 Yorke in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dwight Eversley Yorke[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-11-03)3 November 1971 (age 54)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Canaan,[1] Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1989 | Signal Hill Comprehensive School | ||
| 1989–1990 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1998 | Aston Villa | 231 | (74) |
| 1998–2002 | Manchester United | 96 | (48) |
| 2002–2004 | Blackburn Rovers | 60 | (12) |
| 2004–2005 | Birmingham City | 13 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | Sydney FC | 22 | (7) |
| 2006–2009 | Sunderland | 59 | (6) |
| Total | 481 | (149) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–2009 | Trinidad and Tobago | 72 | (19) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Macarthur FC | ||
| 2024– | Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Dwight Eversley YorkeCM (born 3 November 1971) is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian professionalfootball coach and former player who is the head coach ofTrinidad and Tobago. Throughout his club career, he played forAston Villa,Manchester United,Blackburn Rovers,Birmingham City,Sydney FC andSunderland, mainly as aforward, between 1989 and 2009. Yorke formed a prolific strike partnership withAndy Cole at Manchester United, where he won numerous honours including severalPremier League titles and the Treble of the Premier League,FA Cup andUEFA Champions League in1999. Yorke scored 123 goals in the Premier League, a record for a non-European which was not broken untilSergio Agüero in 2017.[3]
At international level, Yorke representedTrinidad and Tobago on 74 occasions between 1989 and 2009, scoring 19 goals. He helped his nation reach the semi-finals of the2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and later qualify for theFIFA World Cup for the first time in its history, representing his country in the2006 tournament. After retiring from playing in 2009, Yorke became assistant manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national team, a position he held until the completion of thequalifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As a manager, he won theAustralia Cup forMacarthur FC in2022, and qualified Trinidad and Tobago to the2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Yorke was first discovered byGraham Taylor, at the time theAston Villa manager, on a tour of the West Indies in 1989. Yorke, aged 17, appeared in a team that played afriendly against Aston Villa. Taylor was impressed and offered Yorke a trial at Villa. Yorke was subsequently given a permanent contract and played for the Villa Reserve and Youth sides for the majority of the 1989–90 season, making hisFirst Division debut for Aston Villa against Crystal Palace on 24 March 1990: Crystal Palace won the game 1–0. During his time with Aston Villa, from 1989 to 1998, Yorke played initially as a right winger until the1995–96 season, he then switched tocentre forward and established himself as one of thePremier League's top strikers.[citation needed]
Yorke was an integral member of the Villa team that reached theLeague Cup Final in 1996. Villa won 3–0 againstLeeds United with Yorke getting on the scoresheet. On 30 September 1996 he scored a hat-trick againstNewcastle United in a 4–3 defeat. Yorke appeared for Aston Villa on 284 occasions, scoring 97 times.[citation needed]
The circumstances of his departure from Aston Villa were controversial. John Gregory, Aston Villa's manager at that time, made it known that the club did not want to sell Yorke to Manchester United unless they were prepared to exchange strikerAndy Cole. Yorke played for Villa on the opening day of the season atEverton on 15 August 1998, however it appeared he made little effort during the match as he was unhappy at not being allowed to leave the club. Villa were left with no option but to sell the player and he was transferred to Manchester United for £12.6 million on 20 August 1998.[4]
In his first season Yorke was a key player in guiding his club to a unique treble of the Premier League title,FA Cup andUEFA Champions League, and forming a legendary partnership with Andy Cole.[5] Yorke finished the season as the top league goalscorer with 18 goals and contributed goals againstBayern Munich,Barcelona,Inter Milan,[6] andJuventus in the Champions League, and he won thePremier League Player of the Season. Yorke was also a regular member of United's1999–2000 title winning team, contributing 23 goals in all competitions.[citation needed]
Despite a less successful third season, Yorke scored his100th Premier League goal in a 3-0 victory overDerby County on 24 November 2000[7] and also netted ahat-trick in the top of the table clash withArsenal.[8] In January 2002 a move toMiddlesbrough fell through.[9] He played his last game for United that month, and was not issued a squad number for the 2002–03 season.[10] Altogether he scored 65 goals for Manchester United in 152 appearances.[11]
In July 2002, Yorke moved toBlackburn Rovers for an initial £2 million, potentially rising to £2.6 million; United had wanted a fee of £6 million.[10] He was signed to cover the long absence ofMatt Jansen from a traffic accident, and was reunited with his former United strike partner Andy Cole.[10]
Yorke scored 13 goals in all competitions in his first season atEwood Park, including the winner on 26 October 2002 as Rovers won 2–1 at reigning champions Arsenal.[12] The following 4 January on his return toVilla Park, he scored twice in a 4–1 win in the FA Cup third round.[13] On 11 May, in the last game of the season, he opened a 4–0 win atTottenham Hotspur as Blackburn beat Everton to sixth place andUEFA Cup qualification.[14]
On 31 August 2004, transfer deadline day, Yorke moved toBirmingham City on a one-year deal with the option of a second. Instead of a loan toCeltic, he chose to join Birmingham for a "substantial but undisclosed fee".[15] It was later reported as £250,000.[16]
Yorke scored on his home debut for Birmingham in a 1–1 draw againstCharlton Athletic, with the equaliser seven minutes after replacingClinton Morrison.[17] He scored again against Graeme Souness's Newcastle on 3 October.[18] However, Yorke fell out of favour atSt Andrew's and was released by mutual consent in April 2005.[16]
Yorke immediately signed forSydney FC,[19] with a salary of $1 million a season. He scored the first goal for Sydney FC in its first A-League regular season match, a diving header against theMelbourne Victory. Yorke came to Sydney FC with the biggest pedigree of all players in the A-League, having won thetreble with Manchester United. Yorke scored 7 goals in the A-League, with three of them being frompenalty kicks. Sydney FC coachPierre Littbarski moved Yorke into a midfield role and gave him the team captaincy.[citation needed]
He played a major role in leading Sydney FC to victory in the inaugural A-League Grand Final on 5 March against regional rivalsCentral Coast Mariners. He set up the only goal, scored bySteve Corica, in front of a sell out crowd of over 41,000 at theSydney Football Stadium, and was awarded theJoe Marston Medal as best player in the grand final. Yorke was themarquee player for Sydney FC – meaning that his salary fell outside the salary cap. He was also a star name for the A-League as a whole. Aside from his footballing talents, the drawing power and credibility he brought both locally and internationally proved to be beneficial for the competition in its inaugural season, leading theFootball Federation Australia to use his image and name for the promotion of the A-League's second season.[citation needed]
Due to the schedule of football in Australia, Yorke returned to Manchester United for training from March to June 2006, to retain fitness for the World Cup.[20]
Yorke returned to Sydney FC to take part in a friendly against Everton in 2010. The game was considered his 'farewell game' as he never had the chance to say a proper farewell to the fans at Sydney FC. Everton won the match 1–0, and Yorke was substituted midway through the second half.[21]
On 31 August 2006, Yorke's transfer toSunderland was announced.[22] The transfer for a fee of £200,000 (A$ $500,000) re-united Yorke with ex-teammateRoy Keane, manager of Sunderland. Yorke made his debut in the home match against Leicester City and received a rapturous standing ovation from home fans when he came on as a substitute in the first half. Yorke was used as a defensive midfielder rather than his usual striker role.[23] He scored his first goal for Sunderland in the 2–1 loss against Stoke.
On 2 January 2008, during Sunderland's 1–0 defeat to Blackburn, Yorke was given a red card by referee Rob Styles. Yorke stated several times he would like to return to theA-League, preferably Sydney FC. However, following Sydney FC's signings at the time it seemed unlikely that Sydney would have been able to fit him under the salary cap. It was reported that Yorke play for rivals Central Coast Mariners, the team bankrolled by the man who brought him to Sydney, Peter Turnbull.[24]
On 11 March 2008, it was announced that the Mariners were in "advanced negotiations" with Yorke to become the marquee for two years.[25] However, on 1 July he signed a new one-year contract to stay with Sunderland for the 2008–09 season.[26] He was namedman of the match for his performance[27] against Arsenal on 4 October 2008, with Sunderland drawing 1–1 at home. Following Keane's departure in December 2008, Yorke andNeil Bailey were named as assistants toRicky Sbragia.[28] Yorke was released at the end of the 2008–09 season.[29]
Yorke has completed his Level B coaching badge, and in 2010 was quoted as being interested in pursuing a career in coaching, ideally with Aston Villa.[30] On 17 April 2011 he completed theLondon Marathon in a time of 3 hours and 32 minutes.[31] On 14 August 2011, Yorke signed a two-year deal to work forSky Sports as a pundit.[32]
Yorke wascapped 72 times for theTrinidad and Tobago national team, scoring 19 goals. Along with his friendRussell Latapy, Yorke was a member of the 1989 'Strike Squad', the national team which narrowly failed to qualify for the1990 FIFA World Cup.[33] He retired from international football in 2001 after a disagreement with coachRené Simões, who cut Yorke andRussell Latapy from the squad prior to a decisive game of the2002 World Cup qualification, as both missed practice following a night partying.[34] However he returned to the team for the2006 World Cup qualification campaign, in which the team qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in their history after a 2–1 aggregate qualifying victory overBahrain.[35]
Yorke was captain for all of Trinidad and Tobago's games at the2006 World Cup and was man of the match in the 0–0 draw againstSweden, pipping his close friendShaka Hislop to the honour despite the thenWest Ham goalkeeper making several world-class saves. He was one of six players in the Trinidad squad (the others beingBrent Sancho,Dennis Lawrence,Chris Birchall,Carlos Edwards andStern John) to have played every minute of the campaign. Yorke was rated the best defensive midfielder in the opening stages of the World Cup.[36]
Yorke announced his retirement from international football in March 2007, choosing to focus on his club career at Sunderland.[37] He captained the side in Germany, and up until his retirement. However, he made a guest return appearance for a friendly againstEngland in June 2008 after being invited byFIFA vice-president Jack Warner.[38] On 10 July 2008, theTTFF announced Yorke's return to the national team for the2010 World Cup qualification campaign.[39]
On 15 October 2008, he scored his first international goal after returning from retirement against theUnited States in a 2010 World Cup qualification match. The game ended 2–1 for Trinidad and Tobago. His goal was a crucial tie-breaker scored in the 79th minute, which put Trinidad and Tobago in a great situation to advance to the next qualifying stage, needing only a tie against Cuba in their final game. On 11 February 2009, Yorke scored a 26th-minute penalty for his country, but was sent off in the dying seconds of Trinidad and Tobago's opening match of 2010 World Cup qualification againstEl Salvador (2–2) after exchanging heated remarks with Mexican refereeMarco Antonio Rodríguez (the Trini star had voiced his disapproval of the disruptions caused by the home crowd) and was consequently banned for four games due to his use of abusive language. The suspension was later reduced to two matches.[40]
After being released from Sunderland and being unable to find a club before the end of the currenttransfer window, Yorke retired from football altogether in September 2009, and took up the post of assistant manager with the Trinidad and Tobago national team.[41]
On 21 April 2019, Yorke was interviewed for the vacant role atNational League sideSutton United. However, the club appointedMatt Gray instead.[42]
Aston Villa appointedSteven Gerrard as their new manager on 12 November 2021. Yorke said he was disappointed not to be hired, and that he had applied three times.[43]
On 21 April 2022 it was reported that Yorke was being considered for the vacant manager's position atPerth Glory in the AustralianA-League Men.[44] He managed theA-Leagues All Stars in their 3–2 loss againstFC Barcelona on 25 May.[45]
On 1 July 2022, Yorke became the new manager ofA-League Men sideMacarthur FC, replacingAnte Milicic to become the club’s second manager. He signed a two-year deal[46] Three months later, he led the club towards its first trophy after winning the2022 Australia Cup Final againstSydney United 58 FC.[47]
Yorke left the Bulls on 21 January 2023, the day after a 1–0 loss toAdelaide United. His team were in 6th at the halfway point of the season, within the placing for the finals series.[48]
On 1 November 2024, Yorke became the new manager of theTrinidad and Tobago national team, succeedingAngus Eve.[49] His debut on 17 December was a 3–1 friendly loss away toSaudi Arabia.[50] In March, his team overcameCuba 6–1 on aggregate to make the2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[51] At the finals in the United States in June, his team exited in the group stage with a 5–0 loss to the hosts and draws withHaiti and Saudi Arabia.[52] In November 2025, Yorke's side were eliminated from2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, having drawn at home toJamaica in the last fixture.[53]
Yorke grew up as aTottenham Hotspur fan and his first jersey was a white Tottenham Hotspur shirt.[54]
Yorke had a brief relationship with former model turned writerKatie Price that produced son Harvey, who was born in May 2002. He isautistic and partially blind, and has the genetic disorderPrader–Willi syndrome.[55] In a 2009 interview, Yorke conceded being unfaithful to Price during their relationship, and subsequently playing no role in the upbringing of their son. He has not claimed paternity, despite a paternity test proving he is Harvey's father. He has paid no financial amount regarding Harvey's care and treatment nor visited or contacted his son.[56]
TheDwight Yorke Stadium inBacolet, Tobago, constructed for the2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship, was named in Yorke's honour. Yorke is a cricket fan. One of Yorke's closest friends isBrian Lara. During the1999 Cricket World Cup, Yorke made regular appearances bringing on drinks for theWest Indies cricket team. Yorke's older brother,Clint Yorke, is a former first-class cricketer who has represented theTrinidad and Tobago national cricket team as an opening batsman.[57]
Yorke featured extensively in an episode of Australia'sThe Biggest Loser, which aired on 28 February 2006. The episode involved Yorke coaching the "red team" of contestants while they competed against the "blue team" in a game of football.Mark Rudan, Yorke's Sydney FC teammate, was the manager of the "blue team".[citation needed]
As a member of the squad that competed at the 2006 World Cup, Yorke was awarded theChaconia Medal (Gold Class), the second higheststate decoration of Trinidad and Tobago.[58] He was also made a Sports Ambassador for the country.[citation needed]
Yorke released his autobiography,Born to Score, in 2009.[59]
In December 2018, Yorke avoided bankruptcy by paying a £1.5 million debt toHM Revenue and Customs.[60]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 1989–90 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 32 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 1 | 40 | 17 | ||
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 27 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 7 | |||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 37 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 43 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 35 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | — | — | 48 | 25 | |||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 37 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2[d] | 0 | — | 43 | 20 | ||
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 30 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7[d] | 2 | — | 40 | 16 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 231 | 73 | 24 | 14 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 287 | 98 | ||
| Manchester United | 1998–99 | Premier League | 32 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11[e] | 8 | — | 51 | 29 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 32 | 20 | — | 0 | 0 | 11[e] | 2 | 4[f] | 1 | 47 | 23 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 22 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11[e] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 38 | 12 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Total | 96 | 48 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 152 | 65 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2002–03 | Premier League | 33 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 43 | 13 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2[d] | 0 | — | 27 | 6 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 60 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 74 | 19 | |||
| Birmingham City | 2004–05 | Premier League | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| Sydney FC | 2005–06 | A-League | 21 | 7 | — | — | — | 2[h] | 1 | 23 | 8 | |||
| 2006–07 | A-League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 22 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 24 | 8 | |||||
| Sunderland | 2006–07 | Championship | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 5 | |||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 59 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 62 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 481 | 148 | 42 | 20 | 33 | 14 | 50 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 615 | 198 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1989 | 10 | 2 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 9 | 8 | |
| 2001 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 72 | 19 | |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Macarthur FC |  | 1 July 2022 | 21 January 2023 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 052.63 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |  | 11 November 2024 | Present | 18 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 022.22 |
| Total | 37 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 63 | 48 | +15 | 037.84 | |||
Aston Villa
Manchester United
Sydney FC
Sunderland
Trinidad and Tobago
Individual
Macarthur FC
Trinidad and Tobago squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
