Cofie goes down the Avenue
Not many people had heard the name John Cofie until we sold him to Manchester United in November 2007.
When our youth foundation started we were asked to consider helping with the costs of bringing him into the club from Germany and there was some real excitement about him. I never saw him play for us although I did stand next to him on the touchline one Saturday morning at Gawthorpe but there was some real regret when he moved to Old Trafford from within Turf Moor with chairman Barry Kilby having been to see his parents that week to try and keep him at Burnley.
He played in the same youth team at Manchester United as Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and current Burnley defender Michael Keane, and was used as a substitute when that team came to Burnley in January 2010 and hammered us in the FA Youth Cup.
But things didn’t work out as well as he hoped and now, aged 23, he has played for a number of clubs.
Whilst at United he three times went out on loan. He followed the path of many United players by moving to Royal Antwerp for whom he scored three times in thirteen appearances.
The 2012/13 season proved to be his last at United and he spent much of the time out on loan at two clubs in League One. Two goals for Sheffield United in 16 league games were followed by one in nine appearances for Notts County. He was released at the end of that season and signed for Barnsley but failed to make an appearance throughout his one season at Oakwell.
That saw him move to Norway with Molde, then managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he ended the season at Crawley where he made just one substitute appearance.
Since, it’s been non-league football with Wrexham, AFC Telford and most recently Southport who he joined ahead of the current season.
He’s made eight National League appearances for them, including three starts, but hasn’t found the net and Southport have now allowed him to go out on a month’s loan to Bradford Park Avenue. He’s expected to make his debut for them today against Stockport County. He will remain with Avenue until 17th December.
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