Harry Forrester (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Harry Lee Forrester[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 January 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Milton Keynes, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Rangers | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2007 | Watford | ||
| 2007–2010 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | Aston Villa | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Kilmarnock (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Brentford | 55 | (8) |
| 2013–2016 | Doncaster Rovers | 54 | (8) |
| 2016– | Rangers | 18 | (7) |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2007 | England U16 | 5 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | England U17 | 4 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:53, 25 September 2016 (UTC). | |||
Harry Lee Forrester (born 2 January 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays for Scottish Premiership club Rangers.
Forrester came through the youth teams of Watford and Aston Villa and has been capped at youth level for England. He has also had spells at Kilmarnock, Brentford and Doncaster Rovers prior to joining Rangers. Although primarily an attacking midfielder, he can be deployed in a number of positions including on the left wing.
Club career
Watford
In 2000, Forrester joined Watford from Northampton Town. As Forrester was only ten years old, Watford paid Northampton £13,000 in compensation.
Aston Villa
In summer 2007, Aston Villa signed Forrester from Watford, despite reported interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United for the highly rated teen.[2] A transfer tribunal ruled in December 2007, on the compensation due to Watford as Forrester was only 16-years-old at the time he signed for Villa. An initial fee of £250,000 was set which could have potentially rose to £1.2 million as well as a percentage of the sell-on fee.[3] After joining, he immediately helped Villa's under-18 team to FA Premier Academy League glory in the 2007–08 season. He has also started for Villa's reserve team who in the 2009–10 season, won the Reserve League South title for a third consecutive time. However, he was an unused sub as Villa went on to lose the Play-off Final against Manchester United, champions of the Reserve League North. He was released by Villa in May 2011 after his contract expired.[4]
Kilmarnock (loan)
In August 2010, Forrester signed on loan with Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock.[5] He made his Scottish Premier League début in the 2–1 win against St Mirren on 11 September. Forrester claimed his first assist in a 2–1 loss to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 23 October, crossing to Rui Miguel who scored with a header. He played a total of eight games in all competitions for Kilmarnock, before returning to Aston Villa in January 2011.
Brentford
Despite being released by Aston Villa, there was still much speculation surrounding Forrester's future, with reported interest from Championship side Barnsley and Dutch champions Ajax.[6][7] Forrester later joined up with the latter on trial, playing with their reserve side Jong Ajax, and received praise from manager Frank de Boer.[8] He scored a hat-trick for Jong Ajax in a 5–2 pre-season victory over VV GOES on 27 July 2011.[9]
Forrester then decided to turn down a move to Ajax to join League One club Brentford Managed by Uwe Rösler on 4 August 2011 on a two-year contract.[10] He made his Bees debut as an injury time substitute in the 2–1 win at Exeter City on 16 August 2011.[11] On 30 August, he started his first game for Brentford in a 3–3 draw against Milton Keynes Dons in the first round of the Football League Trophy before being replaced by Sam Wood after 78 minutes.[12] On 27 January 2013, Forrester earned his side a 2–2 draw and a replay against Chelsea in the fourth round of the FA Cup by converting a penalty won by Tom Adeyemi in the 73rd minute.[13]
Doncaster Rovers
On 30 June 2013, Forrester left Brentford after his contract expired, opting instead to sign for newly promoted Championship club Doncaster Rovers[14] On 4 January 2014, Forrester scored his first goal for Rovers in an FA Cup third round defeat at home to Stevenage. A series of injuries restricted Forrester to just nine appearances (seven in the League) during the 2013–14 season, of which just three were starts.
On 8 August 2015, Forrester scored a controversial goal for Rovers against Bury on the opening day of the 2015–16 season, in injury-time, after the referee ordered the ball to be passed back to the Bury keeper to re-start play, Forrester accidentally volleyed the ball into Bury's goal, Doncaster manager Paul Dickov ordered his team to let Bury score an equaliser from the re-start of play with Bury striker Leon Clarke allowed to walk the ball into the Doncaster goal to level the match at 1–1.[15]
Rangers
On 31 December 2015, Forrester signed for Rangers on an initial six-month deal.[16] Forrester said that it was a privilege to join 'one of the biggest teams in Europe' and that he wanted to stay longer than his initial six-month deal.[17] Harry also said that he wanted to develop further as a player by learning from the more experienced players at the club, for example Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller.[18] Forrester made his debut for Rangers on 10 January 2016 in a 5–1 win over Cowdenbeath in the Scottish Cup.[19] On 27 February, Forrester scored his first goal for the club, netting the winner with four minutes remaining in a 1–0 league victory over St Mirren after coming on as a substitute. On 10 April while playing in the 2016 Scottish Challenge Cup Final against Peterhead, Forrester was substituted because of injury and limped off the park,[20] it was revealed later he had suffered a hairline fracture which ultimately ended his season. However, two days later, on 12 April, he signed a new three-year contract with Rangers.[21]
Career statistics
- As of 19 November 2016[22]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 2010–11 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kilmarnock (loan) | 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Brentford | 2011–12 | League One | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | 36 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 49 | 11 | ||
| Total | 55 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 69 | 11 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2013–14 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 2014–15 | League One | 40 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 48 | 9 | |
| 2015–16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Total | 54 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 66 | 11 | ||
| Rangers | 2015–16 | Scottish Championship | 11 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 15 | 3 | ||
| Total | 21 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 136 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 176 | 30 | ||
- 1 2 3 All appearances in Football League Trophy
- ↑ Appearance in Football League Trophy and Football League play-offs
- ↑ Appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup
Honours
Club
- Aston Villa
- The FA U-18 Premier Academy League: Winner 2007–08
- The Reserve League South: Winner 2009–10
- Rangers
References
- ↑ "The Football League Limited: Club list of registered players as at 16th May 2015" (PDF). The Football League. 16 May 2015. p. 47. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ↑ "Watford youngster signs for Villa". BBC. BBC Sport. 11 July 2007.
- ↑ "Tribunal rules on Forrester move". BBC. BBC Sport. 21 December 2007.
- ↑ "Farewell to Reo-Coker and Carew as released list announced". Aston Villa F.C. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ↑ "Kilmarnock capture Aston Villa striker on loan". BBC Sport. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
- ↑ "Tykes target Villa youngster". Sky Sports. 26 April 2011.
- ↑ "Ajax eye ex-Villa starlet". Sky Sports. 20 May 2011.
- ↑ "Forrester on brink of Ajax deal". Sky Sports. 23 July 2011.
- ↑ VV G.O.E.S. | Goes 'wint' in tweede helft Jong Ajax
- ↑ "Brentford sign Ajax target Harry Forrester". BBC. BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
- ↑ "Exeter 1–2 Brentford". BBC Sport. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ↑ "MK Dons 3–3 Brentford" BBC Sport. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ↑ "Brentford 2–2 Chelsea" BBC Sport. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ↑ "Doncaster Rovers: Harry Forrester moves to Keepmoat". BBC. BBC Sport. 3 July 2013.
- ↑ "Doncaster Rovers: Harry Forrester wants quiet life after controversial goal". The Star. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ↑ "Gers Confirm Forrester Signing". Rangers Football Club. Rangers.co.uk. 31 December 2015.
- ↑ "Forrester: Privileged To Be Here". Nick Thomson. Rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ↑ "Experienced Boys Can Help Me". Nick Thomson. Rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ↑ "Rangers 5–1 Cowdenbeath". Alice Hedworth. Rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ "Rangers 4-0 Peterhead". Tom English. BBC Sport. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ↑ "Forrester Signs New Contract". Rangers Football Club. Rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ↑ Harry Forrester career statistics at Soccerbase
- ↑ Burke, Andy (5 April 2016). "Rangers 1-0 Dumbarton". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- ↑ English, Tom (10 April 2016). "Rangers 4-0 Peterhead". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
