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) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | San Marcos (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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994–2009 | Peru | 95 | (20) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2012 | Universitario | ||
| 2013 | José Gálvez | ||
| 2014 | Internacional de Toronto | ||
| 2019–2020 | Peru Olympic | ||
| 2023 | AFC Eskilstuna | ||
| 2024 | Blyth Spartans | ||
| 2024– | San Marcos | ||
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Nolberto Albino Solano Todco (born 12 December 1974) is a famous Peruvian football manager and former player. People in Peru call him Ñol, and in England, he's known as Nobby. He played as a midfielder and is currently the manager of San Marcos.
Nolberto Solano spent a lot of his playing career in the Premier League, especially with Newcastle United. He also played for Aston Villa and West Ham United. He made history as the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League and reach the FA Cup final. Fans at Newcastle United loved him, and he was also known for playing the trumpet! He even had his own salsa band called The Geordie Latinos. He often said he was an "adopted Geordie" because he felt so at home in Newcastle.
Solano is very popular in Peru. He's seen as one of the most famous Peruvians ever. His wedding was even shown live on TV! He played 95 games for the Peruvian national team between 1994 and 2009. He took part in big tournaments like the Copa América in 1995, 1999, and 2004, and the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
After his playing days, he started coaching. He worked with several clubs and even helped coach the Peruvian national team. He also managed the Peru Olympic football team.
Contents
Nolberto Solano's Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Nolberto Solano signed his first professional contract with Sporting Cristal in Peru when he was 17 years old in 1992. He played his first league game on 13 April 1992. His team won 2–0 against San Agustín. After a short time at Deportivo Municipal, he returned to Sporting Cristal. He was a key player for Sporting Cristal in the 1990s. During this time, the club won the Peru Primera División Championships three times (1994, 1995, and 1996). They also reached the finals of the 1997 Copa Libertadores, which is a very important South American club competition.
Playing with a Legend at Boca Juniors
In 1997, when he was 22, Solano moved to Argentina to play for Boca Juniors. There, he became teammates with the legendary Diego Maradona. Maradona even gave Solano a special nickname: 'Maestrito', which means 'little master'. Solano later said he would have loved to play for Boca Juniors again.
Becoming a Star at Newcastle United
In August 1998, Solano joined Newcastle United for £2.5 million. He made his debut for Newcastle in a Premier League match against Chelsea on 22 August 1998. He came on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw. His first goal for the club helped Newcastle win 3–1 against Wimbledon.
In 1999, he played in the 1999 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Newcastle lost 2–0 to Manchester United. In 2001, Solano was sent off twice for handling the ball on the goal line. Later that year, he scored what he called "the best goal of [his] career" against 1860 München. On 22 December, he scored a last-minute winning goal 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 against Sunderland. This was a big moment for the fans.
Time at Aston Villa
Solano moved to Aston Villa in January 2004. He said he left Newcastle because of problems with his manager, Bobby Robson. He made his debut in a 5–0 win over Leicester City. In April, he was sent off for hitting a player during a game against Middlesbrough.
In September 2004, Solano scored his first goal for Villa from a free kick. This was in a 3–1 win against Queens Park Rangers. He ended the 2004–05 season as the team's top scorer. Fans, teammates, and local journalists voted him as the club's Player of the Year. In August 2005, he was sent off again for hitting a player from Portsmouth.
Coming Back to Newcastle United
Solano returned to Newcastle United on 31 August 2005. He said that Alan Shearer, a Newcastle legend, helped him arrange his return. His first game back was a 3–2 win over Sunderland. He scored his first goal in his second spell on his 31st birthday, which was the winning goal against Arsenal.
In the 2006–07 season, Solano sometimes played as a right-back instead of his usual right-wing position. This was because other players were injured. He had played in defense before for his country. Solano wanted to stay at Newcastle, but later asked to leave to be closer to his family in London. He was sad he couldn't help the club win a trophy for the fans.
Playing for West Ham United
In August 2007, Solano signed a one-year contract with West Ham United. He made his debut in October 2007. His shot led to West Ham's second goal in a 3–1 win against Sunderland. His first goal for West Ham was a free-kick in a big 5–0 win against Derby County. He scored another free-kick goal in the last game of the season. He left West Ham in 2008 after scoring four goals in 23 games.
Adventures in Greece and Peru
After West Ham, Solano moved to Greece to play for AEL in August 2008. This was seen as a very important signing for the club.
He then went back to Peru to play for Universitario de Deportes in 2009. He scored a very important penalty against Alianza Lima in the play-off for the Peruvian Primera División title. This helped his team win 2–0 and secure their 25th league title.
Back in England: Leicester City and Hull City
Solano returned to England in January 2010, signing for Leicester City. He played 11 league games for them. He then joined Hull City in 2010, reuniting with his former assistant manager, Nigel Pearson. Solano hoped to stay at Hull City longer and combine playing with coaching.
Final Club: Hartlepool United
On 13 May 2011, Solano signed with Hartlepool United. He scored his first league goal for them in September. However, after the manager who signed him left, Solano was told he was not part of the new manager's plans. In 2012, he was advised to stop playing due to illness. While still a player for Hartlepool, he also started coaching at Newcastle Benfield.
Nolberto Solano's International Career
Solano played 95 games for the Peruvian national team and scored 20 goals. His first game was a 1–0 win against Colombia in 1994. His first goal for Peru was in a friendly win against Slovakia in 1995.
He played in the Copa América tournaments in 1995 and 1999. In 1999, he scored in a quarter-final game against Mexico, which Peru lost in a penalty shootout. He also played in the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In the 2004 Copa América held in Peru, Solano scored in group games against Venezuela and Colombia.
He announced his retirement from international football in October 2009. He said he wanted to become a manager to help Peru qualify for a World Cup.
Nolberto Solano's Managerial Career
Solano began his coaching journey as a part-time first-team coach for Newcastle Benfield in 2012.
In June 2012, he became the manager of the Peruvian club Universitario de Deportes. He helped the club move from the relegation zone to the top half of the table. He left the club in December 2012.
He then managed José Gálvez FBC for three months in 2013. In May 2014, Solano became the head coach of a Canadian club called Internacional de Toronto. However, his time there ended quickly because the club had problems paying its players.
From 2015 to 2022, Solano worked as a technical assistant for the Peru national team under Ricardo Gareca. He also managed the U-23 team. The national team qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was their first World Cup in 36 years! After they narrowly missed qualifying for the next World Cup in 2022, the entire coaching team left.
In July 2023, Solano was hired by AFC Eskilstuna in Sweden, but he was dismissed a few months later. On 3 May 2024, Solano returned to England to manage Blyth Spartans. However, he was sacked on 27 August 2024, after a difficult start to the season.
Nolberto Solano: Ambassador
Solano is an ambassador for Betsson in Latin America. This means he represents the company.
Nolberto Solano's Personal Life
When Solano first signed for Newcastle, he got a temporary work permit because he was a regular international player for Peru. Later, he got a Greek passport through an ancestor. This helped him avoid needing a work permit as a citizen of the European Union. In 2001, there was an investigation into his Greek passport, but after four years, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Career Statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Sporting Cristal | 1992 | Liga 1 | 4 | 0 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 1993 | Liga 1 | 11 | 1 | ? | ? | – | – | 11 | 1 | |||
| Total | 15 | 1 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |||
| Deportivo Municipal | 1993 | Liga 1 | 27 | 7 | ? | ? | – | – | 27 | 7 | ||
| Sporting Cristal | 1994 | Liga 1 | 35 | 18 | ? | ? | – | – | 35 | 18 | ||
| 1995 | Liga 1 | 38 | 12 | ? | ? | – | 10 | 0 | 48 | 12 | ||
| 1996 | Liga 1 | 26 | 13 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 2 | 34 | 15 | ||
| 1997 | Liga 1 | 11 | 7 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 1 | 19 | 8 | ||
| Total | 110 | 50 | ? | ? | – | 26 | 3 | 136 | 53 | |||
| Boca Juniors | 1997–98 | Argentine Primera División | 32 | 5 | ? | ? | – | ? | ? | 32 | 5 | |
| Newcastle United | 1998–99 | Premier League | 29 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 6 |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 40 | 4 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 33 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 38 | 7 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 37 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 52 | 12 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 31 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 45 | 8 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 172 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 233 | 38 | ||
| Aston Villa | 2003–04 | Premier League | 10 | 0 | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 39 | 9 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 49 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 9 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2005–06 | Premier League | 29 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 35 | 6 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 44 | 4 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 58 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 81 | 10 | ||
| West Ham United | 2007–08 | Premier League | 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 | 4 | |
| Larissa | 2008–09 | Super League Greece | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 14 | 1 | ||
| Universitario | 2009 | Liga 1 | 26 | 8 | – | 6 | 2 | 32 | 10 | |||
| Leicester City | 2009–10 | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |
| Hull City | 2010–11 | Championship | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |
| Hartlepool United | 2011–12 | League One | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 16 | 2 | |
| Career total | 524 | 105 | 29 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 81 | 12 | 656 | 114 | ||
Nolberto Solano's Achievements
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 National Team
- 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
