- Craig Rocastle
-
Craig Rocastle 
Personal information Full name Craig Aaron Rocastle Date of birth 17 August 1981 Place of birth Lewisham, London, England Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Playing position Midfielder Club information Current club Sporting Kansas City Number 4 Youth career Queens Park Rangers Gravesend and Northfleet Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2001–2003 Kingstonian 28 (0) 2003–2005 Chelsea 0 (0) 2004 → Barnsley (loan) 5 (0) 2004 → Lincoln City (loan) 2 (0) 2004–2005 → Hibernian (loan) 13 (0) 2005–2006 Sheffield Wednesday 28 (1) 2006 → Yeovil Town (loan) 8 (0) 2006–2007 Oldham Athletic 35 (2) 2007–2008 Port Vale 23 (1) 2008 → Gillingham (loan) 2 (0) 2008–2009 Thrasyvoulos 14 (0) 2009 Welling United 2 (0) 2009 Dover Athletic 2 (0) 2009–2010 Forest Green Rovers 15 (0) 2010– Sporting Kansas City[note 1] 29 (0) National team‡ 2010– Grenada 9 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 19, 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:18, 15 November 2011 (UTC)Craig Aaron Rocastle (born 17 August 1981 in Lewisham) is an English-born Grenadian international footballer currently playing for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. He plays primarily as a midfielder.
He played for Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic and Port Vale, also enjoying loan spells with numerous clubs. He is a cousin of the late England and Arsenal midfielder David Rocastle.
Contents
Club career
After Queens Park Rangers went into administration in 2001, Rocastle dropped out of the professional game, joining up with Gravesend and Northfleet.
Rocastle gained extensive experience in the Chelsea reserve side, following his transfer from Kingstonian in the summer of 2003. However he never made a first team appearance for the Pensioners, though made the substitutes bench on one occasion.
Rocastle made his debut in the Football League on 14 February 2004, at the age of 22, playing for Barnsley in a 1–0 defeat at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground. He had joined the Yorkshiremen on loan and made another four appearances before leaving the next month. In late-March he joined League Two Lincoln City on loan,[1][2] but only made two substitute appearances before returning to Stamford Bridge before the end of the season.[3]
He spent the 2004 half of the 2004–05 season at Hibernian,[4] playing thirteen league games in a very successful season for the SPL club.[5] The club had kept faith with the midfielder as he damaged a thigh muscle in September[6] and was feared to have damaged knee ligaments in December[7] and were hopeful of acquiring him on a permanent basis. With no future with Chelsea,[8] he joined Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer in February 2005, signing a two-and-a-half year deal.[9] His first senior goal came in a League One 3–2 win over Blackpool at Hillsborough on 12 March.[10] He played in the play-off final 4–2 victory over Hartlepool United at the Millennium Stadium in front of close to 60,000 spectators.
Rocastle played seventeen games of the club's 2005–06 Championship season, before going out on loan to Yeovil Town in late-March. At the end of the season Rocastle's contract at Wednesday was terminated by mutual consent. He quickly signed for Oldham Athletic.
He played 35 league games in 2006–07, helping Oldham to a play-off place, though most of these appearances were as a substitute. However they were defeated by eventual promotion winners Blackpool in the semi-finals.
In June 2007, he signed a two year deal to join Port Vale.[11] He was not a first team favourite in 2007–08, but did manage 21 starts and a goal against Cheltenham.[12] He spent two weeks in January on loan with League One rivals Gillingham.[13] His contract was terminated by mutual consent in April 2008.[14]
Rocastle had a trial with Hibernian in May 2008, having impressed on loan there previously,[15] but manager Mixu Paatelainen did not offer him a contract.[16] Rocastle instead joined Thrasyvoulos Filis in the Superleague Greece.[17] He made thirteen appearances for the club in 2008–09, though they finished bottom with a mere 14 points from 30 games and were relegated to the Football League.
Rocastle then joined Crewe Alexandra for a trial,[18] but he failed to win a contract after playing 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly with Nantwich Town.[19] The Aberdeen official website reported on 6 August 2009 that the club would play him as a trialist in the Dean Windass testimonial match against Hull City,[20] however he was not offered a contract by the club. In August 2009, he signed for Welling United,[21] but left almost immediately after two conference south appearances and joined Dover Athletic on a non-contract basis.[22] He made his debut for Dover as a substitute in an 8–0 win over East Preston in the FA Cup. However, his stay at the Kent club was short, and in October 2009 he joined Forest Green Rovers on a non-contract basis. Rocastle impressed on his Forest Green debut, winning the man of the match award in Rovers 1–1 draw with Eastbourne Borough. He went on to make 15 appearances for Forest Green before interest was shown in him by Swedish and American clubs. Following a short trial in March 2010 Rocastle departed Forest Green to sign for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.[23]
International career
He made his Grenada international debut on 26 November 2010, in a 2010 Caribbean Championship match against Martinique at the Stade d'Honneur de Dillon in Fort-de-France.[24]
Honours
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League One play-offs winner: 2005
See also
Notes
- ^ Sporting Kansas City was known as Kansas City Wizards during the 2010 season.
References
- ^ "Glovers seal Rocastle loan deal". BBC Sport. 23 March 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/y/yeovil/4828436.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Lincoln sign loan duo". BBC Sport. 25 March 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/lincoln_city/3567997.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Rocastle leaves Lincoln". BBC Sport. 28 April 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/lincoln_city/3666157.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Rocastle joins Hibs on loan". BBC Sport. 31 August 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/3614734.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Chelsea's Rocastle ends Hibs stay". BBC Sport. 4 January 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4145307.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Rocastle blow for Hibs". BBC Sport. 15 September 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/3660314.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Injury worries ease for Rocastle". BBC Sport. 7 December 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/4075891.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Chelsea tell Rocastle he can go". BBC Sport. 14 January 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4173977.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Owls snap up midfielder Rocastle". BBC Sport. 3 February 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_wed/4233493.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Sheff Wed 3-2 Blackpool". BBC. 12 March 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4321519.stm. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Port Vale pull off triple swoop". BBC Sport. 8 June 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/6734245.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Port Vale 3-0 Cheltenham". BBC. 2 October 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7019591.stm. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Gillingham sign Vale's Rocastle". BBC Sport. 10 January 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/7180777.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "First summer signings for Sinnott". BBC Sport. 29 April 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/7373498.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Rocastle gets second Hibs chance". BBC Sport. 9 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/7393140.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Paatelainen wants to trim squad". BBC Sport. 20 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/7411750.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Thrasivoulos Filis Stats". soccerway.com. http://www.soccerway.com/players/craig-rocastle/59147/. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Thordarson to assess trialist". BBC Sport. 20 July 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crewe_alexandra/8159251.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ "Spurs keeper Button joins Crewe". BBC Sport. 22 July 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crewe_alexandra/8162739.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ Trialists set to face Hull, Aberdeen FC official website
- ^ "Wings ponce for Rocastle". NonLeagueDaily.com. 27 August 2009. http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=60288. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
- ^ Howard, Tom (23 September 2009). "Dover set to complete Rocastle swoop". Kent News. http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/Dover-set-to-complete-Rocastle-swoop-newsinkent28339.aspx?news=sport. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
- ^ "From Nailsworth to Kansas". Sport Glos. 20 August 2010. http://sportglos.co.uk/?p=1466. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
- ^ "Digicel Cup Opening day proves to be a football fest". digicelfootball.com. 26 November 2010. http://dcc.digicelfootball.com/news/72-digicel-caribbean-cup-finals-match-41-martinique-1-vs-grenada-1. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
External links
Grenada squad – 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Baptiste • 2 Cyrus • 3 S. Phillip • 4 Rocastle • 5 Langaigne • 6 Marshall • 7 Julien • 8 Facey • 9 Charles • 10 Bain • 11 A. Modeste • 12 Murray • 13 Leo • 14 Johnson • 15 Straker • 16 L. Joseph • 17 M. Phillip • 19 P. Modeste • 20 Rennie • 21 S. Joseph • 22 Bubb • 30 Louison • 34 Noel • Coach: Adams
Sporting Kansas City – current squad 1 Nielsen · 2 Harrington · 3 Aiyegbusi · 4 Rocastle · 5 Besler · 6 Thomas · 7 Myers · 8 Zusi · 9 Bunbury · 10 Jéferson · 11 Saad · 12 Warzycha · 13 Olum · 14 Ellis · 15 Espinoza · 16 Sinovic · 17 Sapong · 18 Kronberg · 19 Joseph · 20 Diop · 21 Kempin · 22 Arnaud · 23 Kamara · 24 Lorenz · 25 Cyrus · 32 Sassano · 55 César · 78 Collin · 88 Stojčev · 99 Bravo ·
Head Coach: Vermes Assistant Coach: Zambrano Assistant Coach: Zavagnin Goalkeeper Coach: Pascarella General Manager: Vermes
Categories:- 1981 births
- Living people
- Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
- Ebbsfleet United F.C. players
- Kingstonian F.C. players
- Chelsea F.C. players
- Barnsley F.C. players
- Lincoln City F.C. players
- Hibernian F.C. players
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
- Yeovil Town F.C. players
- Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players
- Port Vale F.C. players
- Gillingham F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in Greece
- Thrasyvoulos F.C. players
- Welling United F.C. players
- Dover Athletic F.C. players
- Kansas City Wizards players
- Sporting Kansas City players
- Forest Green Rovers F.C. players
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- Major League Soccer players
- Scottish Premier League players
- The Football League players
- People from Lewisham
- Grenadian footballers
- Grenada international footballers
- Association football midfielders
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
