Questions Wanted - Former Arsenal trainee and current Leyton Orient academy coach Omer Riza

On Monday evening - We're interviewing Omer Riza about his time in the Arsenal academy and his current role at Leyton Orient

Promises to be an interesting chat, let me at you if you have any questions for his career or if you have general questions about Player Development and Academy Football

Non Forum Members can e-mail - fottballpod@v2journal.com

Omer's Wiki
Ömer Kerim Ali Rıza (pronounced [øˈmeɾ ɾɯˈzɑ]; born 8 November 1979) is a former footballer who is now coaching at League Two side Leyton Orient.[6]

Riza represented the Turkish A2 team on one occasion.

Career[edit]
Born in Edmonton, London,[2] of Turkish Cypriot descent,[7] Rıza started his career as a youth with English club Arsenal and made his first team debut on 2 November 1998 against Derby County in the League Cup. He also travelled with the team on away fixtures against Dynamo Kyiv and Panathinaikos as a substitute in the UEFA Champions League. With few first team opportunities at Arsenal, during the 1998–99 season, he went on loan to ADO Den Haag for three months.

In the 1999–2000 season, he moved to West Ham United, but again was unable to break into the first team. He went on loan to Barnet and Cambridge United, and signed a permanent deal with the latter in 2002. During the 2002–03 season he scored 17 goals for United, which prompted a move to Süper Lig side Denizlispor during the 2003 close season. In January 2006, he signed for Trabzonspor. In January 2008 Rıza walked out of the club claiming he had not been paid. The Turkish Football Federation banned him from playing for any club.[8]

In February 2009 Rıza returned to English football with a trial at League Two club Shrewsbury Town, and impressed manager Paul Simpson, but Rıza could not take part in any official matches due to the ban imposed upon him by the TFF. The players legal representatives submitted a case to football's World governing body FIFA in early April 2009, from which a Swiss judge over-ruled the TFF decision, on 17 April, that Rıza shall be allowed to compete in English football. Rıza made his debut for Shrewsbury Town as a second-half substitute against Rotherham United the following day. The case with the club and TFF continues, with the player and his legal team awaiting for FIFA to make a decision on the restriction.[9]

On 22 January 2010, he left Shrewsbury Town after struggling to break into the first team during the first half of the season, with Riza and the club coming to an agreement regarding paying off the rest of his contract. On 25 February he joined Aldershot Town until the end of the season.[10] Following the appointment of David Livermore as manager at Histon,[11] Riza joined Histon on a non-contract basis and made his debut against Kettering Town in a Conference National fixture on 28 August. He scored his first goal for Histon when he scored a penalty in their league match against Hayes & Yeading United, which turned out to be the winning goal.[12] Due to the financial cost of his wages, Histon released Riza in January 2012, giving him seven days notice to leave the club.[13]

In February 2012 Riza signed for Borehamwood scoring on his debut in a 3–0 win against Maidenhead United.[14][15] On 28 January 2013 he signed for Chelmsford City[14] and scored on his debut on the same day against Dorechester Town in a 4–0 win. He was also named man of the match.[16]

In August 2013 Riza moved clubs again, this time signing for Cheshunt.[17] Following the departure of manager Tony Faulkner, Riza was appointed as caretaker manager for Chesthunt. The holder of a UEFA A Licence badge, Riza said of his new role, "It's new to me but I am ready for the challenge. I am ready for the next step of my career. I have always wanted to go into this side of the game. I feel quietly confident I have what it takes to build something."[18] His first game in charge was on 31 August 2013, an away game against Hertford Town in the FA Cup. Riza scored to make the game 3–1 before they finally lost, 4–2.[19] The position was made permanent player-manager in November 2013.[20] He scored 17 goals during that season, but damaged his cruciate ligament in one of his knees in a charity match for Arsenal XI in June 2014,[21] sidelining him for 15 months.[22] Meanwhile, he was sacked from his Cheshunt duties, in September 2014.[23]

He had a short spell as assistant manager for Heybridge Swifts, between December 2014 and February 2015.[24][25]

In August 2015 he was brought in to Harlow Town, hoping to bounce back from the knee injury.[26]