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TARIBO WEST
Came from: Al-Arabi Went to: Released
First game: 27 August 2005 Last game: 20 September 2005
Appearances: 5 (5/0) Goals: 0
As incongruous star signings go, there can't be many to match the eccentric Nigerian's arrival at Home Park in the summer of 2005. Taribo West was a big defender with an even bigger profile, and Argyle boss Bobby Williamson wasted little time in snapping him up despite his advancing years.
He began his career in his native Nigeria with Sharks Port Harcourt, Obanta United, Enugu Rangers and Julius Berger. In 1993 he moved continents to Auxerre, winning both the French League and Cup before a move to Inter Milan in 1997. After helping Inter to win the UEFA Cup, he made a surprising switch to AC Milan, who released him after just 10 months. Short spells followed with Derby County and Kaiserslautern before a move to Partizan Belgrade, with whom he reached the group stages of the Champions League. He then spent a year with Al-Arabi in Qatar before joining Argyle. West had also played in two World Cups and had won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics as well as the UEFA Cup. He had also appeared in the group stages of the Champions League just two years before arriving in sleepy Devon. His signing made headline news not just in Plymouth, but right across the globe.
Things started well enough. Williamson described West as a "class act" after a solid display in a pre-season friendly against Torquay United, but alarm bells should have started to ring when he was forced to miss the first three weeks of the season due to passport and visa problems. By the time he was available for selection, Williamson's side were badly struggling in the league. But far from providing the spark to ignite Argyle's season, things got worse with West in the team. Of the five games he started, four of them were losses - including an ignominious League Cup defeat at Barnet in which West was jeered by the travelling Green Army.
Whispers began to spread among Argyle fans that their star signing was much older than the 31 years he claimed to be. Throughout his career there had been doubts about his age, 'proven' by a report that showed he played for the Nigerian under-20 team at the age of 18, some 8 years after first playing in the Nigerian First Division. By the time he was playing for Argyle, his trademark antler hairstyle had faded to a receding fuzz, and he appeared to be permanently carrying an injury. Nothing was ever proven during his time in Plymouth, but the chairman of Partizan Belgrade - one of West's former clubs - later claimed the defender was already 40 years old when he signed for them three years before he moved to Argyle.
When Tony Pulis was brought in to replace the sacked Williamson, the Welshman wasted little time in telling West he was free to leave the club. West took a parting shot at Pulis by accusing him of having "an inferiority complex", and returned to Nigeria to play again for Julius Berger, before later earning one last foreign move when he signed for Iranian outfit Paykan, where his one-year contract was terminated after just three months.
He retired in 2008 at the age of "34". Allegedly.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
If you can add to this profile, perhaps with special memories, a favourite story or the results of your original research, please contribute here.
From Andrew Chapman in Leeds on 05/03/2015 ...
After retiring - however old he was - West became a pastor in Italy where he owned a church, before setting another one up in Lagos after he returning to Nigeria and also announcing his intent to run for the Presidency, in 2013!
However, to prove he is a man not to hold a grudge and be able to show forgiveness, he returned to Home Park in January 2009. West was on a flying visit and wished his former club all the best for the remainder of that campaign, announcing plans to catch-up with several of his former team-mates following training and planning to stay at the ground for the following Tuesday's match.
West said: "I will be here on Tuesday to see the team play and I wish them all the best. You will win on Tuesday. I am coming here with the grace of victory and on Tuesday you will win."
APPEARANCE DETAILS [reselect competitions]
The details below reflect appearances in all first-team competitions.
I'm very grateful to many who have helped write GoS-DB's player pen-pictures, and to Dave Rowntree, the PAFC Media Team and Colin Parsons for their help with photos. Thanks also to staff at the National Football Museum, the Scottish Football Museum and ScotlandsPeople for their valuable assistance.
The following publications have been particularly valuable in the research of pen-pictures: Plymouth Argyle, A Complete Record 1903-1989 (Brian Knight, ISBN 0-907969-40-2); Plymouth Argyle, 101 Golden Greats (Andy Riddle, ISBN 1-874287-47-3); Football League Players' Records 1888-1939 (Michael Joyce, ISBN 1-899468-67-6); Football League Players' Records 1946-1988 (Barry Hugman, ISBN 1-85443-020-3) and Plymouth Argyle Football Club Handbooks.
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