Retired from football, age 32. Seems way too young. One of the better strikers we had during my time of watching us, those 2 goals against Walsall at Oakwell will go down in folklore. What a day….
He scored one of the best headers I've ever seen. Watch from 20seconds. He peaked with us. Maybe he fell out of live from the game.
One of the best strikers I've seen in a Reds shirt but spoilt it by the way he left and where he went. He was brilliant in that promotion season and again in the Championship up to January. Did very little after leaving apart from swell his bank balance.
From the man himself; After much consideration, it’s time to hang up the professional football boots…. From as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a professional footballer. I had the dream, I lived the dream. Although it wasn’t the fairytale story of being Arsenal’s number 9 or scoring for England. I made a living by putting the ball in the back of the net and nothing can ever replicate, replace or take away that feeling. So at 32, why now? Well the truth is the game has taken its toll on me the last couple of years. Aches, pains, injuries, rejection, broken promises, unpredictability and set backs made the job I once dreamed of doing into a negative part of my life. I love game, I always will, but I know it’s time to walk away as a player. I retire with: 334 apps (208 starts) 105 goals 2 promotions 1 EFL Trophy 0 Relegations A record I am proud of and nobody can take away from me but there’s a lot of thank you’s owed to those who helped me along the way! My team mates who made being a footballer fun every day, my managers and coaches who all taught me something (even the bad ones), the unsung hero staff who are the back bone of every football club, the fans who would give me goosebumps when they sang my name, my agent who represented me from day 1, my friends who cheered me on all over the country and most of all my family and partner who supported me in every way possible every single day. Without them I would never of been able to have the career I did! As one door shuts, others open… I’m so excited about the path I am on. I started my journey towards being a psychotherapist 2 years ago and I am loving every minute of it! So football, thanks for the memories but I’m glad we are going our separate ways. It was one hell of a ride…. Sam
What are you on about? He's 25 years old max. One of the best strikers I can remember playing for us. That Walsall goal one of my top memories and I reckon his header v Cardiff is in the top ten goals or us too.
And it all went tits up nearly 7 years ago when you decided to **** up a promising career. I imagine if he'd signed for a half decent club from us he'd have had a fat bank account AND a respectable reputation as a Championship centre forward.
Did he get a regular game anywhere after leaving Barnsley? Looked to me like he swapped appearances for money.
One of the best strikers we have had period. Unfortunately tarnished his reputation with the way he forced himself out of the club & the club he chose to go to. But we had the last laugh as he was **** after leaving us. Give it a couple of years & he’ll be paraded around the ground at half time as a legend. Wonder if he’ll get booed?
Similar in a way to Norwood. Bit of a niggling, in your face, nasty-ish, knows the tricks of the trade, cocky, sort of player. Better striker than Norwood though.
The way he left was extremely unpleasant for a number of reasons. But objectively, he has no connections with Barnsley, he's from the West Midlands and supports Wolves and Arsenal if I remember correctly. I can't imagine any of us if we were playing for Birmingham or Coventry would turn down a move to Villa for 4x the money, even if the clubs did happen to be in the same division at the time. The fact that Sam is retiring at 32 means that his move to Sheffield Wednesday was probably the correct decision. The difference between being able to do something he enjoys for the rest of his life, rather than working because he has to. I'm pretty sure that Clive Mendonca doesn't get out of bed and do 5 shifts at the Nissan plant a week because he passionately enjoys building cars.
Left a bitter taste in the way he left, which I don’t think anyone can argue with. Certainly up there for being one of the best strikers I’ve seen for us though in my roughly 20 years watching.
Like you say, the Walsall goal in the play offs was absolute class and the header against Cardiff is one of the best I've ever seen.
Have to disagree on the point of career continuance. I was as upset as anyone else how he left. But financially he was better off and now proven the right decision after being plagued with injury since. And will have built a nice pension pot. Doubt that would have happened to the same degree had he stayed.
I wonder whether he does regret the move he made, in hindsight. On one hand the injuries he later had seems to vindicate the decision as the Sheffield Weds contract is likely to have been by far the biggest in his career. Alternatively, if he'd seen out the season with us he may well have had several similar sized offers without having to join that basket case of a club as one of 27 strikers at the time, and may consequently have earned more for longer. I guess those are the gambles you take as a footballer.
