Tariq Ahmed Issa (born 2 September 1997) is an English footballer who plays as a forward for Kings Park Rangers.

Tariq Issa
Personal information
Full name Tariq Ahmed Issa[1]
Date of birth (1997-09-02) 2 September 1997 (age 26)[2]
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[3]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Kings Park Rangers
Youth career
Trinity
2009–2016 Colchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2020 Colchester United 2 (0)
2018–2019Needham Market (loan) 13 (3)
2019Maldon & Tiptree (loan) 4 (0)
2021 Needham Market 5 (0)
2021–2022 Coggeshall Town 20 (2)
2022 Stanway Pegasus 5 (2)
2023 Hullbridge Sports 14 (0)
2023 Stanway Pegasus 9 (1)
2023– Kings Park Rangers 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 02:00, 24 December 2023 (UTC)

Issa joined Colchester United's Academy at the age of 12 from Trinity Football Club based in Southend-on-Sea. He made his professional debut for the club in 2016. In August 2018, he joined Needham Market on loan. He also had a loan spell at Maldon & Tiptree in 2019. He was released by Colchester in July 2020. Issa rejoined Needham on a permanent basis in 2021.

Career edit

Issa joined the Colchester United Academy at the age of 12 from Trinity Football Club in Southend-on-Sea. He broke into Colchester's under-18 side while still an under-16 player,[4] and was the first Colchester Academy player to come through the educational system associated with Thurstable School in Tiptree.[5] He and teammate Cameron James signed four-year contracts with the club in July 2015,[6] before agreeing a new four-year deal in July 2016.[7]

Issa made his first-team debut in the EFL Trophy on 4 October 2016, replacing Dion Sembie-Ferris at half-time in Colchester's 2–1 defeat to Southampton U23.[8] He made his English Football League debut on 19 August 2017 as a substitute for Drey Wright in Colchester's 3–0 defeat against Luton Town.[9]

On 30 August 2018, Issa signed for Southern League Premier Division Central side Needham Market on loan until January 2019.[10][11] He made his debut on 1 September as a half-time substitute in Needham's 3–0 defeat at Alvechurch.[12]

In August and September 2019, Issa made seven appearances on loan for Isthmian League North Division side Maldon & Tiptree.[13] However, in October 2019 it was reported he had suffered a knee injury that would require surgery.[14]

Issa was one of 16 players to be released by Colchester United in summer 2020.[15]

In July 2021, Issa signed for Needham Market on a permanent basis.[16]

In October 2021, Issa signed for Coggeshall Town.[17]

In January 2023, following a spell at Stanway Pegasus,[18] Issa signed for Hullbridge Sports.[19]

Issa rejoined Stanway Pegasus for the 2023–24 season,[20] before signing for Essex and Suffolk Border Football League Division One side Kings Park Rangers in December 2023.[21]

Career statistics edit

As of match played 7 September 2019
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Colchester United 2016–17[22] League Two 0 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 1 0
2017–18[23] League Two 2 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 3 0
2018–19[24] League Two 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019–20[25] League Two 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0
Needham Market (loan) 2018–19[26] SL Premier Division Central 13 3 2 0 3[b][c][d] 0 18 3
Maldon & Tiptree (loan) 2019–20[13] Isthmian League North Division 4 0 2 0 1[e] 0 7 0
Career total 19 3 4 0 0 0 6 0 29 3
  1. ^ a b Appearance in EFL Trophy
  2. ^ Appearance in Southern League Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in FA Trophy
  4. ^ Appearance in Suffolk Premier Cup
  5. ^ Appearance in Alan Turvey Trophy

References edit

  1. ^ "Retained List 2015-16" (PDF). English Football League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  2. ^ Tariq Issa at Soccerbase
  3. ^ "FootballSquads - Colchester United - 2017/2018". FootballSquads. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ Hudson, Matt (15 July 2015). "Youngsters Sign Contract". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  5. ^ Hudson, Matt (7 April 2014). "Meet Our New Scholars". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Cameron James & Tariq Issa sign Colchester United deals". BBC Sport. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  7. ^ Waldron, Jonathan (4 July 2016). "Colchester United pair Cameron James and Tariq Issa pen new contracts". Daily Gazette. Colchester. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Colchester United 1–2 Southampton U23". Sky Sports. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Luton Town 3–0 Colchester United". BBC Sport. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Needham Market sign Colchester United forward Tariq Issa on loan". Bury Free Press. Bury St Edmunds. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  11. ^ Hudson, Matt (30 August 2018). "Issa Heads To Needham". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  12. ^ Kendall, Drew (1 September 2018). "Alvechurch 0–3 Needham Market [sic]". Needham Market FC. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Tariq Issa". Maldon & Tiptree. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  14. ^ Waldron, Jonathan (8 October 2019). "Colchester United winger Callum Harriott in final stages of injury recovery". Daily Gazette. Colchester. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  15. ^ Gregory, David (28 April 2020). "Young U's Set To Depart". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. ^ Claydon, Russell (7 July 2021). "Former Colchester United professional Tariq Issa and AFC Sudbury attacking midfielder Tom Maycock sign for Needham Market". SuffolkNews. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Coggeshall Town – Appearances – Tariq Issa – 2021-2022". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Tariq Issa Player Stats". Full Time FA. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Hullbridge Sports – Appearances – Tariq Issa – 2022-2023". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Tariq Issa Player Stats". Full Time FA. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  21. ^ Kings Park Rangers F.C. [@KingsParkRFC] (23 December 2023). "Tariq Issa shines on his debut, capping off an exceptional performance with a memorable goal! #KPR" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "Games played by Tariq Issa in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  23. ^ "Games played by Tariq Issa in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  24. ^ "Games played by Tariq Issa in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  25. ^ "Games played by Tariq Issa in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  26. ^ "Tariq Issa". Needham Market FC. Retrieved 11 November 2018.

External links edit