 Solano withPeru in 2007 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nolberto Albino Solano Todco[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-12-12)12 December 1974 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Callao, Lima, Peru | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Pakistan (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1990 | Alianza Lima | ||
| 1991–1992 | Sporting Cristal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993 | Sporting Cristal | 11 | (1) |
| 1993 | Deportivo Municipal | 27 | (7) |
| 1994–1997 | Sporting Cristal | 97 | (31) |
| 1997–1998 | Boca Juniors | 32 | (5) |
| 1998–2004 | Newcastle United | 172 | (29) |
| 2004–2005 | Aston Villa | 49 | (8) |
| 2005–2007 | Newcastle United | 58 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | West Ham United | 23 | (4) |
| 2008 | AEL | 17 | (2) |
| 2009 | Universitario | 32 | (10) |
| 2010 | Leicester City | 13 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Hull City | 11 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Hartlepool United | 14 | (2) |
| Total | 556 | (107) | |
| International career | |||
| 1994–2009 | Peru | 95 | (20) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012 | Universitario | ||
| 2013 | José Gálvez | ||
| 2014 | Internacional de Toronto | ||
| 2015–2022 | Peru (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2020 | Peru Olympic | ||
| 2023 | AFC Eskilstuna | ||
| 2024 | Blyth Spartans | ||
| 2024 | San Marcos | ||
| 2024–2025 | Santos de Nasca | ||
| 2025 | Pakistan U23 | ||
| 2025– | Pakistan | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nolberto Albino Solano Todco (born 12 December 1974) is a Peruvian football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of thePakistan national team.
Solano spent much of his career in thePremier League, primarily withNewcastle United, and also withAston Villa andWest Ham United. He became the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League, and appear in theFA Cup final. He is considered a cult hero at the Tyneside club, and was also noted for histrumpet playing and formed his ownsalsa band named The Geordie Latinos.[2] He has described himself as an "adoptedGeordie."[3]
Solano is a popular figure in his native Peru, where he is seen as one of the most famous Peruvians, appearing on telephone cards and having his wedding televised live.[4][5] He played 95 times for the national team between 1994 and 2009, including at theCopa América of1995,1999 and2004 and the2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Towards the end of his career, he went into coaching, and was first team coach at non-league sideNewcastle Benfield, while contracted toHartlepool United. He had short spells atUniversitario andJosé Gálvez, and was manager ofInternacional de Toronto for a few matches, before the club had its licensing agreement terminated. From 2015 to 2022, Solano was involved within the national team setup, as assistant manager toRicardo Gareca and manager of the Olympic football team. In 2023, he briefly ledAFC Eskilstuna in the SwedishSuperettan, before another brief term as manager ofBlyth Spartans in 2024.
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Solano signed his first professional contract with thePeruvian Primera División sideSporting Cristal in 1992 at the age of 17. He made his league debut on 13 April 1992 in his team's 2–0 win againstSan Agustín. Towards the end of his first season at Sporting Cristal, he signed a one-year contract withDeportivo Municipal, before returning to Cristal at the end of 1993. He was part of the Sporting Cristal squad of the 1990s during which the club won the Peru Primera División Championships (1994, 1995 and 1996) and reached the finals of the 1997Copa Libertadores. Along withRoberto Palacios,Flavio Maestri,Julinho andJorge Soto, he was one of Sporting Cristal's most recognized players of the era.
In 1997, aged 22, he signed for Argentinian sideBoca Juniors where he became a teammate ofDiego Maradona, who nicknamed Solano the 'Maestrito'.[3] Solano said in 2004 that he would like to play for Boca Juniors again, but admitted he was perhaps too old for the ambition to be realized.[6]
In June 1998, Solano was close to a £3.75 million transfer toArsenal with a £16,000 weekly wage.[7] In August, he signed forNewcastle United for £2.5 million, as one ofKenny Dalglish's final signings for the club.[8]
Solano's first team debut for Newcastle came in a Premier League match againstChelsea on 22 August 1998, when he came on after 67 minutes as a substitute for goalscorerAndreas Andersson in a 1–1 away draw.[9] His first of six goals that season equalised in a 3–1 home win overWimbledon on 28 November,[10] and the last one was the decider in a 4–3 victory atDerby County on 3 April 1999.[11] On 22 May, he started in the1999 FA Cup final, which his team lost 2–0 toManchester United atWembley.[12]
On 2 January 2001, Solano scored the first goal of a 4–2 loss atTottenham Hotspur, but was sent off nine minutes later for handling the ball on the goal line;Darren Anderton missed the resulting penalty.[13] He was given a red card again on 14 April in a loss atIpswich Town for the same offence, conceding a penalty from whichMarcus Stewart scored the only goal.[14]
In June 2001, he signed a new five-year contract with the club.[15] A month later he scored what he later described as "the best goal of [his] career" with a solo effort against1860 München.[16] On 22 December, he scored the last-minute winner in a 4–3 comeback win atLeeds United, putting Newcastle in first place at the hosts' expense.[17]
On 26 April 2003, Solano's penalty was the only goal of theTyne–Wear derby away toSunderland. He took the spot kick due toAlan Shearer's injury earlier in the game.[18] Six months later in another local derby away toMiddlesbrough, he was not named in the starting line-up or on the substitutes' bench, prompting him to drive home.[19]
Solano joinedAston Villa in January 2004 for a fee of £1.5 million and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club.[20] He attributed his leaving Newcastle to a "strained relationship" with managerBobby Robson.[21] He made his debut in a 5–0 win overLeicester City on 31 January,[22] and was sent off on 24 April in a 2–1 win at Middlesbrough for slappingGeorge Boateng.[23]
On 22 September 2004, Solano scored his first goal for Villa from a free kick in a 3–1 home win overQueens Park Rangers in the second round of theFootball League Cup, having earlier assisted a goal byJuan Pablo Ángel.[24] A first league goal followed a month later in a 2–0 win againstFulham, also by a free kick atVilla Park.[25] He ended the2004–05 season as top scorer,[26] and was elected the club's Player of the Year by the supporters, his teammates,[27] and the local press.
In what was Solano's last appearance for Villa, on 23 August 2005, he was sent off for strikingPortsmouth'sRichard Hughes in the face in a 1–1 draw atFratton Park.[28] On transfer deadline day, Solano rejected a late offer to joinLiverpool and agreed to return to Newcastle.[29]
Solano returned to Newcastle United on 31 August 2005 for a fee believed by the BBC to be £1.5 million. He signed a contract originally for two years, but with the option for Newcastle to extend it for another year.MidfielderJames Milner went in the other direction, joining Aston Villa on a season-long loan.[30] Solano revealed thatAlan Shearer had played an influential role in arranging his return.[31]
The first game of Solano's second spell was a 3–2 home derby win over Sunderland on 23 October.[32][33] The first goal of the spell, on his 31st birthday on 10 December, decided the game against Arsenal atSt James' Park.[34]
In the 2006–07 season, injuries to right-backStephen Carr and others caused managerGlenn Roeder to play Solano at right-back instead of his usual right-wing position. However it was not an unfamiliar playing position to Solano, as he had started his football career in defence and had featured at right-back for his country. With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, Solano said he would be "crazy" to move on at the age of 32,[35] and duly signed a new one-year contract. However a few months later, he asked to leave the club to be closer to his family, who had moved to London.[36] His one regret was that he had been unable to help the club win a trophy for the fans.[37]
Solano signed a one-year contract withWest Ham United in August 2007.[38] He made his debut for West Ham in October 2007, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 3–1 home win againstSunderland, and was instrumental in West Ham's second goal, his shot being deflected into the Sunderland goal by goalkeeper,Craig Gordon.[39] His first goal for West Ham was a free-kick and the fifth goal in West Ham's 5–0 away win againstDerby County on 10 November 2007.[40] In the last game of the season on 11 May 2008 Solano scored his second free-kick goal, against Aston Villa, the match ended 2–2. He was released by West Ham when his contract expired at the end of the2007–08 season having scored four goals in 23 appearances.[41]
Although Solano was rumoured to be interestingLA Galaxy,[42] he became "one of the biggest signings in the club’s history" when he signed forSuper League Greece clubAEL in August 2008.[43]
He then returned to Peru withUniversitario forits 2009 season, for whom he scored a crucial penalty againstAlianza Lima in the play-off for the Peruvian Primera División title,[44] helping the team to a 2–0 aggregate victory to seal the club's 25th league title and win the national championship.[45]
Solano returned to England, where he trained withColchester United[46] and with Newcastle,[47] before, on 22 January 2010, signing forLeicester City until the end of the season. He was reunited withNigel Pearson, who had been assistant manager at Newcastle.[48] He made his debut as an 84th-minute substitute in a goalless draw against Newcastle at theWalkers Stadium on 30 January.[49] Solano played eleven league games, scoring in a 4–3 penalty shootout defeat toCardiff City in theChampionship play-off semi-final second leg.[50] He was offered a contract for a further six months, but chose to leave the club,[51] preferring to follow Pearson toHull City.[52]
Solano rejoined Pearson, who had recently taken over the manager's job at Hull City, signing a one-year deal.[53] Despite initial expectations that Solano would be with Hull City for only a single season before retiring, Solano revealed in April 2011, that he hoped that he would be able to extend his stay with the Tigers beyond the 2010–11 season, by combining a playing and coaching role, asNick Barmby had done.[54]
On 13 May 2011, Solano signed forHartlepool United, having previously worked with their managerMick Wadsworth at Newcastle.[55]
On 2 August, Solano scored in a friendly againstSunderland,[56] rivals of his former club Newcastle United, and scored his first league goal for Hartlepool on 17 September at home againstBury.[57] The following week, Solano scored their first goal direct from a free-kick in a 2–1 away win atAFC Bournemouth.[58] Following Wadsworth's sacking, his successor, first-team coachNeale Cooper, confirmed that Solano was not part of his plans, because he needed "players who will really graft, [and] that's not Nobby's game".[59] In April 2012, the club confirmed Solano had been advised not to play for the remainder of the season because of recurring illness.[60]
In February 2012, Solano became first-team coach atNorthern League sideNewcastle Benfield while remaining a member of Hartlepool's playing squad.[61]
Solano earned 95 caps and scored 20 goals forPeru. His debut on 3 May 1994 was a 1–0 win over neighboursColombia at theMiami Orange Bowl, and his first goal on 25 June 1995 was the only one of a friendly win over visitorsSlovakia. He played at theCopa América in1995 and1999, scoring in a 3–3 quarter-final draw withMexico and the subsequent penalty shootout defeat in the latter, as well as featuring at the2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[62][63]
At the2004 Copa América on home soil, Solano scored in group games againstVenezuela (win) and Colombia (draw) in a run to the quarter-finals.[64][65] He said in June 2005 that his international career was over,[66] but returned in September 2007.[67] He announced his international retirement in October 2009 with the team having not qualified for the2010 FIFA World Cup, and said that he wanted to be a manager so he could finally take Peru to a World Cup.[68]
Solano took the first step into coaching as the part-time first-team coach ofNewcastle Benfield in 2012.[61]
In June 2012, he was confirmed as manager ofPeruvian Primera División clubUniversitario.[69] On 12 December, Universitario confirmed that Solano had left the club, despite the fact he guided the club into the top half of the table after being in the relegation zone when he first took charge.[70]
From three months from 23 April 2013, Solano was manager ofJosé Gálvez of the same league. The team slipped from penultimate to last place in his brief spell.[71][72]
In May 2014, Solano became the head coach of Canadian clubInternacional de Toronto inLeague1 Ontario.[73] However, on 22 July, the club had its licensing agreement terminated[74] due to issues regarding the payment of player salaries, ending his tenure.[75]
In May 2015, Solano was hired as a technical assistant toRicardo Gareca on the Peru national team.[76][77] He also led theU-23 team.[78] The team qualified for the2018 FIFA World Cup, their first for 36 years, but after a playoff defeat toAustralia on penalties in June 2022 denied them a second consecutive appearance, the entire coaching staff departed.[79]
Solano was hired byAFC Eskilstuna, second-last in the Swedish second-tierSuperettan, on 14 July 2023.[80] He was dismissed on 10 October, with the team unmoved in the table.[81]
On 3 May 2024, Solano returned to north–eastern England, when he was appointed as manager ofBlyth Spartans on a one-year contract. The team had dismissedJon Shaw after relegation from theNational League North.[82] He would work withSteve Howard, its sporting director.[83] On 27 August 2024, Solano was sacked by Blyth Spartans following a winless start to the campaign in theNorthern Premier League with his final game being a 4–1 loss toMorpeth Town.[84][85][86] Solano said he was "very disappointed" noting that he had only ten players available to prepare during the pre-season.[85]
On 21 July 2025, Solano was appointed head coach of thePakistan national under-23 team ahead of the2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. He was concurrently appointed as the head coach of the seniorPakistan national team.[87][88][89][90]
Solano is an ambassador forBetsson in Latin America.[76][91]
Solano qualified for a temporarywork permit in the United Kingdom when he signed for Newcastle, as he was an international regular for Peru. He later obtained aGreek passport through an ancestor, to bypass the need for a work permit as a citizen of the European Union. In 2001, the police and the Football Association investigated Solano's Greek passport as potentially fake. After a four-year investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.[92][93]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Sporting Cristal | 1992 | Liga 1 | 4 | 0 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 1993 | Liga 1 | 11 | 1 | ? | ? | – | – | 11 | 1 | |||
| Total | 15 | 1 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |||
| Deportivo Municipal | 1993 | Liga 1 | 27 | 7 | ? | ? | – | – | 27 | 7 | ||
| Sporting Cristal | 1994 | Liga 1 | 35 | 18 | ? | ? | – | – | 35 | 18 | ||
| 1995 | Liga 1 | 38 | 12 | ? | ? | – | 10 | 0 | 48 | 12 | ||
| 1996 | Liga 1 | 26 | 13 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 2 | 34 | 15 | ||
| 1997 | Liga 1 | 11 | 7 | ? | ? | – | 8 | 1 | 19 | 8 | ||
| Total | 110 | 50 | ? | ? | – | 26 | 3 | 136 | 53 | |||
| Boca Juniors | 1997–98 | Argentine Primera División | 32 | 5 | ? | ? | – | ? | ? | 32 | 5 | |
| Newcastle United | 1998–99 | Premier League | 29 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 6 |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 40 | 4 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 33 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 38 | 7 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 37 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 52 | 12 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 31 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 45 | 8 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 172 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 233 | 38 | ||
| Aston Villa | 2003–04 | Premier League | 10 | 0 | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 39 | 9 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 49 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 9 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2005–06 | Premier League | 29 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 35 | 6 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 44 | 4 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 58 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 81 | 10 | ||
| West Ham United | 2007–08 | Premier League | 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 | 4 | |
| AEL | 2008–09 | Super League Greece | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 14 | 1 | ||
| Universitario | 2009 | Liga 1 | 26 | 8 | – | 6 | 2 | 32 | 10 | |||
| Leicester City | 2009–10 | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |
| Hull City | 2010–11 | Championship | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |
| Hartlepool United | 2011–12 | League One | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 16 | 2 | |
| Career total | 524 | 105 | 29 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 81 | 12 | 656 | 114 | ||
Sporting Cristal
Newcastle United
Universitario de Deportes
Peru
Individual
Peru squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
