Graham Alexander

Football player infobox
playername = Graham Alexander


fullname = Graham Alexander
height = height|ft=5|in=11
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|10|10|df=y
cityofbirth = Coventry
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Burnley
clubnumber = 2
position = Defender
youthyears = 1988–1991
youthclubs = Scunthorpe United
years = 1991–1995
1995–1999
1999–2007
2007–
clubs = Scunthorpe United
Luton Town
Preston North End
Burnley
caps(goals) = 159 (18)
152 (15)
354 (52)
053 0(5)
nationalyears = 2002–
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 036 0(0)
pcupdate = 18:23, 4 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 20:32, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Graham Alexander (born 10 October 1971 in Coventry, West Midlands) is a Scottish international footballer, currently playing for Burnley in the English Football League Championship. He normally plays as a defender but can play as a midfielder [http://www.burnleyfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestHeadlines/0,,10413~1102381,00.html Alexander The Seventh! | Burnley | News | Latest Headlines | Latest Headlines ] ] as he did early on in his career with Scunthorpe United. [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/player_details.cfm?playerid=35468&squadid=1 Scottish Football Association: The Scottish FA: Scotland : ] ]

Club career

Alexander began his career in the late 1980s as a youth player with Scunthorpe United and in 1991 he signed his first professional contract, quickly becoming a member of the first team. Alexander made over 200 appearances at Scunthorpe before moving to Luton Town for a transfer fee of £100,000. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/2151067.stm BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Preston | Alexander eyes Iron tie ] ] [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=87 www.soccerbase.com - The Internet Soccer Database ] ] He went on to make a similar number of appearances with Luton in his four years with the club.

In 1999 two clubs were vying for his signature; Burnley and Preston North End. Both clubs made offers for the player but Alexander opted for a move to Preston. [ [http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=350838 Graham Alexander is finally a Claret - Burnley FC - Clarets MAD ] ] He became a first team regular at Deepdale, eventually club captain and an established set-piece taker, particularly in penalties. [http://www.burnleyfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10413~8811,00.html Graham Alexander | Burnley | Team | Profiles ] ] In the 2000/2001 season Alexander missed several weeks of the season after breaking his rib in an away match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/1090991.stm BBC SPORT | PRESTON | Alexander injury blow for Preston ] ] During his eight years at Preston, Alexander became the club's then-longest serving player, making 400 appearances with his 400th coming against Colchester on August 25 2007 [ [http://www.pnefc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10362~1098579,00.html 400 Up For Grezza | Preston North End | News | Latest | Latest ] ] . He was also in the PFA's Championship Team of the Season for 2004/05

During the summer of 2007 a number of clubs were linked with Alexander including Crystal Palace who had a £50,000 bid turned down by Preston, who said;

"He is club captain and a vital member of this squad and certainly not a player we will allow to leave." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/5221206.stm BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Preston | Preston reject bid for Alexander ] ]

On August 29 2007, he made a surprise move to local rivals Burnley almost 9 years after they had originally tried to sign him. The reasons cited for his departure were that Preston would not extend his contract by another year [http://www.claretsmad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=350969 Simpson not happy with Alexander sale - Burnley FC - Clarets MAD ] ] [ [http://www.pnefc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10362~1103387,00.html Grezza's Emotional Farewell | Preston North End | News | Latest | Latest ] ] so when offered a two year contract by Burnley the player accepted and made a £200,000 move to Turf Moor. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/6970677.stm BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Preston | Burnley recruit PNE's Alexander ] ] Preston Chairman Derek Shaw did not want to lose the player and said;

"We don't particularly want to sell Graham but he has the comfort of a two-year contract at Burnley whereas he only has one year here at Deepdale. We quite possibly would have renewed Graham's contract, he's a fit man." [http://www.lep.co.uk/WebPartsTpls/sport?articleid=3161836]

Following Alexander's departure, Preston manager Paul Simpson also made similar comment regarding the player's departure but insisted he did not want to offer a 2-year contract to a 35 year old. The £200,000 transfer money was made up of £100,000 payable in 2007 and the final £100,000 payable in the summer of 2008.

International career

Although Alexander was born in England, he was eligible to play for Scotland through his Scottish father. [ [http://www.burnley.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=81141 Burnley - Alexander the Great! ] ] Alexander said that playing for Scotland was one of his main ambitions in football [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1908913.stm Alexander hoping for Scotland call] , BBC Sport.] This ambition was fulfilled when he made his debut on April 17, 2002 in a 2–1 friendly defeat to Nigeria at Pittodrie Stadium. Alexander gained his 25th Scotland cap in a famous 1–0 victory against France. He was also part of the squad who won the annual Japanese Kirin Cup tournament in 2006, beating Bulgaria 5–1 before drawing 0–0 with the hosts. [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesk/kirin.html Kirin Cup ] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.burnleyfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10413~8811,00.html Profile on Burnley's Official site]
* [http://www.pnefc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10362~8811,00.html Profile on Preston's Official site]
* [http://www.uefagames.com/competitions/euro/players/player=66299/index.html UEFA stats] for Euro 2008 qualifiers
*soccerbase|id=87|name=Graham Alexander