Richard Rufus
Encyclopedia
Richard Raymond Rufus is a former English
football
player, who spent his entire career at Charlton Athletic
.
Born in nearby Lewisham
, Rufus progressed through the youth system at The Valley, making his debut for the club as a teenager in 1994 at the age of 19. He was later called up to represent the England U21 team.
His most memorable moment for Charlton came at the end of the 1997–98
season. Charlton, having finished fourth in the First Division
, were facing in the play-off final at Wembley. With five minutes of normal time remaining, Charlton were losing 2–3 before Rufus scored his first ever senior goal from a corner, forcing the game into extra-time. After the resulting 4–4 draw, the Addicks went on to win the game 7–6 on penalties, thus gaining promotion into the Premier League.
Despite being sent off in his first Premier League game against , Rufus developed into a key player in Charlton's ultimately unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation. He remained with the club and enjoyed a very productive 1999–2000
season scoring six goals and helping Charlton to win the First Division title. Back in the Premier League, Charlton were far more successful and remained in top flight with ease. Rufus was tipped several times to become an England
player, but Sven-Göran Eriksson
never chose him.
Starting in 2001, Rufus began to suffer a series of injury setbacks. He missed half of the 2001–02
season and the end of the 2002–03
season. He underwent a series of knee
operations in 2003 and at one stage looked to have returned to first time reckoning, having appeared on the bench for a League Cup
game against . He was, however, forced to have another operation done by Richard Steadman
. The operation was unsuccessful, and he was forced to retire from football in 2004 at the age of just 29, a relatively young age for a footballer. His final competitive appearance for the club came against Liverpool on 21 April 2003.
In his decade in Charlton's first team, he was regarded as one of the team's most important players. This was recognised by three player of the year awards and in 2005 he was voted by fans as Charlton's greatest ever defender. Since retiring, Rufus, a born again Christian, has been involved with plenty of charity work, alongside friends and fellow Christian footballers Darren Moore and Linvoy Primus
, as well as occasionally doing punditry work. é
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player, who spent his entire career at Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Born in nearby Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Rufus progressed through the youth system at The Valley, making his debut for the club as a teenager in 1994 at the age of 19. He was later called up to represent the England U21 team.
His most memorable moment for Charlton came at the end of the 1997–98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
season. Charlton, having finished fourth in the 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....
, were facing in the play-off final at Wembley. With five minutes of normal time remaining, Charlton were losing 2–3 before Rufus scored his first ever senior goal from a corner, forcing the game into extra-time. After the resulting 4–4 draw, the Addicks went on to win the game 7–6 on penalties, thus gaining promotion into the Premier League.
Despite being sent off in his first Premier League game against , Rufus developed into a key player in Charlton's ultimately unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation. He remained with the club and enjoyed a very productive 1999–2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
season scoring six goals and helping Charlton to win the First Division title. Back in the Premier League, Charlton were far more successful and remained in top flight with ease. Rufus was tipped several times to become an England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
player, but Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
never chose him.
Starting in 2001, Rufus began to suffer a series of injury setbacks. He missed half of the 2001–02
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
season and the end of the 2002–03
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
season. He underwent a series of knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
operations in 2003 and at one stage looked to have returned to first time reckoning, having appeared on the bench for a 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...
game against . He was, however, forced to have another operation done by Richard Steadman
Richard Steadman
J. Richard Steadman, M.D. is a specialist knee surgeon, practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is best known medically for his work in the area of microfracture surgery, and publicly for treating injured...
. The operation was unsuccessful, and he was forced to retire from football in 2004 at the age of just 29, a relatively young age for a footballer. His final competitive appearance for the club came against Liverpool on 21 April 2003.
In his decade in Charlton's first team, he was regarded as one of the team's most important players. This was recognised by three player of the year awards and in 2005 he was voted by fans as Charlton's greatest ever defender. Since retiring, Rufus, a born again Christian, has been involved with plenty of charity work, alongside friends and fellow Christian footballers Darren Moore and Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Stephen Primus is an English former footballer.Born in Forest Gate, England, to Caribbean-born parents, Primus began his professional career at Charlton Athletic; where he made four league appearances...
, as well as occasionally doing punditry work. é