- Graham Rix
Infobox Football biography
playername = Graham Rix
fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1957|10|23
cityofbirth =Doncaster
countryofbirth =England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height = 5 ft 9 in
nickname =
position = Midfielder
currentclub =
youthyears = 1974–1975
youthclubs = Arsenal
years = 1975–1988
1987–1988
1988–1991
1991–1992
1992–1993
1995
clubs = Arsenal
→ Brentford (loan)
Caen
Le Havre
Dundee
Chelsea Total
caps(goals) = 351 (41)
006 0(0)
089 0(9)
012 0(0)
014 0(2)
001 0(0) 473 (52)
nationalyears = 1980–1984
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 017 0(0)
manageryears = 2000
2001–2002
2004
2005–2006
managerclubs = Chelsea "(caretaker)"
Portsmouth
Oxford United
Heart of MidlothianGraham Rix (b.
October 23 ,1957 ) is an English former football player and coach. He was fired by Heart of Midlothian in March 2006, which was his most recent role in professional football. He is currently a coach at one of Glenn Hoddle's Sporting Academies in the South of Spain.Playing career
Arsenal
Originally from
Doncaster ,Yorkshire , Rix joined Arsenal as an apprentice in 1974 and turned professional the year after. He made his debut for the club against Leicester City onApril 2 ,1977 , and marked it by scoring the opening goal. Rix immediately became a regular on the left wing, replacing George Armstrong. Together withLiam Brady he formed part of an impressive attacking midfield, which helped Arsenal to three successive cup finals between 1978 and 1980. Arsenal only won one of these, in 1979 against Manchester United; the final score was 3–2, with Rix crossing forAlan Sunderland 's last-minute winner, just seconds after United had equalised to level the score 2–2.Arsenal reached the Cup Winners' Cup final the following season, against Valencia; the match finished 0–0 after
extra time – a penalty shootout ensued, but Rix missed his kick and Arsenal lost. After the departure ofLiam Brady toJuventus that summer, many believed Rix would also leave but he stayed at the club, and became captain in 1983. Arsenal's form slumped in the early1980s , though, meaning Rix was unable to claim any silverware as skipper.After Arsenal
A series of injuries to his
achilles tendon kept Rix out of the team in the mid-1980s, and he lost his starting place in the side to Martin Hayes. Rix spent a spell on loan at Brentford, before being released in 1988. In all he played 464 times for the Gunners, scoring 51 goals. After leaving the London club, Rix spent time at French clubs Caen (1988–1991; 89 Appearances) and Le Havre, before finishing his playing career at Dundee in 1993.International
Between 1980 and 1984, Rix played for the England national team, including making five appearances at the 1982 World Cup.
Coaching career
Chelsea
Rix joined Chelsea as youth team coach in the summer of 1993; during an injury crisis, he briefly enlisted as a player for the club, playing a solitary Premiership match in May 1995 against his old side Arsenal. Rix became assistant manager in 1996 under new Blues boss
Ruud Gullit , and continued in the same role under Gullit's successorGianluca Vialli , winning the FA Cup in 1997, and the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 1998.In March
1999 , Rix was sentenced to 12 months inprison , of which he served six, for havingunderage sex andindecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl, who was the daughter of a family friend. He was also ordered to be placed on thesex offenders' register for 10 years, and banned by the FA from working with youth players under the age of 16. [cite web | title = Football star admits sex charge | work = BBC News | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/282421.stm | date = 1999-02-19 | accessdate = 2008-03-07 ] Upon his release from prison he immediately rejoined Chelsea in his old job. He won the FA Cup again in 2000 before leaving the club after Vialli was sacked byKen Bates , after a brief spell as caretaker manager.Portsmouth and Oxford
Rix managed Portsmouth between 2001 and 2002, before he was sacked in favour of
Director of Football Harry Redknapp . Rix managed Oxford United for seven months in 2004. They declined sharply during the final three months of the 2003–04 Division Three campaign - falling from the automatic promotion places to ninth in the final table and failing to merit even a playoff place. He was sacked after their dismal form continued into 2004–05.Hearts
In November 2005, after speculation linking him with the Manager's job at
Scottish Premier League club Hearts of Midlothian, it was confirmed that Rix would take over at Tynecastle. He officially took the position of head coach onNovember 8 2005 . [cite web | title = Mercer slams 'hypocrites' over Rix appointment | work = Scotsman | url = http://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=24&id=2217222005 | date = 09-11-2005 | accessdate = 2007-10-05 ] Events reported in February 2006, by Scottish newspapers, suggested that Rix was unhappy withVladimir Romanov 's "hands on" approach and speculation increased that Romanov was involved in team selection. On22 March 2006 Rix was sacked as manager after just four months in charge with Hearts ChairmanRoman Romanov stating that "results were not what they should have been." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/4832716.stm "Rix sacked as Hearts head coach"] , "BBC News",March 23 2006 ]Managerial stats
References
External links
*soccerbase|id=6763|name=Graham Rix
*soccerbase (manager)|id=1624|name=Graham Rix
* [http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Archive/default.htm?i=3300&pf=p&searchname=Rix&t=m&
]
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