Randy Samuel facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Randolph FitzGerald Samuel | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 December 1963 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richmond South Warriors | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1983 | Edmonton Eagles | ? | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | Edmonton Eagles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1987 | PSV Eindhoven | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | FC Volendam | 74 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Fortuna Sittard | 106 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Port Vale | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Harstad IL | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Vancouver 86ers | 21 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Harstad IL | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Hampton Roads Mariners | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Montreal Impact | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 243+ | (11+) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada U18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1997 | Canada | 82 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Randolph FitzGerald Samuel (born on December 23, 1963) is a former professional soccer player. He was born in Trinidad and Tobago but played for Canada. Randy Samuel was a strong defender.
He played in 82 international games for Canada. This was a record for the Canadian national team for many years. Another player, Paul Stalteri, broke his record in 2010.
Randy Samuel started his career with teams in Canada. Later, he moved to the Netherlands to play for big clubs like PSV Eindhoven. He also played in England and Norway. He finished his career back in North America.
He helped Canada win the 1985 CONCACAF Championship and the 1990 North American Nations Cup. He also played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, which is the biggest soccer tournament in the world. In 2012, he was named one of Canada's best all-time men's soccer players.
Contents
Randy Samuel's Club Career
Playing in North America
Randy Samuel grew up in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. He started his professional soccer journey in 1983. His first team was the Edmonton Eagles in the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
In 1984, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps. However, he did not play any games for them. He soon returned to play for the Edmonton Eagles.
Playing in the Netherlands
In 1985, Randy Samuel moved to the Netherlands. He joined PSV Eindhoven, a very famous team. PSV Eindhoven won the Dutch First Division (called the Eredivisie) in 1986 and 1987. Randy Samuel played five league games for them.
In 1987, he moved to FC Volendam. This team had just been promoted to the top league. Randy Samuel became a very important player for Volendam. He played many games for them until 1990.
After Volendam, he joined Fortuna Sittard in 1990. Fortuna Sittard played in the top league for a few years. But in 1993, they were moved down to the Second Division. Randy Samuel left the club and the Netherlands in 1994.
Playing in England
In November 1995, Randy Samuel went to England. He joined Port Vale, a team in the English First Division. He had a great start, scoring a goal in his very first game!
However, he got a knee injury later that year. After he recovered, he found it hard to get back into the main team. He played only ten games for Port Vale. He left the club in May 1996.
Playing in Norway and Back to North America
After England, Randy Samuel moved to Norway. He played for Harstad IL in 1997. His team was moved down to a lower league.
In 1998, he returned to Canada. He signed with the Vancouver 86ers. The 86ers made it to the playoffs that year. Randy Samuel went back to Harstad in Norway for a short time in 1999.
In 2000, he came back to North America. He played for the Hampton Roads Mariners. He finished his professional playing career in 2001 with the Montreal Impact. He played four games for them.
Randy Samuel's International Career
Randy Samuel played for the Canadian national team for 13 years. He earned his first international game (called a "cap") in November 1983. This was in a game against Honduras.
Winning Championships
In 1985, Randy Samuel helped Canada win the 1985 CONCACAF Championship. This was a big win for Canada. It also meant they qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. This was Canada's first and only time playing in the World Cup finals.
Randy Samuel played in all three of Canada's games at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. They played against strong teams like France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union.
In 1990, Canada won the 1990 North American Nations Cup. Randy Samuel was part of that winning team too. He also played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments in 1991 and 1993.
World Cup Qualifiers
Randy Samuel played many games to help Canada try to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. They played against teams like Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras. Canada almost made it but lost in a penalty shootout to Australia.
He also played in the qualification games for the 1998 World Cup. He played his last game for Canada in November 1997 against Costa Rica.
Randy Samuel's 82 international games were a record for Canada for a long time. In 2006, he was added to the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for great Canadian soccer players.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Randy Samuel became a coach. In 2010, he became the head coach for Lobbans FC in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League. He also has his own soccer business in Surrey, British Columbia, where he helps young players.
Honours
Player
PSV Eindhoven
- Eredivisie: 1985–86, 1986–87
Canada
- CONCACAF Championship: 1985
- North American Nations Cup: 1990
Individual
- Aubrey Sanford Meritorious Service Award: 2001
See also
In Spanish: Randy Samuel para niños
