View source for Christopher Wreh

{{Short description|Liberian footballer (born 1975)}}
{{Distinguish|Christopher Wren|Chris Wreh}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Christopher Wreh
| image = 
| fullname = Christopher Wreh<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|21719|accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1975|5|14}}<ref name=Hugman/>
| birth_place = [[Monrovia]],<ref name=Hugman/> Liberia
| height = {{height|m=1.73}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.11v11.com/players/christopher-wreh-4/ |title=Christopher Wreh |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |accessdate=17 March 2016}}</ref>
| position = [[Forward (association football)#Striker|Striker]]
| currentclub = 
| clubnumber = 
| youthyears1= 
| youthclubs1= [[Invincible Eleven]]
| youthyears2= 1989–1993
| youthclubs2= [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]]
| years1 = 1993–1997 | clubs1 = [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]] | caps1 = 13 | goals1 = 3 
| years2 = 1996–1997 | clubs2 = → [[En Avant Guingamp|Guingamp]] (loan) | caps2 = 33 | goals2 = 10 
| years3 = 1997–2000 | clubs3 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] | caps3 = 28 | goals3 = 3
| years4 = 1999      | clubs4 = → [[AEK Athens F.C.|AEK Athens]] (loan) | caps4 = 11 | goals4 = 4 
| years5 = 1999      | clubs5 = → [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] (loan) | caps5 = 7 | goals5 = 1 
| years6 = 2000      | clubs6 = → [[FC Den Bosch|Den Bosch]] (loan) | caps6 = 7 | goals6 = 2 
| years7 = 2000–2001 | clubs7 = [[Al-Hilal FC|Al-Hilal]] 
| years8 = 2001      | clubs8 = [[AFC Bournemouth]] | caps8 = 0 | goals8 = 0 
| years9 = 2001–2002 | clubs9 = [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] | caps9 = 3 | goals9 = 0
| years10= 2003      | clubs10= [[Persepolis F.C.|Persepolis]] | caps10 = 0 | goals10 = 0 
| years11= 2003–2004 | clubs11= [[Bishop's Stortford F.C.|Bishop's Stortford]]  | caps11 = 1 | goals11 = 1 
| years12= 2004      | clubs12= [[Buckingham Town F.C.|Buckingham Town]] 
| years13= 2007–2010 | clubs13= [[Perseman Manokwari]]
| nationalyears1= 1995–2002 
| nationalteam1= [[Liberia national football team|Liberia]]
| nationalcaps1= 36 | nationalgoals1 = 12
}}

'''Christopher Wreh''' (born 14 May 1975) is a [[Liberia]]n retired professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]]. He was a member of the [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] side which won the [[Premier League]] and [[FA Cup]] double during the [[1997–98 Arsenal F.C. season|1997–98]] season.

At the international level, he won 36 caps for [[Liberia national football team|Liberia]], scoring 11 goals, and was in their squad for the [[1996 Africa Cup of Nations]].

==Club career==
Wreh played domestically for [[Invincible Eleven]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/1623694.stm |title=Wreh raring to go |publisher=BBC Sport |date=28 October 2001 |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref> before signing for [[French Division 1]] club [[AS Monaco|Monaco]] as a youth.<ref>{{NFT player|13930|accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref> A [[Striker (association football)|center forward]], Wreh played for Monaco as a substitute in the [[1993–94 UEFA Champions League]] semi-final.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/51019--milan-vs-monaco/ |title=UEFA Champions League 1993/94 Semi-final 2nd leg |publisher=UEFA |access-date=14 January 2018}}</ref> He had a spell [[loan (sports)|on loan]] at [[En Avant Guingamp|Guingamp]], finishing the season as the team's top scorer and playing in the [[1997 Coupe de France Final]], which they lost on [[penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalties]] to [[OGC Nice|Nice]].<ref name=EAG>{{cite web |url=https://m.20minutes.fr/amp/a/2018959 |title=EAG-Monaco: Il y a tout juste 20 ans, Guingamp était dans le vrai avec Christopher Wreh |language=French |trans-title=Just 20 years ago, Guingamp were in the right with Christopher Wreh |first=Jeremy |last=Goujon |newspaper=20 Minutes |date=23 February 2017 |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref><ref name=CdF>{{cite web |url=https://www.fff.fr/coupes/fff/federation-francaise-de-football/1997/337107-coupe-de-france/historique |title=Coupe de France Saison 1996–1997 |language=French |publisher=Fédération Française de Football |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref> 

Wreh signed for [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in the summer of 1997 for £300,000,<ref name=Heroes/> linking up with his former manager at Monaco, [[Arsène Wenger]].<ref name=AFC>{{cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/historic/players/christopher-wreh |title=Christopher Wreh |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref> Although fourth choice behind [[Ian Wright]], [[Dennis Bergkamp]] and [[Nicolas Anelka]],{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} Wreh still played an important part in the Gunners' [[Double (association football)|Double]]-winning [[1997-98 in English football|1997–98]] season. Wreh scored in 1–0 [[Premier League]] wins against [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]] and [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] in March, the fifth in a 5–0 win against [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]], and netted the only goal of the Gunners' [[FA Cup]] semi-final win over [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] both in April.<ref name=AFC /><ref name=sb9798/> Wreh started in the [[1998 FA Cup Final]], and although he did not score, Arsenal beat [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] 2–0.<ref name="sb9798">{{Soccerbase season|10493|1999|accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref>

Despite scoring in the [[1998 FA Charity Shield]] against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]],<ref name=AFC /> Wreh's form dipped and, after the arrival of [[Thierry Henry]] and [[Davor Šuker]] at the club in 1999, he was squeezed out altogether.<ref name="AFC" /> He had brief loan spells with [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]], for whom he scored once, against [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]],<ref name="sb9798"/> and at [[AEK Athens FC|AEK Athens]] and [[FC Den Bosch|Den Bosch]], but none of these were subsequently made permanent.<ref name=AFC /> He left Arsenal in 2000, having scored five times in 46 appearances.

Wreh then became somewhat of a journeyman footballer. He initially signed for [[Saudi Arabia]]n side [[Al-Hilal FC|Al-Hilal]], then returned to the UK in 2001 with brief stints at [[AFC Bournemouth]] and [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]],<ref name=AFC /> but fitness problems meant he rarely played; he then played [[non-league football]] for [[Bishop's Stortford F.C.|Bishop's Stortford]] although he only played one game due to repeated absenteeism,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsc.co.uk/features/13949-from-arsenal-to-bishop-s-stortford-the-strange-case-of-christopher-wreh|title=When Saturday Comes - From Arsenal to Bishop's Stortford: the strange case of Christopher Wreh|last=Davey|first=Ian|website=www.wsc.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref> and [[United Counties League]] club [[Buckingham Town F.C.|Buckingham Town]].<ref name=AFC />

In 2007, he returned to football, signing for [[Perseman Manokwari]] of the [[Liga Indonesia Premier Division]] where he brought an end to his playing days.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liberiansoccer.com/Liberian_players_flying-high_in_Indonesia200071243331.htm |title=Liberian players flying high in Indonesia |author=Horatio Bobby Willie |publisher=Liberian Soccer |date=14 August 2007 |accessdate=10 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125021839/http://liberiansoccer.com/Liberian_players_flying-high_in_Indonesia200071243331.htm |archivedate=25 November 2010  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.francefootball.fr/news/Dis-moi-pas-que-c-est-pas-wreh/543578 |title=Dis-moi pas que c'est pas Wreh |language=French |trans-title=Don't tell me it isn't true |first=Thomas |last=Simon |website=France Football |date=17 March 2015 |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref>

==International career==
Wreh made his debut for [[Liberia national football team|Liberia]] in 1995, and went on to win 36 caps for his country, scoring 11 goals.<ref name=Heroes>{{cite web |url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/arsenal-fc/christopher-wreh-5605/premiership-appearances_a19143/ |title=Christopher Wreh |website=Sporting-Heroes.net |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Wreh was appointed head coach of the [[Liberia national under-20 football team|Liberian under-20 team]] in late 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30176429 |title=New Liberia coach James Debbah promises discipline |first=Hassan |last=Kaiwu |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 November 2014 |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=10/news=liberia-hoping-for-repeat-of-history-2709851.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009160414/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=10/news=liberia-hoping-for-repeat-of-history-2709851.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 October 2015 |title=Liberia hoping for repeat of history |publisher=FIFA |date=8 October 2015 |accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/sports/25-football/6065-legal-action-awaits-liberia-fa-for-illegal-suspension |title=Legal action awaits Liberia FA over illegal suspension |first=Christopher C. |last=Walker |website=Front Page Africa |date=13 November 2017 |accessdate=14 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114184616/https://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/sports/25-football/6065-legal-action-awaits-liberia-fa-for-illegal-suspension |archive-date=14 January 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In September 2019 he became assistant coach to the senior national team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49545823|title=Christopher Wreh: Former Arsenal star named as Liberia assistant coach|date=1 September 2019|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=6 December 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Wreh's son, [[Chris Wreh|Chris]], is also a footballer and currently plays for [[Maidenhead United]] in the English [[National League (English football)|National League]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 July 2024 |title=Chris Wreh Signs On |url=https://www.tamworthfc.co.uk/tfc-news/20240723-chris-wreh-signs-on |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.tamworthfc.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Guingamp'''
*[[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]: 1996<ref>{{cite web 
|url=https://www.eaguingamp.com/saison-96-97/
|title=Saison 1996-1997 D1
|website=eaguingamp.com
|accessdate=30 September 2019}}</ref>
*[[Coupe de France]] runner-up: [[1996–97 Coupe de France|1996–97]]<ref name=CdF/>

'''Arsenal'''
*[[Premier League]]: [[1997–98 FA Premier League|1997–98]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/1305/Christopher-Wreh/overview |title=Christopher Wreh: Overview |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=18 April 2018}}</ref>
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1998 FA Cup Final|1997–98]]
*[[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1998 FA Charity Shield|1998]], [[1999 FA Charity Shield|1999]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Soccerbase}}

{{Liberia Squad 1996 Africa Cup of Nations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wreh, Christopher}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Liberian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Liberia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:AEK Athens F.C. players]]
[[Category:AS Monaco FC players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Iran]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:En Avant Guingamp players]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. players]]
[[Category:Birmingham City F.C. players]]
[[Category:AFC Bournemouth players]]
[[Category:St Mirren F.C. players]]
[[Category:Al Hilal SFC players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Greece]]
[[Category:Persepolis F.C. players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Monrovia]]
[[Category:FC Den Bosch players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Bishop's Stortford F.C. players]]
[[Category:1996 African Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Buckingham Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Saudi Pro League players]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in Greece]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in Scotland]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in Iran]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Association football coaches]]
[[Category:Liberian expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia]]
[[Category:United Counties League players]]