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Rated as one of the top midfielders in the League Championship.
Name: Jobi McAnuff
Date of Birth: 09/11/1981 Height: 5' 10" (178cm) Weight: 11st 1lbs (70.37kg) Previous Clubs: West Ham Utd, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Watford, Wimbledon Position: Midfielder
Dynamic Jamaican international winger who joined the Royals in the summer of 2009 and by the end of the campaign had marked his position as one of the most dangerous players in the Championship.
A full back's worst nightmare, he was signed by Brendan Rodgers after the pair had worked together at Watford, with fellow hornet Grzegorz Rasiak also making the move to Berkshire on the same day.
Since then the amiable wide man has settled in brilliantly at Madejski Stadium, becoming a permanent fixture under Brian McDermott and making an extraordinary 92 appearances in his first two seasons with the club.
Has already created a number of memorable moments for Reading fans, including a spectacular goal in a play-off semi final win over Cardiff in May 2011.
Was rewarded with the club captaincy that summer following the departure of Matt Mills - whilst the Jamaican also penned a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2014.
Jobi began his career with Wimbledon, making his professional debut in the 2001/02 season and going on to make 104 appearances for the club - earning a move to West Ham United. He scored his first goal for the Hammers in their 4-2 victory over Crewe in March 2004, though in August of the same year the London born winger made a £250,000 switch to Cardiff City, spending a season with the Bluebirds before joining Crystal Palace.
He thrived back in his home town, scoring fourteen times for the Eagles and attracting attention from a whole host of Premier League clubs. McAnuff made 83 appearances in a two year spell at Selhurst Park before joining Watford in 2007.
Registered: 03/25/01
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Jobi aims to take form to Teesside Posted on: Wed 22 Feb 2012
Royals skipper Jobi McAnuff bounced back from a short spell on the sidelines with the match-winning assist against Burnley last Friday night, and the wing wizard was glad to be back so soon.
"It was a sort of hernia - although the lady I went and saw in Munich doesn't class it as a complete hernia, because there was no tear," McAnuff explained.
"It is more like an exaggerated strain. And where surgeons here cut through the muscle to repair the damage, she doesn't.
"What she does is make a couple of incisions, folds everything over and strengthens it back up. She doesn't cut the muscle - and that's why she gets such a good turnaround."
Royals fans can thank Dr Ulrike Muschaweck - who has also corrected hernia problems for the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Owen in recent years - for repairing their captian so quickly and getting him back into the action only two weeks after his operation.
"I went to see here about six years ago to have something done on my other side. And it was the same then, although not quite as quick as two weeks and I'm back playing.
"The only thing after the operation was a bit of scarring that I needed to let settle down. But she's amazing - two weeks is pretty good going.
"On Friday night, I came off with a little bit of cramp near the end. I hadn't trained properly until the Wednesday before the game.
"But in terms of the injury, it felt good - better than I thought it would. There was a little bit of soreness but once you get going and you're warm it's not a major issue. And because I've had it before I knew what to expect really.
"And it was good to be back and play a part in the goal."
A goal which earned McAnuff three points on his 400th professional start, and Reading three points in front of potential new owner Anton Zingarevich, who was sat alongside the Chairman in the Directors' Box on Friday night.
"I think he saw a few of the boys before the game when he had a look round, and met a couple of the staff," McAnuff continued.
"It was good to see him at the game and nice for us to get a win for him to see. It's important for us to put a face to the name and to see him there supporting us - and he looked quite animated in the pictures we've seen.
"I'm sure he's going to come in and play a bigger part once things have been confirmed, and everything is signed, sealed and delivered.
"It's been made clear that it is not going to be be completed for a little while yet so there's no point in coming in with a full steam ahead attitdue right now. But when it is all done, I'm sure it'll be good times for the club."
A long trip north to Teesside is next for the Royals and a tough-looking fixture against a high-flying Middlesbrough side who have moved into the playoff places after a 3-1 win away to Millwall last night.
"I think we're planning to fly up, which will save our legs from a long journey - and then we'll get the coach back because we haven't got a midweeker next week.
"They played at Millwall last night and we've got to take every advantage we can at the moment. We will have had a bit longer to recover - and it will have been tough going for them at Millwall yesterday.
"But they're a good side. They play a different system which is quite hard to get to grips with sometimes.
"They are solid at the back - if you're going to be a team right up there, being solid at the back is a very good place to start.
"They don't concede many goals and it's going to be a tough game - particularly away. The Riverside is fantastic stadium and a tough place to go. But the form we're in, we fancy ourselves against anyone, so we're looking forward to it.
"We're in a much better position than we were last year - the best league position since I've been at the club in fact. And probably a better position than people outside the club thought we were capable of.
"But we've always been confident in what we can achieve. We're happy enough with where we are, but we're not going to rest and be content with it. We want to keep pushing forward and pushing the top two."
Registered: 03/25/01
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Jobi targets Prem jackpot Jobi McAnuff NEVER ANUFF ... Jobi won't stop as Reading chase promotion By ANDREW SNELL Published: 09th March 2012 JOBI McANUFF is using the memory of last year's play-off final heartbreak to fuel Reading's push for promotion. comment on this story Related Stories
KAN HE KICK IT? ... Hal Robson-Kanu volleys home the leveller Millwall 1 Reading 2
DAVID FORDE’S blunders gave Reading a helping hand in the promotion race
The Royals snatched their seventh straight win against Portsmouth on Tuesday and moved within three points of the top of the league.
And with Reading now on the best form of anyone in the Championship, they have put May's 4-2 Wembley defeat to Swansea firmly behind them.
Captain McAnuff said: "We were a little bit sluggish at the start of the season because of the disappointment of last year.
"But after we got the first half dozen games out of the way we really kicked on, and our form is as good as any in the league.
"It's tough when you lose in the play-off final. It was a long hard season, and to come down to what was really a bad 45 minutes is tough to take and hard to get over.
"It's probably a mental thing more than anything. As much as you come back and you're ready, it's still in the back of your mind a little bit."
And it is the confidence they have drawn since their rocky start to the season that McAnuff, 30, thinks will take them to the Prem next year.
He said: "We're always confident because we've a good squad here. For us it's helpful when you're winning games but we've a great atmosphere win, lose or draw.
"We never get too carried away when we're winning — and we never get too down when we're losing."
But the Royals aren't getting ahead of themselves, and are focussing on holding on to the winning streak that has seen them climb to third .
McAnuff added: "There's no point in looking at anything except the next game — the manager won't let us do anything else.
"We can't worry about what other teams are doing. We can't control what happens to them until we play them.
"We still have Southampton and West Ham to come. The main thing is getting a good result in the next game."
McAnuff also praised Brian McDermott after the Reading manager signed to stay until 2015.
He said: "We're delighted he's signed a contract extension and it gives us a renewed sense of belief going into the last few games.
"The gaffer has given 100 per cent since he's come in. His record is second to none in this league.
"Our results under him compare favourably with any manager in the country."
He needs to be one of our top priorities in terms of recruitment. We are all talking about this balla and that balla but in McAnuff we have a quality player that can have a massive impact on our fortunes and he has played for us before. He is quick, skillfull, has excellent low centre of gravity which allows him to turn inside and out very quickly, he works hard, scores goals, has good awareness, good end product to his game and is a good passer of the ball. He can operate on either wing or in the hole between midfield and attack and If we convince him to return our chances of reaching Brazil will increase alot in my opinion.
I wonder why everyone here believes McAnuff will come back when he clearly has had no interest since his one cap nearly 10 years ago.
I'm curious about his initial involvement; I don't know too much about his history with Jamaica.
Do you remember which match he played in and who Jamaica's coach was at the time ?
Has it been a case of his lack of interest or a lack of the JFF's interest in him ?
Is there any updated news on Burrell's recruitment drive in England ?
Whether McAnuff ever dons the national jersey again or not, he is one hellova a good footballer and Reading look like good promotion prospects; we might very well see him in the Premiereship next season.
I wonder why everyone here believes McAnuff will come back when he clearly has had no interest since his one cap nearly 10 years ago.
I'm curious about his initial involvement; I don't know too much about his history with Jamaica.
Do you remember which match he played in and who Jamaica's coach was at the time ?
Has it been a case of his lack of interest or a lack of the JFF's interest in him ?
Is there any updated news on Burrell's recruitment drive in England ?
Whether McAnuff ever dons the national jersey again or not, he is one hellova a good footballer and Reading look like good promotion prospects; we might very well see him in the Premiereship next season.
I don't remember it but his only cap was against Nigeria in 2002 so it was probably Carl Brown in charge. I don't know how he qualifies for Jamaica.
I wonder why everyone here believes McAnuff will come back when he clearly has had no interest since his one cap nearly 10 years ago.
I'm curious about his initial involvement; I don't know too much about his history with Jamaica.
Do you remember which match he played in and who Jamaica's coach was at the time ?
Has it been a case of his lack of interest or a lack of the JFF's interest in him ?
Is there any updated news on Burrell's recruitment drive in England ?
Whether McAnuff ever dons the national jersey again or not, he is one hellova a good footballer and Reading look like good promotion prospects; we might very well see him in the Premiereship next season.
I don't remember it but his only cap was against Nigeria in 2002 so it was probably Carl Brown in charge. I don't know how he qualifies for Jamaica.
Back in those early days Jobi had a cult following at his club. He had supporters posting on here that he was going to be a special talent. They were pleading for us to give him a fear chance when dem realise im get called up. If I remember correctly the usual foreign vs local bias was a as rampant as now, he played about 15-20mins in his debut and of course he sould have scores a least 2 goals to be any good as per the Hexperts. Personally, I think he followed our comments on here though he never posted. There was this relative of his that was always posting and kinda hint dat he was not well recieved. The vibes arround here can get very negative towards JA players abroad. Sometime mi afi wanda if a cause some a dem yute who base a yaad caan get a visa why dem mind so warp..Me no care weh mi deh, every yaadi is a yaadi.
Mi look up im profile pon Wikipedia and see where he played in a match against Nigeria in 2002 in England, at Loftus Road, QPR's ground.
It was during a time of transistion in Jamaican football under Carl Brown; I remember reading about that tour and the results of the match.
Jobi did not officially retire from playing for Jamaica until 2005, 3 years after his debut and only game....I don't think he was ever called up again within that 3 year period.
If a balla neva get call up in 3 years, what chances do you think he has, in his own mind, of ever getting called up again and taking into account all that has happened in Jamaican football within that time.
Now he is at the peak of his game; back then he was only just a yute of 20 or so...
This is a balla that can make a huge difference to the quality of Jamaica's side if the JFF and Tappa decides that there is a place for him...he is the kind of player you would have to have as a central, focal point, not just a peripheral figure.
If Jamaica cannot use him properly, its best they leave him in retirement.
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McAnuff should be a priority along with the some of the other young guns like Sterling, Johnson, and Neita. We need to call them up and blend them into the program over time.
Sterling's made his debut for Liverpool and if he progresses,should develop into a top player...if they're playing for top clubs at the top level, for any other country than Jamaica, they would definitely be in the picture...but this is Jamaica we're talking about here.
Neita's been called up so that shows that the JFF is at least thinking about them.
Some players get one game to mesmorize us, some get a lifetime. I watch the RSPL day in day out, I believe in local talent but I also believe in fairness. I hear an ite talking seh Dada needed to unlock defence, but my question is why dada cant mek the first team for preston who are not even top of the league. I hear excuse that because him style a play different and him better than league 1, why not then other coaches in higher leagues not clamoring for his services. I guess the coaches in the prem and championship dont kno bout football only tappa and d ite dem. I am not against local talent, check my location i live in kingston, not st andrew, mi not fightin no yout but fairness is fairness. Dada must be allowed to develop and prove himself. Dont distract the yout with all this hype.
Jobi get one game as a yout and because di yout neva salad and pile every player pon di field unnu diss d yout pon d forum. How wld you feel if u were in the yout position. Thats what happen most times. Then unnu expect them to just declare for jamaica. The man dem read d forum, unnu see how much visitors deh yah per day. Yu type in reggaeboyz in google dis site will come up. And look on the type of conversations we here having every day. If I had a child overseas no care how patriotic mi is, I wld neva aloow him to come back and represent, trust me and i not bein emotional. The thing is, i see injustice and bias here everyday here. For example i have a fren locked up for over a year now, police seh dem a look for witness and the man cant get bail while we have top policemen who ere in a racket at the customs department and cant get locked. We will neva progress as a people until fairness and justice are afforded to all Jamaicans No matter where u born
Im not saying either that them alone shld make up the team cause dem play in England, they shld also prove themselves at the club and international level. I kno some of the local boyz can prove themselves and claim their place in the team. Another dis buss pon the national side fi get a contract need fi stop!! For me empirical evidence is everyting. How much reggae boyz get contract from bein on the national team vs how much got it tru their clubs (mainly portmore and hvfc). Recent case in point, Stewart
Edited by zilla (03/27/1203:55 PM)
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. If I had a child overseas no care how patriotic mi is, I wld neva aloow him to come back and represent, trust me and i not bein emotional.
The thing is, i see injustice and bias here everyday here. . We will neva progress as a people until fairness and justice are afforded to all Jamaicans No matter where u born
Well...it betta u sey so Zilla more dan mi, since u deh pon deh rock an me base in Toronto. De sad ting is, some guy who a talk does notten fi back up dem chat. U know how time me pay my money an fly all ova de place fe watch an support de boyz wid mi son who barn a Canada an luv Ja ova Canada any day? A was going to include inna mi post above that I have a nephew who is now in the Arsenal academy an mi tell mi sista de adda day say mi no know if tings pan out wid him if mi woulda encourage him to play for us. It would'nt mek no sense base on how some of us who call we self Jcans think. Right now if a financial crisis arise with our team during qualification and JFF ask for contributions, u woulda see how many a de man dem wha a complain bout foriegn balla go in hiding. We all love Jamaica, this is our BIG 50TH so emancipate unnu self from mental......
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A set a raaaaasss dem man! Nothing positive and is never objective to reasoning. Pisses me off man! One set a Joncrow dem man! It cyaan bun m i fi some a dem yu see wid di bag a negative talk like fi born a farin mek yu less of a Jamaican and yu parents dem a Jamaican. Yu live inna a Jamaican communirty yu visit sometime all guh school a yard fi a while. KMT, Jah know star it hurt more time just reading what some ites promote. WE NUH HAVE NUH UB40 Star!! We have REGGAEBOYZ!!!! plain and simple.
A beg unuh pardon mi di outburst. A love mi love mi land but mi nuh like darkniss! Suh mi wi tek unuh opinion, but mi naw gwaan like it nuh have merit. Some a unuh ackee seed nuh dardk suh! A wha unuh guh a school guh learn?? Please be a little more objective and civil to all that desire to serve our country. Do not promote separatism! Thank you and THANK YOU ZILLLA fi yu insight! Mi always look forward fi it a day time when mi a read.
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