Hal Robson-Kanu facts for kids

This page is about the Welsh footballer. For the American auto racer, see Hal Robson.

Quick facts for kids
Hal Robson-Kanu
Personal information
Robson-Kanu playing for Wales in 2016
Full name	Thomas Henry Alex Robson-Kanu
Date of birth	(1989-05-21) 21 May 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Acton, London, England
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Winger, forward
Youth career
1999–2004	Arsenal
2004–2007	Reading
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2007–2016	Reading	198	(24)
2008	→ Southend United (loan)	22	(5)
2009	→ Swindon Town (loan)	20	(4)
2016–2021	West Bromwich Albion	143	(21)
Total		383	(54)
National team^‡
2007–2008	England U19	2	(0)
2009	England U20	1	(0)
2010	Wales U21	4	(2)
2010–2021	Wales	46	(5)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:37, 27 May 2021 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 March 2021

Hal Robson-Kanu is a former professional footballer. He was born on May 21, 1989. He mostly played as a forward. He also played as a winger. He became well-known during Wales' amazing journey to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016.

Robson-Kanu started his football journey at Arsenal as a young schoolboy. When he was 15, he left Arsenal and joined Reading. After training in their youth academy, he joined the main team in 2007. He spent some time playing on loan for Southend United and Swindon Town.

He returned to Reading and made his first team debut in 2009. He helped Reading win the Football League Championship in the 2011–12 season. This meant they got to play in the Premier League. He scored 30 goals in 228 games for Reading. He left the club in 2016. After that, he joined West Bromwich Albion. He played for them for five years before leaving in May 2021.

Internationally, Robson-Kanu first played for England's under-19 and under-20 teams. In 2010, he decided to play for Wales. He qualified through his grandmother, who was Welsh. He played for the under-21 team. Then he made his debut for the senior team in 2010. He was a key player for Wales at UEFA Euro 2016. He scored a famous goal against Belgium in the quarter-finals.

Playing for Clubs
- Reading Football Club
  - Early Career and Loans
  - Breaking into the First Team
- West Bromwich Albion
Playing for His Country
Outside Football
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Playing for Clubs

Reading Football Club

Early Career and Loans

Hal Robson-Kanu was born in Acton, London. He started playing football at Arsenal when he was 10 years old. He also played for a local team called Acton Ealing Whistlers. At 15, he left Arsenal. He then joined Reading after talking to their Academy manager, Brendan Rodgers.

In July 2007, he signed his first professional contract with Reading. He played with the senior team for the first time in South Korea in 2007. This was during the Peace Cup tournament. He was a substitute for an FA Cup match in January 2008. But he did not get to play in the game.

To get more experience, Robson-Kanu joined Southend United on loan in January 2008. He made his debut a few days later. He scored his first goal against Nottingham Forest. He scored two more goals in his next two games. He returned to Reading with three goals from eight games. He went back to Southend on loan in August 2008. He scored two more goals in 15 games during this second loan spell.

In January 2009, he joined Swindon Town on a one-month loan. This loan was extended for another month. He played well for Swindon. He signed a new contract with Reading that would last until 2011. He played in all 20 of his games for Swindon. The Swindon manager praised him for helping the team avoid relegation.

Breaking into the First Team

Robson-Kanu playing for Reading in 2013

In the 2009–10 season, his former Academy boss, Brendan Rodgers, became Reading's manager. Robson-Kanu scored five goals in pre-season games. He made his official debut for Reading on the first day of the season. He played as a right winger in a 0–0 draw. He was mostly a substitute in his first season. He started only four times in 18 games.

The next season, Robson-Kanu became a regular player. He scored his first Reading goal in the League Cup in August 2010. A month later, he scored his first league goal. He helped Reading reach the play-offs that season. He scored the winning goal in two games. He came on as a substitute in the play-off final. Reading lost 4–2 to Swansea. He finished the season with six goals in 34 games. He signed a new three-year contract with Reading in July 2011.

In August 2011, Reading sold a player named Shane Long. Robson-Kanu sometimes played as a forward during pre-season. He scored two goals in the first four games of the season. He often played on the wings due to injuries to other players. He made 37 appearances that season, which was his most yet.

When Reading returned to the Premier League, Robson-Kanu faced strong competition. He started on the first day of the season. He scored two goals in the next three months. One was against Tottenham Hotspur. The other was in a 3–3 draw with Fulham. He scored his third goal of the season in December.

The manager, Brian McDermott, left the club. Nigel Adkins took over. Robson-Kanu started playing more often under the new manager. He missed only two games due to a knee injury. He finished the season strongly, scoring against Arsenal. He also scored twice in a 4–2 win over Fulham. He scored seven goals that season, his best record so far. He was nominated for Reading Player of the Season. He signed a new contract in July 2013. Reading announced in May 2016 that he would leave the club.

West Bromwich Albion

On August 31, 2016, Robson-Kanu signed a two-year contract with Premier League team West Bromwich Albion. He made his first start on December 31, 2016. He scored a goal and made an assist in a 2–1 win.

In July 2017, he signed a new three-year contract with West Brom. In a game against Burnley, he became one of only four players in Premier League history to come on as a substitute, score, and then get sent off.

After West Brom was relegated from the Premier League in 2018, Robson-Kanu helped them win the first Regis Shield. He scored his first league goal of the 2018–19 Championship season in a 4–3 win. He scored his fourth league goal in a 2–0 win against Aston Villa. He missed the play-off games because he got a red card in the last game of the season.

On October 19, 2019, he signed a contract extension until 2021. The next day, he scored a late winning goal in a 1–0 away win. He scored six goals in nine games between October and December. He ended the season as the team's joint top scorer with ten goals. His team won promotion back to the Premier League.

On May 17, 2021, Robson-Kanu scored his first Premier League goal of the 2020–21 season. This was in a 1–2 home defeat against Liverpool.

On May 27, 2021, it was announced that Robson-Kanu would leave West Bromwich Albion. He had played 154 times for the club and scored 24 goals. A year later, he said he left because he felt the club was not moving in the right direction. He wanted a clear long-term plan for the team.

Playing for His Country

Robson-Kanu preparing to come on for Wales against Austria in October 2016

Hal Robson-Kanu was born in England. His father was Nigerian, and his mother was English with Welsh family. He first played for England's under-19 team in November 2007. He also played one game for the England under-20s.

In 2010, he decided to play for Wales. He could do this because his grandmother was born in Caerphilly, Wales. A Welsh coach, Brian Flynn, found out about his Welsh connection.

He was first picked for the Wales under-21s team in May 2010. He made his debut in a 1–0 loss. Just five days later, he played his first game for the senior team. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 loss to Croatia. He continued to play for the under-21s, scoring twice. He scored his first senior international goal on March 22, 2013. This was in a 2–1 World Cup qualifying win against Scotland.

Robson-Kanu became famous during a friendly game against the Netherlands. His shorts tore, and he had to change them during the match.

He played nine games in Wales' successful journey to qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. He scored a goal in October 2014. In the main tournament in France, he came on as a substitute against Slovakia. He scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory. He also started as a striker in Wales' big 3–1 win against Belgium. He scored the team's second goal after a clever move called a Cruyff turn. This goal was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year. Wales was knocked out of the tournament after losing to Portugal in the semi-final.

Robson-Kanu played nine more games for Wales. He scored once as Wales tried to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They did not make it to the World Cup.

On August 29, 2018, Robson-Kanu announced he was retiring from international football. However, he later changed his mind. He was called up for matches in October 2020.

In March 2021, Robson-Kanu and two other players were sent home from the Wales squad. This was because they broke COVID-19 rules. He was not included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2020 that May.

Outside Football

In August 2018, Robson-Kanu started a company called The Turmeric Co. It sells drinks made from natural ingredients, mainly turmeric. Robson-Kanu says that using turmeric helped him recover from a serious knee injury. He believes it saved his football career.