| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Findley | ||
| Date of birth | August 4, 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Nottingham Forest | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2006 | Oregon State Beavers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005–2006 | Boulder Rapids Reserve | 17 | (15) |
| 2007 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 9 | (2) |
| 2007–2010 | Real Salt Lake | 91 | (29) |
| 2011– | Nottingham Forest | 18 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007– | United States | 11 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:11, 31 December 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Robert "Robbie" Findley (born August 4, 1985) is an American international soccer player who plays professionally for English club Nottingham Forest. He is a member of the United States national team and plays as a forward.
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Born in in Phoenix, Arizona, Findley attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, and began his career playing college soccer at Oregon State University. Findley also played for the Boulder Rapids Reserve in the USL Premier Development League in the summers of 2005 and 2006, scoring 15 goals in 17 appearances.
Findley was selected by the Galaxy in the second round of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft as the sixteenth pick overall. On April 8, 2007, Findley made his MLS debut in Galaxy's season opener against the Houston Dynamo. He came on as a substitute for Cobi Jones in the sixtieth minute. Four days later, Findley scored his first career MLS goal in the eighty-sixth minute against FC Dallas after coming on for Jones in the fifty-eighth minute.
On June 21, 2007, Findley was traded along with midfielder Nathan Sturgis to Real Salt Lake in exchange for veteran forward Chris Klein.[1] He made an immediate impact in his debut for RSL, scoring two goals and leading the club to its first win of the 2007 season. Despite playing only sixteen games for Salt Lake that season, he led the club in scoring with six goals. The following season (2008), he tallied another six goals, finishing just behind Yura Movsisyan for the team lead. He also finished second on the team with five assists. Additionally, he picked up two honors during the season: MLS Player of the Week and Sierra Mist Goal of the Week (both in week ten against the San Jose Earthquakes). More importantly, he led the club to its first-ever appearance in the MLS Cup playoffs, where RSL advanced to the Western Conference finals.
He joined Danish Superliga side Brøndby IF on trial in January 2009.[2] However, he failed to secure a contract with the club despite scoring two goals during the practice game they used to assess him. He returned to Salt Lake and produced his best season ever as a professional, scoring a team-high twelve goals. That total was good for third-best in MLS (tied with Juan Pablo Angel, Landon Donovan, Fredy Montero, and Guillermo Barros Schelotto). He had three multi-goal matches during the season, including the first hat trick in franchise history[3] in a 4–1 victory over Columbus Crew on April 2, 2009. On August 8, 2009, he scored his twentieth career goal for RSL, passing Jeff Cunningham as the franchise's all-time leader. In the last match of the 2009 regular season, Findley scored two goals to lead RSL to a 3–0 victory over Colorado, securing another playoff bid for the club. For his performance, he was named MLS Player of the Week.
In the first leg of the quarterfinal round of the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs, his 88th minute goal gave RSL a 1–0 aggregate lead over top-seeded Columbus. He tallied again in RSL's 3-2 victory in Columbus, which advanced the team to the Eastern Conference finals against the Chicago Fire. After playing to a scoreless draw in regulation, Salt Lake defeated Chicago in penalty kicks and advanced to the MLS Cup Final against Findley's old team, the Galaxy. Despite being heavy underdogs, RSL played tough against the stars from Los Angeles. Findley scored in the 64th minute, knotting the match at 1-1. The two teams remained deadlocked for the rest of regulation; Salt Lake emerged victorius in penalty kicks, claiming the MLS Cup in one of the biggest upsets in the history of American pro soccer.[4]
Findley's contract with Real Salt Lake expired at the end of the 2010 MLS season and he announced his intentions to leave MLS and move to Europe.[5] On November 24, 2010 Findley was selected by Portland Timbers in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, in an attempt to get him to resign with MLS, or to retain his rights should he return from Europe. Rumors circulated about Findley going to Brondby IF and Randers FC of the Danish Superliga and the Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League, but on December 21, 2010, Findley accepted an offer from Nottingham Forest of England's Football League Championship.
After a short trial with English club Wolverhampton Wanderers in mid-December 2010, Findley was signed as a free agent by English Championship club Nottingham Forest on 23 December 2010, subject to receiving a work permit. His work permit was approved at a F.A. hearing in London on 15 January 2011.[6] Findley incurred a thigh injury in training shortly after joining Forest and became unavailable until Spring 2011.[7] After several months on the sidelines, Findley finally made his debut for Forest on 22 April 2011, coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 victory over East Midlands rivals Leicester City.[8]
Findley made his full competitive debut for Forest on 8 August 2011 in a home fixture against Notts County in the first round of the 2011–12 Football League Cup. Findley scored Forest's second goal - his first goal for the club - after having an earlier effort ruled out for offside. He also converted his penalty in the match's penalty shoot-out, which Forest won.[9] Forest manager Steve McClaren said: "He can have a big impact in the Championship. He is as fast as lightning. He is quick, he covers a lot of ground, he works for the team, he defends when he has to and, most importantly, he can get a goal".[10] In the third round of the Carling Cup, Findley scored in the 46th minute with a stinging effort that flew by keeper Robert Elliot. Although Forest lost in dramatic fashion, with a 4-3 extra time loss to Newcastle United.[11] On 28 August 2011, Findley scored his first league goal against West Ham United in a 4-1 loss.[12] On 19 November 2011, Findley scored his second league goal against Ipswich Town in a 3-2 win.[13]
Findley made his international debut for the in October 2007,[14][15] and was a squad member at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, making three appearances during the tournament.[16]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 2007 | Los Angeles Galaxy | Major League Soccer | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2007 | Real Salt Lake | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | |
| 2008 | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 6 | ||
| 2009 | 27 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 15 | ||
| 2010 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 7 | ||
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2010–11 | Nottingham Forest | The Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | ||
| Total | USA | 105 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 120 | 36 | |
| England | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5 | ||
| Country | 122 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 141 | 41 | ||
Findley has dual citizenship with the United States and Trinidad and Tobago. He qualifies for Trinidad and Tobago through his parents, who emigrated to the United States from the Caribbean nation.
Findley is a cousin of Mike Bibby of the Miami Heat and Shaun McDonald formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers.[14] He is related through marriage to Eddie House of the Miami Heat because of House's marriage to Mike Bibby's sister.[19]
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