Riga Mustapha Bio Send To Friend  

The midfielder began his professional career in Dutch football with Vitesse Arnhem, spending a season on loan with RBC Roosendaal before moving to Sparta Rotterdam for two years in 2003. The player had a great goal return for Sparta, bagging 26 goals in 68 games.

The former Holland Under-21 international left the Eredivisie in 2005 to head to Spanish yo-yo club Levante. He was the club's top scorer two seasons running, one of those in La Liga.

Riga was linked with a move to the Premier League with Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2007 but it never materialised. He was also rumoured to be catching the eye of Manchester City, Middlesbrough, West Ham and Portsmouth.

The player was desperate to move on in the summer of 2008, having not been paid for nine months by troubled Levante and he eventually win his battle to be granted a free transfer to the Reebok Stadium. He was signed as a direct replacement for the departing El Hadji Diouf.

He made his Bolton debut in as a late substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United and his skillful, energetic performances soon made him a fans' favourite for the Trotters.