Wilson Palacios
Encyclopedia
Wilson Roberto Palacios Suazo (wilˈsom paˈlasjos; born 29 July 1984) is a Honduran
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

 footballer who plays in the Premier League for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

.

Born in La Ceiba
La Ceiba
La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part of the south eastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras...

, he played for Victoria
Club Deportivo Victoria
This article is about Honduran club, for the Spanish club see CD Victoria.Club Deportivo Victoria is an Honduran football club based in La Ceiba, Atlántida. The club has been champions once and runners-up once.-History:...

 and Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

 in Honduras before moving to England where he played for 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...

 and Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

. In 2009 he joined Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

, generally playing central defensive midfield as he did for previous club Wigan. He has occasionally been used for Tottenham Hotspur as a right midfielder. He has been a regular player for Honduras
Honduras national football team
The 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...

 since 2003, helping them qualify for the 2010 FIFA 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...

 finals for only the second time in their history. In August 2011 Palacios joined Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 for an undisclosed fee.

Olimpia

Palacios, along with brothers Milton, Jerry
Jerry Palacios
Jerry Palacios is a Honduran football striker, who currently plays for Hunan Billows in China League One.-Career:He signed for Chinese Super League side Hangzhou Greentown in January 2010....

, Johnny
Johnny Palacios
Johnny Palacios is a Honduran football defender, who currently plays for Olimpia. His brothers are Milton, Jerry, Wilson and Edwin Palacios. On October 30, 2007 Edwin, aged 16, was kidnapped in La Ceiba....

 and Edwin, started his career as a footballer with Club Deportivo Victoria
Club Deportivo Victoria
This article is about Honduran club, for the Spanish club see CD Victoria.Club Deportivo Victoria is an Honduran football club based in La Ceiba, Atlántida. The club has been champions once and runners-up once.-History:...

, from which all five players were later transferred to Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

.

Palacios made 102 appearances and scored 32 goals for Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

. He became one of the idols of the team and quickly started to attract international attention after winning five league titles with Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

 in the 2002–03 Apertura tournament, as well as the 2003–04 Clausura, 2004–05 Clasura, 2005–06 Apertura and the 2005–06 Clausura tournaments. He is especially remembered for scoring a goal from the half-way line against Marathón
Club Deportivo Marathón
Club Deportivo Marathón is an Honduran football club which currently plays in the in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras in San Pedro Sula.-History:...

 in the final minutes of a game in 2006 to win the 2005–2006 Clausura tournament to become champions of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

.

After having a very successful career in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

, Palacios looked to make his name in the European leagues. On 14 July 2007 Palacios announced that he would travel to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 for a couple of months for a trial with Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...

. He stayed for less than a month and despite impressing during his stay, he did not join the club as they refused to pay the cost demanded by Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...

, and a salary of, reportedly, 1.5 million US dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 for a three-year contract. After his trial in Serbia, he traveled to France to try his luck with Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

. It is not known what happened but he did not sign a contract and returned to Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

. In August 2007, there were reports in the Honduran press that Palacios had gone missing, until his father stated that his son was actually in London having a trial with Premier League club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

.

Birmingham City (loan)

On 24 August 2007 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...

 announced that after a recommendation from Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...

 they were offering Palacios a trial with a view to a six month loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....

, which was agreed on 31 August 2007. He made his debut for Birmingham 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...

 at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

 in a 0–0 draw on 22 September. In October 2007 manager Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...

, who likened Palacios to a young Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...

, said that Birmingham intended to make his loan a permanent transfer. but the player's absence following his brother's kidnap meant that new manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...

 had not seen enough of him to sign him permanently.

Wigan Athletic

On 11 January 2008, Palacios re-joined Bruce at Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

 for an undisclosed fee, and made his debut the following day against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

. He became an important piece in Steve Bruce's scheme and was linked to the likes of big clubs like 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...

, 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...

, Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

, and Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

. Then on 16 January 2009 Steve Bruce declared that the deal with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 for Palacios was "virtually agreed". However, he bemoaned the loss of his "right arm" and declared he didn't want to lose "one of [his] best players" after he has become "one of the best midfield players in the country". However, despite Bruce's attempts to keep him at the JJB Stadium
JJB Stadium
The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club....

, the deal was confirmed five days later.

Tottenham Hotspur

Despite having reservations about moving to North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...

 from North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...

 where he was settled, Palacios agreed personal terms on a five-and-a-half year contract with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

, committing his future to the club until 2014. On January 21, 2009, the club announced to the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

 that they had agreed a fee of £12 million for Palacios and that the player had agreed personal terms and passed his medical, but that the transfer could only be completed once he received a work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...

. He made his Tottenham debut in a 3–2 defeat to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 on 31 January, and assisted with the second goal after Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen
Jussi Jääskeläinen
Jussi Albert Jääskeläinen is a Finnish football goalkeeper, who plays for Bolton Wanderers.-Club career:Jääskeläinen was born in Mikkeli, and made his Veikkausliiga debut in Finland for MP Mikkeli in 1992, and became the club's first choice goalkeeper in 1994. In 1996, he moved to VPS Vaasa where...

 stopped Palacios' low shot and teammate Darren Bent
Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...

 put in the rebound.

His battling performance in his second match, against local rivals Arsenal, earned him the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...

 award. Since then he has had some excellent performances in the Spurs midfield. Palacios scored his first goal in English Football against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 on 19 August 2009 after a through ball by Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....

. After scoring, Palacios pointed towards the heavens in honour of his brother, Edwin Palacios, whose body had been found earlier in the year after being murdered. His performance at Hull earned praise from manager 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....

. During the 2009–10 season he played 43 matches for Tottenham and helped the club reach the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The 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...

 for the first time. The following season, Palacios was restricted to 21 appearances in the Premier League however he did play a key role in Tottenham's run to the quarter final of the Champions League.

Stoke City

Palacios joined Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 on 31 August 2011, signing a four year contract. The fee was undisclosed but is believed to be around £6 million. He made his debut for Stoke in a 1–0 win 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...

 on 10 September 2011. His start to his Stoke career has been restricted by a knee injury and tonsillitis
Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils most commonly caused by viral or bacterial infection. Symptoms of tonsillitis include sore throat and fever. While no treatment has been found to shorten the duration of viral tonsillitis, bacterial causes are treatable with antibiotics...

.

International career

Wilson Palacios wears the number 8 jersey with the Honduran national football team
Honduras national football team
The 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...

. He has played 69 matches with Honduras where he has scored 4 goals since 2003. He is also one of the most well-known Honduran international players alongside David Suazo
David Suazo
Óscar David Suazo Velázquez is a Honduran football striker who currently plays for Calcio Catania in the Italian Serie A. He is also a member of the Honduran national team.-Early career:...

.

In the 2010 FIFA 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...

, held in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Honduras achieved an historical distinction by including Jerry, Johnny, and Wilson Palacios in their squad. They became the first trio of brothers to represent a single nation in the World Cup.

Club

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
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...

2007–08 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Total 7000000070
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

2007–08
2007–08 Wigan Athletic F.C. season
The 2007–08 Wigan Athletic F.C. season was the club's 30th season in the Football League and their third season in the Premier League. Under new manager Chris Hutchings, the team started the season well, winning two of their opening three games. However, after going the next ten games without a...

16 0 1 0 0 0 17 0
2008–09 21 0 1 0 2 0 24 0
Total 370202000410
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

2008–09 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 0
2009–10 33 1 7 0 3 0 43 1
2010–11
2010–11 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season
The 2010–11 season is Tottenham Hotspur Football Clubs 19th season in the Premier League. It is their 33rd successive season in the top division of the English football league system....

21 0 1 0 1 0 8 0 31 0
Total 651804090861
Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

2011–12
2011–12 Stoke City F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is the 149th season in Stoke City F.C.s history, their fourth in the Premier League and 112th in the league system of English football. Their 13th place finish in the 2010–11 season means it is their fourth successive season in the Premier League...

2 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 7 0
Total 2000104070
Career Total 1111100701301411

International

As of September 2011

|-
|2003||5||0
|-
|2004||10||0
|-
|2005||12||1
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
|2007||14||0
|-
|2008||11||3
|-
|2009||10||0
|-
|2010||6||0
|-
|2011||2||0
|-
!Total||76||5
|}

Personal life

He is the brother of Milton, Jerry
Jerry Palacios
Jerry Palacios is a Honduran football striker, who currently plays for Hunan Billows in China League One.-Career:He signed for Chinese Super League side Hangzhou Greentown in January 2010....

, Johnny
Johnny Palacios
Johnny Palacios is a Honduran football defender, who currently plays for Olimpia. His brothers are Milton, Jerry, Wilson and Edwin Palacios. On October 30, 2007 Edwin, aged 16, was kidnapped in La Ceiba....

 and Edwin.

On 30 October 2007, his brother, Edwin, then aged 14, was kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...

 by five armed men from the family home in La Ceiba
La Ceiba
La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part of the south eastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras...

. In November 2007, the family paid a £125,000 ransom and it was reported that the boy had been released, but this proved not to be the case.

In January 2009, Palacios' mother made a televised appeal for the kidnappers to open communication with the family, expressing her need to find out if Edwin was still alive, her fears that Palacios' big-money transfer to Tottenham would only strengthen the kidnappers' demands, and a request for help from the British authorities. She stressed that Palacios' team received the transfer fee but the player had only his salary, and that the family's situation was distressing for him.

On 8 May 2009, following a confession from two leaders of the 18th Street gang
18th Street gang
18th Street gang is considered to be the largest transnational criminal gang in Los Angeles, California. It is estimated that there are thousands of members in Los Angeles County alone...

, police found a body in the municipality of El Paraíso
El Paraíso
El Paraíso is a municipality in the Honduran department of El Paraíso. The capital is Yuscaran.The town is the site of a cigar factory operated by Nestor Plasencia, in which cigars are made under a variety of labels, including that of Rocky Patel....

 which they believed to be the remains of Edwin. Palacios returned home to Honduras the next day on compassionate leave. On 28 May, the body was confirmed as that of Edwin, and his funeral was held the following day in La Ceiba. On 30 May, despite his loss, Wilson Palacios joined up with the Honduran national team
Honduras national football team
The 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...

 to train in preparation for the World Cup qualifying games against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The 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...

 and El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...

.

In September 2011 Palacios had his car confiscated by Staffordshire Police
Staffordshire Police
Staffordshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of England...

 after he failed to provide them with his driving licence.

Club Deportivo Olimpia

  • 2002–03 Apertura
  • 2003–04 Clausura
  • 2004–05 Clausura
  • 2005–06 Apertura
  • 2005–06 Clausura

External links

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