1. Ricky Hill was born on 5 March 1959 and is an English football coach and a former player who is the manager of the Turks and Caicos Islands national team.
23 Facts About Ricky Hill
1. 2.
Ricky Hill spent most of his playing career at Luton Town for 14 years, while representing England at Senior, U21 and U18 International levels.
3.
Ricky Hill was born on 5 March 1959 of mixed ancestry.
4.
Ricky Hill's father Joseph, one of 11 children, eventually moved to London where he married Ricky Hill's mother Doris, a Jamaican whom Joseph had previously attended school alongside in Jamaica.
5.
Ricky Hill grew up in the London Borough of Brent, in Cricklewood - not far from Wembley Stadium.
6.
At 15, Ricky Hill signed schoolboy forms with Luton Town in 1974 after being scouted playing for John Kelly Boys at a game in Hitchin where Luton coaches Roy McCrohan, David Pleat, and Danny Bergara were in attendance.
7.
Ricky Hill joined Luton Town in 1975, and made 506 League and Cup appearances, scoring 54 goals in the process from 1976 to 1989.
8.
Ricky Hill missed out on the 1983 Australia tour due to an injury that required surgery.
9.
Ricky Hill was the fourth Black player to play for England's senior National team and the first British South Asian to represent England at the senior level.
10.
Ricky Hill was capped three times in total for England, with his last appearance being against Egypt on 29 January 1986.
11.
In 1989, Ricky Hill moved on a free transfer to Le Havre in the French Second Division, where he was recommended to the club by Gerard Houllier, former Manager of the France national team, Paris St Germain, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.
12.
In 1990, Ricky Hill transferred to Leicester City, rejoining David Pleat for a brief spell who had been his manager at Luton Town previously.
13.
In 1993, Ricky Hill played for Chertsey Town in the UK with former professionals including Kenny Sansom, Francis Joseph and Terry Rowe.
14.
In 1992, Ricky Hill was introduced to Rodney Marsh, then CEO of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who were part of the American Professional Soccer League, the only professional soccer league in the US at the time.
15.
That season saw the Rowdies appear in both the League Championship final and the Professional Cup final, in addition to Ricky Hill being awarded 'Coach of the Year' amongst other notable player accolades such as Best Passer, All-Star First Team, Second Best Technical Player as voted by press correspondents.
16.
Whilst at Sheffield Wednesday, Ricky Hill collaborated in 1998 with the American MLS Project-40 program, an elite National soccer development program for young MLS players; Project-40 players such as Ubsusuko Abukusumo and Judah Crooks were then invited back to Sheffield Wednesday for an extensive training period under Ricky Hill.
17.
In 2000 Luton Town, then of the English Football League One, approached Ricky Hill to be Manager, which he accepted having spent 14 years there as a player.
18.
San Juan Jabloteh of the Trinidad and Tobago Professional League was Ricky Hill's next coaching opportunity, after taking over from former England and club teammate Terry Fenwick.
19.
San Juan's CFU Championship is the first and only time the club has won this prestigious trophy, where Ricky Hill was again awarded the 'Coach of the Year'.
20.
Ricky Hill moved back to the UK where he was selected and interviewed by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in relation to a Reserve Team post and he made it through to the final two candidates for the position of Manchester United Reserve Team Manager.
21.
Ricky Hill returned to the US in January 2011 to coach the Tampa Bay Rowdies for a second time, arguably the most recognized professional American club outside of the MLS.
22.
Ricky Hill's coaching success with 4 championship appearances in the US at the professional level reinforces his standing as one of the most successful Black coaches in the history of US professional soccer.
23.
Ricky Hill stayed with Luton for 14 years, made 506 League and Cup appearances, and became a club legend.