Daniele Dichio
Encyclopedia
Daniele Salvatore "Danny" Dichio (born October 19, 1974 in Hammersmith
, west London
) is a retired English football player of Italian descent. He last played for Toronto FC
in Major League Soccer
, and is now the head coach of the Toronto FC senior academy team.
Dichio had the honour of scoring the first goal in Toronto FC history against the Chicago Fire on May 12, 2007. Later in that same game he became the first player in club history to be red-carded.
, joining as an apprentice in June 1991 and turning professional in May 1993. The sale of Les Ferdinand
to Newcastle United in the summer of 1995 provided Dichio with the opportunity to break into QPR's first team in the 1995-96 Premier League season. He scored on his league debut for QPR against Aston Villa
, and forged a strike partnership with Kevin Gallen
throughout the remainder of the season. Prior to his QPR debut, he played on loan at Barnet
. Dichio moved to Italy's Serie A
with Sampdoria
in the close season of 1996, and soon after had a loan spell at Lecce
. He returned to England to join Sunderland
in 1998, helping them win promotion to the Premiership as Division One champions with 105 points in his first season, and finish seventh in the Premiership in the next two seasons.
While at Sunderland, Dichio went on loan to West Bromwich Albion
at the start of the 2001-02 season. The spell was a successful one, with Dichio scoring on his debut away at Sheffield Wednesday
on August 25, 2001 and again on his home debut in a 1-0 win against Gillingham
two days later. He joined the Midlands side permanently in November 2001 in a £1.25 million deal, and helped them to achieve promotion. In Albion's first Premiership campaign the following season, Dichio was their joint top scorer in the league (with Scott Dobie
), though with just five Premiership goals, not enough to prevent relegation. He finished as top scorer overall by virtue of his FA Cup
hat-trick against Bradford City
. The following season saw Dichio move himself and his family up to the Midlands, having previously commuted from London. Despite settling in the area, however, he failed to regain a starting place in the team and in October 2003, he joined Derby
on loan, scoring once against Ipswich Town. He then had another loan spell, this time at Millwall
, whom he later joined on a permanent deal.
Dichio was unable to play in the 2004 FA Cup final
for Millwall, due to suspension. He scored 10 goals in 27 starts for Millwall in the 2004-05
season. In the summer of 2005, he moved to Preston North End
, but did not score in the league in his first
season.
In the summer of 2006, he was the subject of a bid from Brighton. Although a fee was agreed, Dichio chose to stay at Preston and fight for his place. On October 14, 2006, he scored his first league goal for Preston in a 4-1 win over Sunderland. Dichio, despite a difficult start to his Preston career, won over the fans at Deepdale
causing many to be greatly upset as the news broke that his move to Toronto was to be finalized.
.
Over the next three seasons, Dichio made 59 league appearances for Toronto, plus Canadian Championship
and CONCACAF Champions League
games. He scored 14 goals, including the club's first ever goal and the club's last goal of its inaugural season. He managed five goals in five shots on target to start the 2008 Major League Soccer season
. That same year, Dichio also cemented his association with the Thornhill Soccer Club, a non-profit club that organizes soccer leagues for age groups 4 and up, including adult leagues.
On March 18, 2009, he announced his intention retire after the 2009 Major League Soccer season
and to continue living in Toronto
while also pursuing coaching opportunities. However, on September 9, 2009, Dichio officially announced his retirement with six games remaining on Toronto FC's season schedule. His new role with the team will be as Toronto FC Team Ambassador, participating in local community appearances, and Academy Coach, where he will "assist coaches on all three Toronto FC teams while beginning to learn about the nuances of MLS". He remains much beloved of Toronto fans, who sing a song in his honour in the 24th minute of each game, commemorating his inaugural goal for the franchise (scored at 23:13 on May 12, 2007 vs. Chicago Fire).
He became a permanent resident
of Canada
in April 2009. In mid 2009, he began working with the Toronto FC Academy.
in September 2010, Nick Dasovic
was named interim head coach, and Dichio became an assistant coach. With new management put in place during the off season-Aron Winter
as head coach and Bob de Klerk
as assistant-Dichio moved within the club and was named head coach of the TFC Academy
U-18 team. Dichio replaced former coach Jason Bent
, who was with the Academy for three years before being promoted as Winter's second assistant.
Dichio is also the Technical Director for Thornhill Soccer Club.
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a retired English football player of Italian descent. He last played for Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, and is now the head coach of the Toronto FC senior academy team.
Dichio had the honour of scoring the first goal in Toronto FC history against the Chicago Fire on May 12, 2007. Later in that same game he became the first player in club history to be red-carded.
Europe
Dichio began his career at Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, joining as an apprentice in June 1991 and turning professional in May 1993. The sale of Les Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand
Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England...
to Newcastle United in the summer of 1995 provided Dichio with the opportunity to break into QPR's first team in the 1995-96 Premier League season. He scored on his league debut for QPR against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, and forged a strike partnership with Kevin Gallen
Kevin Gallen
Kevin Andrew Gallen is an English professional footballer who is without a club. He most recently played for Braintree Town and is currently working for Queens Park Rangers academy in a youth development role similar to that previously held by his brother Joe Gallen.A former England Under-21...
throughout the remainder of the season. Prior to his QPR debut, he played on loan at Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
. Dichio moved to Italy's Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
with Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
in the close season of 1996, and soon after had a loan spell at Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
. He returned to England to join Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in 1998, helping them win promotion to the Premiership as Division One champions with 105 points in his first season, and finish seventh in the Premiership in the next two seasons.
While at Sunderland, Dichio went on loan to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
at the start of the 2001-02 season. The spell was a successful one, with Dichio scoring on his debut away at Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on August 25, 2001 and again on his home debut in a 1-0 win against Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
two days later. He joined the Midlands side permanently in November 2001 in a £1.25 million deal, and helped them to achieve promotion. In Albion's first Premiership campaign the following season, Dichio was their joint top scorer in the league (with Scott Dobie
Scott Dobie
Robert Scott Dobie is a professional footballer. He is a centre-forward.Although born in England, Dobie has played for Scotland at international level. He has previously played for Carlisle United, Clydebank, West Bromwich Albion, Millwall, Nottingham Forest, St...
), though with just five Premiership goals, not enough to prevent relegation. He finished as top scorer overall by virtue of his 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...
hat-trick against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. The following season saw Dichio move himself and his family up to the Midlands, having previously commuted from London. Despite settling in the area, however, he failed to regain a starting place in the team and in October 2003, he joined Derby
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on loan, scoring once against Ipswich Town. He then had another loan spell, this time at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, whom he later joined on a permanent deal.
Dichio was unable to play in the 2004 FA Cup final
FA Cup Final 2004
The 2004 FA Cup Final was the 123rd final the FA Cup and the fourth final to be played at the Millennium Stadium, the Welsh national stadium in Cardiff, due to the ongoing reconstruction of the usual venue, London's Wembley Stadium...
for Millwall, due to suspension. He scored 10 goals in 27 starts for Millwall in the 2004-05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season. In the summer of 2005, he moved to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, but did not score in the league in his first
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season.
In the summer of 2006, he was the subject of a bid from Brighton. Although a fee was agreed, Dichio chose to stay at Preston and fight for his place. On October 14, 2006, he scored his first league goal for Preston in a 4-1 win over Sunderland. Dichio, despite a difficult start to his Preston career, won over the fans at Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
causing many to be greatly upset as the news broke that his move to Toronto was to be finalized.
Toronto FC
In April 2007, Dichio was released from his contract in order to let him join the newly created MLS club Toronto FCToronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
Over the next three seasons, Dichio made 59 league appearances for Toronto, plus Canadian Championship
Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...
and CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
games. He scored 14 goals, including the club's first ever goal and the club's last goal of its inaugural season. He managed five goals in five shots on target to start the 2008 Major League Soccer season
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
. That same year, Dichio also cemented his association with the Thornhill Soccer Club, a non-profit club that organizes soccer leagues for age groups 4 and up, including adult leagues.
On March 18, 2009, he announced his intention retire after the 2009 Major League Soccer season
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
and to continue living in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
while also pursuing coaching opportunities. However, on September 9, 2009, Dichio officially announced his retirement with six games remaining on Toronto FC's season schedule. His new role with the team will be as Toronto FC Team Ambassador, participating in local community appearances, and Academy Coach, where he will "assist coaches on all three Toronto FC teams while beginning to learn about the nuances of MLS". He remains much beloved of Toronto fans, who sing a song in his honour in the 24th minute of each game, commemorating his inaugural goal for the franchise (scored at 23:13 on May 12, 2007 vs. Chicago Fire).
He became a permanent resident
Permanent resident (Canada)
A Permanent Resident in Canada is someone who is not a Canadian citizen but who has been granted permission to live and work in Canada without any time limit on his or her stay...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in April 2009. In mid 2009, he began working with the Toronto FC Academy.
Managerial career
Following the firing of head coach PrekiPreki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
in September 2010, Nick Dasovic
Nick Dasovic
Nick Robert Dasovic is a retired professional Canadian soccer player of Croatian descent. He was most at Toronto FC, acting as interim head coach until January 2011 and North American head scout until May 2011....
was named interim head coach, and Dichio became an assistant coach. With new management put in place during the off season-Aron Winter
Aron Winter
Aron Mohamed Winter [VIN-ter] is a retired Dutch football midfielder and current head coach of Toronto FC...
as head coach and Bob de Klerk
Bob de Klerk
Bob de Klerk is a former Dutch footballer and current First assistant coach of Toronto FC.-Playing career:De Klerk played for KSV Waregem in Belgium and De Graafschap in the Dutch Eredivise...
as assistant-Dichio moved within the club and was named head coach of the TFC Academy
TFC Academy
TFC Academy are the youth academy of Canadian MLS club Toronto FC which was founded in 2008. The academy competes in the Canadian Soccer League, the highest professional soccer league operating entirely within Canada...
U-18 team. Dichio replaced former coach Jason Bent
Jason Bent
Jason Andrew Bent is a former Canadian international football player. He currently works as an assistant coach for Toronto FC.-Club career:...
, who was with the Academy for three years before being promoted as Winter's second assistant.
Dichio is also the Technical Director for Thornhill Soccer Club.