*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Nej Hussein
Appearances: 5+1 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 0
Date / Year of birth: 16th October 1984
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 2004/05
Season of last appearance: 2004/05
Also played for: Southend United (0), Dulwich Hamlet, Fisher Athletic (London), Waltham Forest, Thurrock, Hamitkoy Spor Kulubu (Cyprus), Cheshunt, Hanwell Town and Bishop's Stortford
Turkish keeper who was born in the Istanbul area. Nej turned out for a few minor clubs in Turkey before moving to England and during the 2002/03 season he played for Southend's Under-19's team as well as being a regular in Dulwich's reserve side.
Nej spent the 2003/04 campaign with Fisher and after playing in two friendlies for Accrington in the summer of 2004 he signed for Margate.
He started the 2004/05 season as Margate's back-up keeper, initially to Scott Ward and then briefly to Ole Gottskalksson before the Icelandic international moved on. Nej then got his chance and made his debut aged 19 in a 3-1 win over Hayes in the Conference South at Margate's adopted home in Ashford on 4.9.04. The Thanet Times said he "had a nervy start" but Nej made two good stops after half-time and told the paper "I started off a bit edgy in the first half, but picked myself up and was pleased with the double save in the second half."
Nej kept his place as Margate lost 1-0 to Weymouth at Ashford on 11.9.04 and started his third consecutive game on 14.9.04 as Margate travelled to Lewes. It turned out to be a night to forget as the Sussex side won 7-3 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said an error by Nej gave a Lewes striker "a gift of a header" for the home sides sixth goal. Margate signed Peter Trego shortly afterwards and he took over as first-choice keeper.
With Trego firmly established as Margate's number one Nej found himself on the substitute's bench for almost two months before Trego was held up in traffic en route to a game against Havant & Waterlooville at Ashford on 13.11.04. He hadn't arrived at the ground by kick-off time so Nej started the game and played the first half before being replaced by Trego at half-time. Margate won the match 5-1.
Nej didn't feature again until 12.3.05 when he came on 66 minutes into a game at Hornchurch after Trego was sent off. Nej's first task was to face a penalty which the Urchins scored and the goal was enough to give the Essex club a 1-0 win. The Thanet Times praised Nej for making a "magnificent save" late on.
He made his last appearance on 28.3.05 when he played in a 2-0 defeat against Cambridge City at Ashford due to Trego serving his suspension and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Nej "could not be faulted for either of the goals and continues to look a solid shot-stopper on the rare occasions he gets to play". He spent the remainder of the campaign on the bench before leaving the club at the end of the season. In all Nej played six times (once as sub) during a campaign which saw Margate relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division.
Shortly after leaving Margate Nej had a knee operation and towards the end of 2005 he joined Southern League Eastern Division outfit Waltham Forest. He played four times for them but left the club shortly after a 6-1 defeat at Boreham Wood on 28.1.06.
After undergoing two more knee operations Nej resumed his career when he signed for Conference South club Thurrock in the summer of 2007.
A few weeks into the 2007/08 season he moved on to Dulwich some five years after originally playing for the club and then towards the end of 2007 Nej linked up with Cypriot side Hamitkoy.
He spent a couple of months playing in Cyprus before returning to England in February 2008.
Nej spent the remainder of the 2007/08 campaign with Southern League Premier Division club Cheshunt before rejoining Thurrock in the summer of 2008.
On 23.12.08 Nej made a brief return to Margate when he played in a friendly against Kent County League side Canterbury City at Hartsdown Park and shortly afterwards he left Thurrock to join Spartan South Midlands League outfit Hanwell.
Nej made his debut for Hanwell in January 2009 and stayed there until the end of the 2008/09 campaign.
In the summer of 2009 Nej signed for Bishop's Stortford of the Conference South but left the club during the 2009/10 season and dropped out of senior football.
During the 2011/12 campaign he was turning out for Beckenham-based Cosmos 90 in the Metropolitan Sunday Football League.
At one point during his career Nej was part of the Harchester United squad in Sky television's 'Dream Team' programme about a fictional football club.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
CC |
KSC |
| |
|
2004/05 (MFC) |
5 (51) |
1 |
0 |
CONFERENCE SOUTH (21ST OF 22) |
3QR |
1R |
4R |
W |
|
Margate relegated to
Isthmian League Premier Division. | |||||||||