Marc Bircham facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marc Stephen John Bircham | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 May 1978 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Wembley, England | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender / Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | Millwall | 104 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2007 | Queens Park Rangers | 152 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Yeovil Town | 16 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 272 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Canada | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Queens Park Rangers (caretaker) | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Waterford | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Marc Stephen John Bircham, born on May 11, 1978, is a former soccer player. He was born in England but played for Canada's national team. He was an assistant coach at the Italian club Como until 2023.
Contents
Playing Career
Starting at Millwall
Marc Bircham began his professional soccer journey at Millwall. He played for six seasons with this team. After his time at Millwall, he moved to Queens Park Rangers.
Time at Queens Park Rangers
At Queens Park Rangers (QPR), Marc became a favorite among the fans. He was known for his unique hairstyle. He had a blue and white streak dyed down the middle of his hair. This was a nod to QPR's team colors. Fans even made a song for him, singing about his blue hair and how much they loved him.
Moving to Yeovil Town
In 2007, Marc joined Yeovil Town. He scored his only goal for Yeovil against Brentford. This goal happened during a game in the Football League Trophy. Marc faced several ankle injuries during the 2008–09 season. Because of these injuries, he decided to stop playing professional soccer. He then planned to start a youth coaching camp in Cyprus.
International Career
Playing for Canada
Marc Bircham was able to play for Canada because one of his grandfathers was born there. His first game for the Canadian national team was in April 1999. It was a friendly match against Northern Ireland in Belfast.
First Goal and Caps
Marc made history by playing for a country he had not visited yet. He scored his first and only goal for Canada in that very first game. He came on as a substitute and scored just eight minutes later. Overall, Marc played 17 games for Canada. He also played in two FIFA World Cup qualification matches. His last international game was in June 2004 against Belize.
Coaching Career
Coaching at QPR
After ending his playing career, Marc became a youth coach at QPR in 2009. He was put in temporary charge of the team with fellow coach Steve Gallen. This happened in December 2009 when the main manager was suspended. They managed one game, which ended in a 2–2 draw against West Bromwich Albion.
Managing Waterford
On May 12, 2021, Marc was named manager of Waterford, a team in the League of Ireland Premier Division. When he took over, Waterford was at the bottom of the league. He led the team to six wins and one draw in his first 12 league games. This helped the club move out of the relegation zone. Because of his success, he signed a new contract in August 2021. However, in November 2021, Marc was let go by Waterford. He found out about it on Twitter before the club contacted him directly.
Coaching at Como
In the summer of 2022, Marc became the first team coach for Como. This is an Italian team in Serie B. He worked under manager Giacomo Gattuso. Marc left his role at Como in 2023.
Personal Life
Marc Bircham has three children from a previous marriage. He has one son named Frankie and two daughters named Layla and Dolly. He often appears on Talksport, a sports radio station.
Honours
Canada
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2000
