Christopher Wreh
Encyclopedia
Christopher Wreh is a Liberia
international footballer.
George Weah
, Wreh first played for Liberian clubs Young Kotoko, La Modelle International and Invincible Eleven
, before being snapped up by French
side AS Monaco as a youth in 1989. A centre forward
, Wreh was mainly on the fringes of the Monaco side, and spent a period on loan at Guingamp
, where he played in the 1997 Coupe de France
final (which Guingamp lost on penalties
). In the meantime, Wreh had made his debut for Liberia
in 1995, and would go on to win 36 caps for his country, scoring 11 goals.
Wreh signed for Arsenal in the summer of 1997 for £300,000, linking up with his former boss at Monaco, Arsène Wenger
. Although fourth choice behind Ian Wright
, Dennis Bergkamp
and Nicolas Anelka
, Wreh still played an important part in the Gunners' Double
-winning season of 1997–98
, scoring in vital 1–0 Premier League wins against Wimbledon
and Bolton Wanderers
, and scoring the only goal of the Gunners' FA Cup
semi-final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
. Wreh went on to start in the 1998 FA Cup Final
, and although he did not score, Arsenal beat Newcastle United
2–0.
Despite scoring in the Charity Shield
against Manchester United
, Wreh could not sustain his previous form and he played fewer and fewer games; after the arrival of Thierry Henry
and Davor Šuker
at the club in 1999 he was squeezed out altogether. He had brief loan spells with Birmingham City
(where he scored once against Grimsby), AEK Athens
and Den Bosch, but none of these were made permanent. He left Arsenal in 2000, having scored 5 times in 46 matches (most of them as substitute).
Wreh's career never reached the same heights as it had at Arsenal, as he became somewhat of a journeyman footballer. He initially signed for Saudi Arabia
n side Al-Hilal
, then returned to the UK in 2001 with brief stints at Bournemouth
and St Mirren, but fitness problems meant he rarely got a game. After trying his luck at Bishop's Stortford
, he played for United Counties League side Buckingham Town
.
In 2007, he returned to football, signing for Perseman Manokwari
of the Indonesian Football League.
Liberia national football team
The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, is the national team of Liberia and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the country produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, they have never reached the World Cup finals...
international footballer.
Career
A cousin of former FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
George Weah
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting...
, Wreh first played for Liberian clubs Young Kotoko, La Modelle International and Invincible Eleven
Invincible Eleven
Invincible Eleven is a football club from Liberia based in Monrovia.They are one of the founding members of football in Liberia. Their home stadium is the Antonette Tubman Stadium. Invincible Eleven is one of Liberia's most popular and historic clubs, along with Mighty Barolle...
, before being snapped up by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
side AS Monaco as a youth in 1989. A centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, Wreh was mainly on the fringes of the Monaco side, and spent a period on loan at Guingamp
En Avant Guingamp
En Avant de Guingamp is a French association football club based in the commune of Guingamp. The club was founded in 1912 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football, having won promotion from the Championnat National following the 2010–11 season. Guingamp plays its home...
, where he played in the 1997 Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
final (which Guingamp lost on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
). In the meantime, Wreh had made his debut for Liberia
Liberia national football team
The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, is the national team of Liberia and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the country produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, they have never reached the World Cup finals...
in 1995, and would go on to win 36 caps for his country, scoring 11 goals.
Wreh signed for Arsenal in the summer of 1997 for £300,000, linking up with his former boss at Monaco, Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
. Although fourth choice behind Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...
, Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
and Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
, Wreh still played an important part in the Gunners' Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
-winning season of 1997–98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
, scoring in vital 1–0 Premier League wins against Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
and Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, and scoring the only goal of the Gunners' FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. Wreh went on to start in the 1998 FA Cup Final
1998 FA Cup Final
The 1998 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Newcastle United at Wembley. Arsenal won 2–0, with goals by Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka to complete their second league and cup double....
, and although he did not score, Arsenal beat Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
2–0.
Despite scoring in the Charity Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Wreh could not sustain his previous form and he played fewer and fewer games; after the arrival of Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
and Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
at the club in 1999 he was squeezed out altogether. He had brief loan spells with Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
(where he scored once against Grimsby), AEK Athens
AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens F.C. , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Outside Greece, the club is also known as AEK Athens, however, the word Athens is not part of the club's official title.Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees...
and Den Bosch, but none of these were made permanent. He left Arsenal in 2000, having scored 5 times in 46 matches (most of them as substitute).
Wreh's career never reached the same heights as it had at Arsenal, as he became somewhat of a journeyman footballer. He initially signed for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n side Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
, then returned to the UK in 2001 with brief stints at Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
and St Mirren, but fitness problems meant he rarely got a game. After trying his luck at Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford F.C.
Bishop's Stortford F.C. is an English football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at Woodside Park.-History:The club was established in 1874...
, he played for United Counties League side Buckingham Town
Buckingham Town F.C.
Buckingham Town F.C. is an English football club based in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One of the United Counties League and play at Ford Meadow.-History:...
.
In 2007, he returned to football, signing for Perseman Manokwari
Perseman Manokwari
Perseman Manokwari is an Indonesian football club based in Manokwari. They play in the top division in Indonesian football, Liga Indonesia. Their home stadium is Sanggeng Stadium.-New Squad 2010/2011:-External links:...
of the Indonesian Football League.
Honours
- Premier League:
- Champion 1997–98
- Runner-up 1998-99
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: Winner 19981998 FA Cup FinalThe 1998 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Newcastle United at Wembley. Arsenal won 2–0, with goals by Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka to complete their second league and cup double.... - FA Charity Shield: Winner 19981998 FA Charity ShieldThe 1998 FA Charity Shield was the 76th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played contested by Arsenal, who won the league and cup Double the previous season, and Manchester United,...
, 19991999 FA Charity ShieldThe 1999 FA Charity Shield was a football match held on 1 August 1999 at Wembley Stadium. The teams involved were Manchester United, who had won the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League the previous season, and Arsenal, who had finished as runners-up to United in the league. Arsenal won...