Peter Enckelman Bio Send To Friend  

Enckelman joined Blackburn Rovers on month's loan deal from Aston Villa in November 2003 and joined the club permanently in January 2004.

A vastly experienced Finnish international Enckelman signed a contract extension which will keep him as Brad Friedel's understudy until the summer of 2008.

Enckelman signed for Aston Villa in February 1999 for £200,000 from TPS Turku and was rated as one of the best young keepers around.

He was originally signed as cover for David James, and he enjoyed a number of outings in the 1999/2000 season due to James' unavailability.

He made his debut as a second half substitute in a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal in September of that season. His first start came three days later in a 1-0 League Cup win at Chester City.

When James was sold at the end of the 2000/01 campaign, Enckelman pleaded to be given the chance to be the clubs number one, he had certainly not disappointed when called upon. But within days Villa had swooped for Peter Schmeichel.

Enckelman was first choice for much of Villa's early season InterToto Cup campaign, but in the end Schmeichel was installed between the sticks.

However, when John Gregory left the club, and Graham Taylor took over, Schmeichel's Villa Park career was over. That gave Enckelman the gloves for the final four games of the season.

The summer 2002 signing of Stefan Postma gives Enckelman a real battle for the number one jersey.

Enckelman was installed as the club's number one, and performed admirably until the derby at Birmingham City in mid-September. With the score at 1-0, Olof Mellberg took a thrown-in and played the ball to Enckelman.

The goalkeeper misjudged the bounce of the ball, it scraped the underside of his boot and went into the back of the net, producing one of the most bizarre goals ever.

It was very unclear as to wether the 'keeper did touch the ball, but referee David Elleray gave the goal and the game was dead. A horrendous mistake.

Another mistake in the return derby fixture put yet more egg on his face.

David O'Leary took over in the summer of 2003, and signed up Thomas Sorensen from Sunderland. O'Leary demoted Enckelman to third choice stopper, leaving him in limbo.

He joined Blackburn Rovers on loan for a month at the beginning of November 2003, with the Ewood Park club given special permission to sign him as cover due to an injury crisis.

Rovers made the deal permanent, paying £150,000, when the transfer window opened in January 2004. He played 68 games for Villa.

Enckelman made his debut for Rovers in May 2004 against Tottenham Hotspur, playing the final two fixtures of the season.