Tamika Paul Mkandawire(born 28 May 1983) is a former professionalfootballerwho played as amidfielderordefender.Born in Malawi, he made two appearances for theEngland C national team.
 Mkandawire playing for Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tamika Paul Mkandawire[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 28 May 1983[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Mzuzu,Malawi | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2004 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (0) |
| 2003 | →Hereford United(loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2004 | →Hereford United(loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | Hereford United | 112 | (12) |
| 2007–2010 | Leyton Orient | 114 | (14) |
| 2010–2013 | Millwall | 46 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | →Southend United(loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Shrewsbury Town | 39 | (1) |
| 2014–2018 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 96 | (6) |
| Total | 439 | (35) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2006 | England C | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
editBorn inMzuzu,[1]Mkandawire came to England aged three, with his English mother and Malawian father and was brought up inRugby, Warwickshire.He later attended Harris High School in Rugby from 1995 to 1999.
Club career
editMkandawire was a trainee atWest Bromfor five seasons but did not make an appearance for the first team due to the lack of opportunities at the club at the time. Albion released him in 2004 after winning promotion to thePremier League.[2]
Hereford United
editHaving had two loan spells withHereford Unitedin the 2003–04 season, he signed permanently for them for the 2004–05 season. Prior to this he had a trial in the United States withNew England Revolution.
He was a first team regular at centre-back in the2004–05 seasonmaking the most appearances of all the central defenders in the squad. He also chipped in with six goals, more than any other defender that season. This consistency continued into the2005–06 seasonwhere he missed only four matches, and scored nine goals. When club captain Tony James was injured, Mkandawire took the captain's armband and led Hereford to the playoff final, scoring in the crucial semi-final againstMorecambe.He lifted the trophy after a 3–2 win overHalifaxand was subsequently named Player of the Year, for the second season in succession.
For the 2006–07 season he was named as team captain for Hereford's first season back in the Football League. He was a regular in Hereford's defence, scoring twice in the league, and his solid performances had led to speculation over him moving to a bigger club. Despite an improved contract offer in December 2006, which reportedly would have made him the highest earner in the club's history, he decided that his future lay elsewhere.
Leyton Orient
editOn 6 June 2007, Mkandawire signed a three-year deal withLeyton Orient,who had previously seen a £60,000 bid rejected.[3]Dubbed one of the best young centre backs in the Football League, he made his Orient debut in a 2–1 win atSouthend Unitedon 11 August 2007.[4]Three weeks later, on 1 September, Mkandawire scored his first goal for the club – and Orient's 5000th in league football – in a 2–2 draw withNorthampton Town.[5]His performance in Orient's 1–0 home win overAFC Bournemouthon 8 September 2007 earned him a place in the League One Team of the Week.[6]He was named as the club's Player of the Season for 2008–09.[7]
Millwall
edit
On 16 June 2010,Millwallacquired Mkandawire's services until 30 June 2012 on a free transfer.[8]He has adapted to playing a new defensive holding midfield role for Millwall, switching from his usual central defence position. He scored his first goal for The Lions on 10 December 2010, in a 1–1 draw againstSwansea City.Mkandawire was named Millwall's Player of the Year for 2011, garnering 44% of the vote and playing for the majority of the year in a new defensive midfield/centre back role.[9]
Shrewsbury Town
editMkandawire joinedShrewsbury TowninLeague Oneon a free transfer on 1 July 2013 following his release from Millwall.[10]He was named club captain by managerGraham Turner,[11]and made his Shrewsbury debut againstMilton Keynes Donson 3 August 2013.[12]Following Shrewsbury's relegation, Mkandawire was released on 2 June 2014, having come to an agreement with the club to end his contract early.[13][14]
Tampa Bay Rowdies
editTheNorth American Soccer League'sTampa Bay Rowdiessigned Mkandawire on 4 July 2014, along with Argentine strikerLuciano Olguín.General managerPerry Van der Beckhopes Mkandawire will add poise and experience to the Rowdies' back line.[15]Mkandawire signed a new contract to remain in Tampa Bay on 15 January 2018.[16]He announced his retirement from football in August 2018.[17]
International career
editHe holds a United Kingdom citizenship and has played for theEnglish semi-professional team.Malawi does not allow dual citizenship therefore Tamika is currently ineligible to play forMalawiat full international level.
Personal life
editMkandawire is an active fundraiser for charity work in Malawi and in January 2009, he became Ambassador forSue Ryder international.In March 2012, Tamika won the 'PFA Player in the Community' award at the Football League Awards.[18]
Career statistics
edit- As of 27 April 2014[19]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[a] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2002–03 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | Division One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Hereford United(loan) | 2003–04 | Conference National | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Hereford United | 2004–05 | Conference National | 36 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 5 |
| 2005–06 | Conference National | 42 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 8 | |
| 2006–07 | League Two | 39 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |
| Total | 117 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 137 | 15 | ||
| Leyton Orient | 2007–08 | League One | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 3 |
| 2008–09 | League One | 36 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 5 | |
| 2009–10 | League One | 43 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| Total | 114 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 126 | 15 | ||
| Millwall | 2010–11 | Championship | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2012–13 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 48 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 2 | ||
| Southend United(loan) | 2012–13 | League Two | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 2013–14 | League One | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 1 |
| Career total | 350 | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 395 | 35 | ||
- ^Appearances inFootball League Trophy
Honours
editSouthend United
- Football League Trophyrunner-up:2012–13[20]
Individual
References
edit- ^abcdHugman, Barry J., ed. (2010).The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11.Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 290.ISBN978-1-84596-601-0.
- ^"Albion release eight players".West Bromwich F.C. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved9 October2007.
- ^"O's swoop for Bulls' Mkandawire".BBC Sport. 6 June 2007.Retrieved9 October2007.
- ^"Southend vs Leyton Orient".Leyton Orient F.C. 11 August 2007.Retrieved2 September2007.
- ^"Leyton Orient vs Northampton".Leyton Orient F.C. 1 September 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 11 May 2008.Retrieved2 September2007.
- ^"Coca-Cola League 1 Team of the Week (10/09/2007)".The Football League.10 September 2007. Archived fromthe original(PNG -)on 3 August 2012.Retrieved9 October2007.
- ^ab"ORIENT: Tam is the man".East London and West Essex Guardian Series.12 May 2009.Retrieved1 May2023.
- ^"Lions land defender".Millwall F.C.16 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 18 June 2010.Retrieved16 June2010.
- ^ab"Tam's the tops!".Millwall F.C.28 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 8 September 2012.Retrieved28 April2011.
- ^"Tamika Mkandawire: Shrewsbury Town sign experienced defender".BBC Sport.21 June 2013.Retrieved21 June2013.
- ^"Tam Named Captain".Shrewsweb. 1 August 2013.Retrieved4 August2013.
- ^"Football Fixtures & Results 3 August 2013".Soccerbase. 3 August 2013.Retrieved4 August2013.
- ^"Tamika Mkandawire Departs Shrewsbury Town".Shrewsweb. 2 June 2014.Retrieved2 June2014.
- ^"Shrewsbury Town: Tamika Mkandawire and Dave Winfield leave".BBC Sport. 2 June 2014.Retrieved2 June2014.
- ^"Rowdies Add Dynamic International Duo".Tampa Bay Rowdies.4 July 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 11 July 2014.Retrieved4 July2014.
- ^"Rowdies Re-sign Defender Tamika Mkandawire".Tampa Bay Rowdies.15 January 2018.Retrieved15 January2018.
- ^"Tamika Mkandawire Announces Retirement".Tampa Bay Rowdies.24 August 2018.Retrieved1 May2023.
- ^ab"Football League Awards: PFA Player in the Community award to recognise impact off the pitch".EFL.16 April 2015.Retrieved1 May2023.
- ^"Tamika Mkandawire Football Stats".Soccerbase.Retrieved22 October2013.
- ^"Starting Lineups - Crewe vs Southend".Sky Sports.7 April 2013.Retrieved10 March2024.
External links
edit- Tamika Mkandawireat Soccerbase
- Tampa Bay Rowdies profile page
