Reuben Agboola
Encyclopedia
Reuben Omojola Folasanje Agboola (born 30 May 1962) is a retired Nigeria
n footballer
who played at left back for Southampton
and Sunderland
and made nine appearances for Nigeria
.
, London
. His family moved to Waltham Cross
, Hertfordshire
when he was a schoolboy where he played for Cheshunt's
youth teams whilst also attending Southampton's London Selection Centre. In July 1978, he joined Southampton as an amateur before signing as a professional in April 1980, having made his reserve team debut in April 1979.
His first team debut came at Old Trafford
on 29 November 1980, in the same match as Danny Wallace
, when the "Saints" held Manchester United
to a 1–1 draw. After the match manager Lawrie McMenemy
said: "I was thrilled coming to Old Trafford ... knowing I would put the two youngsters in. And why not? Matt Busby
showed everyone about playing kids at Old Trafford years ago. Even if we had lost I would have enjoyed the game for their sake." He retained his position in the team for the next few games before the fit again Nick Holmes
regained his place.
In his first two seasons as a professional he made only eleven appearances, but in November 1982 he eventually claimed the No. 3 shirt as his own, ousting Steve Baker, where he formed a partnership with England
international Mick Mills
. In 1983 McMenemy decided to adopt the continental idea of a sweeper, and Agboola's "quick and alert defending" ideally suited him to the role, to such good effect that in 1983–84 Southampton recorded their highest-ever final position, second place behind Liverpool
, as well as reaching the FA Cup Semi Final
at Highbury
where they lost 1–0 to Everton
in extra time.
After the first six games of the following season he was replaced by Kevin Bond
and after a few sporadic appearances, he was sold to Sunderland
in January 1985 for £150,000. During his five years as a professional with the Saints, Agboola made a total of 112 appearances.
against Liverpool
, but this match was abandoned because of a frozen pitch and was expunged from the records. He initially found it difficult to hold down a regular first team place as Sunderland struggled in vain to avoid relegation from the First Division
at the end of his first season. As Sunderland continued to struggle (now under the management of Agboola's mentor, Lawrie McMenemy), Agboola spent a part of the 1986–87 season on loan at Charlton Athletic
.
In the following season he had his best season for Sunderland, as (now under manager Denis Smith) they stormed back into the Second Division
, followed two years later by a return to the top flight.
Sunderland again struggled at the highest level and Agboola was loaned out to Port Vale
in November 1990, before finally leaving Roker Park in November 1991.
whilst with Sunderland, appearing in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Ghana
on 13 April 1991 thus becoming one of the first non-Nigerian born players to represent his native country. He went on to make a total of nine appearances for Nigeria, seven in the Nations Cup and two in World Cup
qualifying matches.
in November 1991 and made 28 appearances before retiring from professional football. He subsequently turned out for Woking
and Gosport Borough
.
He returned to Southampton
where he became the landlord at the "Sporting View" bar at the Southampton Sports Centre before moving to Majorca in 2004 to run a bar. He returned to Southampton again in 2007, where he now works as a car dealer at parkway car sales.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played at left back for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and made nine appearances for Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
.
Southampton
Agboola was born in CamdenLondon Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His family moved to Waltham Cross
Waltham Cross
Waltham Cross is the most southeasterly town in Hertfordshire, England. It is 12 miles from the City of London and immediately north of the M25 motorway, forming part of the Greater London Urban Area and London commuter belt. Part of Waltham Cross is located within Greater London.-Geography:It is...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
when he was a schoolboy where he played for Cheshunt's
Cheshunt F.C.
Cheshunt Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire and currently playing in the Isthmian League Division One North.-Original club:...
youth teams whilst also attending Southampton's London Selection Centre. In July 1978, he joined Southampton as an amateur before signing as a professional in April 1980, having made his reserve team debut in April 1979.
His first team debut came at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
on 29 November 1980, in the same match as Danny Wallace
Danny Wallace (footballer)
David Lloyd "Danny" Wallace is an English former footballer who played for Southampton, Manchester United, Millwall, Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers. He won one full cap for England. His football career was ended prematurely by the effects of multiple sclerosis.-Southampton:Wallace was born...
, when the "Saints" held Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
to a 1–1 draw. After the match manager Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club...
said: "I was thrilled coming to Old Trafford ... knowing I would put the two youngsters in. And why not? Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
showed everyone about playing kids at Old Trafford years ago. Even if we had lost I would have enjoyed the game for their sake." He retained his position in the team for the next few games before the fit again Nick Holmes
Nick Holmes (footballer)
Nicholas Charles Holmes is a retired footballer, who won the FA Cup Final with Southampton in 1976 and, from July 2002 to July 2010, was general manager of Salisbury City.-Southampton:...
regained his place.
In his first two seasons as a professional he made only eleven appearances, but in November 1982 he eventually claimed the No. 3 shirt as his own, ousting Steve Baker, where he formed a partnership with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international Mick Mills
Mick Mills
Michael 'Mick' Denis Mills is an English former football full-back who, by the end of his career, had achieved Ipswich Town's record number of appearances and captained England at the 1982 World Cup.-Club career:...
. In 1983 McMenemy decided to adopt the continental idea of a sweeper, and Agboola's "quick and alert defending" ideally suited him to the role, to such good effect that in 1983–84 Southampton recorded their highest-ever final position, second place behind Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, as well as reaching the FA Cup Semi Final
FA Cup Semi-finals
The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
where they lost 1–0 to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in extra time.
After the first six games of the following season he was replaced by Kevin Bond
Kevin Bond (footballer)
Kevin John Bond is an English football manager and former player. He is the son of John Bond, also a former footballer. He is currently employed as assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur.-Playing career:...
and after a few sporadic appearances, he was sold to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in January 1985 for £150,000. During his five years as a professional with the Saints, Agboola made a total of 112 appearances.
Sunderland
He made his official debut for Sunderland on 29 January 1985 in a 1–0 defeat at his former club, Southampton. He had started in an earlier match at Roker ParkRoker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, but this match was abandoned because of a frozen pitch and was expunged from the records. He initially found it difficult to hold down a regular first team place as Sunderland struggled in vain to avoid relegation from the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
at the end of his first season. As Sunderland continued to struggle (now under the management of Agboola's mentor, Lawrie McMenemy), Agboola spent a part of the 1986–87 season on loan at Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
In the following season he had his best season for Sunderland, as (now under manager Denis Smith) they stormed back into the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, followed two years later by a return to the top flight.
Sunderland again struggled at the highest level and Agboola was loaned out to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in November 1990, before finally leaving Roker Park in November 1991.
Nigeria
He was first selected for NigeriaNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
whilst with Sunderland, appearing in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
on 13 April 1991 thus becoming one of the first non-Nigerian born players to represent his native country. He went on to make a total of nine appearances for Nigeria, seven in the Nations Cup and two in World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifying matches.
Later career
He joined Swansea CitySwansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
in November 1991 and made 28 appearances before retiring from professional football. He subsequently turned out for Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
and Gosport Borough
Gosport Borough F.C.
Gosport Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Gosport, England currently playing in the Southern League Division One South and West...
.
He returned to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
where he became the landlord at the "Sporting View" bar at the Southampton Sports Centre before moving to Majorca in 2004 to run a bar. He returned to Southampton again in 2007, where he now works as a car dealer at parkway car sales.
Honours
SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
runners-up: 1983–84