Shaka Hislop facts for kids

Neil Shaka Hislop (born 22 February 1969) is a famous football commentator and a former professional football player. He played as a goalkeeper. Shaka was born in England. He played for England's under-21 team. Later, he chose to play for the senior national team of Trinidad and Tobago.

Hislop spent most of his playing career in England's top football league. He was part of the Newcastle United team. They finished second in the Premier League for two years in a row. Before that, he played for Reading. He also played for West Ham United twice. During his second time at West Ham, he received an FA Cup runners-up medal in 2006. He also played for Portsmouth, where his team won the First Division title in 2002-2003.

Shaka Hislop could play for both England and Trinidad and Tobago. He first played for England's U-21 team. He was even a substitute for a full international match against Chile. But in the end, he decided to play for Trinidad and Tobago. He had a disagreement with the national team for some years. But he returned and played a big part in his country's first ever World Cup appearance in 2006.

Today, Hislop works for ESPN, a sports news company. He is often a commentator on ESPN FC. He also worked briefly as a goalkeeping coach at Quinnipiac University.

Shaka Hislop's Football Journey

How Shaka Started Playing

When Shaka was young, he wanted to be a striker. Strikers are players who score goals. But he was the tallest player on his team. So, he was asked to play as a goalkeeper. He grew to be almost 6 feet 5 inches tall. After finishing school in Trinidad, Hislop got a scholarship. This allowed him to play college soccer at Howard University in the United States. In his first year, he helped his team reach the NCAA Final. He graduated from Howard with high marks. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. During this time, he even worked as an intern at NASA.

Playing for Reading F.C.

Soon after college, a scout from Reading saw Hislop play. This was during a friendly indoor match. He then signed a professional contract with Reading for the 1992-1993 season. He stayed there for two more years. Fans quickly loved him, even after a tricky start. He won the club's "Player of the Year" award twice. He helped Reading move up from the third level of English football. They almost reached the Premier League. They lost a play-off final match 4-3 to Bolton Wanderers in 1995. He was voted the club's Player of the Season in 1994-1995. In 1995, Hislop moved to Newcastle United. In a fan poll for Reading's best-ever team, Hislop was voted the top goalkeeper.

Time at Newcastle United

In his first season at Newcastle United, Hislop competed with Pavel Srníček for the starting goalkeeper spot. He started strong but got injured in December 1995. This allowed Srníček to become the main goalkeeper. Newcastle finished second in the league that season.

In the 1996-1997 season, Hislop started the first game. But he was mostly on the bench after that. Srníček played until he made some mistakes. Hislop then got his starting spot back in December 1996. He kept the starting position until the last four games. Newcastle finished second again, just ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool.

A new manager, Kenny Dalglish, bought another goalkeeper, Shay Given. This made it even harder for Hislop to be the main goalkeeper. Given started the season, but after some losses, Hislop returned in November. He stayed as the starter until an injury in February. His contract was ending, and he hadn't played a full season at Newcastle. So, Hislop decided to leave for free.

First Time at West Ham United

West Ham United needed a new main goalkeeper. Their manager, Harry Redknapp, signed Hislop. Shaka became their first-choice goalkeeper.

In his first season (1998-1999), Hislop played very well. He won the "Hammer of the Year" award, which is a big honor for a West Ham player. His next season was going well until he broke his leg. This happened in a game against Bradford City. The injury ended his season.

Hislop returned in the 2000-2001 season. It was a difficult year for the team. The manager was fired, and two promising players were sold. Hislop still played strongly. However, the new manager bought David James. James was a year younger than Hislop. This meant Hislop would likely be on the bench for his final season with the club.

But before the 2001-2002 season began, James injured his knee. This meant James was out for the first three months. Hislop stepped back into the starting role. He kept five clean sheets (meaning the other team didn't score) in 12 games. But James returned later and took back the starting spot. On July 1, 2002, Hislop left West Ham for free.

Moving to Portsmouth F.C.

Hislop joined Portsmouth when Harry Redknapp became their new manager. He quickly became the main goalkeeper for the team. Portsmouth won the First Division title that season. This meant they were automatically promoted to the Premier League. Hislop was named in the 'Team of the Year' for his great play. He remained the first-choice goalkeeper for the next two seasons in the Premier League. In January 2005, the manager changed. The new manager signed a Greek international goalkeeper. This gave Hislop more competition.

When a new manager, Alain Perrin, took over, Hislop lost his starting spot. He was replaced by a former Liverpool goalkeeper. When Hislop's contract ended in June 2005, he left the club.

Back at West Ham United

On July 29, 2005, Hislop rejoined West Ham. He was brought in as an experienced backup goalkeeper. The main goalkeeper, Roy Carroll, got a back injury. This meant Hislop played more games. In January, Carroll's injury got worse. Hislop stepped in as the starter again. He played in every FA Cup game. The team reached the final against Liverpool. Hislop kept seven clean sheets in 27 games. The FA Cup Final ended 3-3 after extra time. Liverpool won the game 3-1 in a penalty shootout. Hislop saved one penalty, but it wasn't enough.

Playing in the USA: FC Dallas

On July 5, 2006, Hislop signed with Major League Soccer team FC Dallas in the United States. He suffered a back injury there. Hislop left FC Dallas and retired from professional football in August 2007.

Playing for His Country

Early International Games

Hislop played for Trinidad and Tobago's youth teams. He played three games for them before 1989. In 1992, he was called up to the Trinidad national football team. But he did not play in any games. In May 1995, he said he would rather play for England. He was born and raised there, and the level of play was higher.

Choosing to Play for England (at first)

Hislop was called up to play for England against Chile in February 1998. A month later, at age 29, he played for the England U-21 team. This was against Switzerland.

Representing Trinidad and Tobago

Eventually, Hislop decided to play for Trinidad and Tobago at the senior level. He played 26 games for the country. He was also the team captain in five matches.

Hislop announced his retirement from international football in 2004. He said the long trips between England and the Caribbean were a reason. But he returned to the national team. This was to help them in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. In 2005, he was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team that qualified for the 2006 World Cup. They won against Bahrain. In the World Cup, they were in Group B. They played against Sweden, Paraguay, and England. On June 10, 2006, Hislop played in Trinidad and Tobago's first ever World Cup match. It was a 0-0 draw against Sweden. He played because the main goalkeeper got injured. He later called this day "the proudest day of his career."

Life After Playing: Coaching

On March 17, 2009, Hislop became an assistant coach. He mainly worked with the goalkeepers at Quinnipiac University. He left this job after a short time. This was because of his work with ESPN.

Shaka as a Sports Commentator

In 2008, Hislop started writing a weekly blog. It covered Major League Soccer for The Guardian newspaper's website. He works as a commentator on ESPN FC TV. Besides commenting, he has interviewed many important football figures. These include his former manager Harry Redknapp and famous coach José Mourinho.

Shaka's Life Outside Football

Hislop married his wife, Desha, in 1995. He has five children. His cousin, Natasha Hastings, is a sprint athlete from America. His brother, Kona Hislop, also played football. In July 2023, Hislop collapsed while working on ESPN. He later said it was "awkward" and that he was getting medical advice.

Honours and Awards

Shaka Hislop has received many awards and honors throughout his career.

• Howard Bison
  • NCAA Division I Championship runner-up: 1988

• Reading
  • Football League Second Division: 1993–1994
  • Football League First Division runner-up: 1994–1995

• Newcastle United
  • FA Cup runner-up: 1997–1998

• West Ham United
  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
  • FA Cup runner-up: 2005–2006

• Portsmouth
  • Football League First Division: 2002–2003

• Individual Awards
  • PFA Team of the Year: 1994–1995 First Division, 2002–2003 First Division
  • Chaconia Medal in gold: 2006 (This is a high national award in Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne: 2022

In April 2005, Hislop won the PFA Special Merit Award. This was for his great contributions to football. He has been a leader in the 'Show Racism The Red Card' Campaign. This campaign fights against racism in football. He was also added to Howard University's Athletic Hall of Fame. He is one of only a few football players to get this honor.

After Trinidad and Tobago's amazing performance in the World Cup, Hislop and his teammates received the Chaconia Medal in gold. This is the second highest national award for Trinidad and Tobago. He can add 'CM' to his name if he wishes.

In 2007, Hislop received the Alexander B. Chapman Award. This was from the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee. It was for his great work in sports and promoting Olympic ideas. He is also on the Professional Footballer's Association's Roll of Honour. He and Pelé are the only two non-British members.

On July 10, 2008, Hislop became the first member of the Trinidad and Tobago World Cup team to be added to his country's Sporting Hall of Fame. On February 23, 2022, it was announced that he would receive the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne.

See also

In Spanish: Shaka Hislop para niños