Reece Grego-Cox

Reece Grego-Cox
Personal information
Full nameReece Randall Grego-Cox[1]
Date of birth12 November 1996
Place of birthHammersmith, London, England
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Queens Park Rangers
Number39
Youth career
–2010Bedfont Eagles
2010–2014Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2015–Queens Park Rangers2(0)
National team‡
2013Republic of Ireland U173(1)
2014–Republic of Ireland U193(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 March 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2014

Reece Randall Grego-Cox (born 12 November 1996) is a footballer who plays as a striker for English club Queens Park Rangers.

He joined Queens Park Rangers in 2010 after a prolific season for Bedfont Eagles under-14. He was first selected for a matchday squad in January 2015, and made his debut in the Premier League in March.

Born in England, Grego-Cox chose to represent the Republic of Ireland at international level. He has featured for their under-17 and under-19 teams.

Club career

Queens Park Rangers

Born in Hammersmith, London, Grego-Cox is a QPR fan and joined the club at the age of 13 in 2010, after scoring nearly 60 goals in a season for Bedfont Eagles under-14.[2] In the 2014–15 season, while a part of the Queens Park Rangers Under-18 team, he was also a regular with the Under-21s under Steve Gallen, scoring 4 goals in 7 starts.[3] In August 2014, with the Under-18 team, he scored from 50 yards in a 3–2 win over Manchester City, which the Daily Mirror compared to a goal by David Beckham in 1996.[4]

He signed his first professional contract with the club on 22 December 2014, a two-and-a-half year deal lasting until 2017. He said “It’s really weird actually. Growing up watching QPR and then being in the position you wish you were, playing for QPR. It’s a great feeling.”[3] He took part in a friendly on the same day with the first team against Southend United, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Niko Kranjčar and scoring with his first touch in a 3–2 victory.[5]

Grego-Cox was included in a matchday squad for the first time on 4 January 2015, remaining an unused substitute as they lost 0–3 to League One side Sheffield United at Loftus Road in the third round of the FA Cup.[6] He made his professional debut on 7 March 2015, replacing Karl Henry for the last two minutes of a 1–2 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.[7]

International career

Although born in England, Grego-Cox represents the Republic of Ireland at international level qualifying to do so through his grandparents.[2] He began with their Under-17 team, in their elite round for the 2013 European Championship. He made his debut on 25 March 2013 against Austria, scoring the only goal of the game in Schwechat in the 22nd minute.[8] He also featured in the two other games of the round against Georgia and Serbia, as group hosts Austria advanced to the finals.

On 13 November 2014, Grego-Cox made his debut for the Under-19s as they hosted their group in the qualifying round for the 2015 European Championship, starting in a 1–0 win over Malta at the Regional Sports Centre in Waterford.[9] Two days later, he opened the scoring in the 3rd minute of a 4–1 victory against Gibraltar at Ferrycarrig Park in Wexford,[10] and on 18 November in Waterford he netted the equaliser for a 1–1 draw with Switzerland.[11] The Republic of Ireland came second in their group and advanced to the elite round.

Style of play

In May 2014, The Irish Post named Grego-Cox as one of 10 young British-based prospects for the Republic of Ireland. They noted how his "pace and aggressive style of play" had proven successful with the international under-17 team, but acknowledged concerns over his temperament, despite concluding that "a competitive edge didn’t do Roy Keane much harm".[2]

Queens Park Rangers under-18 manager Steve Gallen compared Grego-Cox to first-team player Charlie Austin in August 2014, saying “They are tenacious, they cause problems for defenders and they can score goals. They won’t give you a moments [sic] rest. Like Charlie has done at times for the first team, Reece creates a goal out of nothing".[12]

Career statistics

As of 7 March 2015.[13]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Queens Park Rangers 2014–15 Premier League 2000000020
Career total 2000000020

References

  1. ↑ "04 February 2015 Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists" (PDF). Premier League. p. 33. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brennan, Rob (30 May 2014). "10 brightest Irish prospects in Britain for the future". The Irish Post. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "REECE GREGO-COX CELEBRATES PRO DEAL". Queens Park Rangers F.C. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Prenderville, Liam (13 August 2014). "Watch QPR youngsters score two long-range screamers in Under-18s win over Manchester City". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "FRIENDLY: QPR 3, SOUTHEND UNITED 2". Queens Park Rangers F.C. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Chowdhury, Saj (4 January 2015). "QPR 0–3 Sheff Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Williams, Adam (7 March 2015). "QPR 1–2 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Republic of Ireland 1–0 Austria". UEFA. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Republic of Ireland 1–0 Malta". UEFA. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Republic of Ireland 4–1 Gibraltar". UEFA. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Switzerland 1–1 Republic of Ireland". UEFA. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Foster, Jordan (29 October 2014). "Reece Grego-Cox is a lot like Charlie Austin, says QPR Under-21 boss Steve Gallen". Kilburn Times. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  13. ↑ Reece Grego-Cox career statistics at Soccerbase

External links