Brian Saah

Brian Ebo Saah (born 16 December 1986) is an English is a former professional footballer, who is currently an academy coach for Football League Two side Leyton Orient.

Brian Saah

Saah playing for Dagenham & Redbridge in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Brian Ebo Saah[1]
Date of birth	16 December 1986[1]
Place of birth	Hornchurch, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Position(s)	Defender
Club information
Current team	Leyton Orient (academy coach)
Youth career
0000–2003	Leyton Orient
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2009	Leyton Orient	93	(1)
2009–2011	Cambridge United	73	(6)
2011–2013	Torquay United	78	(2)
2013–2015	Dagenham & Redbridge	66	(0)
2015	→ Woking (loan)	8	(0)
2015–2017	Woking	80	(3)
Total		398	(12)
National team^‡
2010	England C	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:20, 2 May 2017 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:20, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

Club career

Leyton Orient

Saah was born in Hornchurch, London.[1] He started his career in the youth system at Leyton Orient, making his debut at the age of sixteen in a 3–0 defeat to Huddersfield Town in September 2003.[2] He scored his first goal for the club in a Football League Trophy tie against future club Woking on 28 September 2004.[3] Despite starting as a central midfielder, Saah was converted to a central defender and won praise for his displays deputising for first team regulars John Mackie and Gabriel Zakuani during the 2005–06 promotion season to League One.[4] At the end of the season he was rewarded with his first professional contract.[5]

He began to establish himself in the team and become a first team regular during the 2006–07 season, and was rewarded with a new two-year contract in March 2007.[6] There was also speculation that Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur had offered £2 million for the defender, after scouts had been sent to see him action.[7] However, Orient manager Martin Ling rubbished the story saying the offer would have been accepted, but still claimed that Saah was the best defender outside the Championship.[7] He scored his first league goal in a 3–1 loss at Bournemouth on 26 December 2007.[8] Saah featured quite frequently over the next two seasons but was released at the end of his contract in May 2009, after making a total of 110 appearances scoring twice.[2]

Cambridge United

Following his release from Orient, he spent time in pre-season at Southend United and Tranmere Rovers on trial, featuring in friendlies against Dagenham & Redbridge and Shrewsbury Town.[9][10] In August 2009, Saah dropped into the non-league game, re-uniting with former Orient boss Martin Ling at Conference Premier team Cambridge United.[11] He started in all of the U's first seventeen league games, scoring twice before a double hernia operation in November kept him out of action for six weeks.[12] In May 2010, he signed a new two-year contract extension after in impressive first season where he made 33 league appearances and came runner-up in the Internet Player of the Year awards.[13] He was also made club captain, taking some off-field responsibilities away from team captain Paul Carden.[14] In January 2011, Saah found himself playing in a defensive midfield role which coincided with two back-to-back away victories.[15] In total, Saah made eighty appearances for Cambridge scoring eight times.

Torquay United

In July 2011, Saah signed for League Two club Torquay United reuniting again with Martin Ling, despite him having a year to run on his Cambridge contract. The club didn't want him to leave, but he didn't fit into the new wage structure that the club adopted as they had to slash the playing budget by twenty-five per cent.[16][15] He was made club captain in his first season at the club as the Gulls missed out on promotion via the play-offs with defeat to Cheltenham Town.[17] Saah again remained a first team regular with Torquay during his second season with the club making 46 appearances, but rejected the offer of a new contract and chose to leave the Gulls in the summer of 2013.[18] He stated that he wanted to find a club nearer his family home in London as his son was starting school.[18] He left having played a total of 86 games, scoring twice.

Dagenham & Redbridge

In July 2013, he signed for his hometown club Dagenham & Redbridge in League Two on a two-year contract, after impressing in pre-season friendlies.[19] In his first season with the club he forged a strong partnership with Scott Doe as the Daggers finished in the top half narrowly avoiding the play-offs.[20] Featuring 48 times for the club, he was also named as runner-up in the Player of the Year awards.[21] He also scored twice during their Football League Trophy run; once against Colchester United[22] and once against Southend United.[23] He started the 2014–15 season as first choice centre-back continuing his partnership with Scott Doe, but lost his place in the team around Christmas due to the emergence of loan signing Ayo Obileye.[24] In March 2015, he was sent out on loan to Conference Premier club Woking on a 28-day loan in order to help boost their promotion push.[24] The loan deal was extended three weeks later until the end of the season. In May 2015, Saah was released from the club after two seasons, having made 75 appearances and scoring twice.[25]

Woking

On 6 March 2015, Saah joined Conference Premier club Woking on a 28-day loan.[26] On 24 March 2015, Saah made his Woking debut in a 3–2 victory over Torquay United, in which he played the full 90 minutes.[27]

On 1 August 2015, upon his release from Dagenham & Redbridge, Saah re-joined Woking on a permanent deal after his previous successful loan spell at the club.[28] On 12 September 2015, Saah scored his first Woking goal in a 4–4 draw with Guiseley, in which he scored just before the half time break.[29] On 12 December 2015, Saah netted in Woking's FA Trophy triumph over Boreham Wood, in which he got the equalizer before Giuseppe Sole got the winner in the remaining seconds of the fixture.[30]

On 23 June 2016, Saah signed a new one-year deal at Woking, therefore keeping him at the club for the forthcoming season.[31] On the opening day of the 2016–17 campaign, Saah played the full 90 minutes in Woking's 3–1 home defeat to Lincoln City.[32] On 14 January 2017, Saah scored his first goal of the 2016–17 campaign, in Woking's 2–1 away victory against Torquay United. Netting the Cards' second in the 36th minute after teammate, Fabio Saraiva had given the Surrey-based side the lead inside the opening ten minutes.[33] On 23 May 2017, it was announced that Saah would leave Woking upon the expiry of his current deal in June 2017.[34]

Following his release from Woking, Saah decided to retire from professional football in November 2017.[35] He re-joined Leyton Orient as academy coach in July 2019.[36]

International career

In May 2010, Saah was called up to an eighteen-man squad to play for England C for an International Challenge Trophy match against the Republic of Ireland in Waterford.[14] However, he remained an unused substitute in a 2–1 England win.[37] He made his debut for the team in September 2010, playing in a 2–2 draw with the Wales Semi-Pro team, replacing Aden Flint as a substitute.[38]

Career statistics

As of match played 29 April 2017

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Leyton Orient	2003–04[39]	Third Division	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
	2004–05[40]	League Two	12	0	1	0	1	0	3[lower-alpha 1]	1	17	1
	2005–06[41]	League Two	3	0	1	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	5	0
	2006–07[42]	League One	32	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	35	0
	2007–08[43]	League One	25	1	1	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	27	1
	2008–09[44]	League One	15	0	2	0	1	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	20	0
	Total		93	1	7	0	3	0	7	1	110	2
Cambridge United	2009–10[45]	Conference Premier	35	3	3	0	—		3[lower-alpha 2]	0	41	3
	2010–11[46]	Conference Premier	38	3	1	0	—		2[lower-alpha 2]	2	41	5
	Total		73	6	4	0	—		5	2	82	8
Torquay United	2011–12[47]	League Two	35	1	1	0	1	0	3[lower-alpha 3]	0	40	1
	2012–13[48]	League Two	43	1	1	0	1	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	46	1
	Total		78	2	2	0	2	0	4	0	86	2
Dagenham & Redbridge	2013–14[49]	League Two	43	0	1	0	1	0	3[lower-alpha 1]	2	48	2
	2014–15[50]	League Two	23	0	2	0	1	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	27	0
	Total		66	0	3	0	2	0	4	2	75	2
Woking (loan)	2014–15[51]	Conference Premier	8	0	—		—		—		8	0
Woking	2015–16[51]	National League	42	1	0	0	—		3[lower-alpha 2]	1	45	2
	2016–17[51]	National League	38	2	4	0	—		2[lower-alpha 2]	0	44	2
	Total		88	3	4	0	—		5	1	97	4
Career total			398	12	20	0	7	0	25	6	450	18

1. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
2. Appearances in FA Trophy
3. One appearance in Football League Trophy, two in League Two play-offs

References

1. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 365. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
2. "Orient let eight players go". Sky Sports. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
3. "England LDV Vans Trophy 2004/05". rsssf.com. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
4. "Leyton Orient promotion squad 2005/06: Where are they now?". View From the West Stand. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
5. "'O's Will Hold Their Own'-Mackie". Vital Football. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
6. "Saah extends O's stay". Football.co.uk. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
7. "Orient: No Spurs bid for Saah". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
8. "Bournemouth 3–1 Leyton Orient". BBC. 26 December 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
9. "Scannell injury blow for Southend". BBC Sport. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
10. "Tranmere Rovers' John Barnes in defender search". Wirral News. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
11. "Defender Saah signs for United". Cambridge United F.C. 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
12. "Cambridge United's Brian Saah ruled out for six weeks". BBC Sport. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
13. "Saah signs for U's". Cambridge United F.C. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
14. "Defender Saah signs new Cambridge United contract". BBC Sport. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
15. "Brian Saah lays claim to Cambridge United role". BBC Sport. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
16. "'Too costly' U's defender Brian Saah in transfer talks". BBC Sport. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
17. "Torquay United defender Brian Saah's on a Wembley mission". Torquay Herald Express. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
18. "The Saah situation". Torquay Herald Express. 18 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
19. "Defender Signs for the Daggers". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
20. "Daggers squad has the belief to reach League Two play-offs, says Saah". Barking & Dagenham Post. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
21. "Daggers captain Ogogo 'proud' after clean sweep of awards". Barking & Dagenham Post. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
22. "Dag & Red 4–1 Colchester". BBC Sport. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
23. "Southend 2 – 5 Dag & Red". Sky Sports. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
24. "Defender Moves On Loan". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
25. "Dagenham release trio". Sky Sports. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
26. "Brian Saah joins on loan". Woking F.C. 6 March 2015.
27. "Woking vs. Torquay United". Soccerway. Perform Group. 24 March 2015.
28. "Brian Saah signs for the Cards". Woking F.C. 1 August 2015.
29. "Guiseley vs. Woking". Soccerway. Perform Group. 12 September 2015.
30. "Boreham Wood vs. Woking". Soccerway. Perform Group. 12 December 2015.
31. "Brian Saah signs for 2016/17". Woking F.C. 23 June 2016.
32. "Woking vs. Lincoln City". Soccerway. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
33. "Torquay United vs. Woking". Soccerway. 14 January 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
34. "Released Players". Woking Official Site. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
35. "Radio Woking Sport on Twitter". @wokingsport. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
36. "NEWS:Academy Coaching set-up confirmed". Leyton Orient Official Site. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
37. "England C start strongly". The Football Association. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
38. Appleby, Mike (15 September 2010). "Fairclough's food for thought". The Football Association. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
39. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
40. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
41. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
42. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
43. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
44. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
45. Williams, Tony; Wright, James, eds. (2010). Non-League Club Directory 2011. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-1-869833-68-8.
46. Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2011). Non-League Club Directory 2012. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-1-869833-70-1.
47. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
48. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
49. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
50. "Games played by Brian Saah in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
51. "B. Saah". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 2 May 2017.

External links

• Brian Saah profile at the Woking F.C. website
• Brian Saah at Soccerbase