Dwight Yorke is the most celebrated player to ever sign an extended contract in Australian football history. The former Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa striker signed for Sydney FC as the marquee player from Birmingham City. He is the seventh highest goalscorer in the history of the English Premier League and has winners medals from the FA Cup, the English Premier League and the European Champions League. His credentials are second to none in the Hyundai A-League. Yorke was the final player brought into the Sydney FC roster and he is certain to form a deadly strikeforce with Australian marksmen David Zdrilic and Saso Petrovski. He turned down significantly more money to play in the Middle East before settling on Sydney FC.<\/P>
Dwight Yorke may be 34 but he is still going strong and will be desperate to make his mark on Trinidad and Tobago’s debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup™ finals in Germany. <\/P>
By far the most famous footballer to have come out of the Caribbean dual-island nation, Yorke has not only won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United, but he is the only player at these finals to have a major stadium already named after him in his native land.
Discovered by former England manager Graham Taylor on Aston Villa’s tour of the Caribbean in 1989, the Birmingham club shelled out £120,000 to bring the speedy, skilful striker to England. Yorke spent nine years at Villa Park and despite occasional problems with injuries and inconsistency, he averaged close to a goal ever three games (73 in 231 league appearances) and tasted victory in the 1996 League Cup final, scoring in a 3-0 win against Leeds United at Wembley.
Yorke’s silky touches and strike rate at Villa Park sparked the interest of Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, who took the forward to Old Trafford in 1998 for a fee of £12.6 million. In his first three seasons at United, he formed with Andy Cole one of English football’s most prolific attacking duos in recent memory and played a crucial role as United won three consecutive league titles – not to mention the 1999 Champions League and FA Cup as part of a historic treble.
In all, Yorke scored 47 goals in 96 league appearances for Manchester United, a remarkable return, but after leaving Old Trafford for Blackburn in 2001, the goals appeared to dry up for the T&T international. His time in England ended with a short, unhappy spell at Birmingham City in the 2004\/05 season and the striker with the famous toothy grin then sought a fresh start in Australia at Sydney FC. He was rewarded with silverware as he captained the Sydneysiders to the inaugural A-League Grand Final in March this year.
Although already revered in his beloved Trinidad and Tobago, Yorke’s role in captaining the national team to their first finals in Germany in 2006 has made the man akin to a demigod in the Caribbean. A member of the team that so famously lost out on a spot at Italia 90 on the last day of qualifying, Yorke was inspirational in the Soca Warriors’ path to Germany.
Described as a “special player” by coach Leo Beenhakker, Yorke’s roaming role just behind the front line allows all of his experience and tactical knowledge to shine through. He certainly looked in fine fettle when scoring both goals as T&T won their first match of this FIFA World Cup year against Iceland on 28 February.
Despite his veteran status, Yorke retains a touch of class and, for all his achievements, the opportunity to play in his first FIFA World Cup finals has undoubtedly got him dreaming again.
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