Willy Guéret
 Guéret after playing for Milton Keynes Dons in the 2008 Football League Trophy Final | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Willy July Guéret[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 August 1973[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe, France | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991–1995 | Red Star 93 | 6 | (0) |
| 1996–2000 | Le Mans | 17 | (0) |
| 2000–2004 | Millwall | 15 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | Swansea City | 132 | (0) |
| 2007–2011 | Milton Keynes Dons | 135 | (0) |
| 2011 | Kettering Town | 14 | (0) |
| Total | 319 | (0) | |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Willy July Guéret (born 3 August 1973) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Career
Guéret was born in Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe.[1] He joined Le Mans in 1996, playing alongside a young Didier Drogba, but moved to England on 28 July 2000 when he signed for Millwall. First-team opportunities were limited, however, and Guéret made only 18 starts for Millwall (with a further two as substitute) in all competitions. He was on the bench as Millwall lost the 2004 FA Cup Final to Manchester United, and contributed to two games earlier in the cup run against Telford United[2] and Burnley.[3]
On 1 July 2004, Guéret signed for Swansea City. The club achieved promotion from League Two in his first season at Bury but Guéret's celebrations turned sour when the Swansea players entered the directors box against the orders of the game safety officer after the final whistle. Guéret and the other players were ordered by police to leave the directors box but Gueret was arrested for repeatedly telling a police officer to f**k off. Guéret was placed in a police van and taken to Bury police station where he was later released after being issued an £80 fixed penalty notice for disorder for an offence under s5 Public Order Act and was able to travel back from Greater Manchester to Swansea with his team-mates. He expressed his wish to stay at the club until the end of his career.[4] He would later go on to help Swansea win the 2006 Football League Trophy Final.[5]
However, having fallen out of favour at Swansea, Guéret signed for MK Dons on the opening day of the 2007–08 season. He was hailed by Ray Mathias as the best goalkeeper in League Two.
Guéret has been widely recognised and became a fans' favourite at MK Dons for his heroic penalty saves. He saved a penalty in the 2008 Football League Trophy Final,[6] and throughout the League Two championship season in 2008 he made saves against Wycombe Wanderers[7] and Chester City both home[8] and away.[9]
On 1 February 2011, Guéret signed for Kettering Town after leaving the Dons by mutual consent.[10]
After six months at Kettering Guéret announced his retirement from football. He was offered a coaching role with the MK Dons Academy but chose to return to France to set up a Cognac production company with his brother at Gimeux in southern France.
Honours
Swansea City
- Football League Two third place promotion: 2004–05
- Football League Trophy: 2005–06
Milton Keynes Dons
- Football League Two: 2007–08
- Football League Trophy: 2007–08
References
- 1 2 3 4 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Mainstream Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
- ↑ "Telford 0-2 Millwall". BBC. 11 February 2004. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "Millwall 1-0 Burnley". BBC. 14 February 2004. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "No complaint over keeper's arrest". BBC News. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 1 July 2006.
- ↑ "Carlisle 1-2 Swansea". BBC. 2 April 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "Grimsby 0-2 MK Dons". BBC. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ↑ "Wycombe 1-1 MK Dons". BBC. 3 November 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "MK Dons 1-0 Chester". BBC. 1 March 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "Chester 0-2 MK Dons". BBC. 17 November 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "DEPARTING WILLY SET FOR POPPIES". Milton Keynes Dons F.C. 1 February 2011.