Ian Goodison (born November 21, 1972 in Montego Bay) is a football defender from Jamaica.

[edit] Hull City

Nicknamed 'Pepe', the big Jamaican made his first faray into English football via then Third Division side Hull City, when he was signed along with fellow countryman and good friend Theo Whitmore by Brian Little. The Jamaican impressed during his time at Hull, epitomised by the fact that he was their Player of the Season for the 2000-01 season (his first in English football). Despite his impressive start Little's depature as manager was followed by that of Goodison who returned to Jamaica to play for Seba United.

[edit] Tranmere Rovers

He wasn't out of English football long though, and Goodison joined Tranmere from Seba United on a short term deal midway through the 2003-04 campaign (February 2004) for his second spell in English football, again working alongside his former Hull boss Brian Little. During Little's reign he spent most his time out of position at left back where he looked like a fish out of water. But after an injury to former Tranmere captain Michael Jackson (recently released from Blackpool), Goodison played centreback for the last few games of the 2005-06 season where he impressed with a series of man-of-the-match performances.

After Little's departure at the end of the 2005-06 season, Goodison briefly left the club when his contract was not renewed, before being re-signed under current manager Ronnie Moore. Since then he has become possibly the most important player in the team - without him Tranmere struggle to win. Under Moore he has been made club captain (a role he played for Jamaica in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where he led them to their first ever World Cup victory over Japan), won player of the year in the 2006-07 season and 2007-08 season, been named best player in the Northwest three years running (2006-09) and earned himself a new two-and-a-half year contract in November 2006. He is regarded by many fans as one of Tranmere's greatest ever defenders. He recently signed a new 2 year contract with the club which will run out in 2011.

[edit] International career

He made his debut for the Jamaica national football team in a March 1996 friendly match against Guatemala and immediately scored his first international goal. As of November 2008 he has collected a country all-time record of 113 caps and scored 9 goals.^[1] 45 of those games were in World Cup qualification and in the 1998 tournament.^[2]

[edit] Personal life

His girlfriend gave birth to their first child in November 2008, a boy named Lesvaldo.

[edit] External links

• Player profile - Tranmere Rovers
• Player profile - ReggaeBoyz
• Player profile - ReggaeBoyz Supporters Club
• Ian Goodison & Theo Whitmore - Hull City
• Ian Goodison career stats at Soccerbase
• Career stats - National Football Teams

[edit] References

v • d • e Jamaica squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Barrett • 2 Malcolm • 3 Dawes • 4 Dixon • 5 Goodison • 6 Simpson • 7 Cargill • 8 Gayle • 9 Williams • 10 Boyd • 11 Whitmore • 12 Sewell • 13 Lawrence • 14 Ricketts • 15 Gardner • 16 Earle • 17 Lowe • 18 Burton • 19 Sinclair • 20 Powell • 21 Brown • 22 Hall • Coach: Simões

v • d • e Jamaica squad – 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Ricketts • 2 Vernon • 3 Stewart • 4 Davis • 5 Goodison • 7 Morrison • 8 Campbell-Ryce • 10 Fuller • 11 Shelton • 12 Phillips • 13 Kerr • 14 Marshall • 15 Gardner • 16 Johnson • 17 Austin • 18 Wolfe • 19 Addlery • 20 Thompson • 21 Miller • 22 Cummings • 23 Richards • 24 Thomas • Coach: Whitmore