Chris Kamara

Chris Kamara

Chris Kamara is an English former professional footballer and football manager. He now works as a presenter and football analyst at Sky Sports. As a player, he was known as a tough-tackling midfielder. Kamara was eligible to play for Sierra Leone, and was called up to play in the 1994 African Cup of Nations, though he declined the offer.

About Chris Kamara in brief

Summary Chris KamaraChris Kamara is an English former professional footballer and football manager who now works as a presenter and football analyst at Sky Sports. As a player, he was known as a tough-tackling midfielder. He joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16, before being signed up to Portsmouth in November 1974. He spent three years at the club before being sold on to Swindon Town for £14,000. He moved on to Stoke City in 1988, and a successful spell with the club won him a move to Leeds United in 1990. He had loan spells with Premier League clubs Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, before joining Sheffield United on a permanent basis in 1993. He was appointed Bradford City manager in November 1995 and took the club from a relegation scrap to promotion out of the Second Division via the play-offs in 1996. He left the club in January 1998 and quickly took the reins at Stoke City, before he left the \”Potters\” in April 1998. He has since appeared as aPresenter on numerous other television programmes. Kamara was eligible to play for Sierra Leone, and was called up to play in the 1994 African Cup of Nations, though he declined the offer. His father was a heavy gambler, leaving his mother Irene to sometimes plead for money from neighbours in order to provide food for Chris and his brother George and sister Maria. He grew up on the Park End council estate in North Riding of Yorkshire, and suffered racist abuse as a result of his father’s gambling habits.

He is the son of Sierra Leonean father – Alimamy Kindo \”Albert\” Kamara – on Christmas Day in 1957. He scored his first senior goal in a 4–1 loss to Bolton Wanderers after being set up by Bobby McGuinness. He made his first team debut in August 1975 in a 2–0 defeat by Luton Town, winning his chance after Mick Mellows was struck down with a knee injury. He went on to play regular football at Fratton Park in the 1975–76 season as Portsmouth were relegated out of The Second Division in last place. The club avoided relegation out of Third Division by a single point in 1976–77, after which new manager Jimmy Dickinson sold Kamara to Third Division rivals Swindon Town. In October 1981 he was traded to Brentford in October 1981 for a £50,000 fee, but was traded back to Portsmouth by Frank Burrows. He helped the club to the Second division title in 1989–90, but he was never a first team regular. In August 1991 he was sold to Lutontown for £150,000 in 1991. The following year he joined Bradford City as a player-coach. In January 1998 he became a broadcaster with Sky Sports and has since been a presenter on numerous TV programmes. He also worked as a football analyst for the likes of ITV, Sky Sports, BT Sport and Channel 4. He won the Football League Cup with Sheffield United in 1993 and the FA Cup with West Bromwich Albion in 1994.