Chris Sutton facts for kids
Sutton in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Roy Sutton | ||
| Date of birth | 10 March 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991–1994 | Norwich City | 102 | (35) |
| 1994–1999 | Blackburn Rovers | 130 | (47) |
| 1999–2000 | Chelsea | 28 | (1) |
| 2000–2006 | Celtic | 130 | (63) |
| 2006 | Birmingham City | 10 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Aston Villa | 8 | (1) |
| 2012 | Wroxham | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 409 | (148) | |
| National team | |||
| 1992–1994 | England U21 | 13 | (1) |
| 1994 | England B | 2 | (0) |
| 1997 | England | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2009–2010 | Lincoln City | ||
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Christopher Roy Sutton (born 10 March 1973) is a former English professional football player and manager. After his playing career, he became a well-known football expert on TV and radio.
Sutton played for many top clubs from 1991 to 2007. These included Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City, and Aston Villa. He scored over 150 goals in more than 400 league games. He played for 16 years in the English and Scottish Premier Leagues.
Chris started as a defender at Norwich. He then became a successful striker. In 1995, he won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers. He also played one game for the England national team. He was known for scoring many goals with his head, especially from set-pieces.
In 2009, Sutton became the manager of Lincoln City. He left after a year for personal reasons. In 2012, he briefly played for a non-league team called Wroxham.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Chris Sutton was born on 10 March 1973 in Nottingham, England. His father, Mike Sutton, also played football for Norwich City. Chris's younger brother, John, also became a footballer. He played for several clubs in England and Scotland. When Chris was a child, his family moved from East Leake to Horsford in Norfolk.
Playing Career Highlights
Norwich City (1991–1994)
Chris Sutton began his football journey at Norwich City. He started as a central defender. His manager, Dave Stringer, then changed his position to a striker. Chris played his first game on 4 May 1991. It was a 1–0 home win against Queens Park Rangers.
In the 1991–92 season, Chris slowly became a regular player. Norwich reached the FA Cup semi-finals that year. He played 21 league games and scored two goals.
Norwich had a great start in the new FA Premier League in 1992–93. They were league leaders for most of the season. They finished third under new manager Mike Walker. Chris played in 38 Premier League games and scored eight goals. He was the club's second-highest scorer.
In 1993, Chris helped Norwich beat Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. He scored 25 Premier League goals in the 1993–94 season. Many big clubs wanted to sign him, including Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United.
Blackburn Rovers (1994–1999)
In July 1994, Chris Sutton joined Blackburn Rovers. He became the most expensive player in English football at the time, costing £5 million. At Blackburn, he formed a strong attacking partnership with Alan Shearer. Fans called them 'SAS'.
In his first season, Chris scored 15 Premier League goals. He helped Blackburn Rovers win their first top-league title since 1914. This was a huge achievement for the club.
The next season (1995–96) was tough for Chris. He had injuries and lost some form. He only played 13 league games and didn't score any league goals. After this, Shearer left the club. Chris and Kevin Gallacher became Blackburn's main strikers.
Chris got back to his best over the next three seasons. In 1997–98, he was the joint top scorer in the Premier League with 18 goals.
Chris was involved in a famous moment in a game against Arsenal in 1997. Arsenal kicked the ball out of play for an injured player. Usually, the ball is given back to the other team. But Chris chased the ball and won a corner kick. Blackburn scored from this corner. Chris did not apologize for his actions.
In 1997–98, Chris's 18 goals helped Blackburn finish sixth. But in the 1998–99 season, he only scored three goals in 17 games. Blackburn Rovers were relegated (moved down to a lower league) just four years after winning the title.
Chelsea (1999–2000)
After Blackburn's relegation, Chris Sutton moved to Chelsea for £10 million. His time at Stamford Bridge was difficult. He found it hard to score goals and fit into Chelsea's playing style. He scored only one league goal in 28 games. He also scored two more goals in other competitions.
He did not even make the squad for the FA Cup Final win against Aston Villa. In July 2000, he was sold to Scottish club Celtic for £6 million.
Celtic (2000–2006)
Chris Sutton found his goal-scoring form again at Celtic. He scored in his first league game for them in July 2000. He was then sent off in his second game. Four weeks later, he became a fan favorite in his first Old Firm match against Rangers. He scored the first and last goals in a big 6–2 win for Celtic. Chris then formed a strong partnership with Swedish striker Henrik Larsson.
Chris's goals helped Celtic win many trophies. They won three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, and one Scottish League Cup. He also helped them reach the UEFA Cup final. He scored many important goals in European games. These included goals against Ajax, Juventus, Blackburn Rovers, and VfB Stuttgart. He also scored a great volley against Barcelona in 2004.
Chris holds the record for the fastest goal in an Old Firm match. He scored in just 18 seconds at Ibrox in 2002.
In 2003, Chris made some comments about another team, Dunfermline Athletic. He was later suspended for his comments.
His best season at Celtic was probably 2003–04. He scored 19 league goals and was named SPFA Player of the Year. He also scored a winning goal against Rangers in injury time. This helped Celtic win all their games against Rangers that season.
Chris showed he could play in different positions at Celtic. He was mainly a striker. But he often played in central midfield. Sometimes, he even played as a central defender. He did this in a game against Rangers in 2003, which Celtic won 1–0.
As Gordon Strachan became manager in 2005, Chris played less often. He left Celtic on a free transfer in January 2006.
Birmingham City (2006)
Chris joined Birmingham City in January 2006. But injuries meant he only played eleven games. He scored one goal in a derby game against Aston Villa. Birmingham City was relegated at the end of the season. Chris was then released from his contract.
Aston Villa (2006–2007)
In October 2006, Chris signed with Aston Villa. His former Celtic manager, Martin O'Neill, was in charge there. He scored his first goal for Villa against Everton in November 2006.
However, in a game against Manchester United in December 2006, he had blurred vision. Despite seeing many doctors, he did not recover. His manager, Martin O'Neill, said that Chris had a serious concern about his eyesight. On 5 July 2007, Chris Sutton retired from football due to this eye injury.
Wroxham (2012)
Six years after retiring, Chris made a surprise return to football in October 2012. He played for Wroxham in a lower league game. He came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute. His son, Oliver, who is a goalkeeper, had also played in the same game. Wroxham lost the game 3-2.
International Career
Chris Sutton's good form for Blackburn earned him one game for England. This was on 15 November 1997, against Cameroon. He came on in the 79th minute. However, he was not chosen for the World Cup squad. This was after a disagreement with the national manager, Glenn Hoddle. Chris refused to play for the England B team. Because of this, Hoddle never picked him for England again.
Management Career
Lincoln City
In January 2009, Chris Sutton was interviewed for the manager's job at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, but he didn't get the job. On 28 September 2009, Chris was appointed manager of League Two club Lincoln City. He took over from Peter Jackson. Chris had no experience as a manager, but he was chosen from many applicants.
Chris's first game as manager was on 3 October 2009. Lincoln won the game 1–0, giving Chris a winning start. He led Lincoln to the FA Cup third round for the first time since 1999. They lost 4–0 to Premier League team Bolton Wanderers. Lincoln stayed in the Football League that season. Chris left his job as Lincoln manager on 29 September 2010 due to family reasons.
Media Career
After his playing and managing career, Chris Sutton became a football expert. He works as a co-commentator for TNT Sports and Sky Sports. He also works as a pundit and co-commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport. He presents the radio show 606 for BBC Radio 5 Live with Robbie Savage. In 2015, he made a comment that Celtic's Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers would be "so one-sided" that Celtic "could win it blindfolded".
Personal Life
As of February 2007, Chris Sutton was married and had five children. After retiring from football, Chris continued to be active. He played cricket for Norwich Cricket Club. In February 2022, Chris Sutton and Micah Richards spoke openly about mental health issues they faced during their playing days.
Honours
Blackburn Rovers
- Premier League: 1994–95
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06
- Scottish Cup: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05; runner-up: 2001–02
- Scottish League Cup: 2000–01; runner-up: 2002–03
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2002–03
England U21
- Toulon Tournament: 1993
Individual
- Premier League Golden Boot: 1997–98
- Premier League Player of the Month: November 1994, February 1998
- Norwich City Player of the Season: 1993–94
- PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year: 2003–04
- PFA Team of the Year: 1994–95 Premier League
- Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: November 2003, January 2005
See also
In Spanish: Chris Sutton para niños
- Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame
