Brent Sancho

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brent Sancho
Personal information
Full name	Brent Sancho
Date of birth	March 13, 1977 (age 29)
Place of birth	Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Height	1.85m (6 ft 1 in)
Nickname	Dirty
Position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Gillingham
Number	5
Youth clubs
1994-95 1996-97	Essex CC St. John's
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1999 1999 2000 2001-02 2003 2003 2003-05 2005-	MyPa Tervarit FC Charleston Battery Portland Timbers San Juan Jabloteh Joe Public Dundee Gillingham	44(2) 29(2)
National team**
1999-2006	Trinidad and Tobago	62 (0)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 October 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 10 October 2006.

Brent Sancho (born 13 March 1977 in Port of Spain) is a Trinidad and Tobago international footballer currently playing for Gillingham. He spent his college years playing for St. John's University in New York, where he was part of the school's only National Championship, in 1996. He then spent most of his early career playing in the United States, before joining Dundee in the 2003/04 season. A successful spell in the SPL was followed by a transfer to League One side Gillingham. Predominantly a central defender, Sancho can also operate well at right back.

Sancho has become a fan favourite in the short time that he has been at Priestfield, being instrumental in tightening the defence which helped the Gills win 6 games in a row, and was named in the Trinidad and Tobago squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

He won his 60th cap in a goalless draw with Sweden in his country's first ever appearance in the World Cup, though he was not expected to be a starter, he gave a creditable performance all through the tournament, defending bravely. Sancho also became the first former St. John's player and first current Gillingham player ever to play in a World Cup. In the next match against England, Peter Crouch climbed over him and headed the ball into the net for the first goal of the game, while tugging at Sancho's dreadlocks. [1]

In his 62nd game for his country, he scored an own goal in the first half of his team's game against Paraguay. The game ended with a score of 2-0, ensuring Trinidad and Tobago's elimination from the World Cup. He was the third player in the tournament to score an own goal.

During the World Cup Sancho proposed to his girlfriend Jana Herbert-Fiu live on TV during the England-Trinidad and Tobago match, via a text message sent to BBC South East Today's Geoff Clark[2].

On 9th October Sancho announced his retirement from international football along with 12 others. Speaking at a press conference, Sancho said: "It's not just monetary. They have made certain contractual arrangements which they have now reneged on."[3]

	Trinidad and Tobago squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Hislop | 2 Cox | 3 A. John | 4 Andrews | 5 Sancho | 6 Lawrence | 7 Birchall | 8 Gray | 9 Whitley | 10 Latapy | 11 Edwards | 12 Samuel | 13 Glen | 14 S. John | 15 Jones | 16 Wise | 17 Charles | 18 Theobald | 19 Yorke | 20 Scotland | 21 Jack | 22 Ince | 23 Wolfe | Coach: Beenhakker

Gillingham F.C. - Current Squad
1 Jack | 2 Jupp | 3 Jackman | 4 Flynn | 5 Sancho | 6 Cox | 7 Crofts | 8 Bentley | 9 Mulligan | 10 McDonald | 12 Easton | 13 Brill | 14 Johnson | 15 Howell | 16 Clohessy | 17 Savage | 18 Stone | 19 Collin | 20 Chorley | 21 Jarvis | 22 Spiller | 24 Ndumbu-Nsungu | 25 Pouton | Manager: Jepson