Paul Stalteri facts for kids
Stalteri captaining Canada in 2008
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul Andrew Stalteri | ||
| Date of birth | October 18, 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Wing-back, midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Canada (assistant) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1995 | Malton Bullets | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997 | Toronto Lynx | 16 | (7) |
| 1998–2005 | Werder Bremen | 151 | (6) |
| 2005–2008 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | (3) |
| 2008 | → Fulham (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 19 | (0) |
| Total | 241 | (16) | |
| National team | |||
| 1993 | Canada U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Canada U20 | 9 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Canada U23 | 7 | (2) |
| 1997–2010 | Canada | 84 | (7) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2020–2021 | York United (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Toronto FC (assistant) | ||
| 2023– | Canada (assistant) | ||
|
|||
Paul Andrew Stalteri (born October 18, 1977) is a Canadian former professional soccer player. He was known for playing as a defender or midfielder. Paul spent most of his career playing in Germany. He won both the league and cup with Werder Bremen in the 2003–04 season. Stalteri also played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham.
Paul was a key player for the Canada national team. He played in a record 84 games for Canada, scoring 7 goals. He was also part of the team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000. Today, he works as an assistant coach for the Canada national team.
Contents
Paul Stalteri's Early Life
Paul Stalteri was born in Canada. His father was Italian, and his mother was Guyanese. Growing up, Paul's favorite soccer player was Paolo Maldini. The first live soccer game he ever saw was a match played by the Toronto Blizzard. Paul also shared that Physical Education was his favorite school subject.
When he was a young player, Paul played youth soccer in Ontario with a team called the Malton Bullets. He helped his team win the Robbie International Soccer Tournament Championship.
Paul Stalteri's Club Career
Paul Stalteri was a versatile player. He could play as a defender on either side of the field. He could also play in the midfield. He started his soccer journey by playing one year of college soccer at Clemson University in 1996.
After his first year, Paul decided to become a professional player. He signed a contract with the Toronto Lynx while also attending York University. He played one season with the Lynx. During that time, he was the team's top scorer with eight goals and two assists. A scout from Werder Bremen noticed his talent and signed him.
Playing for Werder Bremen
After two and a half seasons playing for the reserve team, Stalteri made his first appearance for Werder Bremen in August 2000. He even scored a goal in his very first game against Energie Cottbus.
During the 2001–02 season, Paul became a regular player for Bremen's main team. He continued to be a key player in the 2002–03 season. In the 2003–04 season, his team, Werder Bremen, won the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top soccer league.
Moving to Tottenham Hotspur
In May 2005, Paul Stalteri moved to England. He joined the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He played a lot in the 2005–06 season. Spurs almost made it to the Champions League that year. However, a new player, Pascal Chimbonda, joined the team the next season. This meant Paul had fewer chances to play.
On March 4, 2007, Paul came into a game as a substitute. He scored an amazing goal in the last minute against their rivals, West Ham United. This goal helped Tottenham win the game 4–3 in an exciting comeback. Before this game, he hadn't played much all season. He also scored goals for Spurs against Manchester City in the league and Leicester City in the FA Cup.
Loan to Fulham and Retirement
On January 31, 2008, Stalteri was loaned to Fulham until the end of the season. He played his first game for Fulham on February 9, 2008, against Middlesbrough. Fulham lost that game 1–0. After returning to Tottenham, his contract ended on December 21, 2008.
Paul then went back to Germany to play in the Bundesliga. He immediately signed with Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he joined his Canadian teammate Rob Friend. Paul Stalteri announced his retirement from playing soccer on March 20, 2013, when he was 35 years old.
Paul Stalteri's International Career
Paul Stalteri was a regular player for the Canada national team for over ten years. He made his first appearance on August 17, 1997, against Iran. In total, he played in 84 games for Canada and scored seven goals. This made him the player with the most appearances for Canada until Julian De Guzman broke his record in 2015.
Paul was named team captain for a friendly game on June 1, 2007, against Venezuela. He remained captain for all international games for the rest of his career, including the entire 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. On September 7, 2010, Stalteri played his 83rd game for Canada. This was a 2–1 win over Honduras. This game officially made him the all-time leader in appearances for the Canada men's national team.
In May 2017, Paul Stalteri was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.
Paul Stalteri's Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Paul Stalteri began a coaching career. In February 2020, he joined the Canadian Premier League club York9 FC as an assistant coach. The club later changed its name to York United. He left the club after the 2021 season.
In January 2022, he became an assistant coach for the Major League Soccer club Toronto FC.
In October 2023, Paul Stalteri joined the Canada national team as an assistant coach.
Honours
Werder Bremen
- Bundesliga: 2003–04
- DFB-Pokal: 1998–99, 2003–04
- DFL-Ligapokal: 2006
- DFB-Hallenpokal runner-up: 2001
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup: 2007–08
Individual
- CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Tournament team (Honorable Mention): 2007
See also
In Spanish: Paul Stalteri para niños
