Christopher Wreh

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Christopher Wreh
Personal information
Full name Christopher Wreh
Date of birth December 29, 1975 (1975-12-29) (age 32)
Place of birth    Monrovia, Liberia
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Perseman Manokwari
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1993–1997
1996–1997
1997–2000
1999
1999
2000
2000–2001
2001
2001–2002
2003–2004
2004
2007–
Monaco
Guingamp (loan)
Arsenal
AEK Athens (loan)
Birmingham City (loan)
Den Bosch (loan)
Al-Hilal
Bournemouth
St. Mirren
Bishop's Stortford
Buckingham Town
Perseman Manokwari
15 (3)
33 (10)
28 (3)
11 (4)
7 (1)
7 (2)
? (?)
? (?)
3 (0)
? (?)
? (?)   
National team2
1995–2002 Liberia 036 (11)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 18:06, 12 February 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 18:06, 12 February 2008 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Christopher Wreh (born May 14, 1975 in Monrovia) is a Liberian footballer.

A cousin of former FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah, Wreh first played for Liberian clubs Young Kotoko, La Modelle International and Invincible Eleven, before being snapped up by French side AS Monaco as a youth in 1989. A centre forward, Wreh was mainly on the fringes of the Monaco side, and spent a period on loan at Guingamp, where he played in the 1997 Coupe de France final (which Guingamp lost on penalties). In the meantime, Wreh had made his debut for Liberia in 1995, and would go on to win 36 caps for his country, scoring 11 goals.

Wreh's contract expired in the summer of 1997, and he moved on a Bosman free transfer to English club Arsenal, linking up with his former boss at Monaco, Arsène Wenger. Although fourth choice behind Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp and Nicolas Anelka, Wreh still played an important part in the Gunners' Double winning season of 1997-98, scoring in vital 1-0 Premier League wins against Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers, and scoring the only goal of the Gunners' FA Cup semi-final win over Wolves. Wreh went on to play in the FA Cup final, although he didn't score, Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2-0.

Despite scoring in the Charity Shield against Manchester United, Wreh couldn't sustain his previous form and he played fewer and fewer games; after the arrival of Thierry Henry and Davor Šuker at the club in 1999 he was squeezed out altogether. He had brief loan spells with Birmingham City, AEK Athens and Den Bosch, but none of these were made permanent. He left Arsenal in 2000, having scored 5 times in 46 matches (most of them as substitute).

Wreh's career never reached the same heights as it had at Arsenal, as he became somewhat of a journeyman footballer. He initially signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, then returned to the UK in 2001 with brief stints at Bournemouth and St Mirren, but fitness problems meant he rarely got a game. After trying his luck at Bishop's Stortford, he played for United Counties League side Buckingham Town.

In 2005, Wreh retired from football to concentrate on a musical career with his band 'Soul Rebels', who were touring Europe.

In 2007, he returned to football, signing for Perseman Manokwari of the Indonesian Football League.[1][2]

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