Dwight Yorke facts for kids
Yorke in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dwight Eversley Yorke | ||
| Date of birth | 3 November 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Canaan, Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1989 | Signal Hill Comprehensive School | ||
| 1989–1990 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1998 | Aston Villa | 231 | (73) |
| 1998–2002 | Manchester United | 96 | (48) |
| 2002–2004 | Blackburn Rovers | 60 | (12) |
| 2004–2005 | Birmingham City | 13 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | Sydney FC | 22 | (7) |
| 2006–2009 | Sunderland | 59 | (6) |
| Total | 481 | (148) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–2009 | Trinidad and Tobago | 72 | (19) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Macarthur | ||
| 2024– | Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Dwight Eversley Yorke CM (born 3 November 1971) is a football coach and former player from Trinidad and Tobago. He is currently the head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team. During his playing career, he was mainly a forward. He played for famous clubs like Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Sunderland.
At Manchester United, Yorke formed a strong partnership with Andy Cole. Together, they helped the team win many titles. This included several Premier League titles and the amazing "Treble" in 1999. The Treble means winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League all in one season. Yorke scored 123 goals in the Premier League. For a long time, this was a record for players from outside Europe.
Dwight Yorke also played for his country, Trinidad and Tobago, 74 times. He scored 19 goals for them. He helped his nation reach the semi-finals of the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Later, he helped them qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time in 2006. After he stopped playing in 2009, Yorke became an assistant manager for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Contents
Dwight Yorke's Amazing Football Journey
Playing for Top Clubs
Dwight Yorke's talent was first noticed by Graham Taylor. Taylor was the manager of Aston Villa at the time. He saw Yorke play during a trip to the West Indies in 1989. Yorke was only 17 years old.
Aston Villa Days
Yorke played in a friendly match against Aston Villa. Taylor was very impressed and offered Yorke a trial. Soon after, Yorke signed a permanent contract with Villa. He played for their youth and reserve teams. His first big game for Aston Villa was on 24 March 1990.
From 1989 to 1998, Yorke played for Aston Villa. He started as a right winger. But in the 1995–96 season, he became a centre forward. He quickly became one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
Yorke was a key player when Villa reached the League Cup Final in 1996. Villa won the final 3–0 against Leeds United, and Yorke scored a goal. He also scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Newcastle United in 1996. Overall, Yorke played 284 games for Aston Villa and scored 97 goals.
His move from Aston Villa was a bit tricky. The manager, John Gregory, did not want to sell Yorke to Manchester United. But Yorke was unhappy and wanted to leave. So, he was transferred to Manchester United for £12.6 million in August 1998.
Manchester United Success
In his first season at Manchester United, Yorke was incredibly important. He helped the club win the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. This was known as the "Treble." He formed a fantastic partnership with Andy Cole.
Yorke was the top goalscorer in the league that season with 18 goals. He also scored important goals in the Champions League against teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He was named the Premier League Player of the Season. In the next season (1999–2000), he scored 23 goals in all competitions.
Even though his third season was not as successful, Yorke scored his 100th Premier League goal in November 2000. He also scored a hat-trick against Arsenal. He played his last game for United in January 2002. In total, he scored 65 goals for Manchester United in 152 games.
Blackburn Rovers
In July 2002, Yorke joined Blackburn Rovers for £2 million. He joined his old teammate Andy Cole there.
In his first season at Blackburn, Yorke scored 13 goals. This included the winning goal against Arsenal in October 2002. He also scored two goals against Aston Villa in the FA Cup. Blackburn finished sixth in the league, which helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup.
Birmingham City
On 31 August 2004, Yorke moved to Birmingham City. He signed a one-year deal. He scored in his first home game for Birmingham, a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic. He scored again against Newcastle. However, he did not play much for Birmingham and left the club in April 2005.
Sydney FC Adventure
After leaving Birmingham, Yorke signed with Sydney FC in Australia. He earned $1 million a season. He scored the first goal for Sydney FC in their first A-League match. Yorke was the most famous player in the A-League at the time.
Sydney FC's coach, Pierre Littbarski, moved Yorke to a midfield role and made him team captain. Yorke played a big part in leading Sydney FC to win the first A-League Grand Final in March 2006. He set up the only goal in the game. He was also named the best player in the Grand Final.
Yorke was a "marquee player" for Sydney FC. This meant his salary did not count towards the team's salary cap. He helped make the A-League very popular in its first season. He even trained with Manchester United for a few months to stay fit for the World Cup.
Sunderland
On 31 August 2006, Yorke transferred to Sunderland for £200,000. This move reunited him with his former teammate, Roy Keane, who was Sunderland's manager. Yorke played as a defensive midfielder for Sunderland. He scored his first goal for Sunderland in a 2–1 loss to Stoke.
In January 2008, Yorke received a red card during a game against Blackburn. He often said he wanted to return to the A-League. In July 2008, he signed a new one-year contract to stay with Sunderland. He was named "man of the match" in a game against Arsenal in October 2008. Yorke left Sunderland at the end of the 2008–09 season.
International Career with Trinidad and Tobago
Yorke played 72 games for the Trinidad and Tobago national team and scored 19 goals. He was part of the "Strike Squad" in 1989. This team almost qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
He stopped playing international football in 2001 after a disagreement with the coach. But he returned to the team for the 2006 World Cup qualification campaign. His return helped the team qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time ever! They beat Bahrain 2–1 to make history.
Yorke was the captain for all of Trinidad and Tobago's games at the 2006 World Cup. He was named "man of the match" in their 0–0 draw against Sweden. He was considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the early stages of the World Cup.
He announced his retirement from international football again in March 2007. However, he made a special return for a friendly game against England in June 2008. In October 2008, he scored his first international goal since returning, against the United States. This goal helped Trinidad and Tobago get closer to the next World Cup qualifying stage.
In February 2009, Yorke scored a penalty for his country. But he was sent off the field at the end of the game. After leaving Sunderland and not finding a new club, Yorke retired from football completely in September 2009. He then became an assistant manager for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Life After Playing: Coaching and More
Yorke has completed his Level B coaching badge. He has expressed interest in becoming a coach, especially for Aston Villa. In 2011, he ran the London Marathon. In August 2011, he started working for Sky Sports as a football expert.
Management Career
Yorke has also pursued a career in football management. In 2019, he was interviewed for a manager role at Sutton United. In 2021, he was disappointed not to be hired as Aston Villa's new manager.
In May 2022, Yorke managed the A-Leagues All Stars team in a match against FC Barcelona.
Macarthur FC
On 1 July 2022, Yorke became the new manager of A-League Men team Macarthur FC. Just three months later, he led the club to win its first trophy, the 2022 Australia Cup Final. Yorke left Macarthur FC in January 2023.
Trinidad and Tobago Manager
On 1 November 2024, Dwight Yorke became the new manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Personal Life and Achievements
Dwight Yorke grew up as a fan of Tottenham Hotspur. His first football jersey was a white Tottenham Hotspur shirt.
The Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago, is named in his honor. It was built for the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship. Yorke is also a big fan of cricket. He is close friends with famous cricketer Brian Lara. His older brother, Clint Yorke, was also a first-class cricketer for Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2006, Yorke appeared on an episode of Australia's The Biggest Loser. He coached one of the teams in a football game.
As a member of the 2006 World Cup squad, Yorke received the Chaconia Medal (Gold Class). This is the second highest award in Trinidad and Tobago. He was also made a Sports Ambassador for his country.
Yorke released his autobiography, Born to Score, in 2009.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 1989–90 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 32 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 40 | 17 | ||
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 27 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 7 | |||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 37 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 43 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 35 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | — | — | 48 | 25 | |||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 37 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 43 | 20 | ||
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 30 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 40 | 16 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 231 | 73 | 24 | 14 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 287 | 98 | ||
| Manchester United | 1998–99 | Premier League | 32 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | — | 51 | 29 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 32 | 20 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 47 | 23 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 22 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 12 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Total | 96 | 48 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 152 | 65 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2002–03 | Premier League | 33 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 43 | 13 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 27 | 6 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 60 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 74 | 19 | |||
| Birmingham City | 2004–05 | Premier League | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| Sydney FC | 2005–06 | A-League | 21 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 23 | 8 | |||
| 2006–07 | A-League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 22 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 24 | 8 | |||||
| Sunderland | 2006–07 | Championship | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 5 | |||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 59 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 62 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 481 | 148 | 42 | 20 | 33 | 14 | 50 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 615 | 198 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1989 | 10 | 2 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 9 | 8 | |
| 2001 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 72 | 19 | |
- Scores and results list Trinidad and Tobago's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yorke goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 July 1989 | Bridgetown, Barbados |  Grenada |
1– | 2–1 | 1989 Caribbean Cup |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | 21 May 1993 | Montego Bay, Jamaica |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
4–1 | 1993 Caribbean Cup | |
| 4 | 23 June 1996 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Dominican Republic |
8–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 5 | 15 February 2000 | Los Angeles, United States |  Guatemala |
4–2 | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 6 | 7 May 2000 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Haiti |
3–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 7 | 19 May 2000 | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | Haiti |
1– | 1–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 8 July 2000 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Jamaica |
1– | 2–4 | Friendly |
| 9 | ||||||
| 10 | 16 July 2000 | Edmonton, Canada |  Canada |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 16 August 2000 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Panama |
6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 12 | ||||||
| 13 | 23 June 2001 | Hamilton, Bermuda |  Bermuda |
5–0 | Friendly | |
| 14 | 28 February 2006 | London, England |  Iceland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 15 | ||||||
| 16 | 7 October 2006 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
5–0 | Friendly | |
| 17 | 15 October 2008 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  United States |
2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 18 | 19 November 2008 | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Cuba |
3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 19 | 11 February 2009 | San Salvador, El Salvador |  El Salvador |
2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Macarthur FC |  |
1 July 2022 | 21 January 2023 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 52.63 |
| Total | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 52.63 | |||
Honours
Player
Aston Villa
- Football League Cup: 1995–96
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01
- FA Cup: 1998–99
- UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
- Intercontinental Cup: 1999
Sydney FC
- A-League: 2005–06
Sunderland
- Football League Championship: 2006–07
Trinidad and Tobago
- Caribbean Cup: 1989
Individual
- Premier League Player of the Month: February 1996, January 1999, March 2000
- PFA Team of the Year: 1998–99 Premier League
- Premier League Player of the Season: 1998–99
- Premier League Golden Boot: 1998–99
- UEFA Champions League top scorer: 1998–99
- Joe Marston Medal: 2005–06
- Sydney FC Hall of Fame: 2015
- Hummingbird Medal Silver: 1992
- Chaconia Medal Gold: 1999
Manager
Macarthur FC
- Australia Cup: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Dwight Yorke para niños
