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 Full Name: Zoltan Gera Midfielder Date
of Birth: 22nd
April 1979 Joined Albion: 30th
July 2004 from Ferencvaros for a fee of £1.5
million Contract Expires: Summer 2007 with an extra year's option in the club's favour
2005/06
Squad Number:
11 Previous
Clubs:
Harkany (Hungary) --- Dates unknown
Pecsi MFC (Hungary) --- Date unknown -2000 International
Honours:
Capped
at Hungary
Under-21 & Full (33 Caps, 9 Goals) Club Honours: Other Honours: Hungarian Player of the Year --- 2004 Biography Zoltan, born in Pecs, a south-western industrial city in Hungary had a somewhat troubled upbringing. As an adolescent, and clearly traumatised by his parents' divorce he gave up football and fell in with the wrong crowd, he started missing school, smoking, drinking and taking drugs. Thankfully though, at the age of 16 and with help from friends Zoltan's life took a turn for the better, he found religion and started football training again although due to the abuse he had given his body he found training harder than most. The Hungarian star would talk openly about his troubled past in later life, hoping that others would learn from his mistakes and use him as a role model. When Zoltan first started his career he suffered abuse at the hands of opposition fans who were only too aware of his past. A common chant aimed at him was 'Szipus Gera' - meaning 'Gera who lives with drugs'. In an interview given in early 2005 Zoltan revealed: "I used to hear the songs from the fans, but I never really took any notice of them. It has never been a secretive thing. I had a very difficult childhood and when I was 16 I tried everything bad that I could. I often didn't go to school, I spent my time with my friends, drank alcohol and finally I tried light drugs too. During that time I never thought that I would become a popular and famous football player but my beliefs, my convictions and my faith helped me." "I don't want or like people to think that I am blessed or sacred; it is just that I am a professional sportsman and because of that I never think that it has to be a secret. I want young people that try light drugs to believe they can beat it, as I did. There are thousands and thousands of other clever and fine things that they can do instead." "I know I am a role model now and I have many responsibilities. When the young guys ask me, 'Zoltan, did you really use light drugs', I always make sure I speak to them and that I'm honest." "I took a break from the game when I was young because of family problems, but then decided I wanted to be a really good footballer, even though I was only playing for a small club. My luck was that I met some friends who really wanted to give me a helping hand; I found faith in God and in myself. I joined a strong Christian community, the Faith Church in Hungary." " What I am able to show young people in Hungary is that they too can come up from the smallest town, up to the biggest club and become captain of the national team. I want to let them know that they can have difficult times in their lives, but they can overcome them through faith and friends. It is possible to start all over again and become even better than you were before.""Christianity means life for me. Everything that I achieved in my life is thanks to God because without him none of this would be possible. I could not have found the right way and it is a central part of my life." Zoltan started his career at Harkany, a club in the southern Hungarian spa town but it wasn't until he moved back to his home town of Pecs and joined Pecsi MFC that he started to make a name for himself. A move to Hungarian giants Ferencvaros would follow in 2000. International recognition was not long in coming, having already been capped at Under-21 level Zoltan was handed his full international debut in February 2002 against Switzerland. Shortly after the appointment of Lothar Matthaus as Hungarian coach in December 2003 Zoltan was named captain of his country. Zoltan completed the 2003/04 season by clinching the Hungarian League and Cup double with Ferencvaros. It was to be a fitting finale to his career in Hungary. In July 2004 and despite the attentions of a number of other European sides Albion signed Zoltan for a fee of £1.5 million. He signed a three year deal with an extra year in the club's favour. Albion boss Gary Megson speaking at the time of the deal said: "This is our third signing of the past few days and again, I'm really pleased Zoltan has agreed to join us. He's the captain of Hungary, really enthusiastic and wants to prove himself in England. We're going to have to give him time to adjust to a different way of life and to learn the language - but he will be given that time. Zoltan is an all-round midfielder who has an eye for getting forward. He's also quick, athletic and works hard. Hopefully, he will prove to be what we think he can be." Speaking with the aid of an interpreter Zoltan spoke about his move to England: "It's a privilege for me to come and play in the country where football was born. I'm delighted. I had inquiries from other countries but it has been a dream all my life to come and play in England and I'm happy this dream has come true. I'm really looking forward to playing for Albion." "I feel I can adapt myself quickly to the new surroundings. I have started learning the language and I understand more and more each day. I hope to be able to communicate properly soon." "I'm a midfielder who is always looking to get forward, and I like to score goals. Of course, one of my tasks is to help other players get the ball as well but if there's a possibility, I'm ready to go forward and get goals, which was my style back in Hungary." Albion Career Season By Season 2004/05 The first match of the season at Blackburn Rovers saw Zoltan start his Albion career on the substitute's bench although he did make it onto the Ewood Park pitch for the last three minutes of the game after replacing Andy Johnson. The next match, at home to Aston Villa also saw Zoltan restricted to a substitute appearance but on August 25, in the home game against Spurs he was handed his full league debut. After just three minutes Zoltan was on the scoresheet and as a result a new Albion hero was born. For the next month the Hungarian captain was in and out of the Albion starting line-up but he would soon make a place in the first team his own, finishing the season as the only player to have featured in every first team game, he also finished the season with six goals, second only to Rob Earnshaw. In December Zoltan was named Hungarian Player of the Year, taking the Golden Ball ahead of Crystal Palace's Gabor Kiraly and his Palace team-mate Sandor Torghelle. Impressing everyone with his skill, workrate and eye for goal Zoltan quickly became the club's star player and although he perhaps tired slightly towards the end of the season he still was in most people's eyes Albion's Player of the Season. Zoltan capped a fine season off for himself by signing a deal in late May to promote soft drink Pepsi in his homeland. Albion Stats Appearances & Discipline:
Goals:
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