Chris Coleman (footballer)

Chris Coleman (footballer)

Christopher Patrick Coleman, OBE, is a Welsh professional football coach and former player. He most recently served as the manager of Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune from June 2018 until May 2019. As a player, Coleman usually played in defence, while also occasionally appearing as a forward. He made his debut for Swansea City in 1987, before joining Crystal Palace in 1991. Coleman spent four years in the Premier League with Crystal Palace and Blackburn.

About Chris Coleman (footballer) in brief

Summary Chris Coleman (footballer)Christopher Patrick Coleman, OBE, is a Welsh professional football coach and former player. He most recently served as the manager of Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune from June 2018 until May 2019. As a player, Coleman usually played in defence, while also occasionally appearing as a forward. He made his debut for Swansea City in 1987, before joining Crystal Palace in 1991. Coleman spent a year-and-a-half at league champions Blackburn Rovers before signing for Fulham in 1997. He won 32 caps playing for Wales. Coleman’s playing career ended at the age of 32, when his leg was broken in a car crash. Following this, he started his coaching career at Fulham. In his first full season as manager, he guided the club to ninth place in the 2003–04 Premier League. Coleman was appointed manager of Real Sociedad, where he resigned in January 2008 due to differences with the incoming president. He returned to England to manage Coventry City, but was dismissed in May 2010 following a poor run of results. Coleman then managed Greek side AEL for the first half of the 2011–12 season before resigning due to financial troubles at the club. In 2012, he took over as Wales national team manager after the death of Gary Speed, and led Wales to UEFA Euro 2016, their first major tournament since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, where they made the semi-finals. Coleman has two sisters and was educated at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School and Bishop Vaughan Catholic School.

He was eligible to play for his country of birth of Ireland through his father, through his maternal grandfather, and also for the United States via his maternal grandmother. Coleman is a member of the Wales youth team, under-21 and youth levels, and was capped for Wales at youth levels under his grandfather. He is also a former captain of West London club West Bromwich Albion. Coleman won the FA Cup with West Brom in January 2001, and the FA League with Bletchingley in January 2002. He also won the Welsh Cup with Swansea in 1989 and 1991. In 2005, Palace supporters voted Coleman into their Centenary XI. He has been awarded the OBE for his services to football by the Queen and the Football Association of Wales for his contributions to Welsh football. Coleman also received a CBE for services to the Welsh game. Coleman played for Manchester City, Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Blackburn and Fulham during his playing career. He spent four years in the Premier League with Crystal Palace and Blackburn. Coleman made 143 appearances, scoring 16 goals in that period – a 1 in 9 record explained by the fact that manager Steve Coppell often used Coleman as a makeshift centre forward. In December 1995, he was sold to Blackburn for a fee of £2. 8 million.