Michael Chopra
Encyclopedia
Rocky Michael Chopra is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship
side Ipswich Town
. He is of mixed
Indian
and British
descent.
Chopra plays as a striker. He was originally a product of the Newcastle United
Youth system. In his career he has also played for Sunderland
and has spent loan spells at Watford
, Nottingham Forest
and Barnsley
. He has represented England at the Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels.
In 2006, Chopra made news for scoring the fastest goal by a substitute in Premier League history, scoring after being on the pitch for ten seconds. With an Indian father, he was also the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the Premier League.
, Tyne and Wear
, Chopra attended Alan Shearer
's former school, Gosforth High School
, in Newcastle, and owing to his goal-scoring exploits there, and later with the Montagu Boys' Club, was recruited to the Newcastle United
academy in July 1993.
In the 2000–01 season, he scored 28 goals for the Newcastle Academy
side that reached the FA Premier League Academy
Under-17 playoff final. In December 2000 he signed his professional contract with Newcastle. The next season, playing for the Academy Under-19 team, he scored 14 goals in the first nine games of the season, prompting a promotion to the Senior Reserves. He went on to score in the Northumberland Senior Cup
final victory over Bedlington Terriers
in September 2001. Then in October, Newcastle gave him a squad number. By the end of the season, he had made 17 appearances for the Reserves, scoring seven goals.
The 2002–03 season started well, with Chopra scoring nine goals in his first five games for the Under-19s and Reserves. In November he signed a new three-year deal with the club, and on 6 November, he made his senior debut against Everton
in the League Cup
, substituting Lomana LuaLua
. The game ended 3–3 but Newcastle lost the penalty shootout, with Chopra missing his spot kick.
He made his UEFA Champions League
debut in December 2002, as a substitute against Barcelona
at the Camp Nou
, and also played against Bayer Leverkusen before he moved on a month-long loan to Watford
at the end of March 2003. He scored five goals in just six matches for Watford, appeared in a FA Cup
semifinal against Southampton
, and scored four goals in a 7–4 win over Burnley
.
The season ended on a positive note when he made his Premiership debut for Newcastle in the 2–2 draw away to West Bromwich Albion
on 11 May 2003. He also represented England at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
.
In 2003–04 season, he played four games for Newcastle before being loaned to Nottingham Forest
for a month in February 2004 where he played five games. Returning from the loan spell he played another two games for Newcastle.
In August 2004 he went on another loan, this time to Barnsley
. Playing in 39 matches in the League One
, he scored 17 goals, including hat-tricks against Peterborough United
and Huddersfield Town
. He also represented Barnsley in the FA Cup and the League Cup, finishing as the club's top scorer and their Player of the Season.
Chopra began the 2005–06 season back in Newcastle's first team squad and played in early UEFA Intertoto Cup
ties, scoring his first senior goal for Newcastle in the 3–1 win away to Slovakia
n side Dubnica
on 17 July 2005. On 17 April 2006 Chopra scored his first Premier League goal against Sunderland
in the 60th minute of the Tyne-Wear derby
, which ended 4–1. The goal was the fastest in Premier League history, as Chopra had only been on the pitch for ten seconds after coming on as a substitute. This was his third and final goal for the club, having also scored in the FA Cup against Cheltenham Town.
for £
500,000 after turning down a new one-year contract at Newcastle in favour of guaranteed first-team football. Chopra and Cardiff had an excellent start to the season, with 36 points from 17 games leaving Cardiff top of the Championship
and Chopra, with seven league goals was voted Championship player of the month for September and October. Chopra scored his first Cardiff hat-trick on 27 January 2007 against Leicester City
in a 3–2 victory.
Chopra signed a contract extension with Cardiff City on 5 April 2007, and was named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year on 22 April. Although Cardiff dropped out of promotion contention, Chopra had a successful season, ending with 22 goals from 42 matches.
On 13 July 2007, newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland
agreed a deal worth up to £5 million, activating a release clause, to sign Chopra on a four year contract. This caused unrest among some Sunderland fans due to the seemingly high price-tag and his Geordie
roots.
Chopra made his debut for Sunderland in their 1–0 win over League of Ireland
side Bohemians. In this match Chopra missed an open goal and ran into his own team mate Dickson Etuhu
. Chopra scored his first goal for Sunderland in a 4–0 friendly victory over Galway United. His first competitive goal for Sunderland came in his first competitive match for the club, and was the first goal of the 2007–08 Premier League season, when Chopra came on as a substitute late in the second half and scored the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur
in injury time with 13 seconds remaining on the clock. This led to many Sunderland fans chanting 'Chopra's one of us!' Chopra also scored in the second Premier League match of the season against Birmingham
.
Chopra could have scored against former side and childhood club Newcastle United but his goal drought continued after his header collided with the bar from only five yards out. Chopra finally scored against Reading from the penalty spot on 23 December, sending Marcus Hahnemann
the wrong way to end his goal drought. He scored a goal for Sunderland in their 1–0 win away to Aston Villa., making it their first away win in the Premier League since they defeated West Bromwich Albion in 2006. He scored his sixth and final of the season in Sunderlands 3–2 win over local rivals Middlesbrough, finishing as the second highest scorer at the club being just one goal behind Kenwyne Jones
. As he returned from suspension, he scored two goals in his first game of the 2008–09 season as Sunderland beat Middlesbrough
2–0 on 20 September 2008.
and Jay Bothroyd
. He made his return to the Cardiff side just two days after his loan deal was completed, playing a full 90 minutes during a 1–0 away defeat against Queens Park Rangers
. His first goal since returning to the club came just a week later in his second match, his first at home, when he converted a penalty, which he had won himself, during a 2–1 victory over Crystal Palace
, although he did miss a second penalty in the final minute of the match late into stoppage time.
Chopra made a total of 11 appearances for the club scoring 5 times, making his last appearance in a 1–0 win over Plymouth Argyle
on 28 December. His loan spell officially came to an end on 31 December and, despite both Chopra and Cardiff hoping for an extension to the deal, recently appointed Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia
stated that Chopra would be returning to Sunderland. However after spending one month back at Sunderland, he returned to Cardiff on the final day of the transfer window, with the deal being completed just 55 seconds before the transfer window closed. He made his third debut for Cardiff in a 2–2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers
on 22 February, scoring the teams first goal of the game, and went on to score in two of the next three matches for the side, finishing the season with nine goals in 27 appearances.
in 2001. On the opening day of the season, Chopra scored twice during a 4–0 win over Scunthorpe United
, becoming the first player to score a competitive goal at Cardiff City Stadium. In the third league match of the season, he scored a hat-trick in Cardiff's 3–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle
, his second hat-trick for the club.
Chopra played in his 200th career game against Sheffield Wednesday
on 26 September 2009 and, in the following match, scored four goals against Derby County
in a 6–1 victory, taking his early season tally to 12 goals in 13 games. However after this he went on an 11 game barren run which was eventually ended with a goal during a 1–1 draw with Bristol City
in the third round of the FA Cup before making his 100th appearance for Cardiff one week later in the replay. He also scored for Cardiff at Stamford Bridge during a 4–1 loss to Premier League leaders Chelsea
in the 5th round of the FA Cup. On 3 April he scored his 49th and 50th goals for Cardiff in all competitions in the South Wales derby
, giving Cardiff all three points after Swansea City
took a 28th minute lead. Chopra finished the season with 21 goals in all competitions and was named in the 2009–10 Championship Team of the Year
, along with team mate Peter Whittingham.
Chopra scored in the eighth minute of the 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final
on 22 May 2010 against Blackpool FC, ending up on the losing side>. Two days later, Ipswich Town
made a bid of £3 million for the striker, with their manager, Roy Keane
having previously signed Chopra during a spell in charge of Sunderland. After rejecting that bid, it is believed Ipswich returned with an offer of £3.5 million which was also rejected. On 4 June 2010 it was reported that Ipswich had again upped their bid – this time a lot closer to Cardiff's asking price of £4 million.
, before netting another against Burton Albion
in the Carling Cup. In Cardiff's third match of the season, Chopra was injured in a tackle that put him out of action for around two months. He made his return on 16 October, against Bristol City
. He got his first goal back from injury on 25 October away at Leeds United
as Cardiff won 4–0 at Elland Road
, before making it two goals in as many games as he scored the second goal in Cardiff's 3–1 win over Norwich
.
Chopra went on to score three goals in five starts during the month of January, one of which the winning goal in a 2–1 home victory against promotion rivals Leeds United. He scored another at Premier League side Stoke City in the FA Cup third round. Chopra scored his 60th competitive goal for Cardiff against Watford
, netting the second in a 4–2 home victory. His next goal came in a 1–1 draw at home to Burnley. Chopra suffered a fractured ankle during this match which left him sidelined for the top-of-the-table clash with Nottingham Forest
; however, he battled on, despite the injury, in the following game against Leicester City
in which he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory. This was his tenth goal of the season in all competitions. Chopra followed this up by once again scoring the opening goal in a 2–0 Cardiff victory, at the KC Stadium versus Hull City, making it the third consecutive game in which he scored, and his sixth in his last 9 appearances.
It was thought his season would be cut short in March after tearing his hamstring against Barnsley; however, this proved not to be the case as the severity of the hamstring tear was not as bad as first feared. His return meant that he played in both Cardiff's play-off semi-finals against Reading
.
put a £1 million bid in for Chopra, which was accepted. Chopra signed a three-year contract with Ipswich Town on 9 June 2011.
On 6 August he made his league debut for Ipswich at Bristol City
, scoring twice.
through his father. In November 2010, Chopra entered into talks over acquiring an India
n passport in order to represent India
in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
. Ultimately, he was not allowed to play in the tournament, but he hoped to play for India at a later date. He was named in the Indian squad that was to face Qatar in a friendly in July 2011. However, without an Indian passport he was not on the team, and the Indian's government refusal to change its stance on dual citizenship means Chopra will probably never don an India jersey.
On 28 August 2008, it was announced that he had checked into a rehabilitation clinic including some time at the Sporting Chance clinic
. He was re-admitted to the same clinic for three weeks in October 2011.
|-
|rowspan="2"|2002–03
||Newcastle United
||Premier League||1||0||0||0||1||0||2||0||4||0
|-
|Watford
||First Division
||5||5||1||0||0||0||0||0||6||5
|-
|rowspan="2"|2003–04
||Newcastle United
||Premier League||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||6||0
|-
|Nottingham Forest
||First Division
||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||5||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2004–05
||Newcastle United
||Premier League||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|Barnsley
||League One
||39||17||1||0||1||0||0||0||41||17
|-
|2005–06
||Newcastle United
||Premier League||13||1||2||1||2||0||1||1||17||3
|-
|2006–07
||Cardiff City
||Championship
||42||22||2||0||0||0||0||0||44||22
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="2"|Sunderland
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||33||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||33||6
|-
|2008–09|||3||2||0||0||1||0||0||0||4||2
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="3"|Cardiff City
||rowspan="4"|Championship
||27||9||0||0||0||0||0||0||27||9
|-
|2009–10|||44||18||4||2||3||1||0||0||51||21
|-
|2010–11
|||29||9||2||1||1||1||0||0||32||11
|-
|2011–12||rowspan="1"|Ipswich Town
||10||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||5
|-
243||91||7||2||9||2||3||1||262||98
250||93||7||2||9||2||3||1||262||98
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...
side 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....
. He is of mixed
British Mixed-Race
Mixed is an ethnicity category that has been used by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics since the 1991 Census. Colloquially it refers to British citizens or residents whose parents are of two or more different races or ethnic backgrounds...
Indian
British Indian
The term British Indian refers to citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in India. This includes people born in the UK who are of Indian descent, and Indian-born people who have migrated to the UK...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
descent.
Chopra plays as a striker. He was originally a product of the 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...
Youth system. In his career he has also played for 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...
and has spent loan spells at 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...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
. He has represented England at the Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels.
In 2006, Chopra made news for scoring the fastest goal by a substitute in Premier League history, scoring after being on the pitch for ten seconds. With an Indian father, he was also the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the Premier League.
Newcastle United
Born in Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, Chopra attended Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
's former school, Gosforth High School
Gosforth High School
Gosforth Academy is an English secondary school in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. As well as having a sixth form department it is a specialist Language College...
, in Newcastle, and owing to his goal-scoring exploits there, and later with the Montagu Boys' Club, was recruited to the 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...
academy in July 1993.
In the 2000–01 season, he scored 28 goals for the Newcastle Academy
Newcastle United F.C. Reserves and Academy
Newcastle United F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve and academy teams for the Premier League club Newcastle United.The reserve team plays in the Premier Reserve League North. It also participates in the Northumberland Senior Cup each season...
side that reached the FA Premier League Academy
Premier Academy League
The Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...
Under-17 playoff final. In December 2000 he signed his professional contract with Newcastle. The next season, playing for the Academy Under-19 team, he scored 14 goals in the first nine games of the season, prompting a promotion to the Senior Reserves. He went on to score in the Northumberland Senior Cup
Northumberland Senior Cup
The Northumberland Senior Cup is an annual football competition held between the clubs of the Northumberland Football Association which was first played in 1884. It is the senior county cup for the footballing county of Northumberland, which includes Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and...
final victory over Bedlington Terriers
Bedlington Terriers F.C.
Bedlington Terriers F.C. are a football club based in Bedlington, England. They were established in 1949 and joined the Northern Alliance in 1980 and joined the Northern League when it expanded to two divisions 3 years later...
in September 2001. Then in October, Newcastle gave him a squad number. By the end of the season, he had made 17 appearances for the Reserves, scoring seven goals.
The 2002–03 season started well, with Chopra scoring nine goals in his first five games for the Under-19s and Reserves. In November he signed a new three-year deal with the club, and on 6 November, he made his senior debut against 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 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...
, substituting Lomana LuaLua
Lomana LuaLua
Lomana Trésor LuaLua is a Congolese footballer who plays for Blackpool, and the Congo DR national football team.LuaLua was born in Kinshasa, but moved to England at a young age. After impressing in a college football match, he signed for Colchester United. There, he scored a total of 21 goals in...
. The game ended 3–3 but Newcastle lost the penalty shootout, with Chopra missing his spot kick.
He made his UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut in December 2002, as a substitute against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
, and also played against Bayer Leverkusen before he moved on a month-long loan to 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...
at the end of March 2003. He scored five goals in just six matches for Watford, appeared in a 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...
semifinal against 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...
, and scored four goals in a 7–4 win over Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
The season ended on a positive note when he made his Premiership debut for Newcastle in the 2–2 draw away 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...
on 11 May 2003. He also represented England at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested...
.
In 2003–04 season, he played four games for Newcastle before being loaned to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
for a month in February 2004 where he played five games. Returning from the loan spell he played another two games for Newcastle.
In August 2004 he went on another loan, this time to Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
. Playing in 39 matches in 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....
, he scored 17 goals, including hat-tricks against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
. He also represented Barnsley in the FA Cup and the League Cup, finishing as the club's top scorer and their Player of the Season.
Chopra began the 2005–06 season back in Newcastle's first team squad and played in early UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
ties, scoring his first senior goal for Newcastle in the 3–1 win away to Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
n side Dubnica
FK ZTS Dubnica
MFK Dubnica is a Slovak football club, playing in the city of Dubnica nad Váhom.- History :MFK Dubnica was founded in 1926 and spent much of its early years playing in the regional Czechoslovakian leagues until 1977 where they were finally promoted to the national first division and finished a...
on 17 July 2005. On 17 April 2006 Chopra scored his first Premier League goal against 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 the 60th minute of the Tyne-Wear derby
Tyne-Wear derby
The Tyne and Wear derby is a local derby between the association football clubs Newcastle United and Sunderland. The derby is an inter-city rivalry in North East England with the two cities of Newcastle and Sunderland just ten miles apart. The first meeting of the two sides took place in 1883, with...
, which ended 4–1. The goal was the fastest in Premier League history, as Chopra had only been on the pitch for ten seconds after coming on as a substitute. This was his third and final goal for the club, having also scored in the FA Cup against Cheltenham Town.
Cardiff City
On 14 June 2006 Chopra joined Cardiff CityCardiff 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 £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
500,000 after turning down a new one-year contract at Newcastle in favour of guaranteed first-team football. Chopra and Cardiff had an excellent start to the season, with 36 points from 17 games leaving Cardiff top of the 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...
and Chopra, with seven league goals was voted Championship player of the month for September and October. Chopra scored his first Cardiff hat-trick on 27 January 2007 against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
in a 3–2 victory.
Chopra signed a contract extension with Cardiff City on 5 April 2007, and was named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year on 22 April. Although Cardiff dropped out of promotion contention, Chopra had a successful season, ending with 22 goals from 42 matches.
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...
agreed a deal worth up to £5 million, activating a release clause, to sign Chopra on a four year contract. This caused unrest among some Sunderland fans due to the seemingly high price-tag and his Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
roots.
Chopra made his debut for Sunderland in their 1–0 win over League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
side Bohemians. In this match Chopra missed an open goal and ran into his own team mate Dickson Etuhu
Dickson Etuhu
Dickson Paul Etuhu is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Fulham in the Premier League. His younger brother Kelvin is also a footballer...
. Chopra scored his first goal for Sunderland in a 4–0 friendly victory over Galway United. His first competitive goal for Sunderland came in his first competitive match for the club, and was the first goal of the 2007–08 Premier League season, when Chopra came on as a substitute late in the second half and scored the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in injury time with 13 seconds remaining on the clock. This led to many Sunderland fans chanting 'Chopra's one of us!' Chopra also scored in the second Premier League match of the season against Birmingham
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...
.
Chopra could have scored against former side and childhood club Newcastle United but his goal drought continued after his header collided with the bar from only five yards out. Chopra finally scored against Reading from the penalty spot on 23 December, sending Marcus Hahnemann
Marcus Hahnemann
Marcus Stephen Hahnemann is an American international soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Everton.Graduating out of Seattle Pacific University, he played for the Seattle Sounders between 1994 and 1996. Between 1997 and 1999 he turned out for the Colorado Rapids, signing with English club...
the wrong way to end his goal drought. He scored a goal for Sunderland in their 1–0 win away to Aston Villa., making it their first away win in the Premier League since they defeated West Bromwich Albion in 2006. He scored his sixth and final of the season in Sunderlands 3–2 win over local rivals Middlesbrough, finishing as the second highest scorer at the club being just one goal behind Kenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public.He began his football...
. As he returned from suspension, he scored two goals in his first game of the 2008–09 season as Sunderland beat 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...
2–0 on 20 September 2008.
Return to Cardiff
On 6 November 2008, after several days of speculation, it was confirmed that Chopra had re-joined former club Cardiff City on a two-month loan deal, set to run until 31 December, due to hamstring injuries to the clubs two first choice strikers, Ross McCormackRoss McCormack
Ross McCormack is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for English football club Leeds United and the Scotland national team. His main position is as a Striker but he can also play as a Winger....
and Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker. He has also played for the England national team. He was a product of the Arsenal Academy and came to prominence during the 1999–2000 FA Youth Cup Final win against Coventry City...
. He made his return to the Cardiff side just two days after his loan deal was completed, playing a full 90 minutes during a 1–0 away defeat against Queens Park Rangers
Queens 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...
. His first goal since returning to the club came just a week later in his second match, his first at home, when he converted a penalty, which he had won himself, during a 2–1 victory over 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...
, although he did miss a second penalty in the final minute of the match late into stoppage time.
Chopra made a total of 11 appearances for the club scoring 5 times, making his last appearance in a 1–0 win over Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
on 28 December. His loan spell officially came to an end on 31 December and, despite both Chopra and Cardiff hoping for an extension to the deal, recently appointed Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia
Ricky Sbragia
Richard "Ricky" Sbragia is a Scottish former footballer and manager. As a coach, he spent time at Manchester United and Bolton, before joining Roy Keane's backroom staff at Sunderland. Sbragia became manager of Sunderland following Keane's departure, although he himself resigned in 2009 after...
stated that Chopra would be returning to Sunderland. However after spending one month back at Sunderland, he returned to Cardiff on the final day of the transfer window, with the deal being completed just 55 seconds before the transfer window closed. He made his third debut for Cardiff in a 2–2 draw with 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...
on 22 February, scoring the teams first goal of the game, and went on to score in two of the next three matches for the side, finishing the season with nine goals in 27 appearances.
2009–10
Chopra completed a permanent move on 1 July following the opening of the transfer window for a fee of £3 million. The transfer smashed the club's transfer record which was previously held by the £1.75 million signing of Peter Thorne from Stoke CityStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in 2001. On the opening day of the season, Chopra scored twice during a 4–0 win over Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
, becoming the first player to score a competitive goal at Cardiff City Stadium. In the third league match of the season, he scored a hat-trick in Cardiff's 3–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, his second hat-trick for the club.
Chopra played in his 200th career game against 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 26 September 2009 and, in the following match, scored four goals against Derby County
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...
in a 6–1 victory, taking his early season tally to 12 goals in 13 games. However after this he went on an 11 game barren run which was eventually ended with a goal during a 1–1 draw with Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
in the third round of the FA Cup before making his 100th appearance for Cardiff one week later in the replay. He also scored for Cardiff at Stamford Bridge during a 4–1 loss to Premier League leaders Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the 5th round of the FA Cup. On 3 April he scored his 49th and 50th goals for Cardiff in all competitions in the South Wales derby
South Wales derby
The South Wales derby is a football local derby between Welsh clubs Cardiff City and Swansea City and is regarded as one of the most fierce rivalries in British football....
, giving Cardiff all three points after Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
took a 28th minute lead. Chopra finished the season with 21 goals in all competitions and was named in the 2009–10 Championship Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
, along with team mate Peter Whittingham.
Chopra scored in the eighth minute of the 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final
2010 Football League Championship play-off Final
The 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 2010 to decide the third team to be promoted from The Championship to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season....
on 22 May 2010 against Blackpool FC, ending up on the losing side>. Two days later, 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....
made a bid of £3 million for the striker, with their manager, Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
having previously signed Chopra during a spell in charge of Sunderland. After rejecting that bid, it is believed Ipswich returned with an offer of £3.5 million which was also rejected. On 4 June 2010 it was reported that Ipswich had again upped their bid – this time a lot closer to Cardiff's asking price of £4 million.
2010–11
Chopra scored in Cardiff's second League match, away at Derby CountyDerby 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...
, before netting another against Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
in the Carling Cup. In Cardiff's third match of the season, Chopra was injured in a tackle that put him out of action for around two months. He made his return on 16 October, against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. He got his first goal back from injury on 25 October away at Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
as Cardiff won 4–0 at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, before making it two goals in as many games as he scored the second goal in Cardiff's 3–1 win over Norwich
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
.
Chopra went on to score three goals in five starts during the month of January, one of which the winning goal in a 2–1 home victory against promotion rivals Leeds United. He scored another at Premier League side Stoke City in the FA Cup third round. Chopra scored his 60th competitive goal for Cardiff against 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...
, netting the second in a 4–2 home victory. His next goal came in a 1–1 draw at home to Burnley. Chopra suffered a fractured ankle during this match which left him sidelined for the top-of-the-table clash with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
; however, he battled on, despite the injury, in the following game against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
in which he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory. This was his tenth goal of the season in all competitions. Chopra followed this up by once again scoring the opening goal in a 2–0 Cardiff victory, at the KC Stadium versus Hull City, making it the third consecutive game in which he scored, and his sixth in his last 9 appearances.
It was thought his season would be cut short in March after tearing his hamstring against Barnsley; however, this proved not to be the case as the severity of the hamstring tear was not as bad as first feared. His return meant that he played in both Cardiff's play-off semi-finals against Reading
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...
.
Ipswich Town
On 8 June 2011, Cardiff's Championship rivals Ipswich TownIpswich 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....
put a £1 million bid in for Chopra, which was accepted. Chopra signed a three-year contract with Ipswich Town on 9 June 2011.
On 6 August he made his league debut for Ipswich at Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, scoring twice.
International career
Despite being born in England, Chopra is eligible to play for IndiaIndia national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
through his father. In November 2010, Chopra entered into talks over acquiring an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n passport in order to represent India
India national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
. Ultimately, he was not allowed to play in the tournament, but he hoped to play for India at a later date. He was named in the Indian squad that was to face Qatar in a friendly in July 2011. However, without an Indian passport he was not on the team, and the Indian's government refusal to change its stance on dual citizenship means Chopra will probably never don an India jersey.
Personal life
Chopra appeared in OK! magazine in the UK in October 2007 announced he had become engaged to Heather Swan, and that they were expecting their first baby. On 15 February 2008, they welcomed a 6 lbs 10oz baby boy, Sebastian Rocco Thomas Chopra. In July, it was reported that the couple had split only weeks after their £250,000 wedding, but they later reconciled as she vowed to "stand by him" as he entered rehab.On 28 August 2008, it was announced that he had checked into a rehabilitation clinic including some time at the Sporting Chance clinic
Sporting Chance clinic
The Sporting Chance Clinic is a registered British based charity, first set up by former Arsenal and England football captain Tony Adams to provide a specialist addiction and recovery facility for sportsmen and women....
. He was re-admitted to the same clinic for three weeks in October 2011.
Career statistics
- As of 6 August 2011
|-
|rowspan="2"|2002–03
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
||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...
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|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...
||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....
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|rowspan="2"|2003–04
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
||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...
||Premier League||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||6||0
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|Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
||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....
||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||5||0
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|rowspan="2"|2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
||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...
||Premier League||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
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|Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
||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....
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|2005–06
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
||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...
||Premier League||13||1||2||1||2||0||1||1||17||3
|-
|2006–07
The Football League 2006-07
The 2006–2007 season was the 107th completed season of the Football League.-Overview:The Football League was contested through three Divisions in England and Wales. The divisions were the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two...
||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...
||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...
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|-
|2007–08||rowspan="2"|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...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||33||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||33||6
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|2008–09|||3||2||0||0||1||0||0||0||4||2
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|2008–09||rowspan="3"|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...
||rowspan="4"|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...
||27||9||0||0||0||0||0||0||27||9
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|2009–10|||44||18||4||2||3||1||0||0||51||21
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Cardiff City F.C. season
The 2010–11 season is Cardiff City F.C.'s 84th in the Football League since joining in 1920. The season has been nicknamed "I'll be there", which is to promoted celebrating 100 years as a club under its current name...
|||29||9||2||1||1||1||0||0||32||11
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|2011–12||rowspan="1"|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....
||10||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||5
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Individual
- PFA Championship team of the year: 2
-
- 2006–07 2009–10
External links
- BBC Profile as a Newcastle player
- News story on official The Football AssociationThe Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
website