John Fashanu English television presenter, former footballer Date of Birth: 18.09.1962 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of John Fashanu
2. Football Career
3. Later Football Career
4. Championship Victory and Retirement
5. Television Career

Biography of John Fashanu

John Fashanu, an English television presenter and former footballer, was born in Kensington, London. He was born into a Nigerian barrister and Guyanese mother. After his parents divorced, he and his brother Justin were placed in the care of the Barnardo's network. They were later adopted by Alf and Betty Jackson and moved to Shropham, Attleborough, Norfolk.

Football Career

Fashanu began his football career in 1979 with Norwich City and turned professional two years later. During this time, his brother Justin transferred from Carrow Road to Nottingham Forest. Although Norwich City was promoted to the first division in the 1981-1982 season, Fashanu only played in five league matches and scored one goal. He had limited playing time in the following season as well. Fashanu then played on loan for Crystal Palace and even represented Miramar Rangers in New Zealand during the English offseason. He had the unique experience of participating in the finals of both the Chatham Cup in New Zealand and cup games in England, making him the only player to achieve this feat.

Later Football Career

In September 1983, Fashanu joined Lincoln City, who were playing in the third division at the time. He scored seven goals in 26 league matches. In 1984, he moved to Millwall and played a crucial role in the team reaching the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, scoring four goals in 25 games. The following season, Millwall was promoted to the second division, and Fashanu scored eight goals in 25 matches. In March 1986, he transferred to Wimbledon, a club that was rapidly rising through the ranks, and helped the team achieve promotion from the fourth division to the first division. Fashanu scored four goals in nine matches during this promotion. Wimbledon surprised many by outperforming traditional strong teams like Nottingham Forest and Manchester United in the first division. Fashanu ended the season as the team's top scorer with 11 goals.

Championship Victory and Retirement

Fashanu played a vital role in helping Wimbledon secure victory in the English Championship in 1988, defeating Liverpool. This achievement demonstrated the team's remarkable progress. He scored 14 goals during that season. Fashanu's best season with Wimbledon was 1990-1991 when he scored 20 goals. In total, he scored 126 goals in eight years with the team. However, in the 1993-1994 season, Fashanu was involved in a serious altercation with Tottenham Hotspur captain Gary Mabbutt. Mabbutt suffered significant injuries in the incident. Fashanu had a reputation for aggression even before this fight. In August 1994, he was sold to Aston Villa for £1.35 million. However, due to injuries, Fashanu only played in 13 matches during his one season with Aston Villa. He was forced to retire from sports due to his injury.

Television Career

After retiring from football, Fashanu quickly became a well-known television presenter. He hosted various game shows and also worked on serious news projects.