The Coventry City Former Player Association’s newest member will be Sky Blues’ noughties Belgian striker Cedric Roussel. A few weeks ago CCFPA chairman Jim Brown made contact with Cedric who was very keen to become part of the CCFPA family who had not been back to see a game in Coventry due to his subsequent work and family commitments on the continent since leaving CCFC in the early years of the millennium.
Cedric has fixed up a family holiday weekend to coincide with the Sky Blues home fixture against Colchester United next Saturday (April 11th 2015) – a match the result of which is crucial to both sides’ survival in League One. Cedric is excited to come to the Ricoh (for the first time) to meet the Sky Blue fans again (and hopefully some of his contemporaries amongst our membership like Marcus Hall, Paul Hall, Barry Quinn, Steve Froggatt, Gavin Strachan, David Thompson, Richard Shaw, Noel Whelan and Paul Williams). We hope we can make it somewhat of a mini reunion for Cedric hot on the heels of our successful Legends Day 2015.
A £1.2m Gordon Strachan purchase in October 1999 Cedric came (initially on loan) from KAA Ghent where he had earned a reputation the previous season as an effective young striker. He soon formed an exciting partnership with Robbie Keane including scoring a brace at Old Trafford against Manchester United in February 2000.
Before leaving the Sky Blues for Molineux in February 2001 for over £1.5m Cedric had scored 11 Premier League and Cup goals in 43 appearances. At Wolves he proved less potent scoring two goals in 28 appearances (mostly as a sub). Cedric returned to his homeland in 2002 playing for a number of Belgian teams where he rediscovered his scoring touch and gained international recognition. Since leaving CCFC has also played in Italy, Scotland (trial), Russia, Cyprus and the Netherlands where he signed for HSV Hoek in 2010.
Cedric will, of course, become our ‘special guest’ for the game so, as usual, he will be invited to tour the Ricoh lounges before the game, to join the BBC CWR team in their match day commentary and analysis and, as a special treat for Sky Blue fans, we hope to formally ‘sign him up’ to the Association in front of appreciative CCFC supporters after the game on the stage of Lady Gs in the Casino where he will be presented with his membership badge and official CCFPA tie. Why not come and watch? All are welcome.
If you want to relive all Cedric’s goals for the Sky Blues, CCFPA’s Dean Nelson has kindly provided the Youtube link:-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnMAdklPVFw