Sam Sodje

Infobox Football biography
playername = Sam Sodje


fullname = Samuel Okeremute Sodje
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|5|25|df=yes
cityofbirth = Greenwich
countryofbirth = England
height = 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
position = Defender
currentclub = Reading
clubnumber = 4
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1998–2002
2002–2004
2004–2006
2006–
2007
2007–2008
2008
clubs = Stevenage Borough
Margate
Brentford
Reading
→ West Bromwich Albion (loan)
→ Charlton Athletic (loan)
→ Watford (loan)
caps(goals) = 29 0(3)
68 0(8)
83 (12)
03 0(0)
07 0(1)
27 0(2)
1 0(0)
nationalyears = 2005–
nationalteam = Nigeria
nationalcaps(goals) = 02 0(0)
pcupdate = 11:50, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 14:34, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Samuel Okeremute Sodje (born 25 May 1979 in Greenwich, England) is a Nigerian centre half currently playing his football at Championship side Reading. His brothers, Efe, Steve, Akpo and cousin Onome all play football in England. His brother Bright used to play rugby league.

Football career

Early years

Sodje joined Margate at the beginning of the 2002–03 season and scored on his debut with a header. He quickly established himself as a huge favourite with the supporters and won the Supporters' Player of the Year award at the end of his first season with Margate. In his second game he scored a header again, this time sadly it was in the wrong end as he scored an own-goal against Kettering Town.

In the summer of 2003, he went on trial at Yeovil Town and Chester City, but neither team signed him. He returned to Margate to play Conference football for the 2003–04 season and impressed once again.

At the beginning of the 2004–05 season, he moved from Margate to League One side Brentford on a free transfer. He became popular with the Brentford fans through a combination of his goal-scoring, and his crazy hairstyles. At the end of that season he won a local newspaper award for player of the season, and at the end of the 2005–06 season he was honoured with a place in the PFA League One team of the year. [cite news | date=2006-04-23 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4935884.stm | title=Gerrard named player of the year | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-04-26]

Reading

It was revealed Sodje had turned down a move to Southampton on 31 January 2006, the final day of the transfer window. [cite news | title=Sodje turns down move to Saints | date=2006-02-01 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/brentford/4669656.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2006-07-12] Much transfer speculation followed until it was announced on 12 July 2006 that Sodje would join Reading, subject to a medical; [cite news | title=Royals agree £350k fee for Bees' Sam Sodje | date=2006-07-12 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~866744,00.html | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2006-07-12] the transfer was completed on 14 July 2006. [cite news | title=Royals to complete signing of defender Sam Sodje this afternoon | date=2006-07-14 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~866744,00.html | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2006-07-14]

Sodje made his Reading debut away to Wigan Athletic on 26 August 2006 because of a suspension to Ibrahima Sonko. However, his first team opportunities in the 2006–07 proved to be limited, so on 16 March 2007 he signed a month's loan deal with West Bromwich Albion, [cite news | title=Sodje to join West Brom on loan for a month | date=2007-03-16 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~998183,00.html | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-03-16] which was subsequently extended to the end of the 2006–07 season. [cite news | title=West Brom extend Sodje loan spell | date=2007-04-17 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/6562767.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-04-17] Whilst there, he helped The Baggies to a place in the Football League Championship Playoff Final, which they lost 1-0 to Derby County. [cite news | title=Derby 1-0 West Brom | date=2007-05-28 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6689971.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-05-28]

In the summer 2007 transfer window, Sheffield Wednesday agreed a fee with Reading for Sodje, with Sodje given the opportunity to think over the move. [cite news | title=Sodje thinking over Owls move | date=2007-08-24 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1098220,00.html | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-08-24] However, Sodje eventually joined Charlton Athletic on loan for the remainder of the 2007–08 season. [cite news | title=Friday's lunchtime transfer update | date=2007-08-31 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1103237,00.html | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-08-31] He made his Charlton debut in the club's 2-0 victory over Norwich City as a late substitute on 18 September 2007. His performance in Charlton's 3-1 home win over Ipswich Town on 8 December 2007 earned him a place in the Championship Team of the Week. [cite web | url=http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/c2/c4/0,,10794~115906,00.pdf | title=Coca-Cola Championship Team Of The Week (10/12/2007) | publisher=The Football League | format=pdf | date=2007-12-10 | accessdate=2007-12-11]

In September 2008 Sodje joined fellow Championship side Watford on a month's loan as cover for the team's injuries [cite web|url=http://www.watfordfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10400~1403564,00.html|title=Sodje signs to soothe injury woe|date=2008-09-26|accessdate=2008-09-26] , he played for 1 game away at Sheffield United before returning to Reading after aggravating a knee injury. [cite web|url=http://www.watfordfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10400~1408041,00.html|title=Sodje heads back|publisher=Watford F.C.|date=2008-09-30|accessdate=2008-10-05]

Nigeria

He made his international debut for the Nigeria national football team in 2005 in an international friendly against Romania. [ [http://www.football.co.uk/brentford/sodje_doubt_for_bees_209850.shtml Sodje doubt for Bees] , Football.co.uk. 2005-11-17. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.]

References

External links

* [http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10306~19908,00.html Sam Sodje profile] at readingfc.co.uk
*soccerbase|24010|Sam Sodje
* [http://www.nigerianplayers.com/player.asp?pID=338 Sam Sodje profile] at nigerianplayers.com

Persondata
NAME=Sodje, Samuel Okeremute
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Sodje, Sam
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=1979-05-25
PLACE OF BIRTH=Greenwich, England
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=