Sagi Burton

Sagi Burton
Personal information
Full nameOsagyefo Lenin Ernesto Burton-Godwin[1]
Date of birth25 November 1977[2]
Place of birthBirmingham, England
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Playing positionDefender
Youth career
1993–1994Bolton Wanderers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1994–1999Crystal Palace25(1)
1999Colchester United9(0)
1999–2000Sheffield United0(0)
2000–2002Port Vale86(2)
2002Crewe Alexandra1(0)
2002–2006Peterborough United96(4)
2006–2007Shrewsbury Town44(5)
2007–2008Barnet30(1)
2008Rushden & Diamonds11(0)
Total302(13)
National team
2004Saint Kitts and Nevis3(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Osagyefo Lenin Ernesto Burton-Godwin (born 25 November 1977), known commonly as Sagi Burton, is an English-born former Kittitian international football defender. In a fourteen-year professional career in English football he made 344 appearances in league and cup competitions.

A former Bolton Wanderers trainee, he began his career with Crystal Palace in 1994. Failing to establish himself in the first team during his five years at the club, he joined Sheffield United via Colchester United in 1999. The following year he signed with Port Vale, where he first found regular football. In 2002 he transferred to Peterborough United via Crewe Alexandra. Four years later he moved on to Shrewsbury Town, before spending the 2007–08 campaign with Barnet. He retired from the game following a brief spell with Rushden & Diamonds in 2008.

Club career

Born of Kittitian and Jamaican descent, Burton began his footballing career as a trainee at Bolton Wanderers, before switching to Crystal Palace in 1994. He went on to make his début in the Premier League match at Derby County on 20 December 1997. He played the full ninety minutes, in what was a goalless draw at Pride Park. Following Palace's relegation, he played 23 of the club's 46 First Division matches in the following season. Despite this, he was still allowed to drop down a division to join Colchester United for a nominal fee in May 1999. After making just twelve appearances in league and cup, six months later he was on his way to back into the First Division after signing for Sheffield United on a free transfer. This spell would prove to be even briefer, and in January 2000 he joined Brian Horton's Port Vale, also of the First Division, again on a free transfer. He made 22 appearances for the Staffordshire club in 1999–2000, and found himself on the scoresheet in home draws with Charlton Athletic and Barnsley. He established himself as "a powerful presence" and "impressive in the air".[3] Despite this, Vale were relegated at the end of the season.

He went on to make 37 appearances in 2000–01, including the club's Football League Trophy success over Brentford at the Millennium Stadium.[4] He achieved this honour despite having been transfer-listed in December.[5] By 2001–02 he was an essential first team player, and played 42 of the club's 53 games in league and cup. Despite this he was not retained beyond the summer, and so promptly joined Crewe Alexandra on a short-term deal.[6]

After just one game in three weeks Burton and Crewe parted ways, and he went to join Peterborough United, also of the Second Division, on a one-year deal as a utility player.[7] He played 33 times for the "Posh" in 2002–03, though it would be Crewe who won promotion out of the division following their second-place finish. He played 34 games in the 2003–04 campaign, as Peterborough successfully avoided relegation, and Burton successfully overcame a hamstring injury and a knee problem.[8][9]

Appointed as the club's vice-captain,[10] he made sixteen league appearances in the inaugural season of League One football. Missing five months with a shoulder injury,[11][12][13] he could do little to prevent the club from suffering relegation into League Two. Recovering from a pre-season foot injury,[14] he made 24 appearances in the first half of the 2005–06 campaign, before making a January move to league rivals to Shrewsbury Town,[15] despite reported interest from Macclesfield Town and SPL side Falkirk.[16][17] He settled in quickly at his new club, and put in solid performances at centre-back. Despite injury and suspension hampering his first few months at the "Shrews",[18] he still netted four times in sixteen games for the Shropshire club in the latter half of the 2005–06 season. After recovering from a short illness he made 33 appearances in 2006–07,[19] helping Shrewsbury to secure a play-off place. He was a late substitute for Ben Herd during the club's play-off Final defeat to Bristol Rovers.[20] Following the defeat he was released by the club.[21]

After a successful trial, he signed with Barnet for the 2007–08 campaign.[22] He served as vice-captain at the club,[23] but was not retained beyond summer 2008,[24] despite having formed a strong defensive partnership with Ismail Yakubu.[25] In July 2008, Conference National outfit Rushden & Diamonds announced that Burton had signed with them until the end of the 2008–09 season.[26][27] However he was released in November after making just eleven appearances.[28]

International career

Burton won three caps for Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2004. He made his debut on 2 June, in a 2–0 friendly defeat to Northern Ireland.

In autumn 2006, he turned down the chance to play in the Caribbean Cup for his country, preferring instead to stay with Shrewsbury to play league games against Hartlepool United and Darlington.[29]

Statistics

Season Club Division League FA Cup League Cup Other[30] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1994–95Crystal PalacePremier League0000000000
1995–96First Division0000000000
1996–970000000000
1997–98[31]Premier League2010000030
1998–99[32]First Division231001000241
Total 251101000271
1999–2000[33]Colchester UnitedSecond Division90003000120
Total 90003000120
1999–2000[33]Sheffield UnitedFirst Division0000000000
Total 0000000000
1999–2000[33]Port ValeFirst Division202000020222
2000–01[34]Second Division290102150371
2001–02[35]370201020421
Total 8623031901014
2002–03[36]Crewe AlexandraSecond Division1000000010
Total 1000000010
2002–03[36]Peterborough UnitedSecond Division310101000330
2003–04[37]301101021342
2004–05[38]League One161300000191
2005–06[39]League Two192101030242
Total 9646030511105
2005–06[39]Shrewsbury TownLeague Two164000000164
2006–07[40]281101030331
Total 445101030495
2007–08[41]BarnetLeague Two301201010341
Total 301201010341
2008–09[42]Rushden & DiamondsConference110000000110
Total 110000000110
Career total 3021313012117234416

Honours

with Port Vale
with Crewe Alexandra

References

  1. ↑ "Sagi goes for a Burton". The Metro. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Name: Sagi Burton". thediamondsfc.com. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Port Vale pen pictures". BBC Sport. 18 April 2001. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  4. ↑ "Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy". BBC Sport. 22 April 2001. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Five up for sale at Vale". BBC Sport. 4 December 2000. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Crewe bring in Burton". BBC Sport. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  7. ↑ "Posh sign duo". BBC Sport. 29 August 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  8. ↑ "Burton targets comeback". BBC Sport. 20 April 2004. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "Peterborough sign Scully". BBC Sport. 27 August 2003. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  10. ↑ "Posh suffer Burton blow". BBC Sport. 17 August 2004. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "Burton confident of fast recovery". BBC Sport. 9 February 2005. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  12. ↑ Fletcher, Paul (26 April 2005). "Ninety-one names in frame at Posh". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "Jordan rejects Peterborough". BBC Sport. 2 September 2004. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  14. ↑ "Burton gets foot injury all-clear". BBC Sport. 14 July 2005. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  15. ↑ "Posh defender Burton joins Shrews". BBC Sport. 20 January 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  16. ↑ "Macclesfield reject Parkin offers". BBC Sport. 5 January 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  17. ↑ "Saturday's gossip column". BBC Sport. 14 January 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "Shrews suffer Burton suspension". BBC Sport. 14 March 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  19. ↑ "Burton prepared to bide his time". BBC Sport. 16 November 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  20. ↑ Bevan, Chris (26 May 2007). "Bristol Rovers 3-1 Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  21. ↑ "Shrewsbury release defensive duo". BBC Sport. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  22. ↑ "Defender Burton seals Barnet move". BBC Sport. 21 July 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
  23. ↑ "Barnet rocked by injury to Yakubu". BBC Sport. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  24. ↑ "Striker Thomas released by Barnet". BBC Sport. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "Name: Sagi Burton". barnetfc.com. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  26. ↑ "Another Impressive Duo Join Diamonds". NonLeagueDaily.com. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  27. ↑ "Rushden sign Burton and Jelleyman". BBC Sport. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  28. ↑ "Gulliver and Burton leave Rushden". BBC Sport. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  29. ↑ "Burton puts club before country". BBC Sport. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
  30. ↑ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Football League Trophy.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 "Games played by Sagi Burton in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  38. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  40. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  41. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  42. ↑ "Games played by Sagi Burton in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 September 2011.

External links