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Charles N'Zogbia
Charles N'Zogbia.png
N'Zogbia training with Newcastle United in 2007
Personal information
Full name Charles N'Zogbia
Date of birth (1986-05-28) 28 May 1986 (age 39)
Place of birth Harfleur, France
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1995–1998 SC de Frileuse
1998–2004 Le Havre
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2009 Newcastle United 118 (9)
2009–2011 Wigan Athletic 83 (15)
2011–2016 Aston Villa 80 (4)
Total 281 (28)
International career
2007–2009 France U21 13 (0)
2010–2011 France 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Charles N'Zogbia (born 28 May 1986) is a former professional footballer from France. He was known for playing as a winger, either on the right or left side of the field. He could also play as an attacking midfielder. Charles played for the French national under-21 team 13 times. He also made his debut for the main French team in 2010. He spent more than ten years playing for Premier League clubs like Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic, and Aston Villa. He started his football journey at Le Havre.

Charles N'Zogbia's Club Journey

Starting Out at Le Havre

Charles N'Zogbia began his football career at the academy of Le Havre in France. When he was 16, a scout from Newcastle United named Charlie Woods noticed his talent. Charles was invited to try out for Newcastle. He trained with the club for a month and impressed them a lot. Newcastle was very keen to sign him.

However, his move to Newcastle was a bit tricky. Le Havre said he was tied to an educational contract. But Newcastle argued that Charles was free to move to another club without a transfer fee. FIFA, the world football body, agreed with Newcastle.

Playing for Newcastle United

After some disagreements, Newcastle eventually paid around £250,000 to sign N'Zogbia from Le Havre. This money was to help cover the costs of his youth training. His transfer to Newcastle was officially completed on September 2, 2004. He was the last player signed by the famous manager Sir Bobby Robson.

Newcastle fans gave Charles the nickname 'Zog'. They would even chant "Zog on the Tyne" to show their appreciation for his playing. This was a fun reference to a popular song.

Charles made his first appearance for Newcastle on September 11, 2004, in a 3–0 win against Blackburn Rovers. In the 2005–06 season, he became a regular player, appearing in 41 matches. He scored Newcastle's first goal of that season with a great free kick against Fulham. He scored 6 goals in total that season, including a fantastic solo goal against their rivals Sunderland. He also helped the team with seven assists. His good performances made other clubs, like Arsenal, interested in him. But he decided to sign a new three-year contract with Newcastle.

In the 2006–07 season, Charles played less often under the new manager, Glenn Roeder. He also missed some games due to an injury. There were rumors that he might leave Newcastle, but he stayed. He started the first game of the 2007–08 season under new manager Sam Allardyce. Charles scored the first goal in that game, which Newcastle won 3–1. In September 2007, he signed another five-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2012.

In December 2008, Charles said he wanted to leave Newcastle. He felt he wanted to play at a "higher level." In January 2009, after a game, the Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear accidentally mispronounced Charles's name. This upset Charles, and he said he would not play for the club while Kinnear was manager.

Moving to Wigan Athletic

On January 30, 2009, Newcastle agreed to sell Charles N'Zogbia to Wigan Athletic for £6 million. Charles signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Wigan. As part of the deal, another player, Ryan Taylor, moved to Newcastle.

Charles scored his first league goal for Wigan on March 29, 2009, in a 2–1 win against Sunderland. The next season, on April 18, 2010, he scored the winning goal in a late comeback against Arsenal, helping Wigan win 3–2. This important goal helped Wigan stay in the Premier League. He was named Wigan's Players' Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Season for 2009–10.

In May 2010, Birmingham City tried to buy him for £8 million, but Wigan rejected the offer. Later, Wigan accepted a bid of around £9 million from Birmingham City. However, the move didn't happen because Charles and Birmingham couldn't agree on his personal terms. Charles was given the number 10 shirt for the 2010–11 season. He played a very important part in keeping Wigan in the Premier League that season. He scored five goals in the last six games, including a winning goal in injury time against West Ham United. He finished the season as Wigan's top goal scorer with 10 goals.

Time at Aston Villa

In the summer of 2011, many clubs were interested in Charles N'Zogbia. On July 15, Aston Villa made a £9.1 million bid for him. Wigan rejected it, wanting £10 million. Villa then made a new bid of £9.5 million, which Wigan accepted. On July 29, 2011, Charles passed his medical and signed a five-year deal with Aston Villa. He wore the number 10 shirt for them.

He made his debut for Aston Villa in a friendly match on August 6, 2011, against Braga, where he scored a goal. He made his Premier League debut for Aston Villa on August 13, 2011, against Fulham. On February 1, 2012, Charles scored his first goal for Villa in a 2–2 draw against Queens Park Rangers. He scored his second goal for Villa on March 3, 2012, against Blackburn Rovers.

On February 10, 2013, Charles scored his first Premier League goal of the season against West Ham United, helping Villa win 2–1. In June 2013, he suffered an Achilles tendon injury while on holiday. This meant he was out of action for a long time. He returned to the team later and was given the number 28 jersey. He provided his first assist in a 2–1 loss to Spurs.

On June 10, 2016, it was announced that Charles N'Zogbia would leave Aston Villa when his contract ended. After leaving Villa, it was reported that a move to another club, Nantes, didn't happen because a heart problem was discovered.

International Career

Charles N'Zogbia played twice for the France under-16 national team in 2002. In 2006, he was chosen for the France under-21 provisional squad for a European Championship. However, because of the ongoing issue with his move to Newcastle, he was not included in the final squad.

After playing well for Newcastle in September 2007, he was called up to the France under-21 team. He made his debut for them on September 7, 2007, in a 1–0 win against Wales. The Congo DR national team also invited him to play for them in February 2008, but he declined. He wanted more time to decide his international football future.

On August 5, 2010, Charles N'Zogbia was called up to the senior French team for the first time. This was by the new manager Laurent Blanc. He played the first half of a friendly game against Norway on August 11, 2010. France lost that game 2–1.

Career Statistics

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Newcastle United 2004–05 Premier League 14 0 2 0 0 0 6 0 22 0
2005–06 32 5 3 0 2 0 4 0 41 5
2006–07 22 0 0 0 2 0 11 0 35 0
2007–08 32 3 3 0 0 0 35 3
2008–09 18 1 2 0 2 0 22 1
Total 118 9 10 0 6 0 21 0 155 9
Wigan Athletic 2008–09 Premier League 13 1 0 0 0 0 13 1
2009–10 36 5 3 2 0 0 39 7
2010–11 34 9 0 0 4 1 38 10
Total 83 15 3 2 4 1 90 18
Aston Villa 2011–12 Premier League 30 2 0 0 2 0 32 2
2012–13 21 2 2 0 5 1 26 3
2013–14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014–15 27 0 4 0 0 0 31 0
2015–16 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 80 4 6 0 7 1 91 5
Career total 281 28 19 2 17 2 21 0 338 32

Honours and Achievements

Newcastle United

  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006

Aston Villa

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Charles N'Zogbia para niños

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