Jobi McAnuff
Encyclopedia
Joel Joshua Frederick Dave "Jobi" McAnuff (born 9 November 1981) is a professional footballer who plays for and captains Reading F.C.
. He is a midfielder
and has played for Jamaica
.
, London
, McAnuff made his professional debut in the 2001–02 season with First Division
side Wimbledon
. He played 104 games and scored 15 goals for the club, staying until Wimbledon's last ever season, 2003–04 (they later became Milton Keynes Dons
).
In the January 2004 transfer window, with Wimbledon now in administration
, West Ham manager Alan Pardew
signed McAnuff for West Ham United
joining fellow former Wimbledon players, Nigel Reo-Coker
, Adam Nowland
and David Connolly
. He played only 14 games for the club, scoring 1 goal against Crewe. In order to generate funds for future transfers Pardew was forced to sell McAnuff and on 12 August 2004 he joined Cardiff City
for a fee of £250,000 and was a virtual ever-present in his first year at the club. He made his debut against Ipswich Town
, scoring his first goal against his former side West Ham United during a 4–1 win. He played 48 games and scored 3 goals and picked up numerous player of the month awards. With Cardiff in financial difficulty, McAnuff left the club at the end of the 2004–05 season to join Crystal Palace
for a fee of around £600,000.
, Bolton Wanderers
and Charlton Athletic
, the latter managed by his former boss at Palace Iain Dowie
. However, it was announced during the summer 2006 transfer window that he would stay at Crystal Palace, and play for the Eagles under new boss Peter Taylor.
McAnuff endured a slow start to his Watford career and found himself out of the side for the early part of the season due to the loan arrival of young Middlesbrough
winger Adam Johnson. After Johnson's loan ended prematurely in November, McAnuff returned to the side and scored two important goals – the winner away at Sheffield Wednesday
and a last minute long-distance strike to save a point at home to Cardiff City
.
on 27 August 2009, managed by former Watford manager Brendan Rodgers
, for an undisclosed fee. Making his debut against his former club Watford
on 26 September 2009. He scored his first goal in a 3–1 win over Coventry City
on 31 October 2009.
He scored a fantastic goal against Cardiff City in the 2011 play off semi final which sealed a 3-0 victory, sending them to Wembley for the final against Swansea City. On the 7 July 2011, Jobi McAnuff signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2014, followed on the 13 July by the announcement that he would take on the club captaincy for the 2011/12 season.
, which he picked up in a friendly
against Nigeria
in 2002. He is now 'retired' from international football and has not been called up since.
! rowspan=2|Club !! rowspan=2|Season
! colspan=2|League
! colspan=2|FA Cup
! colspan=2|League Cup
! colspan=2|FL Trophy
! colspan=2|Play-Offs
! colspan=2|Total
! colspan=2|Discipline>
!! 
>
| 2001-02
| 38 > 4
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 1 0
| 31 > 4
1
1
2
1
0
0
0
> 2 0
| 27 > 4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 3 0
! 96 !! 12 !! 6 !! 1 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 104 !! 14 !! 6 !! 0>
| 2003-04
| 13 > 2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 1 0
| 1 > 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 0 0
! 14 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 14 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0>
| 2004-05
| 44 > 2
2
1
3
0
0
0
0
> 4 0
! 44 !! 2 !! 2 !! 1 !! 3 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 49 !! 3 !! 4 !! 0>
| 2005-06
| 43 > 7
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
> 2 0
| 34 > 5
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
> 2 0
! 77 !! 12 !! 4 !! 2 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 83 !! 14 !! 4 !! 0>
| 2007-08
| 39 > 2
2
1
0
0
0
0
2
> 5 0
| 40 > 3
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
> 6 0
| 3 > 0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
> 0 0
! 82 !! 5 !! 5 !! 1 !! 3 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 2 !! 0 !! 92 !! 6 !! 11 !! 0>
| 2009-10
| 36 > 3
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 3 0
| 40 > 4
4
0
0
0
0
0
3
> 7 0
| 5 > 0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
> 1 0
! 81 !! 7 !! 9 !! 0 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 3 !! 1 !! 94 !! 8 !! 11 !! 0>
! 394 !! 40 !! 26 !! 5 !! 11 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 5 !! 1 !! 436 !! 47 !! 36 !! 0>
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. He is a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and has played for Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
.
Early career
Born in EdmontonEdmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
, 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...
, McAnuff made his professional debut in the 2001–02 season with First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side 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...
. He played 104 games and scored 15 goals for the club, staying until Wimbledon's last ever season, 2003–04 (they later became Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
).
In the January 2004 transfer window, with Wimbledon now in administration
Administration (British football)
Sports clubs in the United Kingdom, most often in football, sometimes choose to enter administration when they are unable to pay off outstanding debts. Under the Insolvency Act 1986 a business will face a winding up order bringing them to court and if it is shown that a business cannot pay debts as...
, West Ham manager Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
signed McAnuff for West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
joining fellow former Wimbledon players, Nigel Reo-Coker
Nigel Reo-Coker
Nigel Shola Andre Reo-Coker is an English footballer of Sierra Leonean descent. He currently plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is known for being a robust midfielder with good overall tackling and passing qualities...
, Adam Nowland
Adam Nowland
Adam Christopher Nowland is an English footballer who currently plays for Washington Crossfire in the USL Premier Development League.-Early career: Blackpool and Wimbledon:...
and David Connolly
David Connolly
David James Connolly is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Southampton. He has previously played for various clubs including Feyenoord and Excelsior in the Netherlands as well as Wigan Athletic and Sunderland in the Premier League.Although born in England, Connolly has...
. He played only 14 games for the club, scoring 1 goal against Crewe. In order to generate funds for future transfers Pardew was forced to sell McAnuff and on 12 August 2004 he joined Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
for a fee of £250,000 and was a virtual ever-present in his first year at the club. He made his debut against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, scoring his first goal against his former side West Ham United during a 4–1 win. He played 48 games and scored 3 goals and picked up numerous player of the month awards. With Cardiff in financial difficulty, McAnuff left the club at the end of the 2004–05 season to join Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
for a fee of around £600,000.
Crystal Palace
In his first season at Selhurst Park, McAnuff played 43 games and scored eight goals. His performances in the Championship understandably led to interest from a number of clubs and in the summer of 2006 being linked with moves to WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, 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 Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, the latter managed by his former boss at Palace Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie is a former footballer and manager. He is currently without a club. He has previously managed Hull City and Queens Park Rangers and was assistant manager of Newcastle United...
. However, it was announced during the summer 2006 transfer window that he would stay at Crystal Palace, and play for the Eagles under new boss Peter Taylor.
Watford
After a less successful 2006–07 campaign, McAnuff moved to Watford in June 2007 in a deal worth an initial £1.75 million.McAnuff endured a slow start to his Watford career and found himself out of the side for the early part of the season due to the loan arrival of young Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
winger Adam Johnson. After Johnson's loan ended prematurely in November, McAnuff returned to the side and scored two important goals – the winner 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...
and a last minute long-distance strike to save a point at home to Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
.
Reading
McAnuff joined ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on 27 August 2009, managed by former Watford manager Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers is a Northern Irish former footballer, who is currently the manager of Swansea City.After retiring as a footballer at the age of 20, Rodgers stayed at Reading and was appointed as youth team coach. He joined Chelsea, under the leadership of José Mourinho, as youth team manager in...
, for an undisclosed fee. Making his debut against his former club Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on 26 September 2009. He scored his first goal in a 3–1 win over Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on 31 October 2009.
He scored a fantastic goal against Cardiff City in the 2011 play off semi final which sealed a 3-0 victory, sending them to Wembley for the final against Swansea City. On the 7 July 2011, Jobi McAnuff signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2014, followed on the 13 July by the announcement that he would take on the club captaincy for the 2011/12 season.
International career
McAnuff has one cap for JamaicaJamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
, which he picked up in a friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
in 2002. He is now 'retired' from international football and has not been called up since.
Career statistics
! colspan=2|League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
! colspan=2|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...
! colspan=2|League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
! colspan=2|FL Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
! colspan=2|Play-Offs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
! colspan=2|Total
! colspan=2|Discipline>
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...
| 2001-02
| 38 >
> 1
| 31 >
> 2
| 27 >
> 3
! 96 !! 12 !! 6 !! 1 !! 2 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 104 !! 14 !! 6 !! 0>
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
| 2003-04
| 13 >
> 1
| 1 >
> 0
! 14 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 14 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0>
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
| 2004-05
| 44 >
> 4
! 44 !! 2 !! 2 !! 1 !! 3 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 49 !! 3 !! 4 !! 0>
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
| 2005-06
| 43 >
> 2
| 34 >
> 2
! 77 !! 12 !! 4 !! 2 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 83 !! 14 !! 4 !! 0>
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
| 2007-08
| 39 >
> 5
| 40 >
> 6
| 3 >
> 0
! 82 !! 5 !! 5 !! 1 !! 3 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 2 !! 0 !! 92 !! 6 !! 11 !! 0>
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
| 2009-10
| 36 >
> 3
| 40 >
> 7
| 5 >
> 1
! 81 !! 7 !! 9 !! 0 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 3 !! 1 !! 94 !! 8 !! 11 !! 0>
! 394 !! 40 !! 26 !! 5 !! 11 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 5 !! 1 !! 436 !! 47 !! 36 !! 0>
External links
- Jobi McAnuff profile at watfordfc.co.uk
- The Official Jobi McAnuff Site