{{short description|Ghanaian footballer}} {{BLP sources|date=June 2009}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alex Nyarko | image = | caption = | full_name = Alexander Nyarko | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1973|10|15}} | birth_place = Accra, Ghana | height = 1.84 m | position = Midfielder | years1 = 1992–1993 | clubs1 = Asante Kotoko | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1994 | clubs2 = Dawu Youngstars | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1994–1995 | clubs3 = Sportul Studenţesc | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1995–1997 | clubs4 = Basel | caps4 = 55 | goals4 = 8 | years5 = 1997–1998 | clubs5 = Karlsruher SC | caps5 = 22 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 1998–2000 | clubs6 = Lens | caps6 = 45 | goals6 = 3 | years7 = 2000–2004 | clubs7 = Everton | caps7 = 33 | goals7 = 1 | years8 = 2001–2002 | clubs8 = → Monaco (loan) | caps8 = 26 | goals8 = 2 | years9 = 2002–2003 | clubs9 = → Paris Saint-Germain (loan) | caps9 = 18 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2005 | clubs10 = Start | caps10 = 3 | goals10 = 0 | years11 = 2006–2007 | clubs11 = Yverdon Sport | caps11 = 35 | goals11 = 1 | totalcaps = 237+ | totalgoals = 16+ | nationalyears1 = 1998–2000 | nationalteam1 = Ghana | nationalcaps1 = 11 | nationalgoals1 = 2 | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's association football }} {{MedalCountry | {{GHA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalBronze | 1992 Barcelona | Team competition }} }}
'''Alexander Nyarko''' (born 15 October 1973) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
==Club career== Nyarko started his career in Ghana, and in 1995 he joined Basel from Sportul Studenţesc.
Nyarko joined Basel for their 1995–96 season under head coach Claude Andrey. He played his debut for his new club in the home game at the St. Jakob Stadium the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup match on 8 July 1995 as Basel were beaten 3–2 by Karlsruher SC.<ref name="fcb-achiv-UIC-1995-FCB-Karlsruhe">{{cite web |last=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |authorlink= |date=8 July 1995 |url=https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/spiele?command=detail&id=10759 |title=FC Basel - Karlsruher SC 2:3 (1:2) |format= |publisher=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |accessdate=2021-11-16}}</ref> After playing one test game and another UEFA Intertoto Cup match, he played his domestic league debut for the team in the home game on 19 July as Basel won 2–1 against Sion.<ref name="fcb-achiv-1995/96-FCB-Sion">{{cite web |last=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |authorlink= |date=19 July 1995 |url=https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/spiele?command=detail&id=10735 |title=FC Basel - FC Sion 2:1 (2:0) |format= |publisher=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |accessdate=2021-11-16}}</ref> He scored his first goal for the team on 5 November in the away game at the Cornaredo Stadium against Lugano. It was the only goal of the game as Basel won 1–0.<ref name="fcb-achiv-1995/96-Lugano-FCB">{{cite web |last=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |authorlink= |date=5 November 1995 |url=https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/spiele?command=detail&id=10751 |title=FC Lugano - FC Basel 0:1 (0:0) |format= |publisher=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |accessdate=2021-11-16}}</ref> He played for the team for two seasons and during this time Nyarko played a total of 83 games for Basel scoring a total of 15 goals. 55 of these games were in the Nationalliga A, six in the Swiss Cup, five in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and 17 were friendly games. He scored eight goals in the domestic league, two in the cup, one in the UIC and the other four were scored during the test games.<ref name="fcb-achiv-Alex Nyarko">{{cite web |last=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |authorlink= |year=1997 |url=https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/spieler?command=detail&id=1326 |title=Alex Nyarko - FCB statistics |format= |publisher=Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” |accessdate=2021-11-16}}</ref>
He then moved to Karlsruher in Germany and then two seasons for Lens in France. While at Lens, he played as a substitute in the final as they won the 1998–99 Coupe de la Ligue.<ref name="cdll">{{cite news |url=https://www.sitercl.com/Matches/1998-99/Ligue/metzfc.htm |title=Finale Coupe de la Ligue 1998/99 RC Lens - FC Metz |publisher=sitercl.com |access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref>
In 2000, he joined Everton for £4.5 million, signing a contract until June 2005. He scored his first and only goal for Everton against Tottenham Hotspur in September 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/911767.stm |title=Les curse strikes Everton |publisher=BBC |date=5 September 2000 |access-date=4 November 2009}}</ref> He is infamous for an incident during the 2000–01 season where during a game against Arsenal a fan came on the pitch and offered him his own royal blue Everton shirt, signalling that Nyarko was not good enough to wear the colours of Everton. After the fan was escorted away by police, Nyarko requested to be substituted and transferred.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1285862.stm |title=Arsenal crush Everton |publisher=BBC |date=21 April 2001 |access-date=4 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Christopher |title=T-shirt taunt too much for 'hurt' Nyarko |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/everton/3003850/T-shirt-taunt-too-much-for-hurt-Nyarko.html |access-date=21 August 2017 |work=The Telegraph |date=22 April 2001}}</ref>
Eventually, he went on loan to French club Monaco just days later for the rest of the season, and then had a loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain for the entire 2002–03 season. Nyarko returned to Everton for the 2003–04 season<ref>{{cite news |title=Nyarko back at Everton |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/e/everton/3023722.stm |access-date=21 August 2017 |work=BBC Sport |date=3 July 2003}}</ref> and made his return to the first team in a League Cup tie against Charlton Athletic.<ref>{{cite news |title=Everton 1-0 Charlton |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/3204845.stm |access-date=26 June 2020 |work=BBC Sport |date=29 October 2003}}</ref> A few days later he made his first league appearance of the season against Chelsea and almost gave Everton the lead but his shot came back off the crossbar.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chelsea edge past Everton |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3206999.stm |access-date=26 June 2020 |work=BBC Sport |date=1 November 2003}}</ref> He went on to make 11 league appearances for the Merseyside club that season, but was released after the season because his work permit expired and could not be renewed.
Nyarko then spent six months out of football, before joining Start in March 2005.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Refseth |first1=Aud |title=Nyarko aktuell for Start |url=https://www.nrk.no/sorlandet/nyarko-aktuell-for-start-1.325220 |access-date=21 August 2017 |work=NRK Sørlandet |date=1 March 2005 |language=no}}</ref> He was, however, released by the club after an unauthorized trip to his family in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2005/05/31/433316.html |title=Nyarko ferdig i Start |publisher=Dagbladet |work=db.no |date=31 May 2005 |language=no |access-date=20 June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Nyarko leaves Start |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/4600081.stm |access-date=21 August 2017 |work=BBC Sport |date=1 June 2005}}</ref> Nyarko joined Swiss team Yverdon Sport in June 2006. He was released again in December 2007 and subsequently retired.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Denis |first1=Sébastien |title=Fin de carrière pour Nyarko |url=http://www.footmercato.net/flash-mercato/fin-de-carriere-pour-nyarko_17240 |access-date=21 August 2017 |date=30 December 2007 |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Yverdon : Nyarko à la retraite |url=http://www.football365.fr/yverdon-nyarko-a-la-retraite-1254395.html |access-date=21 August 2017 |work=Football 365 |language=fr |archive-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822012713/http://www.football365.fr/yverdon-nyarko-a-la-retraite-1254395.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==International career== Nyarko was capped for Ghanaian Olympic team at 1992 Summer Olympics, and won a bronze medal. He also played for Ghana in 1998 and 2000 Africa Cup of Nations.
==Honours== '''Lens''' * Coupe de la Ligue: 1998–99<ref name="cdll"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{LFP|nyarko-alex}} * {{Soccerbase}} * [http://www.hattrick.ch/liga1_gruppe2_vereine_kader.cfm?cmd=detail&spieler=1326&verein=26&saison=2007/08 Alex Nyarko] at Hattrick.ch {{in lang|de}} * {{NFT player|8199}} * {{FIFA player|199269}} * {{Soccerway|alex-nyarko/291232}} * {{Olympics.com|alex-nyarko}} * {{Olympedia}}
{{Navboxes | title = Ghana squads | bg = #CA1118 | fg = #FBE816 | bordercolor = black | list1 = {{Ghana football squad 1992 Summer Olympics}} {{Ghana squad 1998 Africa Cup of Nations}} {{Ghana squad 2000 African Cup of Nations}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nyarko, Alex}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Ghanaian men's footballers Category:Ghana men's international footballers Category:Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic footballers for Ghana Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Ghana Category:1998 African Cup of Nations players Category:2000 African Cup of Nations players Category:Olympic medalists in football Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Asante Kotoko S.C. players Category:Dawu Youngstars F.C. players Category:FC Sportul Studențesc București players Category:FC Basel players Category:Karlsruher SC players Category:RC Lens players Category:Everton F.C. players Category:AS Monaco FC players Category:Paris Saint-Germain FC players Category:IK Start players Category:Yverdon-Sport FC players Category:Liga I players Category:Bundesliga players Category:Premier League players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Swiss Super League players Category:Ghanaian expatriate men's footballers Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Romania Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Romania Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Monaco Category:Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Norway Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway