Solano to call time on his playing days (From The Northern Echo)

Solano to call time on his playing days

8:00am Friday 3rd February 2012 in Sport By Nick Loughlin

NOBBY Solano appears to have played his last game in football - after the Hartlepool United winger was yesterday announced as coach of Northern League Newcastle Benfield.

The 37-year-old Newcastle United crowd favourite and ex-Peru international has not appeared for Pools since January 2, when he made a 17-minute substitute appearance in the loss to Scunthorpe.

Since then, with Pools unbeaten in four, he has not featured and has been left out of the matchday squad for the last three games.

While Pools were enjoying their biggest win of the season last Saturday, 4-0 over Carlisle United, Solano was due in for training at Maiden Castle at 11am along with three others not included in the first-team squad.

He wasn't with his Pools team-mates at Durham yesterday and coached his new club on Wednesday evening.

Solano won't, however, be able to play in the Northern League, not until he can agree a settlement with Pools as he is contracted to the club until the end of the current season.

There was no comment from Victoria Park yesterday, but a statement from the Northern League club read: "Newcastle Benfield Football Club can announce today the appointment of former Newcastle United star Nolberto Solano as first team coach.

"Solano, 37, won 95 caps for his native Peru during his glittering career, in which he played for clubs such as Boca Juniors, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Leicester City amongst others, is studying for his UEFA A and B coaching licences, and sees joining Benfield as a major help in achieving his coaching goals.

"Solano had been playing in League One with Hartlepool United this season, but following talks with new manager Neale Cooper, has decided to retire from the professional game and concentrate on his Coaching career.''

Chairman and local businessman Jimmy Rowe said: "I am delighted that we have been able to attract such a big name from the city to help us move forward.

"I believe that Nobby's experiences in the game will bring benefit to our players and manager, and that he can gain the necessary hands on experience in helping him achieve his coaching badges. We see it very much as a win-win situation".

Solano made 13 starts for Pools, scoring twice, and played a big role in the club's nine-game unbeaten start to the season. However, after suffering a hamstring strain in the loss at Notts County in October he missed five games and, on his return, had little impact.

His last start was the 1-0 loss to Preston on November 29, which proved Mick Wadsworth's final game in charge.

Cooper will again be without striker James Poole for tomorrow's trip to Bury.

He strained a hamstring in the win at Oldham on Boxing Day and has been sidelined since, meaning the new boss has yet to see the six-goal striker start.

However, left-back Evan Horwood will start against Richie Barker's side after he recovered from a knee injury suffered last weekend.

Cooper, unlikely to sign any of the players he has had in on trial in the last week, said: "Evan is back in training - they are calling him Lazarus - he was stretchered off last weekend, but trained straight away, that's what you want.

"He is fit, he had a bad knock, but is a good boy and came back in . He's buzzing he said. Tuesday was a really hard day of training and then afterwards he said he should maybe have been in for treatment instead!

"I feel sorry for James, we will see someone next week about his problem. I want to see him back, it's hard to get over an injury and we work non-stop with him. I like him as a person and we want to see him playing.''