Russell Nigel Latapy is a
Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
footballer who plays for
Edinburgh CityEdinburgh City Football Club is a semi-professional senior Scottish football club, which plays in the East of Scotland Football League. The club is based at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. Edinburgh City was first formed in 1928 as an amateur club. It participated in the Scottish Football League...
as an attacking midfielder.
In a senior career which spanned more than 20 years at both club and international level, he played in
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(eight years with three clubs, namely Porto) and
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(11 seasons in representation of four teams, including
RangersRangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and
FalkirkFalkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
).
Latapy gained nearly 80
capsIn sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the
Trinidad and Tobago national teamThe Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
, appearing at the
2006 World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
Early life
Born in
Port of SpainPort of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Latapy was first noted playing organised football as an under–10. As a youth he played in the Trinidad and Tobago Secondary School's Football League and was called to the national under-16 and under-19 football teams.
When he was 19 years old, Latapy had an opportunity to attend
Florida International UniversityFlorida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, but he chose to continue with his football career. This decision was supported by his mother despite the fact that in the 1980s very few Trinidadians were noted to have had careers in football that allowed them to earn a decent living.
Portugal
In 1990, aged 22, after playing in his country and
JamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Latapy moved to
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and signed for Académica de Coimbra, playing four years in the
second divisionThe Liga de Honra , known for sponsorship reasons as the Liga Orangina, is the Portuguese second level football league. It was formerly called Segunda Divisão and Segunda Divisão de Honra . When the LPFP took control of the two nationwide levels, it was renamed Segunda Liga, before renaming it...
. During his spell in
CoimbraCoimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, he appeared in nearly 150 official games, and scored 18 goals in his last two seasons combined, but the club failed to win promotion. He also credited coach Vítor Manuel as one of the coaches he admired the most.
Latapy's performances with Académica saw him recruited by F.C. Porto. Under
Bobby RobsonSir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
, he helped to the conquest of back-to-back national championships, being used regularly in his second year (26 games, five goals). Also, he earned the distinction of being the first Trinidadian to play in the
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
In the 1996 summer, Latapy signed with
cityPorto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
neighbours Boavista FC. On 29 October, he scored twice in a 5–0 home win against
FC Dinamo TbilisiFC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936...
for the season's UEFA Europa League (5–1 on aggregate), and was also part of the squad that won the campaign's
Portuguese CupThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
, even though he did not play in the final against S.L. Benfica (3–2).
Scotland
In the 1998 off-season, Latapy was recruited by manager
Alex McLeishAlexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
to join
Scottish First DivisionThe Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
outfit
HibernianHibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
. He quickly became a fan favorite at his new club and earned numerous team accolades, including two
Player of the Year awards and a
Scottish Division 1 Player of the Year award; he also contributed with six goals in 23 games in an eventual promotion to the
Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, as champions.
Despite his contributions to the team, Latapy was sacked from Hibernian early in 2001 after a night that began with him socialising with countryman and
Manchester UnitedManchester 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...
player
Dwight YorkeDwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...
, and ended with him being charged by police for drunk driving. The incident represented a breach of the code of conduct for Hibernian players, who were forbidden to drink for 48 hours before a match. It was around this time that Latapy and Yorke both quit international football after being dropped from the starting lineup by national coach
Renê SimõesRené Rodrigues Simões is a Brazilian football head coach and former footballer.- Coaching career :Born in Rio de Janeiro, he guided Jamaica to the World Cup in France in 1998...
, after the two players failed to show up for a training session.
Following his dismissal from Hibernian, Latapy was signed by national powerhouse
RangersRangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, who were managed by
Dick AdvocaatDirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
. He failed to reproduce his previous form at
Ibrox StadiumIbrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
, even when McLeish replaced the
DutchThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
at the helm of the club - the new manager expressed a desire to field younger players, Latapy was 34; in addition to his age, the player's hard partying tendencies also did little to put him in the coach's good graces, and he eventually left the club early in 2003.
Latapy finished the 2002–03 season with fellow league club
Dundee UnitedDundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
. In the summer, he was brought to
FalkirkFalkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
by manager John Hughes, his former teammate at Hibs, who tracked him down in Portugal. The veteran started strong, scoring 14 league goals in his first two seasons combined and being essential as the team returned to the top flight in 2005, as champions; in the process, he was again named the competition's
Player of the Year.
The Bairns once again retained their top division status in 2008–09, but Latapy only appeared in three games. He left the club in January 2009 at nearly 41 years of age, having appeared in 194 official games (29 goals), and signing with
Caledonia AIACaledonia AIA is a Trinidad and Tobagon football team playing at the top level in the TT Pro League. It is based in Malabar. Their home stadium is Larry Gomes Stadium.-History:...
in his homeland.
Latapy was inducted into the 'Falkirk Hall of Fame' on 29 November 2008. To mark this occasion the club hosted a 'Russell Latapy Day'. Previously, in the the 2006–07 season, he started his coaching career, acting as Hughes' assistant, and holding that position until he left the club.
In October 2011, at 42, Latapy came out of retirement to sign for
East of Scotland Football LeagueThe East of Scotland Football League is a league of football teams from south-east Scotland formed in 1923. It is one of Scotland's three "senior" non-leagues which sit below the Scottish Football League , the other two being the Highland Football League and the South of Scotland Football League...
club
Edinburgh CityEdinburgh City Football Club is a semi-professional senior Scottish football club, which plays in the East of Scotland Football League. The club is based at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. Edinburgh City was first formed in 1928 as an amateur club. It participated in the Scottish Football League...
, ahead of its
Scottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
tie against
Irvine MeadowIrvine Meadow XI F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, from Irvine, North Ayrshire. They are currently playing in the Stagecoach Super League Premier Division of the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region....
.
International career
Latapy's debut for
Trinidad and TobagoThe Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
was on 30 October 1988, in a
1990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
qualification match against
HondurasThe Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
, a 0–0 home draw. He was part of the squad known as the
Strike Squad whom, needing only one point in its last game to qualify for the finals in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, was defeated 0–1 at home by the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
In 2005, after four years without one single appearance, Latapy returned to the national team following the intervention of his friend Yorke - who had done the same the previous year - and
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
vice presidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Austin "Jack" Warner. His first match in his second spell was a 3–2 home win against
GuatemalaThe Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
in which he scored, and he took part in a further five games in the
2006 World Cup qualifying campaignListed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for North, Central America and the Caribbean. A total of 34 teams took part , competing for 3.5 places in the World Cup.The qualification process was divided in three stages...
, including both matches in the decisive playoffs against
BahrainThe Bahrain national football team is the national team of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association; it was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the finals of the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so...
, with the
Soca Warriors qualifying to the
FIFA World CupThe 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...
for the first time in its history.
Latapy's input in the finals in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
consisted of 25 minutes in the 0–2 loss against
ParaguayThe Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, in an eventual group stage exit. The national team returned to a hero's welcome at
Piarco International AirportPiarco International Airport is the main airport serving Trinidad and Tobago located in Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad, about east of the capital city, Port of Spain. It is one of two international airports serving the twin isle republic. The other is located on the island of Tobago, A.N.R...
in Trinidad and, in recognition of their achievements, each member of the team was awarded Trinidad and Tobago's second highest honour, the
Chaconia Medal in goldThe National Awards of Trinidad and Tobago consist of:* The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago - the country's highest award.* The Chaconia Medal of the Order of the Trinity - in Gold, Silver or Bronze...
, and TT$1,000,000. He then became assistant to new manager
Francisco MaturanaFrancisco Maturana, also known as Pacho is a Colombian ex-football player and later a successful football manager.-Player:...
and, following the
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n's resignation, was appointed his successor.
On 13 January 2011, it was confirmed by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation that Latapy would cease his duties as national team manager, as it failed to qualify to the
2011 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
as well as to reach the final in its regional Caribbean Cup. In his 23 games in charge, he recorded nine wins, 11 losses and three draws.
Club
Boavista
- Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 1996–97
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1997
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 1994–95, 1995–96
Hibernian
- Scottish First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
: 1998–99
Rangers
- Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
: 2001–02
Falkirk
- Scottish First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
: 2004–05
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2004–05
Individual
- T&T Footballer of the Year in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1996
- Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
: Player of the Month August 2006
- Scottish First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
: Player of the Year 1998–99, 2004–05
- Scottish First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
: Player of the Month April 2004
- Hibernian
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
Player of the Year in 1998–99, 1999–00
- T&T Chaconia Medal Silver (World Cup squad) in 1989
- T&T Humming Bird Medal Gold (for Sport) in 1996
- Edinburgh Evening News
The Edinburgh Evening News is a local newspaper based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is published daily . It has a circulation of 68,000 and is owned by Johnston Press, which also owns The Scotsman and many regional titles throughout the UK.Much of the copy contained in the Evening News concerns local...
Sports Personality of the Year in 1999
- T&T Olympic Committee Sports Personality of the Year in 2000
- Nominated for FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
in 2000The 2000 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Zinedine Zidane for the second time following France's 2000 European Championship win.-Results:-See also:...
- Nominated for the BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
's Off The Ball Overseas Player of the Year in 2004
External links