Gabriel Imuetinyan Agbonlahor ( hold 13 October 1986 ) is an english former professional football player who played as a forward ; he largely played as a central striker, but he was besides capable of playing on the wing. He spent his entire professional career with Aston Villa in the Premier League and late the Championship, with loans at Watford and Sheffield Wednesday at the originate of his career. He is a product of Aston Villa ‘s Academy, and made his first-team debut in 2006 following loans to Football League club Watford and Sheffield Wednesday. He made 391 sum appearances for Aston Villa, including 322 in the Premier League. He scored 87 goals for the baseball club, and is their all-time leading Premier League goalscorer, with 74 across 11 consecutive league seasons. once a regular with the England under-21s, Agbonlahor made his senior international debut for England in 2008 and earned three caps.
Reading: Gabriel Agbonlahor
Club career [edit ]
early career [edit ]
Before being scouted by Aston Villa, Agbonlahor was playing for Great Barr Falcons and his district. It was at a zone plot where he was scouted by Aston Villa. During this time he had besides been scouted by Wolverhampton Wanderers and played a few games for them, but chose to join his boyhood football team Aston Villa. [ 4 ] Agbonlahor came through the youth ranks at local club Aston Villa. He signed a biennial professional contract at the club in June 2005. [ 5 ] On 22 September 2005, he was loaned to Championship club Watford, [ 5 ] where he made his aged debut six days late, replacing Trevor Benjamin at half prison term in a 3–1 kill away to Coventry City. [ 6 ] He made his first beginning in his only other match for Watford, a scoreless draw against Leeds United at Vicarage Road on 1 October, in which he made way for Francino Francis after 65 minutes. [ 7 ] Agbonlahor was loaned to another team from the division on 28 October, Sheffield Wednesday, [ 8 ] where he made eight appearances without scoring. [ 9 ] Agbonlahor ‘s Premier League debut for Villa came on 18 March 2006 at the historic period of 19, under coach David O’Leary, against Everton at Goodison Park. O’Leary was forced to delve into the young person academy because of a miss of senior strikers due to injury, frankincense earning Agbonlahor a rare depart. He scored after 63 minutes, although Villa went on to lose the match 4–1. [ 10 ]
In five pre-season matches of the 2006–07 season, Agbonlahor netted three goals for Aston Villa ; a flying double salvo against Walsall ( the first a near-post header, the latter a close range complete ) in a 5–0 victory, [ 11 ] and a consolation strike in a 2–1 frustration at NEC. [ 12 ] Agbonlahor started the season on the correct wing in Martin O’Neill ‘s new-look Villa team, and would be separate of the team that managed to get a point from the first Premier League match at Arsenal ‘s new Emirates Stadium. [ 13 ] Agbonlahor ‘s first base finish of the season came at home against Charlton Athletic in a 2–0 win. [ 14 ] On 30 September, Agbonlahor scored a crucial counterweight against Premiership champions Chelsea good ahead half-time, heading in Liam Ridgewell ‘s crabbed with a glancing heading to earn Villa a 1–1 draw. [ 15 ] Agbonlahor besides provided cup heroics in 2006, scoring an injury-time achiever to beat Leicester City 3–2 at the Walkers Stadium. [ 16 ] The follow match, he scored a consolation campaign in Villa ‘s first loss of the temper, on 28 October, ten-spot matches in. [ 17 ] Agbonlahor completed his test of scoring against the alleged “ Big Four “, when he scored against Manchester United. Aston Villa were beaten 3–1 in the match at Old Trafford. [ 18 ] Agbonlahor then scored deep into wound time in the be meet, against Watford on 20 January 2007, to end a Villa winless run that stretched back to 11 November. [ 19 ] Agbonlahor had played every minute of Aston Villa ‘s campaign in 2006–07, until he was replaced by Patrik Berger in the 2–0 away fixture against Reading on 10 February 2007. [ citation needed ] The follow match was the first of the season that Agbonlahor did not start—he rather appeared from the bench, replacing newfangled Villa sign Shaun Maloney. [ citation needed ] Manager Martin O’Neill suggested that Agbonlahor, who had been playing out of placement on the right wing for much of the temper, had done wonderfully, and being dropped from the first 11 was in order to rest him, and alleviate growing crowd imperativeness. [ citation needed ] Following this break, Agbonlahor went on a score spree. [ citation needed ] He scored from the rightist against Everton on 2 April to gain Villa a valuable target. [ 20 ] Following this catch, Agbonlahor signed a new-four-year contract at Villa. [ 21 ] The stick to Saturday, in the absence of John Carew, he was moved back to his natural stead at center forward and again found his list on the scoresheet. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor made it three in a row on Easter Monday, again scoring an counterweight, adjudged to have crossed the lineage by assistant reviewer Dave Richardson. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor besides scored the critical second finish in the match between Aston Villa and Chelsea on 2 September, in which Villa won 2–0. [ 22 ] Agbonlahor headed the winning goal in the 86th minute of the Second City bowler hat aside to Birmingham on 11 November, curtly after saving the ball on the line from a Liam Ridgewell shoot. [ 23 ] Agbonlahor won the Premier League Player of the Month award for November and director Martin O’Neill won the equivalent award for the same month. [ 24 ] On 12 April 2008, Agbonlahor scored the fourth goal against Derby County in a 6–0 victory at Pride Park Stadium in the Premier League. [ 25 ] In the Second City bowler hat against Birmingham City on 20 April 2008, he scored the fifth and concluding goal in the 5–1 victory. [ 26 ]
On 15 August 2008, Agbonlahor signed a new four-year contract with Villa, tying him to the baseball club until 2012. [ 27 ] Following his contract extension, on 17 August 2008, Agbonlahor scored a “ perfect ” hat-trick ( scoring goals with his head, right foundation and left foot ) against Manchester City in Villa ‘s opening match of the 2008–09 Premier League temper at Villa Park. The three goals were netted in the space of seven minutes, making it the third-fastest hat-trick in the history of the Premier League after Robbie Fowler and Sadio Mané. He was subsequently named homo of the match for this performance, which led to a 4–2 victory. [ 28 ] early in the temper, he began to form a successful hit partnership with teammate John Carew, this demonstrated in the Premier League away matches against West Bromwich Albion [ 29 ] and Wigan Athletic [ 30 ] where both players scored in both matches and leave assists. [ citation needed ] On 3 November 2008, Agbonlahor was at the centre of a controversy with Newcastle United ‘s Joey Barton when, during the match, Barton appeared to brush his fingers on Agbonlahor ‘s face. It late emerged that Barton ‘s attack might have been race-orientated but, after careful consideration by both Aston Villa and The Football Association, no far action was taken. [ 31 ] [ 32 ] On 8 November, it emerged in some national newspapers that the reason Agbonlahor decided not to pursue legal action against Barton was because he “ felt blue ” for him. [ 33 ] [ 34 ] On 15 November, he scored once and played a separate in the other goal, when Aston Villa beat arsenal 2–0 at Emirates Stadium. [ 35 ] He scored a brace against Bolton Wanderers on 13 December. [ 36 ] Agbonlahor notched his tenth league goal of the season in the 90th moment in a 2–0 succeed against Blackburn Rovers on 7 February. [ 37 ] however, this was a eminent point in a blue guide of shape in which he scored merely one goal in 12 league matches. [ citation needed ] Some fans began to get frustrated with Agbonlahor, and in Villa ‘s home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, there were some sarcastic cheers as he was substituted off by Martin O’Neill. [ citation needed ] He was subsequently dropped to the terrace for Villa ‘s future match away to Liverpool, which Villa lost 5–0. [ citation needed ] After the heavy kill to Liverpool and despite his lack of shape, Agbonlahor was recalled to the starting 11 and went on to score a goal against Manchester United on 5 April in a 3–2 defeat for Villa. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the class, with teammate ultimately Ashley Young winning the honor. [ 38 ] Agbonlahor ‘s first goal [ citation needed ] of the 2009–10 season came in a 2–0 home victory over Fulham on 30 August 2009, scoring from 25 yards. [ 39 ] The striker scored the only goal in the temper ‘s possibility Birmingham bowler hat against Birmingham City, netting an receptive header past Joe Hart as a result of a exempt complain taken by Ashley Young. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor scored his third gear finish of the season scoring in a 2–0 win against Portsmouth. [ 40 ] He scored his fourth and one-fifth consecutive goals of the season against Cardiff City in the League Cup and Blackburn in the Premier League. [ citation needed ] His future goal came on 24 October 2009 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in the Premier League. [ citation needed ] Fellow Villa ahead Emile Heskey played the ball into the penalty sphere where Agbonlahor turned a defender and placed a humble shoot past Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. [ citation needed ] The catch finished 1–1. [ citation needed ] He scored the only finish in the 1–0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, heading in a crabbed from Ashley Young after 21 minutes, providing Villa ‘s first base league acquire at Old Trafford since 1983. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor besides scored in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Blackburn, helping Villa to get to the concluding where they lost to Manchester United, 2–1. [ citation needed ] He scored twice in 2–0 win at Fulham on 30 January 2010. [ citation needed ] On 21 February 2010, Agbonlahor provided an aid for Emile Heskey before adding Villa ‘s final examination goal in a 5–2 victory over Burnley for his 11th league goal of the season. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor finished the season with 13 goals in the Premier League, and 16 in all competitions. [ citation needed ]
Despite Villa suffering some issues on and off the field at the begin of the season, such as the resignation of coach Martin O’Neill and a humiliating 6–0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United, Agbonlahor defended the club and stated his captive to remain there for the long term. [ 41 ] Agbonlahor signed a fresh four-and-a-half-year contract on 12 November 2010, keeping him at Villa Park until at least 2015. [ citation needed ] On 16 January 2011, he made his two-hundredth appearance in an Aston Villa shirt in a 1–1 draw with rivals Birmingham, playing the full 90 minutes at St Andrew ‘s. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor scored his first finish in the Premier League since April 2010 in the 2–1 victory over Wigan Athletic on 26 January 2011 at the DW Stadium. [ citation needed ] On 16 April 2011, he scored an injury-time winner aside at West Ham United. [ 42 ] Agbonlahor was less prolific in terms of goalscoring during 2010–11 due to Aston Villa director Gérard Houllier preferring to use him as a winger. [ 43 ] Agbonlahor scored his first finish of the 2011–12 season in Aston Villa ‘s 3–1 home acquire over Blackburn Rovers on 20 August 2011, and followed this up with the leveler in a 2–2 aside draw against Everton ten days later. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] For his convinced performances during the opening calendar month of the season, Agbonlahor was named as Aston Villa ‘s Player of the Month for August 2011, beating off rival from fabian Delph to the acme touch. [ 46 ] He then made it three goals in three matches when he scored in a 1–1 family draw against Newcastle on 17 September. [ 47 ] This mean that Agbonlahor had equalled his Premier League goals score from the 2010–11 season after just five matches into the fresh season. [ citation needed ] After rediscovering his goalscoring form under newfangled emboss Alex McLeish, the hitter publicly rundle of his discontentment at the managerial tenure of Gérard Houllier and his adjunct Gary McAllister and said that he even considered quitting the club had the previous government remained. [ 48 ] interim, on the pitch Agbonlahor continued to impress, scoring the inaugural finish and setting up Darren Bent for the second in a valet of the catch performance against Wigan on 1 October. [ 49 ] He then put in another homo of the meet performance against Norwich City in a 3–2 win on 5 November, setting up both of Darren Bent ‘s goals and scoring the second himself. [ 50 ] On 7 January 2012, he scored the second finish in a 3–1 succeed against Bristol Rovers in the third orotund of the FA Cup after Marc Albrighton had given Villa the lead. [ 51 ] On 3 April 2012, after Aston Villa master Stiliyan Petrov ‘s diagnosis with acute accent leukemia, Agbonlahor was named team captain upon Petrov ‘s diagnosis. [ citation needed ] Following the dismissal of Alex McLeish in the summer of 2012, Agbonlahor was not chosen as interim captain by McLeish ‘s successor, Paul Lambert. [ citation needed ] The Scotsman opted first for Darren Bent as skipper, before ultimately choosing new signing Ron Vlaar to wear the captain ‘s armband in the absence of Stiliyan Petrov. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor began the season injured, and could not make an appearance until the 1–1 away draw with Newcastle United on 2 September 2012. [ citation needed ] He late returned to full fitness and started the away match at Manchester City on 25 September. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor managed to score two goals in the match as Villa secured a memorable 4–2 League Cup winnings ( after excess fourth dimension ) over the Premier League champions at the City of Manchester Stadium. [ citation needed ] On 3 November 2012, he scored his inaugural Premier League finish in barely under a year against Sunderland in a run stretching 29 matches. [ citation needed ] On 6 April 2013, Agbonlahor scored his sixtieth Premier League goal for Aston Villa, making him joint top Premier League goalscorer for the club aboard Dwight Yorke. [ citation needed ] On 29 April, in a 6–1 succeed over Sunderland, Agbonlahor scored his 61st Premier League goal to overtake Yorke as Villa ‘s highest all-time Premier League goal scorer. [ citation needed ] He scored two goals in a 2–1 succeed over Norwich on 4 May, moving Aston Villa up to 13th place in the Premier League. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor began the season brilliantly, winning two penalties in a 3–1 aside win over Arsenal on 17 August 2013 and assisting Christian Benteke ‘s goal against Chelsea four days late in a controversial 2–1 get the better of at Stamford Bridge. [ citation needed ] This resulted in strong praise from coach Paul Lambert, and a huge demand from the public for an England call up, which was ignored by Roy Hodgson. [ citation needed ] In September, Agbonlahor participated in a charity peer organised by Stiliyan Petrov, which featured many celebrities and footballers, both former and current. During the match, Agbonlahor tackled and injured One Direction member Louis Tomlinson, who then became ill after being substituted. Despite apologising to Tomlinson, Agbonlahor received many threats after the match from One commission fans via Twitter. [ 52 ]
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late career [edit ]
Agbonlahor playing for Aston Villa in 2014 On 10 September 2014, Agbonlahor signed a modern four-year shrink, saying, “ I can placid remember making my debut, thus to still be able to contribute is a great feel. ” [ 53 ] Three days later, he scored the only finish as Villa won away at Liverpool, a club he had lone scored once against before in the Premier League. [ 54 ] Agbonlahor was given a neat red poster on 20 December for a challenge on former teammate Ashley Young as Villa drew 1–1 with Manchester United, [ 55 ] however his three-match abeyance was rescinded on entreaty three days late. [ 56 ] Agbonlahor made his three-hundredth Premier League appearance for Villa on 14 March 2015 away to Sunderland, scoring twice in the first half in a 4–0 win. [ 57 ] On 30 May in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, director Tim Sherwood chose to start Charles N’Zogbia rather of Agbonlahor, and then brought him on in place of the Frenchman after 53 minutes, with Villa already 2–0 down ; they finally lost 4–0. [ 58 ] Agbonlahor was named club captain at the start of the 2015–16 season, with newfangled signing Micah Richards named team captain. [ 59 ] soon after coach Rémi Garde joined, Agbonlahor was dropped from the starting line-up. [ citation needed ] During the January transfer window, there was speculation surrounding Agbonlahor and his future at the golf club ; however, though turkish cabaret Kayserispor were linked, Garde late revealed that no offers had been made for him. [ citation needed ] Agbonlahor returned to the squad in an FA Cup tie against Manchester City on 30 January 2015, [ citation needed ] and scored his inaugural finish of the season a week late in a Premier League match in a 2–0 home victory against Norwich. This was his inaugural goal in 11 months. [ 60 ] On 1 April 2016, Aston Villa suspended Agbonlahor, pending an investigation into reports that he was pictured appearing to hold a hookah pipe while on holiday in Dubai. [ 61 ] On 19 April 2016, he was again suspended after he was allegedly pictured with laughing gasoline canisters. [ 62 ] He was punished with a significant fine and resigned the captainship. [ 63 ] Agbonlahor failed to impress newly coach Roberto Di Matteo in pre-season, and his lack of interest led to media speculation of a move away from the club. [ citation needed ] Despite matter to from Reading, he turned them down [ 64 ] and a act failed to materialise. [ citation needed ] When director Steve Bruce arrived, he immediately reinstated Agbonlahor into first-team discipline, saying that he ‘s “ not concern in what has happened in the past ” and that it ‘s a “ clean slate ” for him. [ 65 ] Bruce subsequently put him on a six-week fitness regimen in a offer to get him fit for the rest of the season. [ 66 ] Agbonlahor came on as a substitute in the Second City bowler hat on 23 April 2017 and scored his only goal of the season in a 1–0 succeed. [ 67 ] Agbonlahor made six appearances for Villa during 2017–18 and scored a unmarried finish, during the first plot of the temper against Hull City. [ 68 ] His final bet on for the club came against Sheffield United on 23 December 2017. [ 69 ] He left the clubhouse at the end of the temper after his narrow was not renewed, ending a 17-year association with his hometown golf club. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] During his career at Villa, he has scored 86 times in 391 appearances and is the club ‘s record Premier League scorer with 73 goals. [ 72 ] He retired from playing on 27 March 2019 at the age of 32. [ 73 ]
International career [edit ]
youth [edit ]
Agbonlahor ‘s lineage qualified him to play for Scotland or Nigeria at international flat, but he chose to play for his fatherland of England. [ 74 ] On 20 September 2006, Agbonlahor was pencilled in as a actor in the Nigeria under-20 team for the meet against Rwanda. He turned down the shout, whilst not ruling out playing for the nation in the future, [ 75 ] but subsequently pledged his future to England. [ 76 ] [ 77 ] On 28 September 2006, Agbonlahor received his first call-up to the England under-21 team, and won his beginning cap as a stand-in for Wayne Routledge against Germany on 6 October. [ 78 ] Four days later he started in target of Routledge against the lapp opponents. [ 79 ] Agbonlahor was then omitted from the England ‘s 2007 UEFA european Under-21 Championship team, by coach Stuart Pearce, as a result of missing the England U21 training camp in Spain. [ 80 ] Agbonlahor was late recalled to the team by Pearce, in September 2007, [ 81 ] netting his first goal for the under-21s, the second base of a 3–0 victory over Montenegro. [ 82 ]
senior [edit ]
On 7 March 2007, Agbonlahor one of respective storm names called up as contribution of a 37-man probationary Nigeria police squad by new coach Berti Vogts, aboard fellow English players Victor Anichebe and Carl Ikeme, and wax Israel international Toto Tamuz. [ 83 ] On 1 February 2008, Agbonlahor was named in Fabio Capello ‘s 23-man England team to play Switzerland late in the calendar month, [ 84 ] although a hamstring injury forced him to withdraw from the couple. [ 85 ] Agbonlahor was besides an unused utility in England ‘s respective 2–0 and 3–0 friendly victories against the United States [ 86 ] and Trinidad & Tobago in May–June 2008. [ 87 ] On 15 November 2008, he was called up to Capello ‘s police squad for the approaching match away to Germany, joining three early Aston Villa players in the squad : Ashley Young, Curtis Davies and Gareth Barry. [ 88 ] On 19 November 2008, he was named to start against Germany. He played for 76 minutes, [ 89 ] had a finish forbid and received high praise from John Terry, the latter describing him as “ a nightmare to play against ”. [ 90 ] On 11 February 2009, he was in the begin line up against Spain, where he played for 75 minutes before being substituted for debutant Carlton Cole. [ 91 ] He made his first base appearance in a competitive international on 14 October 2009, playing 66 minutes in the 3–0 gain over Belarus in the last catch of reservation for the 2010 World Cup. [ 92 ] He was last called up to the squad in November 2011. [ 93 ]
personal biography [edit ]
Agbonlahor was born in Birmingham, West Midlands. [ 94 ] His parents separated while he was silent young and he lived with his founder, without any contact with his mother, for around 20 years. In 2009, ahead of the striker ‘s 23rd birthday, his mother made a public appeal to him via the city ‘s Sunday Mercury newspaper in orderliness to become character of his animation once more. [ 95 ] Agbonlahor late contacted his mother and the pair reconciled. [ 96 ] Following retirement, he has worked as a initiate for Sky Sports and written column for on-line magazines such as Football Insider. [ 97 ]
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career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
International [edit ]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[110]
National team
Year
Apps
Goals
England
2008
1
0
2009
2
0
Total
3
0
Honours [edit ]
Aston Villa
England U21
Individual