined Bolton Wanderers, managed by current Houston Dynamo’s boss Owen Coyle, in the summer of 2011.

However, he left after the club were relegated at the end of his first season, and after a brief stint with Ipswich Town, moved to the MLS with Vancouver Whitecaps.

Reo-Coker enjoyed a successful debut season – he played 32 times, scoring once and making four assists.

He was then traded to Chivas USA, who folded just six months after the midfielder joined the franchise, for Mauro Rosales in August 2014.

What next...:

Now at Montreal, Reo-Coker is just 90 minutes away from making history as part of the first ever Canadian side to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League final.

At just 30, the tough-tackling midfielder still has a few years ahead of him, and Champions League glory would be just reward for a stellar career so far.

It could be time for the nearly man of English football to make the big time in North America.

Images courtesy of Paul Gilham, Phil Cole and Derek Leung, with thanks.