Nolberto Solano facts for kids
Solano with Peru in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nolberto Albino Solano Todco | ||
| Date of birth | 12 December 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Callao, Lima, Peru | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Pakistan (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1990 | Alianza Lima | ||
| 1991–1992 | Sporting Cristal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993 | Sporting Cristal | 11 | (1) |
| 1993 | Deportivo Municipal | 27 | (7) |
| 1994–1997 | Sporting Cristal | 97 | (31) |
| 1997–1998 | Boca Juniors | 32 | (5) |
| 1998–2004 | Newcastle United | 172 | (29) |
| 2004–2005 | Aston Villa | 49 | (8) |
| 2005–2007 | Newcastle United | 58 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | West Ham United | 23 | (4) |
| 2008 | AEL | 17 | (2) |
| 2009 | Universitario | 32 | (10) |
| 2010 | Leicester City | 13 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Hull City | 11 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Hartlepool United | 14 | (2) |
| Total | 556 | (107) | |
| International career | |||
| 1994–2009 | Peru | 95 | (20) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012 | Universitario | ||
| 2013 | José Gálvez | ||
| 2014 | Internacional de Toronto | ||
| 2015–2022 | Peru (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2020 | Peru Olympic | ||
| 2023 | AFC Eskilstuna | ||
| 2024 | Blyth Spartans | ||
| 2024 | San Marcos | ||
| 2024–2025 | Santos de Nasca | ||
| 2025– | Pakistan U23 | ||
| 2025– | Pakistan | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nolberto Albino Solano Todco, born on December 12, 1974, is a famous football coach and former player from Peru. He is currently the head coach for the Pakistan national football team.
Nolberto, often called 'Nobby', played most of his career in England's top football league, the Premier League. He was a key player for Newcastle United, and also played for Aston Villa and West Ham United. He made history as the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League and reach an FA Cup final.
Fans of Newcastle United think of him as a special "cult hero." He was also known for playing the trumpet and even started his own salsa band called "The Geordie Latinos." He proudly calls himself an "adopted Geordie," which is a nickname for people from Newcastle.
Nolberto Solano is very popular in his home country of Peru. Many people see him as one of the most famous Peruvians. His wedding was even shown live on TV! He played 95 games for the Peruvian national team between 1994 and 2009. He also played in big tournaments like the Copa América in 1995, 1999, and 2004, and the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Towards the end of his playing career, he started coaching. He worked as a first-team coach for a non-league team called Newcastle Benfield while still playing for Hartlepool United. He later managed teams like Universitario and José Gálvez in Peru. From 2015 to 2022, he was an assistant manager for the Peru national team and also managed the Olympic football team. In 2023, he briefly managed AFC Eskilstuna in Sweden, and in 2024, he had a short time as manager of Blyth Spartans. Since 2025, he has been coaching the Pakistan national team.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Peru
Nolberto Solano signed his first professional football contract with Sporting Cristal, a team in Peru, in 1992. He was only 17 years old. His first game was on April 13, 1992, when his team won 2–0 against San Agustín.
After his first season, he played for Deportivo Municipal for a year. Then, he returned to Sporting Cristal. He was a big part of the Sporting Cristal team in the 1990s. During this time, the club won the Peruvian First Division Championships in 1994, 1995, and 1996. They also reached the finals of the 1997 Copa Libertadores, a very important South American club tournament.
Playing with Maradona
In 1997, when he was 22, Solano moved to Argentina to play for Boca Juniors. There, he became teammates with the legendary football player Diego Maradona. Maradona even gave Solano a special nickname: 'Maestrito', which means 'little master'.
Time at Newcastle United
In August 1998, Nolberto Solano joined Newcastle United in England. He quickly became a key player for the team. His first game for Newcastle was against Chelsea on August 22, 1998. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win against Wimbledon.
On May 22, 1999, he played in the 1999 FA Cup final at Wembley. Newcastle lost that game 2–0 to Manchester United.
Solano was known for his amazing free kicks and crosses. He signed a new five-year contract with Newcastle in June 2001. A month later, he scored what he called "the best goal of [his] career" against 1860 München. On December 22, he scored a last-minute winning goal in a thrilling 4–3 comeback victory against Leeds United. This win put Newcastle in first place in the league.
In 2003, Solano scored the only goal from a penalty kick in a local derby match against Sunderland. He took the penalty because the team's main penalty taker, Alan Shearer, was injured.
Moving to Aston Villa
In January 2004, Solano joined Aston Villa. He said he left Newcastle because of problems with the manager, Bobby Robson. He made his debut for Aston Villa in a big 5–0 win over Leicester City.
He scored his first goal for Villa from a free kick in a 3–1 win against Queens Park Rangers in September 2004. He ended the 2004–05 season as Aston Villa's top scorer. Fans, teammates, and local journalists all voted him as the club's Player of the Year.
Returning to Newcastle United
Solano returned to Newcastle United on August 31, 2005. He said that Alan Shearer helped convince him to come back. His first game back was a 3–2 home win against Sunderland. He scored his first goal in his second spell on his 31st birthday, December 10, which was the winning goal against Arsenal.
During the 2006–07 season, because of injuries to other players, Solano sometimes played as a right-back instead of his usual right-wing position. This was not new to him, as he had started his career in defense and played there for Peru. He signed a new one-year contract, but later asked to leave the club to be closer to his family in London. He said his only regret was not winning a trophy for the Newcastle fans.
Later Club Career
In August 2007, Solano signed a one-year contract with West Ham United. He scored his first goal for West Ham from a free-kick in a big 5–0 away win against Derby County. He scored four goals in 23 games for West Ham before leaving in 2008.
After West Ham, he played for AEL in Greece. Then, he returned to Peru to play for Universitario in 2009. He scored a very important penalty goal against Alianza Lima in the play-off for the Peruvian First Division title. This helped Universitario win their 25th league title.
Solano came back to England in January 2010, signing with Leicester City. He played 11 league games for them. He then joined Hull City in 2010, reuniting with his former assistant manager, Nigel Pearson.
On May 13, 2011, Solano signed for Hartlepool United. He scored his first league goal for Hartlepool on September 17 against Bury. He also scored a goal directly from a free-kick against AFC Bournemouth. He stopped playing for Hartlepool in April 2012 due to illness.
International Career for Peru
Nolberto Solano played 95 games for the Peruvian national team and scored 20 goals. His first game was on May 3, 1994, a 1–0 win against Colombia. His first goal for Peru was on June 25, 1995, in a friendly win against Slovakia.
He played in the Copa América tournaments in 1995 and 1999. In the 1999 tournament, he scored in a 3–3 draw against Mexico. He also played in the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
At the 2004 Copa América in Peru, Solano scored in group games against Venezuela and Colombia. Peru reached the quarter-finals of that tournament. He announced his retirement from international football in October 2009. He said he wanted to become a manager to help Peru qualify for a FIFA World Cup.
Coaching and Managerial Career
Nolberto Solano started his coaching career in 2012 as a part-time first-team coach for Newcastle Benfield.
In June 2012, he became the manager of Universitario, a club in the Peruvian First Division. He helped the club move from the relegation zone to the top half of the table. He left the club in December 2012.
From April to July 2013, Solano managed José Gálvez in the same league. In May 2014, he became the head coach of a Canadian club called Internacional de Toronto. However, his time there ended in July when the club's license was removed.
From 2015 to 2022, Solano worked as a technical assistant for the Peru national team under manager Ricardo Gareca. He also led the U-23 team. The national team qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was their first World Cup in 36 years! However, after losing a play-off to Australia in June 2022, the entire coaching staff left.
In July 2023, Solano was hired by AFC Eskilstuna in Sweden, but he was dismissed in October. On May 3, 2024, he returned to England to manage Blyth Spartans. However, he was sacked on August 27, 2024, after the team had a winless start to the season.
Since July 21, 2025, Nolberto Solano has been the head coach of both the Pakistan national under-23 team and the senior Pakistan national football team.
Personal Life
Nolberto Solano was able to get a temporary work permit in the United Kingdom when he first signed for Newcastle because he was a regular player for the Peru national team. He later got a Greek passport through one of his ancestors. This meant he didn't need a work permit because he was a citizen of the European Union. There was an investigation into his Greek passport in 2001, but after four years, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Honours and Awards
Sporting Cristal
- Peruvian First Division: 1994, 1995, 1996
- Copa Libertadores Runner-up: 1997
Newcastle United
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
Universitario de Deportes
- Peruvian First Division: 2009
Peru
- Kirin Cup: 1999, 2005
Individual Awards
- Peruvian Player of the Year: 1992
- America's Ideal Team of the Year: 1997
- South American Player of the Year: 1997 (2nd place)
- Most assists in the Premier League: 1999–2000 (shared)
- Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2001–02
See also
In Spanish: Nolberto Solano para niños
