Caleb Folan

Caleb Folan

Folan warming up for Hull City
Personal information
Full name	Caleb Colman Folan
Date of birth	26 October 1982 (1982-10-26)
Place of birth	Leeds, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Colorado Rapids
Number	21
Youth career
1992–2000	Leeds United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000-2003	Leeds United	0	(0)
2001	→ Rushden & Diamonds (loan)	6	(0)
2001	→ Hull City (loan)	1	(0)
2003–2007	Chesterfield	102	(15)
2007	Wigan Athletic	15	(2)
2007–2011	Hull City	55	(11)
2009	→ Middlesbrough (loan)	1	(0)
2011–	Colorado Rapids	26	(6)
National team‡
2008–2009	Republic of Ireland	7	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 October, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 May, 2011

Caleb Colman Folan (born 26 October 1982) is an Irish footballer who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer as a striker. He qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandfather, who was from Inis Mór, and his grandmother, from Galway.

Club career

Early career

Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Folan started his career at hometown club Leeds United, spending brief spells on loan at Rushden & Diamonds and Hull City before making a permanent move to Chesterfield in February 2003.

In April 2006 he underwent a cartilage operation on a recurring knee injury. In October he scored the winning goal against West Ham United in Chesterfield's League Cup victory, after which he signed a one-year contract extension.

Wigan Athletic

After a series of impressive performances for Chesterfield, Folan was linked with a January transfer to Premier League side Wigan Athletic, and on 26 January 2007 he completed a £500,000 transfer, signing a three-and-a-half year deal. Wigan manager Paul Jewell stated: "He's strong, he's aggressive, he's got a finisher's instinct and I think he will add competition in an area where the squad needs bolstering." He made his debut for Wigan against Reading on 30 January 2007, and on 21 February, scored his first goal for the club, an equaliser against Watford. On 3 March he scored the winner against Manchester City away at the City of Manchester Stadium in a 1–0 victory.

Hull City

Championship team Hull City revealed their interest in signing him in August 2007. However, Wigan manager Chris Hutchings said he was not looking to transfer Folan. On 31 August Folan eventually did return to Hull on a three-year contract for a fee of £1 million, which broke the record highest fee paid by the club. After signing, he insisted he was not going to let the price tag pile pressure onto him and that he had arrived at the club to score goals.

On his debut for Hull in a 2–1 defeat against Blackpool in September, Folan was taken to hospital after being stretchered off the pitch wearing a neck brace. He was kept overnight at Victoria Hospital in Blackpool. An ankle injury caused him to miss several more matches, and in March 2008 he incurred a three-match ban after being sent off in a game against Burnley. He returned however to score several goals from the bench during Hull City's successful run-in. On the first day of the Premier League season, Hull played their first ever game in that league against Fulham, and Folan came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory for Hull. He was sent off against Liverpool on 25 April 2009 for kicking out at Martin Škrtel.

On 17 September 2009, Folan was loaned for three months to Middlesbrough of the Championship, and he made his debut as a substitute in a 5–0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion. Just nine days later Folan suffered a torn hamstring. After Hull manager Phil Brown criticized Folan on his appearances for Hull during the 2009–10 season, Folan hit back by saying Brown's comments were "laughable and childish". However, upon Folan's return to Hull, Brown offered him a "clean slate".

Colorado Rapids

After a lengthy negotiation with Hull City, Folan was able to complete a transfer to Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer on 16 March 2011. He made his MLS debut on 26 March in a 1–0 victory over Chivas USA. He scored his first goals in Major League Soccer 3 April 2011, in a 4–1 win over D.C. United.

International career

Through his grandfather, who was from Inis Mór, and his grandmother, from Galway, Folan is eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland. In March 2007, manager Steve Staunton called on the 'granny rule' to bring Folan into his squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, after a passport was issued at the 11th hour. The decision attracted comment for overlooking other in-form strikers playing outside the Premier League and with closer ties to the Republic of Ireland. However, Folan was forced to pull out of the squad due to injury. A hamstring tear also forced Folan out of the Republic's squad for games against Ecuador and Bolivia in May 2007.

In October 2008, under new manager Giovanni Trapattoni, Folan was one of several uncapped players selected to play for a Republic of Ireland XI in a challenge match against Nottingham Forest, scoring the first goal in a 2–0 win. He was added to the squad for the subsequent 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cyprus and appeared as an injury-time substitute. He was brought on as a sub against Italy in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. He set up the game tying goal scored by Robbie Keane in the 87th minute.

See also

• List of current MLS players

External links

• MLS player profile
• Caleb Folan official website at officialplayerwebsites.com
• Caleb Folan career stats at Soccerbase
• Caleb Folan at National-Football-Teams.com