Ken Monkou

Ken Monkou

Personal information
Full name	Kenneth John Monkou
Date of birth	(1964-11-29) 29 November 1964
Place of birth	Nickerie, Suriname
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–1988	Feyenoord	43	(2)
1989–1992	Chelsea	94	(2)
1992–1999	Southampton	198	(10)
1999–2001	Huddersfield Town	21	(1)
Total		356	(15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:45, 7 January 2009

Kenneth John Monkou (born 29 November 1964) is a Surinamese former footballer who played in a defensive role.

Early life

He was born in Nickerie in Suriname and was raised in the Netherlands. He became passionate about football as a child in The Hague, where he played at RK-VVP.

Football career

Monkou's first major side was Feyenoord Rotterdam. He moved to England in May 1989 to play for newly promoted Chelsea for £100,000. He was their first player from outside the Commonwealth of Nations since Petar Borota in 1982. He was voted club player of the year in his first season – the first black player to do so for Chelsea – as the team finished fifth in the First Division and won the Full Members Cup. He remained with Chelsea until 1992, when he was transferred to Southampton for £750,000 three months after signing a new five-year contract with Chelsea.

Southampton faced regular battles for Premier League survival, though the club was never relegated. In the 1993–94 season he scored a last minute winner in a 5–4 defeat of Norwich City from a Matt Le Tissier corner that helped the club stay in the Premier League.

He stayed on the South Coast until 1999, when he joined Huddersfield Town on a free transfer, scoring once against Yorkshire rivals Barnsley. However, disagreements with Huddersfield manager Steve Bruce ensured his time with the club was short-lived. Monkou made a return to Chelsea during the 2002–03 season, before finally retiring from the game.

Later career

Monkou ran a pannekoek house in the Dutch city of Delft (2009), and is actively involved in Dutch media and on Chelsea TV.

Personal life

Monkou's cousin is Arsenio Halfhuid who currently plays for OFC Oostzaan in the Hoofdklasse.

External links

• Ken Monkou at Soccerbase
• Photo of Ken Monkou in action for Southampton