Paul Telfer (footballer)
Paul Norman Telfer ( born October 21, 1971 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish football player. Runs on multiple positions, but usually there often operating on the right side and as a full-back, he was active in the English and Scottish professional football for the first division club Luton Town, Coventry City, Southampton FC and Celtic FC. Greatest successes were two Scottish championships with Celtic and the advent of the English Cup finals in 2003 with Southampton. He is the nephew of the Scottish midfielder Eamonn Bannon, who had been active for Heart of Midlothian, Chelsea and Dundee United.
Sports career
Luton Town (1988-1995)
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland began Telfers football career with the English first division club Luton Town, and from November 1988 he was there part of the professional squad. At first use he had to wait until the end of the season 1990/91 when he came off the bench on 4 May 1991 is contrary to the Everton FC (0-1) for the first time. In the following season 1991/92, which ended with the descent into the second division, Telfer was more common on the position of the right midfielder for the course. In the same year 1992 Telfer was involved with his teammate Darren Salton in a serious car accident. He himself was slightly injured and was healed again very soon; Salton, however, came to almost and had to end his football career due to the accident.
By the end of the 1994/95 season Telfer graduated 144 league appearances for Luton. He scored 19 goals and in addition to his good shooting technique he was very popular with his qualities in winning the ball and distribution. As if he could be used in various positions, primarily as a right back. This was followed in the summer of 1995, the change in the Premier League for Coventry City. The transfer fee was 1.5 million pounds and with Telfers arrival at his new employer in Coventry also began a long association with Gordon Strachan, the first still was a player and Kotrainer there and was promoted to head coach in 1996.
Coventry City (1995-2001)
Despite a good stated acquisition with a headed goal in the home debut against Manchester City ( 2-1 ) to Telfers first year was difficult in Coventry. Similarly, as the team faltered in the league, he also appeared in increasingly worse shape. After rumors regarding an impending transfer to Blackburn Rovers he lost then end of the season his place in the team. In his second year Telfer then began to fulfill the expectations associated due to the relatively high transfer fee, each according to tactical target first as a right midfielder or as an attacking right-back ( in the role of "wing - backs" ). The basic orientation, slightly more defensive, however, led to the fact that he could play his original qualities in the offensive less and so he remained with the exception of two matches in the League Cup in the 1996/97 season is complete without its own scoring. Notably, he benefited from the fact that he had found in a Strachan mentors, who saw him as a player who finished a similar role, as he himself. To its active times Special highlights of the season 1997/98 were the goal against Crystal Palace after just 45 seconds and a remarkable free-kick goal in the FA Cup against Sheffield United. In the season 1998/99 he moved as a representative of Gary McAllister was at times in midfield center and another notable incident that he had to stand trial in the spring of 1999 after already twelve collected yellow cards before the " Tribunal " by the English Football Association.
After a weak start in the subsequent season 1999/2000 he lost his place in right midfield, but then returned at right-back after injury by Marc Edworthy back into the team. Although he twisted in February 2000 against Manchester United his knee and had to sit for six weeks, but the injury to his teammate Tomas Gustafsson caused ultimately be fast comeback. Expression of his consistently good performances ultimately was that he played his first ( and only ) A match for Scotland in March 2000 against the reigning world champion from France under Craig Brown. Last year, for Coventry, which ended in relegation to the second division, its trunk space due to the new arrival David Thompson seemed indeed to be constantly in danger, but despite minor injuries, locks, International Match vocations and shape weaknesses he remained a fixture in the team. Painful was his farewell as he in the last game against Aston Villa ( 2-3) broke a leg.
Last club stations (from 2001)
With the transfer free transfer to FC Southampton in November 2001 Telfer the Premier League remained. The new club he was with his strength in the tackle, the skills in the passing game and the high willingness to run an immediate gain in midfield. To this end, he represented the injured Jason Dodd in March 2002 and in the first few weeks of the season 2002/ 03 as a right -back. In December 2002, he had then for the time being conquered Dodds space and its rightful place in the right midfield took the Frenchman Fabrice Fernandes usually a. Great success was the achievement of the final match in the FA Cup for Telfer 2003. In the final match against Arsenal, which was lost 0-1, he moved again before for Fernandes in the right midfield. He also acted for the most part again in the season 2003/ 04 and under three different coaches his willingness to run was estimated at somewhat ailing midfield. When Captain Dodd wounded a second time in March 2004, he held the position again for the remaining games of the season. Telfers fourth and final year in Southampton ended with the descent as Table of the Premier League. A permanent place in the team, he had it until December 2004 under new manager Harry Redknapp -. Initially as a right defender, and later the right of midfield and for the last two disappointing season games again as a full-back
In July 2005, Telfer went to Scotland for Celtic Glasgow, where it again Strachan - as before in Coventry and Southampton - coached. According to a wayward debut at 0:5 in the Champions League qualifier against Artmedia Bratislava he could at first only very slowly acclimate to the new environment before it a regular place in Strachan's team conquered. Within two years he won two Scottish Cups and one League Cup, before he dissolved his contract prematurely due to family reasons and in agreement with the club's management.
Back in England, Telfer joined the third division AFC Bournemouth. There he was in the first half of the season 2007/ 08, a fixed stock in the team, but at the same time his problems were visible, get used to the rustic unterklassigen football. When he also early December 2007, injured his foot, which required surgery, he decided to end his playing career. Thanks to the persuasive powers of Gary McAllister Telfer changed his mind again in August 2008. McAllister as the then manager of Leeds United was looking urgently for a gain for the defense that had allowed too many goals. The now 37 -year-old veteran graduated in middle 14 league games for the " Whites ", before he played under McAllister's successor Simon Grayson is no longer relevant and early February 2009 dissolved the original one-year contract prematurely.
In April 2009, Telfer continued his active career in semi-professional football. In the so-called Non -League football he joined the club Slough Town - there was his close friend Darren Salton employed as Kotrainer. Mid-2011, hired him also the unterklassige club Sutton United as a player and assistant coach.
Title / Awards
- Scottish Championship (2): 2006, 2007
- Scottish League Cup ( 1): 2006