Fülöp playing for Sunderland |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Márton Fülöp[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Budapest, Hungary | ||
| Height | 1.98 m[2] | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2002 | MTK | 0 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | BKV Előre SC | 16 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Bodajk | 27 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | (0) |
| 2005 | → Chesterfield (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Coventry City (loan) | 31 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Sunderland (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | Sunderland | 44 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Leicester City (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Stoke City (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Manchester City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Ipswich Town | 35 | (0) |
| 2011– | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2005 | Hungary U21 | 11 | (0) |
| 2005– | Hungary | 24 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 02:45, 7 May 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Márton Fülöp (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrton ˈfyløp]; born 3 May 1983) is a Hungarian footballer who plays for West Bromwich Albion as a goalkeeper. After playing in Hungary for MTK Budapest FC, BKV Előre SC and BFC Siófok, he signed for English club Tottenham Hotspur.
Loan periods with Chesterfield and Coventry was followed by a spell on loan with Sunderland with whom he permanently signed in 2007. Further loans to Leicester City, Stoke City and Manchester City ended with a transfer to Ipswich Town.
Fülöp has also represented his country at under-21 and full international level.
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Fülöp signed for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2004 from MTK Hungária FC after a successful trial with the club.[3] In the 2004–05 season he joined Chesterfield on a month's loan.[4] This loan was extended until the end of the season.[5] He played in seven games before being recalled to Spurs as cover for Radek Černý due to an injury to Paul Robinson. He joined Coventry City on a three-month loan in October 2005.[6] In the 2005–06 season he was the first-choice for Coventry City. He did not make a first team appearance in a competitive match for Tottenham, but was on the bench 16 times and played nine reserve matches in the 2004–05 season.
In early 2006 he stated that he did not intend to stay at Tottenham Hotspur as he admitted it would be hard to get past number one Paul Robinson. He had expressed a desire to join Coventry City on a permanent move.[7] However, in November 2006, he signed for Sunderland, on a month's loan, with a view to a permanent transfer once the transfer window opened in January.
Fülöp made his debut for Sunderland on 9 December 2006 in the 2–1 victory over Luton. In December, Fülöp expressed his desire to join Sunderland permanently.[8] His deal at Sunderland was made permanent for £900,000 on 2 January 2007, in a deal which involved Ben Alnwick going to Tottenham Hotspur.[9]
Fülöp signed a year long loan deal with Leicester City on 16 August 2007,[10] making his debut against Crystal Palace two days later, which ended in a 2–2 draw. On 1 September, the goalkeeper made a string of superb saves against Plymouth Argyle to ensure Leicester a point at Home Park.[11] This would be the first of a number of fine performances from Fülöp. On 26 September, he repeated his string of superb saves which contributed in the team's shock victory over Aston Villa in the League Cup.[12] He was twice named in the Championship Team Of The Week, on 1 October and 22 October.[13][14]
Fülöp made another fine performance against Chelsea in a League Cup match on 31 October, twice denying Claudio Pizarro and pushing an effort from Scott Sinclair onto the post, but could not prevent his side from losing 4–3.[15] His form during that season prompted the club to bid for him on a permanent basis in the January transfer window. Fülöp told Sky Sports on 21 December that he was interested in a permanent deal with Leicester,[16] and the club made an offer for him on 29 December, together with Graham Kavanagh.[17] He played his last match for Leicester in a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic at the Walkers Stadium on 29 December 2007.[18]
Fülöp was recalled to Sunderland on 31 December.[19] On 4 January 2008, Leicester manager Ian Holloway accused Roy Keane of being greedy after his initial bid to sign Fülöp was rejected. A total of £1 million was offered, however Keane demanded £3 million. Holloway refused to pay more than £1 million, ending any hopes of keeping Fülöp.[20] Fülöp revealed on 25 January that he was unhappy to be recalled by Roy Keane and that he actually wanted to stay at Leicester.[21]
Fülöp was loaned to Stoke City on 22 February 2008,[22] but was recalled by Sunderland just four days later as back up cover to Craig Gordon following Darren Ward's injury, making one appearance in the final Premier League game at home to Arsenal.[23] Stoke had a bid of £1.7 million for him rejected by Sunderland in June,[24] but the clubs later agreed a fee in July of £3m.[25] However, the deal collapsed after Stoke signed Thomas Sørensen on a free transfer instead, after the deal was stalled because of payments to Fülöp's agent. Due to Craig Gordon's injury, Fülöp had taken over the goalkeeping position, and was in goal for the second Tyne-wear derby of the season on the first of February 2009. With Gordon's injuries Fülöp has become the first choice keeper and proved his worth with many fine performances to help keep Sunderland in the Premier League at the end of the 2008/09 season. He also got recognition for several saves made in the Premier League opener away to Bolton, which they won 1–0.
Fülöp joined Manchester City on an emergency loan until the end of the 2009–10 season on 27 April 2010. City's first-team goalkeeper Shay Given suffered a dislocated shoulder against Arsenal, back-up 'keepers Stuart Taylor and David González Giraldo were both sidelined with injury, and Joe Hart on loan at Birmingham City F.C. leaving City with only the inexperienced Gunnar Nielsen available to play.[26] His debut came at home against Aston Villa on 1 May 2010 in a 3–1 victory.[27]
On 2 August 2010, it was reported that Ipswich Town had agreed a deal to sign Fülöp from Sunderland, with a medical the last remaining phase in the transfer left to be completed.[28] He passed his medical and signed a two-year contract on 5 August.[29]
Fülöp signed a one-year contract with West Bromwich Albion on 6 August 2011,[30] moving on a free transfer.[31]
After signing for Tottenham, Fülöp made his full International debut for the Hungarian National team, coming on at half-time against France and managing to not concede a goal although Hungary lost 2–1. He has also played a number of U-21 games in addition to 10 U-21 caps he had when he signed for Tottenham Hotspur.
Fülöp was not selected to play for Hungary again for about two years until September 2007 when he earned his fifth and sixth cap against Bosnia and Turkey during the Euro 2008 qualifying.[32][33] He managed two clean sheets against Malta and Poland on 13 and 17 October, but conceded three goals against Moldova on 17 November. Fülöp conceded two more goals in Hungary's last match of the Euro 2008 qualifying, losing 2–1 to Greece. Hungary finished second last in Group C with 12 points.
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