Tony Cottee
Encyclopedia
Anthony Richard "Tony" Cottee (born 11 July 1965 in Plaistow
, England
) is a former football
player who now works as a television football commentator. During his playing career, he was capped seven times by England
, and played for a number of teams including West Ham United
, Everton
, Leicester City
and the Malaysian side Selangor
.
, scoring five goals. He established himself in the first team during the 1983–84 season
, when still only 18, and scored 15 times in the league. He did even better in 1984–85
, when he scored 17 First Division goals. By the age of 20, he had already managed an impressive 37 league goals.
He was a prolific goalscorer especially in his West Ham days, where he was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year
in 1986, the year where West Ham finished third (their highest league finish to date) and came just four points away from the title. He scored 20 times in the league during that season, though his strike partner Frank McAvennie
did even better with 26 league goals. Still, their 46-goal strike partnership was the most prolific in the league that season.
1986–87
saw Cottee score 23 league goals – which would be the highest of his career. However, Frank McAvennie alongside him could only manage seven league goals that season and this contributed to a downturn in West Ham's form as they finished 15th. Cottee managed a further 13 league goals in 1987–88
, but McAvennie had been sold to Celtic
early in the season and the failure of manager John Lyall
to find an adequate replacement contributed to West Ham disappointing in the league again, finishing 16th. By this time, the 23-year-old Cottee had already managed 212 league games and 93 goals for Hammers.
in a £2.2 million deal (a fee eclipsed by Ian Rush's
return to Liverpool
from Juventus later that month).
He made his Everton debut on 27 August 1988, the opening day of the 1988–89
First Division campaign, in a 4–0 home win over Newcastle United
in which he scored a hat-trick. He managed a further 10 league goals that season, though Everton were relatively disappointing in the league as they finished eighth – having been a top four club and twice champions in the previous four seasons. However, they did reach the FA Cup
final and were paired with neighbours Liverpool
at Wembley
on 20 May 1989. It was a close contest but in the end Everton lost 3–2 in extra time. Earlier in the season Cottee and his colleagues and been on the receiving end of another Wembley defeat, this time to Nottingham Forest
who beat them 4-3 in th final of the Full Members Cup
, but Cottee still managed to get on the scoresheet twice.
Cottee spent his first season at Goodison Park
playing alongside Graeme Sharp
, but for 1989–90
manager Colin Harvey
changed the formation to 4–3–3 and brought in Mike Newell
as Everton's third striker. The season began very promisingly for Everton, who went top of the league on 21 October and stayed there until mid November, but their title hopes gradually disintegrated and they finished sixth while the title went to Liverpool. Cottee once again managed 13 league goals in a season.
1990–91
was arguably Everton's worst season in a decade. Manager Colin Harvey
was sacked on 31 October 1990 with the Toffees third from bottom in the First Division, and a week later Howard Kendall
(who had guided them to two league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup
in his first spell from 1981 to 1987) was appointed with Harvey returning as his assistant. Everton's form improved under Kendall and they finished ninth, also reaching the FA Cup
quarter-finals and ousting Liverpool in the fifth round after two replays; Cottee was Everton's saviour in the first replay on 21 February as he scored a late equaliser which forced a 4-4 draw in Liverpool's
last game before the resignation of manager Kenny Dalglish
the following day.Cottee managed 10 league goals in the 1990-91 season.
1991–92
was a frustrating season for Cottee and his colleagues. By mid November he had new strike partners in Peter Beardsley
and Mo Johnston
following the sale of both Graeme Sharp and Mike Newell, and while the new look strikeforce was reasonably productive, the rest of the team struggled to match their standards. Cottee was restricted to eight goals from 24 games through injury, and Everton finished mid table once again. It was the first time since his debut season nine years earlier that he had scored less than 10 league goals in a season.
1992–93
saw Everton participate in the inaugural FA Premier League
, and Cottee did better this time, scoring 12 goals. He managed 16 league goals in 1993–94
, but it was a disastrous season for Everton who only narrowly avoided relegation just seven years after being league champions.
. He had played 184 league games in six years for the Toffees, scoring 76 goals, but unfortunately had not won any major trophies. His overall career tally for league goals now stood at 169.
His first season back at Upton Park
brought 13 league goals as he helped West Ham fight off relegation and finished 14th in their first season under the management of Harry Redknapp
. He managed a further 10 goals in 1995–96
as the Hammers finished 10th – their highest finish since 1986 – but he then lost his place in the team to new arrivals like Florin Raducioiu
and Hugo Porfirio
, managing just three games and failing to score in the Premier League before joining Selangor
of Malaysia on a free transfer in October 1996. Over two spells at West Ham, he had scored an impressive 116 league goals. Added to his goals scored for Everton, he had now managed 182 league goals.
and the FAM Cup with the Red Giants, before he returned to England and signed for Football League Cup
winners Leicester City for £500,000 in August 1997, where he was presented with his first chance of European football at the age of 32 as Leicester had an ultimately short lived campaign in that season's
UEFA Cup
. He managed 19 league games and scored four goals as the Foxes finished 10th, and one of those goals came in a shock 1–0 win over title chasing Manchester United
at Old Trafford
on 31 January 1998. He also had a loan spell at Birmingham City
in Division One that season, and in his first taste of second tier football managed to score one goal. He remained at Filbert Street
until 11 September 2000, by which time he had played a total of 85 league games for the Foxes and scored 27 goals – bringing his total career tally to 209 league goals. In 1999–2000
, when in his 35th year, he finally won a major trophy in England as he helped Leicester defeat Tranmere Rovers 2–1 in the Football League Cup final.
as player-coach under recently-appointed manager Bryan Hamilton
, however this did not last long as Cottee struggled to meet the demands placed on him, scoring two goals against Blackpool in the League Cup and Sheffield United in the league. After being released by Norwich on 31 October 2000, he took over as player-manager of Barnet
, a team closer to his home in London
. After winning his first game with the club 7–0, Barnet hit a run of poor form which left them facing relegation from the Football League
. Cottee resigned on 16 March 2001, however his replacement, John Still
(who left the club just before Cottee's appointment six months earlier), was unable to rescue the team from relegation. However, Cottee did manage an impressive nine goals from 16 Division Three games.
A week after resigning from Barnet, Cottee signed for Millwall
on transfer deadline day. During this remarkable season, which was his last as a player, Cottee played for a different team in each of the top four divisions of English football in the same season, a rare achievement last performed by goalkeeper Eric Nixon
in 1986–87
.
Cottee gained seven England
caps, played in the 1989 FA Cup Final
for Everton and won the League Cup
with Leicester City in 2000.
His final career tally was 579 league games and 226 goals. In all competitions, he managed 712 games and 293 goals. He exceed his ambition to score 200 league goals in his career, but fell just short of his target of 300 goals in all competitions. Still, he was one of the most prolific goalscorers that English football saw during the 1980s
and 1990s
.
Cottee has admitted to diligently maintaining a scrapbook containing press cuttings of every goal he has scored throughout his playing career.
and occasional pundit for Malaysian network Astro
, appearing on its 2010 World Cup
and Premier League studio coverage in Kuala Lumpur.
Plaistow, Newham
Plaistow is a place in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It formed part of the County Borough of West Ham in Essex until 1965.Plaistow is a mainly residential area, including several council estates; the main road is the A112 - Plaistow Road, High Street, Broadway, Greengate Street and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a former football
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...
player who now works as a television football commentator. During his playing career, he was capped seven times by 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...
, and played for a number of teams including West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, 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...
, Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and the Malaysian side Selangor
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...
.
West Ham United (I)
Cottee began his career at West Ham, where he made his first team debut in the First Division against Tottenham Hotspur on 1 January 1983, at the age of 17, scoring in the process. He played a total of eight games in the 1982–83 season1982-83 in English football
The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...
, scoring five goals. He established himself in the first team during the 1983–84 season
1983-84 in English football
The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
, when still only 18, and scored 15 times in the league. He did even better in 1984–85
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
, when he scored 17 First Division goals. By the age of 20, he had already managed an impressive 37 league goals.
He was a prolific goalscorer especially in his West Ham days, where he was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
in 1986, the year where West Ham finished third (their highest league finish to date) and came just four points away from the title. He scored 20 times in the league during that season, though his strike partner Frank McAvennie
Frank McAvennie
Francis "Frank" McAvennie is a former Scottish football striker best known as a player with West Ham United and Celtic, having had two spells with both of these clubs.-Early life:...
did even better with 26 league goals. Still, their 46-goal strike partnership was the most prolific in the league that season.
1986–87
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
saw Cottee score 23 league goals – which would be the highest of his career. However, Frank McAvennie alongside him could only manage seven league goals that season and this contributed to a downturn in West Ham's form as they finished 15th. Cottee managed a further 13 league goals in 1987–88
1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
, but McAvennie had been sold to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
early in the season and the failure of manager John Lyall
John Lyall
John Angus Lyall was an English footballer and manager of Scottish descent. His mother, Catherine, was from the Isle of Lewis, his father, James, was from Kirriemuir. He was born in Ilford, Essex.- Youth team career :...
to find an adequate replacement contributed to West Ham disappointing in the league again, finishing 16th. By this time, the 23-year-old Cottee had already managed 212 league games and 93 goals for Hammers.
Everton
Cottee briefly became the most expensive player to be signed by a British club when on 2 August 1988 he joined EvertonEverton 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 a £2.2 million deal (a fee eclipsed by Ian Rush's
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
return to 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...
from Juventus later that month).
He made his Everton debut on 27 August 1988, the opening day of the 1988–89
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
First Division campaign, in a 4–0 home win over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in which he scored a hat-trick. He managed a further 10 league goals that season, though Everton were relatively disappointing in the league as they finished eighth – having been a top four club and twice champions in the previous four seasons. However, they did reach the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final and were paired with neighbours 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...
at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 20 May 1989. It was a close contest but in the end Everton lost 3–2 in extra time. Earlier in the season Cottee and his colleagues and been on the receiving end of another Wembley defeat, this time to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
who beat them 4-3 in th final of the Full Members Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
, but Cottee still managed to get on the scoresheet twice.
Cottee spent his first season at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
playing alongside Graeme Sharp
Graeme Sharp
Graeme Marshall Sharp is a former footballer. He started his playing career at Dumbarton before signing for Everton for £120,000 in 1980....
, but for 1989–90
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
manager Colin Harvey
Colin Harvey
Colin Harvey is a retired English footballer who is best known for his time as a player, coach and manager with Everton. He is married to Maureen and lives in Aughton, Lancashire.- Playing career :...
changed the formation to 4–3–3 and brought in Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
as Everton's third striker. The season began very promisingly for Everton, who went top of the league on 21 October and stayed there until mid November, but their title hopes gradually disintegrated and they finished sixth while the title went to Liverpool. Cottee once again managed 13 league goals in a season.
1990–91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
was arguably Everton's worst season in a decade. Manager Colin Harvey
Colin Harvey
Colin Harvey is a retired English footballer who is best known for his time as a player, coach and manager with Everton. He is married to Maureen and lives in Aughton, Lancashire.- Playing career :...
was sacked on 31 October 1990 with the Toffees third from bottom in the First Division, and a week later Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
(who had guided them to two league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
in his first spell from 1981 to 1987) was appointed with Harvey returning as his assistant. Everton's form improved under Kendall and they finished ninth, also reaching the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
quarter-finals and ousting Liverpool in the fifth round after two replays; Cottee was Everton's saviour in the first replay on 21 February as he scored a late equaliser which forced a 4-4 draw in Liverpool's
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...
last game before the resignation of manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
the following day.Cottee managed 10 league goals in the 1990-91 season.
1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
was a frustrating season for Cottee and his colleagues. By mid November he had new strike partners in Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
and Mo Johnston
Mo Johnston
Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston is a former football striker.Johnston began his football career with Partick Thistle in 1981 before moving to Watford in 1983. With Watford Johnston scored 23 league goals, made his international debut, and helped the team reach the 1984 FA Cup Final...
following the sale of both Graeme Sharp and Mike Newell, and while the new look strikeforce was reasonably productive, the rest of the team struggled to match their standards. Cottee was restricted to eight goals from 24 games through injury, and Everton finished mid table once again. It was the first time since his debut season nine years earlier that he had scored less than 10 league goals in a season.
1992–93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
saw Everton participate in the inaugural FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, and Cottee did better this time, scoring 12 goals. He managed 16 league goals in 1993–94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, but it was a disastrous season for Everton who only narrowly avoided relegation just seven years after being league champions.
West Ham United (II)
He returned to West Ham United on 7 September 1994 in a part exchange deal for defender David BurrowsDavid Burrows (footballer)
David Burrows is an English former footballer. During his career he played for West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, West Ham United, Everton, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday as well as the England Under-21 and B teams...
. He had played 184 league games in six years for the Toffees, scoring 76 goals, but unfortunately had not won any major trophies. His overall career tally for league goals now stood at 169.
His first season back at Upton Park
Upton Park
Upton Park is an urban area of the London Borough of Newham,centred around the local high street, Green Street. The area is synonymous with football and is home to West Ham United Football Club, who play at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park, while nearby is a green space also called...
brought 13 league goals as he helped West Ham fight off relegation and finished 14th in their first season under the management of Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
. He managed a further 10 goals in 1995–96
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
as the Hammers finished 10th – their highest finish since 1986 – but he then lost his place in the team to new arrivals like Florin Raducioiu
Florin Raducioiu
Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...
and Hugo Porfirio
Hugo Porfírio
Hugo Cardoso Porfírio is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a winger.-Football career:Porfírio graduated from Sporting Clube de Portugal's famed youth academy, joining the professionals for the 1992–93 season, alongside midfielder Emílio Peixe...
, managing just three games and failing to score in the Premier League before joining Selangor
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...
of Malaysia on a free transfer in October 1996. Over two spells at West Ham, he had scored an impressive 116 league goals. Added to his goals scored for Everton, he had now managed 182 league goals.
Selangor and Leicester City
Although Cottee spent less than a year in Malaysia with Selangor, he was still able to win the first major trophies of his career, winning both the Malaysia CupMalaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
and the FAM Cup with the Red Giants, before he returned to England and signed for Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners Leicester City for £500,000 in August 1997, where he was presented with his first chance of European football at the age of 32 as Leicester had an ultimately short lived campaign in that season's
UEFA Cup 1997-98
The UEFA Cup 1997–98 was won by Internazionale comfortably in an all-Italian final against Lazio. It was their third title in eight years in the competition....
UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. He managed 19 league games and scored four goals as the Foxes finished 10th, and one of those goals came in a shock 1–0 win over title chasing 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...
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 31 January 1998. He also had a loan spell at Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in Division One that season, and in his first taste of second tier football managed to score one goal. He remained at Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
until 11 September 2000, by which time he had played a total of 85 league games for the Foxes and scored 27 goals – bringing his total career tally to 209 league goals. In 1999–2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
, when in his 35th year, he finally won a major trophy in England as he helped Leicester defeat Tranmere Rovers 2–1 in the Football League Cup final.
Three divisions in one season
In September 2000, Cottee joined Norwich CityNorwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
as player-coach under recently-appointed manager Bryan Hamilton
Bryan Hamilton
Bryan Hamilton is a Northern Irish former professional football player and manager. He gained 50 caps for Northern Ireland between 1969 and 1980, and later managed the national team for four years. He is currently Technical Director at Antigua Barracuda F.C.-Playing career:Born in Belfast,...
, however this did not last long as Cottee struggled to meet the demands placed on him, scoring two goals against Blackpool in the League Cup and Sheffield United in the league. After being released by Norwich on 31 October 2000, he took over as player-manager of Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
, a team closer to his home in 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...
. After winning his first game with the club 7–0, Barnet hit a run of poor form which left them facing relegation from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. Cottee resigned on 16 March 2001, however his replacement, John Still
John Still (footballer)
John Leonard Still is an English former footballer and current football club manager. He is currently in charge at Dagenham & Redbridge...
(who left the club just before Cottee's appointment six months earlier), was unable to rescue the team from relegation. However, Cottee did manage an impressive nine goals from 16 Division Three games.
A week after resigning from Barnet, Cottee signed for Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
on transfer deadline day. During this remarkable season, which was his last as a player, Cottee played for a different team in each of the top four divisions of English football in the same season, a rare achievement last performed by goalkeeper Eric Nixon
Eric Nixon
Eric Walter Nixon is an English former professional footballer who played as goalkeeper. His career spanned 22 years, thirteen of which were spent at Tranmere Rovers. He played for thirteen different clubs and made over 500 league appearances before his retirement in 2004...
in 1986–87
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
.
Cottee gained seven 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...
caps, played in the 1989 FA Cup Final
1989 FA Cup Final
The 1989 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1988–89 FA Cup, the top football knockout competition in England. The match was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 May 1989. Liverpool won 3–2 after extra time, with goals from John Aldridge and two...
for Everton and won the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
with Leicester City in 2000.
His final career tally was 579 league games and 226 goals. In all competitions, he managed 712 games and 293 goals. He exceed his ambition to score 200 league goals in his career, but fell just short of his target of 300 goals in all competitions. Still, he was one of the most prolific goalscorers that English football saw during the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
.
Cottee has admitted to diligently maintaining a scrapbook containing press cuttings of every goal he has scored throughout his playing career.
Post-retirement
He is now a commentator with Sky SportsSky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and occasional pundit for Malaysian network Astro
Astro TVIQ
Astro TVIQ is an Astro branded channel brought exclusively for Malaysians and Indonesians who own Astro. This channel is free as it is grouped under the Astro Family package...
, appearing on its 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
and Premier League studio coverage in Kuala Lumpur.
Everton
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
:- Runner-up: 19891989 FA Cup FinalThe 1989 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1988–89 FA Cup, the top football knockout competition in England. The match was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 May 1989. Liverpool won 3–2 after extra time, with goals from John Aldridge and two...
- Runner-up: 1989
- Full Members CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
- Runner-up: 1991
Leicester City
- League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
:- Winner: 20002000 Football League Cup FinalThe 2000 Worthington Cup Final was played between Leicester City, in their third final appearance in four years, and First Division side Tranmere Rovers at Wembley on 27 February 2000...
- Runner-up: 19991999 Football League Cup FinalThe 1999 Worthington Cup Final was played between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, at Wembley on Sunday 21 March 1999. Tottenham won the game, and their third League Cup, with an injury-time diving header from Allan Nielsen...
- Winner: 2000
Individual
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1985–86