Omer Riza

Omer Karime Ali Riza (born 8 November 1979) is a footballer manager and former footballer who is the currently first-team coach of EFL Championship club Watford. and who is the head coach Watford's academy.

Omer Riza
Personal information
Full name Omer Karime Ali Riza[1]
Date of birth (1979-11-08) 8 November 1979[2]
Place of birth Edmonton, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1995–1998 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 Arsenal 0 (0)
1999 → ADO Den Haag (loan) 11 (3[4])
1999–2002 West Ham United 0 (0)
2000 → Barnet (loan) 5 (2)
2000–2001 → Barnet (loan) 5 (2)
2001 → Cambridge United (loan) 12 (3)
2002–2003 Cambridge United 46 (12)
2003–2006 Denizlispor 60 (16[5])
2006–2008 Trabzonspor 35 (4[5])
2009–2010 Shrewsbury Town 13 (0)
2010 Aldershot Town 1 (0)
2010–2012 Histon 55 (16)
2012–2013 Boreham Wood 19 (9)
2013 Chelmsford City 13 (2)
2013–2014 Cheshunt 19 (11)
2015 Harlow Town 0 (0)
2017–2018 Newmarket Town 5 (1)
2022– Hertford Town 3 (1)
Total 271 (70)
International career
2005 Turkey A2 1 (0)
Managerial career
2013 Cheshunt (caretaker)
2013–2014 Cheshunt
2017 Leyton Orient
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:05, 22 December 2017 (UTC)

Riza, who played as a forward, featured for English clubs Arsenal and West Ham United, Holland's Ado Den Haag and Turkish outfits Trabzonspor & Denizlispor within his footballing career.[6]

Riza was also capped for the Turkish A2 team on one occasion.

Playing career

Born in Edmonton, London,[2] of Turkish Cypriot descent,[7] Riza started his career as a youth with English club Arsenal and made his first team debut on 2 November 1998 against Derby County in the League Cup. He also travelled with the team on away fixtures against Dynamo Kyiv and Panathinaikos as a substitute in the UEFA Champions League. With few first team opportunities at Arsenal, during the 1998–99 season, he went on loan to ADO Den Haag for three months.

In the 1999–2000 season, he moved to West Ham United, but again was unable to break into the first team. He went on loan to Barnet and Cambridge United, and signed a permanent deal with the latter in 2002. During the 2002–03 season he scored 17 goals for United, which prompted a move to Süper Lig side Denizlispor during the 2003 close season. In January 2006, he signed for Trabzonspor. In January 2008 Riza walked out of the club claiming he had not been paid. The Turkish Football Federation banned him from playing for any club.[8]

In February 2009, Riza returned to English football with a trial at League Two club Shrewsbury Town, and impressed manager Paul Simpson, but Riza could not take part in any official matches due to the ban imposed upon him by the TFF. The players legal representatives submitted a case to football's World governing body FIFA in early April 2009, from which a Swiss judge over-ruled the TFF decision, on 17 April, that Riza shall be allowed to compete in English football. Riza made his debut for Shrewsbury Town as a second-half substitute against Rotherham United the following day. The case with the club and TFF continues, with the player and his legal team awaiting for FIFA to make a decision on the restriction.[9]

On 22 January 2010, he left Shrewsbury Town after struggling to break into the first team during the first half of the season, with Riza and the club coming to an agreement regarding paying off the rest of his contract. On 25 February he joined Aldershot Town until the end of the season.[10] Following the appointment of David Livermore as manager at Histon,[11] Riza joined Histon on a non-contract basis and made his debut against Kettering Town in a Conference National fixture on 28 August. He scored his first goal for Histon when he scored a penalty in their league match against Hayes & Yeading United, which turned out to be the winning goal.[12] Due to the financial cost of his wages, Histon released Riza in January 2012, giving him seven days notice to leave the club.[13]

In February 2012, Riza signed for Boreham Wood scoring on his debut in a 3–0 win against Maidenhead United.[14][15] On 28 January 2013 he signed for Chelmsford City[14] and scored on his debut on the same day against Dorchester Town in a 4–0 win, being named Man of the Match.[16]

In August 2015, Riza signed for Harlow Town, hoping to bounce back from a knee injury.[17]

In December 2017, Riza came out of retirement, signing for Eastern Counties League Premier Division side Newmarket Town as a player.[18] One month later, Riza left Newmarket due to injury.[19]

On 1 January 2022, 42-year-old Riza played for Hertford Town in the Southern Football League.[20][21]

Coaching career

In August 2013, Riza moved clubs again, this time signing for Cheshunt.[22] Following the departure of manager Tony Faulkner, Riza was appointed as caretaker manager of Cheshunt. The holder of a UEFA A Licence badge, Riza said of his new role, "It's new to me but I am ready for the challenge. I am ready for the next step of my career. I have always wanted to go into this side of the game. I feel quietly confident I have what it takes to build something."[23] His first game in charge was on 31 August 2013, an away game against Hertford Town in the FA Cup. Riza scored to make the game 3–1 before they finally lost 4–2.[24] His player-manager position was made permanent in November 2013.[25] He scored 17 goals during that season, but damaged his cruciate ligament in one of his knees in a charity match for Arsenal XI in June 2014,[26] sidelining him for 15 months.[27] He was sacked from his Cheshunt duties in September 2014.[28]

He had a short spell as assistant manager for Heybridge Swifts, between December 2014 and February 2015.[29][30]

On 30 March 2017, following the resignation of Daniel Webb as manager of Leyton Orient, Riza was promoted from his role as assistant manager and placed in charge until the end of the 2016–17 season.[31] In his first game as manager, on 1 April, Orient lost 0–2 to Wycombe Wanderers and Riza was sent to the stands for verbally abusing referee Charles Breakspear.[32] On 22 April 2017, after losing to Crewe Alexandra, Orient were relegated to the National League, ending the club's 112 years in the Football League.[33] Riza's contract expired on 30 June 2017 and was not extended.[34]

In August 2018, Riza joined Watford as an academy coach.[35] In September 2019, Riza was named as a coach for the England U16s as part of The FA's 2019–20 Elite Coach Placement Programme.[36] In October 2020 he was confirmed as the Watford's under-23 coach, having stepped up temporarily into the role in December 2019 after Hayden Mullins was promoted to the club's first-team staff.[37]

On 26 August 2021, Riza was confirmed as an assistant coach for the England U17s working with Tom Curtis and Paul Davis.[38]

Managerial statistics
As of match played 6 May 2017
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref.
PWDLWin %
Leyton Orient 30 March 2017 10 July 2017 7 1 1 5 014.3 [31][39]
Total 7 1 1 5 014.3

References
  1. "Omer Riza". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 524. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  3. "Profiles". Shrewsbury Town F.C. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  4. "Omer Riza profile" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  5. "Ömer Kerim Ali Rıza statics". Mackolik.com. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  6. "Omer Riza". Eurosport.com.
  7. Zaman. "İngiliz futbolu,Kıbrıs Türklerini keşfetti!". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  8. "Shrews hope Fifa clear Riza deal". BBC Sport. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  9. Garrison, James (21 April 2009). "Omer's promotion dream". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  10. "Aldershot Town sign striker Omer Riza". BBC Sport. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  11. "Stutes appoint Livermore as boss". Blue Sq Prem Football online. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  12. "Hayes and Yeading v Histon match report". Histon F.C. 4 September 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  13. "Bombshell for Omer Riza as Histon release him". www.cambridge-news.co.uk. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  14. "Omer Riza – Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  15. "Former Arsenal youngster scores stunning goal as Boreham Wood win at Maidenhead United". www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  16. Evans, Chris (28 January 2013). "Chelmsford City 4–0 Dorchester Town". www.chelmsfordcityfc.com. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  17. "Signing of former Stoke, Hull and Reading Premier League star a massive coup for Harlow Town". Harlow Star. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  18. "Former Arsenal and West Ham striker signs for Newmarket Town". Cambridge News. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  19. "THURLOW NUNN LEAGUE: Riza leaves Newmarket". Suffolk Free Press. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  20. Hertford Town v Waltham Abbey
  21. "Google".
  22. "Ambers boss signs ex-Arsenal pro Riza". www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  23. "Riza Appointed as Caretaker Manager". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  24. "Hertford Town vs Cheshunt". Hertfordtownfc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  25. "Former Arsenal man Riza appointed permanent Cheshunt boss". Hertfordshire Mercury. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  26. "Cheshunt FC boss Riza sets bar high ahead of Ryman League kick-off". Hertfordshire Mercury. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  27. "Former Arsenal striker wants his own extra time at Harlow Town". Harlow Star. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  28. "Omer Riza Wants Swift Management Return". The Non-League Football Paper. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  29. "Redbridge face hard start to the new year". Ilford Recorder. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  30. "Omer Riza "Mistakes don't matter, it's how you deal with them"". Matt's Sporting News. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  31. "Danny Webb: Leyton Orient boss resigns after two months in charge". BBC Sport. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  32. "Leyton Orient 0–2 Wycombe Wanderers". BBC Sport. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  33. "Leyton Orient relegated from the Football League after 112-year stay". TheGuardian.com. 22 April 2017.
  34. "Leyton Orient: Martin Ling says new boss may not be hired by start of pre-season". BBC Sport. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  35. "Former Orient head coach Riza joins Watford". Watford Observer. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  36. Staff, FA (2 September 2019). "CHRIS POWELL AND MICHAEL JOHNSON AMONG COACHES TO JOIN ENGLAND MEN'S SQUADS THIS TERM". Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  37. "Academy: Riza "Delighted" To Be Confirmed As U23 Coach". Watford F.C. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  38. Veevers, Nicholas (26 August 2021). "England youth coaches confirmed". Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  39. "Leyton Orient: Results/matches: 2016/17". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
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