Luke Rodgers
Encyclopedia
Luke John Rodgers is an English
professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer
.
He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town
in 1999. Rodgers spent six years with the Shropshire side and made over 200 appearances as they were relegated and then promoted back to the Football League
. In the summer of 2005 he moved to Crewe Alexandra
, where he stayed until a January 2007 switch to Port Vale
. Two years later he moved on to Yeovil Town
following a short loan spell. His permanent spell at Yeovil was brief, he soon transferred to Notts County
in summer 2009, who he helped fire to promotion in his first season. He completed a move to Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls in January 2011.
Off the pitch he has courted controversy as a "bad boy
" figure, coming into conflict with managers, opposition players, and the general public.
, rising through the ranks to break into the first team as a youth player.
He first established himself as a goal-scorer during the 2000–01 season, as he bagged seven goals in 27 games (half of which were as a substitute). Three of his goals came against Rochdale
in a 7–1 romp at Spotland
on 24 February.
The 2001–02 season showed Rodgers' potential, as he hit 22 goals in 41 games, this time never being used as a substitute.
In 2002–03 he hit twenty goals in 47 games. Rodgers also played in the club's giant-killing over Premier League Everton
in the FA Cup
, but despite this Shrewsbury suffered relegation out of the Football League
having finished bottom of the Third Division
. At the end of the season the club insisted that Rodgers was 'not for sale'; this was proved to be true when First Division
Crewe Alexandra
had a £200,000 bid for Rodgers rejected by manager Jimmy Quinn. Hull City
also had a £200,000 bid of their own rejected, as Quinn persuaded Rodgers to remain in Shropshire
. Earlier in the season there was also unconfirmed speculation that Southampton
had offered as much as £600,000 for the player.
Despite being limited to 26 league starts in 2003–04, he still bagged fifteen goals in his 41 games. He also scored both goals past Barnet
in the play-off semi-final aggregate victory that took Shrewsbury into the play-off Final with Aldershot Town
at the Britannia Stadium
. The final itself went to a penalty shoot-out, and though Rodgers missed his penalty, Town won the match as all three Aldershot penalty-takers missed theirs.
In 2004–05, his final season with the "Shrews", he managed just eight goals in forty games. However he had long become a fan favourite at Gay Meadow
as he scored 67 goals in 204 appearances for the Shropshire side in all competitions, also managing four club hat-trick
s.
high-flyers Hibernian
. Instead he moved to Championship
club Crewe Alexandra
on a two year contract for a tribunal-decided fee in July 2005. Shrewsbury received £100,000 from the tribunal with two add-ons of £20,000 based on appearances; however, due to his brief spell at Crewe, Shrewsbury only received the first of these. Crewe went on to suffer relegation in 2005–06, and though Rodgers was limited to six goals in his 26 games, he was forced to come off the bench in half of these games.
Despite being popular with supporters, he was never a favourite of Dario Gradi
, and was third choice behind free-scoring Luke Varney
and Nicky Maynard
at the start of the 2006–07 season. Rodgers asked for a transfer to a club that would provide him with regular football, and in January 2007, after just 39 appearances and 9 goals, he moved to local rivals Port Vale
for a £30,000 fee. This came after he chose to sign for Vale ahead of Paul Sturrock
's Swindon Town
, who had also agreed a fee with Crewe; as well as Chester City
; and an unnamed League Two club who offered £40,000 for the striker.
, though still managed to score three goals. His first goal for the club came against Crewe in a 3–0 win at Vale Park
.
During the 2007–08
season Rodgers was the club's top scorer with twelve goals in 41 games, but famously missed two penalties in Vale's defeat to Southern Football League
minnows Chasetown
in the Second Round of the FA Cup
.
Unhappy on the club's bench, in November 2008 there was talk of Rodgers moving to Yeovil Town
, yet the move stalled as the two clubs had difficulties reaching a transfer fee. However a loan deal was made which would take Rodgers to Yeovil until the January transfer window, when the club would have the option of purchasing him for £30,000 fee, with a 10% sell-on clause (an offer described Yeovil boss Russell Slade
as "the final throw of the dice"). Despite all this, when January came he was released from his contract by mutual consent, having had a bust-up with manager Dean Glover
. Glover claimed the decision was motivated by a desire to free up the wage bill.
, Rodgers instead signed with Yeovil Town
until the end of the season. He left the club at the end of his contract, having scored three goals in 22 games for the League One
club.
in July 2009 on a two-year deal. Rodgers made a slow start to the season, making eight appearances without scoring, only to break out of the barren spell with a hat-trick past Lincoln City
on 29 September. He played in 42 league matches for Notts County, scoring 13 league goals in helping the club to gain promotion out of League Two
.
At the end of the season it was reported that Rodgers was set to leave Notts County to join former Magpies' boss Hans Backe
at New York Red Bulls, a move his club permitted. However, this move was put in jeopardy after his initial application for a US work permit
was turned down on the basis of his previous affray conviction. Nevertheless, Backe was confident that Rodgers would join the club in the January 2011 transfer window, and after Rodgers had reached an agreement with Notts County for a mutual termination of his contract at Meadow Lane
, the move did go through as predicted.
club New York Red Bulls in January 2011. He made his MLS debut two months later, in a goalless draw with the Columbus Crew
. The following month Rodgers scored his first two goals and assisted strike-partner Thierry Henry
in a 3–0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes
. Rodgers told reporters that "this is the happiest I've been in football."
defender Chris Westwood
, having confronted the player in the Victoria Park
car park.
In April 2003, Rodgers was ordered to carry out 100 hours community service and pay £5,000 in compensation by Warwick Crown Court after a firework
set by Rodgers misfired and hit a sixteen year old girl, causing significant damage to the girl's face. The incident occurred in October 2002, outside the Spitfire Inn pub in Castle Bromwich
.
Rodgers was given an 'adult caution for a public order offence' by the Somerset Police Force
, after an incident in April 2009. On 1 October 2009, Rodgers was arrested and bailed in connection with a disturbance in Nottingham
city centre, following a drinking session with his Notts County teammates.
in the Conference National
, Rodgers won one cap for England under Paul Fairclough
at semi-professional level. A 2–2 draw with Belgium under-20s, Rodgers provided an assist for Sam Ricketts
before grabbing a goal himself with a 25 yard free kick two minutes before the final whistle.
|1999–2000||Shrewsbury Town
||Third Division
||6||1||1||0||0||0||8||1
|-
|2000–01||Shrewsbury Town
||Third Division
||26||7||0||0||0||0||27||7
|-
|2001–02||Shrewsbury Town
||Third Division
||38||22||1||0||1||0||41||22
|-
|2002–03||Shrewsbury Town
||Third Division
||36||16||4||0||1||0||47||20
|-
|2003–04||Shrewsbury Town
||Conference National
||34||13||2||0||0||0||41||15
|-
|2004–05||Shrewsbury Town
||League Two
||36||6||1||0||1||1||40||8
|-
|2005–06||Crewe Alexandra
||Championship
||26||6||0||0||0||0||26||6
|-
|2006–07||Crewe Alexandra
||League One
||12||3||1||0||0||0||13||3
|-
|2006–07
||Port Vale
||League One
||8||3||0||0||0||0||8||3
|-
|2007–08
||Port Vale
||League One
||36||9||3||1||1||1||41||12
|-
|2008–09
||Port Vale
||League Two
||15||4||0||0||1||1||17||5
|-
|2008–09||Yeovil Town
||League One
||22||3||0||0||0||0||22||3
|-
|2009–10||Notts County
||League Two
||42||13||6||1||1||0||49||14
|-
|2010–11
||Notts County
||League One
||4||0||1||1||0||0||5||1
341||106||20||3||6||3||395||120
|-
|2011
||New York Red Bulls||Major League Soccer
||23||9||0||0||2||1||25||10
|-
23||9||0||0||2||1||25||10
364||115||20||3||8||4||420||130
Notes:
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls 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...
.
He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
in 1999. Rodgers spent six years with the Shropshire side and made over 200 appearances as they were relegated and then promoted back to the Football 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...
. In the summer of 2005 he moved to Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, where he stayed until a January 2007 switch to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. Two years later he moved on to Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
following a short loan spell. His permanent spell at Yeovil was brief, he soon transferred to Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
in summer 2009, who he helped fire to promotion in his first season. He completed a move to Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls in January 2011.
Off the pitch he has courted controversy as a "bad boy
Bad boy (archetype)
The bad boy, cad or bounder is a cultural archetype of a male who behaves badly, especially towards women.Being a promiscuous rogue may be as successful a reproductive strategy as the strategy of being a reliable provider. Evolutionary psychologist Professor Bill von Hippel claims that women are...
" figure, coming into conflict with managers, opposition players, and the general public.
Shrewsbury Town
Rodgers initially played for Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, rising through the ranks to break into the first team as a youth player.
He first established himself as a goal-scorer during the 2000–01 season, as he bagged seven goals in 27 games (half of which were as a substitute). Three of his goals came against Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
in a 7–1 romp at Spotland
Spotland Stadium
Spotland Stadium is a sports venue located at Willbutts Lane in the Spotland area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It is currently home to Rochdale AFC and Rochdale Hornets RLFC...
on 24 February.
The 2001–02 season showed Rodgers' potential, as he hit 22 goals in 41 games, this time never being used as a substitute.
In 2002–03 he hit twenty goals in 47 games. Rodgers also played in the club's giant-killing over Premier League Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the 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...
, but despite this Shrewsbury suffered relegation out of the Football 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...
having finished bottom of the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
. At the end of the season the club insisted that Rodgers was 'not for sale'; this was proved to be true when 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....
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
had a £200,000 bid for Rodgers rejected by manager Jimmy Quinn. Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
also had a £200,000 bid of their own rejected, as Quinn persuaded Rodgers to remain in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. Earlier in the season there was also unconfirmed speculation that Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
had offered as much as £600,000 for the player.
Despite being limited to 26 league starts in 2003–04, he still bagged fifteen goals in his 41 games. He also scored both goals past 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....
in the play-off semi-final aggregate victory that took Shrewsbury into the play-off Final with Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
at the Britannia Stadium
Britannia Stadium
The Britannia Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the home of Premier League club Stoke City Football Club. With space for 27,598 spectators . The name is taken from the sponsors of the Stadium the Britannia Co-operative Bank...
. The final itself went to a penalty shoot-out, and though Rodgers missed his penalty, Town won the match as all three Aldershot penalty-takers missed theirs.
In 2004–05, his final season with the "Shrews", he managed just eight goals in forty games. However he had long become a fan favourite at Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
as he scored 67 goals in 204 appearances for the Shropshire side in all competitions, also managing four club hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s.
Crewe Alexandra
Rodgers turned down Shrewsbury's offer of a one-year contract, and was initially linked with a move to SPLScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
high-flyers Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
. Instead he moved to Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
on a two year contract for a tribunal-decided fee in July 2005. Shrewsbury received £100,000 from the tribunal with two add-ons of £20,000 based on appearances; however, due to his brief spell at Crewe, Shrewsbury only received the first of these. Crewe went on to suffer relegation in 2005–06, and though Rodgers was limited to six goals in his 26 games, he was forced to come off the bench in half of these games.
Despite being popular with supporters, he was never a favourite of Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
, and was third choice behind free-scoring Luke Varney
Luke Varney
Luke Ivan Varney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Portsmouth. He started his career with non-league Quorn, a club in his home county of Leicestershire, before moving to league football with Crewe Alexandra...
and Nicky Maynard
Nicky Maynard
Nicholas David "Nicky" Maynard is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bristol City.-Crewe Alexandra:...
at the start of the 2006–07 season. Rodgers asked for a transfer to a club that would provide him with regular football, and in January 2007, after just 39 appearances and 9 goals, he moved to local rivals Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for a £30,000 fee. This came after he chose to sign for Vale ahead of Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
's Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, who had also agreed a fee with Crewe; as well as Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
; and an unnamed League Two club who offered £40,000 for the striker.
Port Vale
He got injured after just three appearances for the "Valiants" and only played a total of eight games before the end of the season2006–07 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2006–07 season was Port Vale's ninety-fifth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League One. Martin Foyle's side again finished in mid-table, whilst exiting the FA Cup and the League Trophy at the Second Round...
, though still managed to score three goals. His first goal for the club came against Crewe in a 3–0 win at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
.
During the 2007–08
2007–08 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2007–08 season was Port Vale's ninety-sixth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League One. Vale finished second-from-bottom, and were relegated, some twelve points from safety. Manager Martin Foyle left the club in September, and Lee Sinnott failed to...
season Rodgers was the club's top scorer with twelve goals in 41 games, but famously missed two penalties in Vale's defeat to Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
minnows Chasetown
Chasetown F.C.
Chasetown Football Club is an English football club based in the Chasetown area of Burntwood, Staffordshire. The club currently plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division and is nicknamed The Scholars, having been formed by affiliates of nearby Chase Terrace High School in the Chase...
in the Second Round of the 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...
.
Unhappy on the club's bench, in November 2008 there was talk of Rodgers moving to Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
, yet the move stalled as the two clubs had difficulties reaching a transfer fee. However a loan deal was made which would take Rodgers to Yeovil until the January transfer window, when the club would have the option of purchasing him for £30,000 fee, with a 10% sell-on clause (an offer described Yeovil boss Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...
as "the final throw of the dice"). Despite all this, when January came he was released from his contract by mutual consent, having had a bust-up with manager Dean Glover
Dean Glover
Dean Victor Glover is an English former footballer and football manager. A cultured and stylish defender, he had the ball control skills of a midfielder. He played 457 league games in a seventeen year career in the Football League.He started his career at Aston Villa in 1980, before he moved on to...
. Glover claimed the decision was motivated by a desire to free up the wage bill.
Yeovil Town
Rejecting an approach from Northampton TownNorthampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, Rodgers instead signed with Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
until the end of the season. He left the club at the end of his contract, having scored three goals in 22 games for the League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club.
Notts County
After leaving Yeovil Rodgers had planned to remain in League One, but instead signed for Notts CountyNotts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
in July 2009 on a two-year deal. Rodgers made a slow start to the season, making eight appearances without scoring, only to break out of the barren spell with a hat-trick past Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
on 29 September. He played in 42 league matches for Notts County, scoring 13 league goals in helping the club to gain promotion out of League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
At the end of the season it was reported that Rodgers was set to leave Notts County to join former Magpies' boss Hans Backe
Hans Backe
Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
at New York Red Bulls, a move his club permitted. However, this move was put in jeopardy after his initial application for a US work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
was turned down on the basis of his previous affray conviction. Nevertheless, Backe was confident that Rodgers would join the club in the January 2011 transfer window, and after Rodgers had reached an agreement with Notts County for a mutual termination of his contract at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
, the move did go through as predicted.
New York Red Bulls
After a lengthy process, Rodgers eventually signed with Major League SoccerMajor 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...
club New York Red Bulls in January 2011. He made his MLS debut two months later, in a goalless draw with the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. The following month Rodgers scored his first two goals and assisted strike-partner 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...
in a 3–0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
. Rodgers told reporters that "this is the happiest I've been in football."
Personal life
Rodgers was arrested in January 2002 after allegedly assaulting Hartlepool UnitedHartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
defender Chris Westwood
Chris Westwood
Christopher John "Chris" Westwood is an English footballer, currently playing as a defender for Wrexham.-Career:Westwood began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he scored once against Portsmouth, before moving to Reading. First team chances at both clubs were limited, and at the...
, having confronted the player in the Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football ground in Hartlepool, County Durham, England and it is the home of Hartlepool United.The four sides of the ground are known as the Town End Terrace , the Niramax Stand , the Cyril Knowles Stand and the Rink End Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football...
car park.
In April 2003, Rodgers was ordered to carry out 100 hours community service and pay £5,000 in compensation by Warwick Crown Court after a firework
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
set by Rodgers misfired and hit a sixteen year old girl, causing significant damage to the girl's face. The incident occurred in October 2002, outside the Spitfire Inn pub in Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich is a suburb situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east, North Warwickshire to the east and north east; also Shard End to the south west, Castle Vale,...
.
Rodgers was given an 'adult caution for a public order offence' by the Somerset Police Force
Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the territorial police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset, the city & county of Bristol and the unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset; before 1996 these districts...
, after an incident in April 2009. On 1 October 2009, Rodgers was arrested and bailed in connection with a disturbance in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
city centre, following a drinking session with his Notts County teammates.
International career
On 4 November 2003, whilst with Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
in the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, Rodgers won one cap for England under Paul Fairclough
Paul Fairclough
Paul Fairclough is the current manager of the England C national football team, formerly known as the National Game XI, England non-League team or the England semi-pro team, and in charge of youth development at Barnet having been caretaker for two months in 2011.As a player he made five...
at semi-professional level. A 2–2 draw with Belgium under-20s, Rodgers provided an assist for Sam Ricketts
Sam Ricketts
Samuel Derek "Sam" Ricketts is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers. His favoured position is full-back...
before grabbing a goal himself with a 25 yard free kick two minutes before the final whistle.
Promotions
- 2003–04: Conference NationalConference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
Playoff winner (promotion to League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
) – Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury Town F.C.Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football... - 2009–102009–10 Football League TwoThe Football League 2009–10 , was the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....
: Football League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Champion – Notts CountyNotts County F.C.Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
Statistics
|-|1999–2000||Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||6||1||1||0||0||0||8||1
|-
|2000–01||Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||26||7||0||0||0||0||27||7
|-
|2001–02||Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||38||22||1||0||1||0||41||22
|-
|2002–03||Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||36||16||4||0||1||0||47||20
|-
|2003–04||Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
||Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
||34||13||2||0||0||0||41||15
|-
|2004–05||Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||36||6||1||0||1||1||40||8
|-
|2005–06||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||26||6||0||0||0||0||26||6
|-
|2006–07||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||12||3||1||0||0||0||13||3
|-
|2006–07
2006–07 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2006–07 season was Port Vale's ninety-fifth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League One. Martin Foyle's side again finished in mid-table, whilst exiting the FA Cup and the League Trophy at the Second Round...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||8||3||0||0||0||0||8||3
|-
|2007–08
2007–08 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2007–08 season was Port Vale's ninety-sixth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League One. Vale finished second-from-bottom, and were relegated, some twelve points from safety. Manager Martin Foyle left the club in September, and Lee Sinnott failed to...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||36||9||3||1||1||1||41||12
|-
|2008–09
2008–09 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-seventh season of football in the Football League, and first season in League Two, following their relegation from League One. After a poor start to the season manager Lee Sinnott was sacked in September, and was replaced by Dean Glover. Despite a brief...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||15||4||0||0||1||1||17||5
|-
|2008–09||Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||22||3||0||0||0||0||22||3
|-
|2009–10||Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||42||13||6||1||1||0||49||14
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Notts County F.C. season
Notts County are the oldest club in the Football League and the 2010-11 season will be their 122nd year in The Football League. After a successful season in League Two, the club gained promotion to League One following a win against Morecambe on 17 April 2010 and were crowned as League Two...
||Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||4||0||1||1||0||0||5||1
341||106||20||3||6||3||395||120
|-
|2011
2011 New York Red Bulls season
The 2011 New York Red Bulls season was the club's seventeenth year of existence, as well as its sixteenth season in Major League Soccer, the top-flight of American soccer....
||New York Red Bulls||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...
||23||9||0||0||2||1||25||10
|-
23||9||0||0||2||1||25||10
364||115||20||3||8||4||420||130
Notes:
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe 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...
and play-off results included in totals.