Sam Sodje

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Sam Sodje
Personal information
Full name Samuel Okeremute Sodje
Date of birth 25 May 1979 (1979-05-25) (age 29)
Place of birth    Greenwich, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current club Reading
Number 18
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1998–2002
2002–2004
2004–2006
2006–
2007
2007–2008		 Stevenage Borough
Margate
Brentford
Reading
→ West Bromwich Albion (loan)
→ Charlton Athletic (loan)		 29 0(3)
68 0(8)
83 (12)
03 0(0)
07 0(1)
27 0(2)   
National team2
2005– Nigeria 02 0(0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 11:50, 7 May 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 14:34, 19 March 2007 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Samuel Okeremute Sodje (born 25 May 1979 in Greenwich, England) is a Nigerian centre half currently playing his football with Premier League side Reading. His brothers, Efe, Steve, Akpo and cousin Onome all play football in England. His brother Bright used to play rugby league.

Contents

[edit] Football career

[edit] Early years

Sodje joined Margate at the beginning of the 2002–03 season and scored on his debut with a header. He quickly established himself as a huge favourite with the supporters and won the Supporters' Player of the Year award at the end of his first season with Margate. In his second game he scored a header again, this time sadly it was in the wrong end as he scored an own-goal against Kettering Town.

In the summer of 2003, he went on trial at Yeovil Town and Chester City, but neither team signed him. He returned to Margate to play Conference football for the 2003–04 season and impressed once again.

At the beginning of the 2004–05 season, he moved from Margate to League One side Brentford on a free transfer. He became popular with the Brentford fans through a combination of his goal-scoring, and his crazy hairstyles. At the end of that season he won a local newspaper award for player of the season, and at the end of the 2005–06 season he was honoured with a place in the PFA League One team of the year.[1]

[edit] Reading

It was revealed Sodje had turned down a move to Southampton on 31 January 2006, the final day of the transfer window.[2] Much transfer speculation followed until it was announced on 12 July 2006 that Sodje would join Reading, subject to a medical;[3] the transfer was completed on 14 July 2006.[4]

Sodje made his Reading debut away to Wigan Athletic on 26 August 2006 because of a suspension to Ibrahima Sonko. However, his first team opportunities in the 2006–07 proved to be limited, so on 16 March 2007 he signed a month's loan deal with West Bromwich Albion,[5] which was subsequently extended to the end of the 2006–07 season.[6] Whilst there, he helped The Baggies to a place in the Football League Championship Playoff Final, which they lost 1-0 to Derby County.[7]

In the summer 2007 transfer window, Sheffield Wednesday agreed a fee with Reading for Sodje, with Sodje given the opportunity to think over the move.[8] However, Sodje eventually joined Charlton Athletic on loan for the remainder of the 2007–08 season.[9] He made his Charlton debut in the club's 2-0 victory over Norwich City as a late substitute on 18 September 2007. His performance in Charlton's 3-1 home win over Ipswich Town on 8 December 2007 earned him a place in the Championship Team of the Week.[10]

[edit] Nigeria

He made his international debut for the Nigeria national football team in 2005 in an international friendly against Romania.[11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Gerrard named player of the year", BBC Sport, 2006-04-23. Retrieved on 2007-04-26. 
  2. ^ "Sodje turns down move to Saints", BBC Sport, 2006-02-01. Retrieved on 2006-07-12. 
  3. ^ "Royals agree £350k fee for Bees' Sam Sodje", readingfc.co.uk, 2006-07-12. Retrieved on 2006-07-12. 
  4. ^ "Royals to complete signing of defender Sam Sodje this afternoon", readingfc.co.uk, 2006-07-14. Retrieved on 2006-07-14. 
  5. ^ "Sodje to join West Brom on loan for a month", readingfc.co.uk, 2007-03-16. Retrieved on 2007-03-16. 
  6. ^ "West Brom extend Sodje loan spell", BBC Sport, 2007-04-17. Retrieved on 2007-04-17. 
  7. ^ "Derby 1-0 West Brom", BBC Sport, 2007-05-28. Retrieved on 2007-05-28. 
  8. ^ "Sodje thinking over Owls move", readingfc.co.uk, 2007-08-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. 
  9. ^ "Friday's lunchtime transfer update", readingfc.co.uk, 2007-08-31. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. 
  10. ^ Coca-Cola Championship Team Of The Week (10/12/2007) (pdf). The Football League (2007-12-10). Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  11. ^ Sodje doubt for Bees, Football.co.uk. 2005-11-17. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Reading F.C. – current squad

1 Hahnemann • 2 Murty • 3 Shorey • 4 Cissé • 5 Sonko • 6 Gunnarsson • 7 Little • 8 Lita • 9 Doyle • 10 Hunt • 12 Kitson • 15 Harper • 16 Ingimarsson • 17 Convey • 18 Sodje • 19 Rosenior • 20 Faé • 22 Bikey • 24 Long • 25 Bennett • 26 Osano • 28 Matějovský • 29 Duberry • 30 Kébé • 32 Federici • 33 Golbourne • 34 Henry • 35 Pearce • 36 Andersen • 39 Church • 40 Karacan • 41 Hamer • 42 Bozanic • 43 Illugason • 44 Davies • Manager: Coppell
Persondata
NAME Sodje, Samuel Okeremute
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sodje, Sam
SHORT DESCRIPTION Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH 1979-05-25
PLACE OF BIRTH Greenwich, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages