Here's a quick question...

[TJB.]

...and I've absolutely no idea what the answer is as it's definitely one for the nerds.

How many different nationalities of player have appeared for Sheffield United over the course of our history?

And who do you reckon was the most obscure?

 

[BerksBlade]

I reckon Bruce Dyer has to be in with a shout.
Despite being born in Ilford, he turned out for Montserrat in a friendly against Ashford Town (!) in 2007. They lost 4-0.

 

[sitwell]

Katchouro ?

 

[JohnDenver]

Cape Verde.

Santos!

Oh, obscure player not nationality. Doh...

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

Deadbat 's research as published in Dem Blades Annual (2nd best contribution in there) is invaluable on Foreign players. Osagyefo Lenin Ernesto Burton-Godwin was a St Kitts & Nevis international who signed for the Blades in the late 1990s.
Oh - nerds - so last year mate - we're the Carrier Bag Firm - we're Fucking Coneheads - Loud n Proud

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Another contender for the obscure, a few months after he left the club, Danny Higginbotham made his debut for Gibraltar.

 

[BerksBlade]

If it's obscure players you're after, Aymen Tahar (Algeria) is your man. One FA Cup appearance (as a late sub).

 

[Bayingblade]

Dean Hammond?

 

[Bladeloyal]

Owd twofootedtackle played at the lane meadow hall cup final ,hes from beighton is that obscure enough

 

[Bladeloyal]

Steve Charles was a time traveler from a different galaxy where the left and right foot didn't quite know what they were doing

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I'd say the most obscure international, who was actually capped while he was a registered United player is David Sommeil, who won 3 caps for Guadeloupe before departing Bramall Lane.

I think Lecsinel Jean-Francois is worth a shout for his two caps for Haiti, as is Li Tie (China), Ahmed Fathi (Egypt) and Luton Shelton (Jamaica) who won more caps while they were at United than the number of games they started for the Blades.

 

[Bladeloyal]

Terry Curran came from a gypsy camp

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

I reckon Bruce Dyer has to be in with a shout.
Despite being born in Ilford, he turned out for Montserrat in a friendly against Ashford Town (!) in 2007. They lost 4-0.

which Ashford Town though as there's two?!!! One in Essex and one in Kent lol....

the one from Essex made it upto the Southern league for a while back in the 90s and i remember going there on a Worcester away supporters coach and we nearly went to the wrong one....got told of a few stories by the locals there that plenty of fans have travelled to the wrong one getting them mixed up but the best one was a whole team got confused and ended up at the other, even going into the changing rooms, getting all their kit on and then running out onto the pitch, and fans were treated to the sight of 3 teams warming up haha!!

 

[BanbridgeBlade]

Justin Haber. 0 appearances for us. 54 for Malta

 

[YorkBlade]

We once signed a Thai refugee called Kler Heh. Born in the Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp, he and his family were ethnic Karens, a minority group who have faced oppression in Myanmar. He's still in professional football now just not with United.

 

[sitwell]

What about Onmi Edson ?

 

[Manuel Azaña]

Terry Curran came from a gypsy camp

One of the very first kindertransport to arrive in England.

Strange, but true.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

Papa Doc Cuvelier - Haiti.

 

[Bert]

The Lion of Hillsborough : Benin.

 

[Blade for Sale]

Maxime Chanot - Luxembourg. Only played for our reserves though.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Katchouro ?

The man from Minsk!

As opposed to “The boy from Brazil” Marcelo. Who was from Portugal but Tony Pritchett preferred the romantic idea that he was Brazilian.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

We once signed a Thai refugee called Kler Heh. Born in the Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp, he and his family were ethnic Karens, a minority group who have faced oppression in Myanmar. He's still in professional football now just not with United.

I remember him . But who is he with now?

Shaz and Tracey?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

...and I've absolutely no idea what the answer is as it's definitely one for the nerds.

How many different nationalities of player have appeared for Sheffield United over the course of our history?

And who do you reckon was the most obscure?

Here's a quick answer. Fuck knows.

 

[Roygbiv]

The man from Minsk!

As opposed to “The boy from Brazil” Marcelo. Who was from Portugal but Tony Pritchett preferred the romantic idea that he was Brazilian.

Always referred to as "John Marcelo" in the player ratings.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Always referred to as "John Marcelo" in the player ratings.

That’s right. I remember that too.

Mind you, itt seems to be easy these days for players to change their nationality to suit whatever gives them the best chance of getting in a national team.

Look at young Brooks for a start. One minute he’s English, the next he’s Welsh! (If he carries on playing well in the Prem he’ll want to be English again soon, you see!).

I think it’s nonsense this business about playing for a different nation because a parent or grandparent was half this or that. What’s it say on the birth certificate? That’s what it should go on.

If we did that then England might have a better chance of winning something.

If we don’t do that then it’s only a matter of time before we lose more good players to other nations.

Could a player qualify for Brazil for example if his mother or grandmother shaved their pubic hair into a thin narrow strip?

 

[sitwell]

The Lion of Hillsborough : Benin.

Non Malignant ?

 

[Carlton Blade]

Adkins is from Bullshit Island. Does that count?

 

[Revolution]

John Moore played 5 games for us on loan from Hull at the end of the 1988-9 promotion season.

He led a nomadic footballing existence and eventually ended up in Hong Kong, where he played for 10 years and qualified to play for the Hong Kong national side, winning 7 caps between 1999 and 2001 and, most notably, getting sent off in a World Cup qualifier against Palestine.

That's pretty obscure

 

[Houston_Blade]

You really should buy the Dem Blades annual. It's a great article by Deadbat.

 

[blade53]

Dean Hammond?

But he was not from this Planet!