Cyrille Regis facts for kids
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Statue of the Three Degrees showing Regis (right) alongside Batson (centre) and Cunningham (left)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 February 1958 | ||
| Place of birth | Maripasoula, French Guiana | ||
| Date of death | 14 January 2018 (aged 59) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1975–1976 | Molesey | ||
| 1976–1977 | Hayes | ||
| 1977–1984 | West Bromwich Albion | 237 | (82) |
| 1984–1991 | Coventry City | 238 | (46) |
| 1991–1993 | Aston Villa | 52 | (12) |
| 1993–1994 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 19 | (2) |
| 1994–1995 | Wycombe Wanderers | 35 | (9) |
| 1995–1996 | Chester City | 29 | (7) |
| Total | 610 | (158) | |
| National team | |||
| 1978–1982 | England U21 | 6 | (3) |
| 1978–1980 | England B | 3 | (0) |
| 1982–1987 | England | 5 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1999 | West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | ||
| 2000 | West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | ||
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Cyrille Regis, who was awarded the MBE, was a famous footballer. He played as a forward. His amazing career lasted 19 years. He played in 614 league games and scored 158 goals. He was best known for playing with West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City. Cyrille was born in French Guiana. He also played five times for the England national team.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Cyrille Regis was born on February 9, 1958, in Maripasoula, French Guiana. His father, Robert, was a labourer from Saint Lucia. His mother, Mathilde, was a seamstress. His father moved to England in 1962. Cyrille and the rest of his family followed a year later.
Cyrille grew up in Harlesden, a part of London. He went to Cardinal Hinsley Maths & Computing College. When he was in primary school, Cyrille said he was better at cricket than football. He loved playing outside. Football was just another sport he did without much passion at first.
After school, Regis trained to be an electrician. He earned a special diploma. He worked as an electrician until he became a professional footballer. Cyrille was also a cousin of the famous athlete John Regis.
Club Football Journey
Starting in Non-League Teams
In the 1975–76 season, Cyrille Regis joined Molesey, an amateur club. He scored about 25 goals for them in one season. He then joined Hayes, a semi-professional team, in July 1976.
A scout from West Bromwich Albion, Ronnie Allen, noticed Regis. Allen was sure Regis would be a top player. He even offered to pay for Regis himself. In May 1977, Regis joined West Bromwich Albion for £5,000. Another £5,000 was paid after he played 20 games.
Playing for West Bromwich Albion
Ronnie Allen became the manager at Albion soon after Regis joined. Cyrille played his first game on August 31, 1977. It was a League Cup match against Rotherham United. He scored two goals in a 4–0 win!
Three days later, Regis played his first league game. It was a 2–1 win against Middlesbrough. He scored again, running from the halfway line to the goal. It was a brilliant goal. He also scored in his first FA Cup match in January 1978.
While at West Bromwich Albion, he played in a special charity match. It was a game between a team of white players and a team of black players.
Moving to Coventry City
In 1984, Regis moved to Coventry City for £250,000. With Coventry, he won the biggest trophy of his career: the 1987 FA Cup. This was a huge achievement!
The famous footballer Johan Cruyff even wanted to sign Regis for AFC Ajax. But the deal didn't happen. Regis later made history for Coventry City. He scored the winning goal at Anfield in November 1989. This was Coventry's first ever league win there.
Time at Aston Villa
Before the 1991–92 season, Regis joined Aston Villa for free. He reunited with his old manager, Ron Atkinson. He scored in his first game for Villa, a 3–2 win against Sheffield Wednesday. Regis played over 40 games in his first season. He was the club's top league goal scorer that year.
Short Stays at Other Clubs
After Aston Villa, Regis moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers. He stayed there for one season, playing 22 games and scoring twice.
Then, in August 1994, Regis joined Wycombe Wanderers. He scored ten goals in his only season with the club.
Cyrille ended his professional career at Chester City. He scored seven goals in 29 games. He retired in October 1996 because of an injury.
Playing for England
Cyrille Regis could have played for either England or France. He chose to play for England. He first played for the England under-21 team on September 19, 1978. England won 2–1 against Denmark. He also played three games for the England B team. He scored his first goal for the England under-21s in June 1979. In total, he played six times for the under-21s, scoring three goals.
Regis played five times for the main England team. He never played a full 90-minute game for his country. He came on as a substitute three times. He was substituted off twice. His first game for England was on February 23, 1982. England won 4–0 against Northern Ireland at Wembley. His last game for England was in 1987 against Turkey. England won that game 8–0.
He was the third black player to play for the senior England team. The others were Viv Anderson and Laurie Cunningham.
Personal Life and Legacy
Cyrille's younger brother, Dave Regis, was also a footballer. His nephew is Jason Roberts.
After a difficult time in his life, Cyrille found strength in his Christian faith. After retiring from playing, Regis worked in coaching. He then became a football agent. He helped other players with their careers. He was the agent for his nephew, Jason Roberts.
In 2001, the University of Wolverhampton gave him a special award. In 2004, fans voted Cyrille as West Bromwich Albion's all-time "Cult Hero." He received 65% of the votes. That same year, he was named one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest players. This was part of the club's 125th anniversary. Cyrille and his wife, Julia, supported WaterAid. They visited water projects in Ethiopia in 2007.
Cyrille won the Coventry City London Supporters' Club Player of the Year in 1986–87. He is often named as a legend for the club. In 2007–08, a "Hall of Fame" gallery was put up at the Ricoh Arena. It showed thirty great Coventry players, and Cyrille was one of them.
He was given the MBE award in 2008. This was for his services to football.
Death and Remembering Cyrille
Cyrille Regis passed away on January 14, 2018. He was 59 years old. He died from a heart attack.
To honor him, an England under-21 match was named the "Cyrille Regis International." It was played at Molineux on March 24, 2018. England won the game 2–1. On July 28, 2018, two of his old clubs, West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City, played a friendly match. It was called the 'Regis Shield'. West Bromwich won 5–2.
Honours
Hayes
- Premier Midweek Floodlight League: 1975–76
Coventry City
- FA Cup: 1986–87
Individual
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2019
- Coventry City Hall of Fame
- PFA Merit Award: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Cyrille Regis para niños
- List of England international footballers born outside England
