Lichaj: Eric Joseph Bradley (Eric)

2011-2011 (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

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Born: Downers Grove, Illinois, USA: 17-11-1988

Debut: v Bristol City (a): 12-02-2011

5’11” 11st (2011)

An International for his country of birth, USA, and an acknowledged master of the long throw-in, his football career started with Downers Grove and Chicago Magic at youth level progressing through IMG Soccer Academy and into college football with North Carolina Tar Heels. His progress was such that he joined Aston Villa after just one year, signing a two year contract with the Midland Club. Born of Polish parents, he was exempted from needing to obtain the necessary work permits. He soon established himself as a regular in the Villa reserve team in the 2008-09 season. During the 2009 preseason, Lichaj had much first-team involvement saw a substantial amount of first team time. He excelled at the Peace Cup in Spain, where he gained valuable experience with the first team, starting in two of the four matches. His best performance was in the game against Italian giant Juventus, in which he played the full ninety minutes and helped Aston Villa claim the Cup in penalty kicks. However, when the season started it was back to the Reserves but on 22nd October 2009, he and Villa's England Under Nineteen Centre-back, Nathan Baker, joined Lincoln City on a month's loan to gain first-team experience. He made his Lincoln City debut on 24th October 2009 in a 0-0 draw with Torquay United at Sincil Bank. The loan was later extended to 2nd January 2010. Unfortunately for Lichaj, he was sent off in a 2-1 win at Morecambe, on 13th November 2010. He was suspended for three games which meant he only played twice his intial spell at Sincil Bank, but with the extension he managed another four to take his appearances to six, playing his final game for the Imps at home to Rochdale in a 1-3 reversal on 12th December 2009. He was again loaned out later in the season to Leyton Orient from 26th March 2010 until the end of the season. He made nine appearances and scored his first League goal, in a 2-0 home win against Stockport County on 17th April 2010. He had a successful pre-season with Villa, scoring his first goal for the club on 19th July 2010 in a friendly against Peterborough United. The club showed their faith in his future by negotiating a new three-year contract with the club on 11th August 2010. Eight days later he made his first team debut at Right Back at Rapid Vienna in a 1–1 draw in a Europa League qualifying match. He started two Carling Cup games. A 3-1 home win over Blackburn Rovers on 22nd September 2010 and a 2-1 home win against Burnley on 27th October 2010. He came on as a Right-Wing substitute in a 2-2 home draw with Manchester United in the EPL, three days after his debut as a substitute in a 3-2 home win over Blackpool, on 10th November 2010. His first start came on 11th December 2010 in a 2-1 home win over local rivals West Bromwich Albion. There were two further starts in a 1-2 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on 26th December 2010, in which he played at Right-Back and put in an impressive performance against in-form Spurs winger Gareth Bale. The second was in a 0-4 defeat by Manchester City in an away game two days later. Lichaj joined Leeds United on a one-month loan deal on 9th February 2011, making his Leeds debut in a 2–0 victory at Bristol City, three days later. On 14th March 2011, Leeds extended Lichaj's loan to the end of the season. He was initially brought in to cover for the injured Right-Back Paul Connolly, who was also skating on thin ice in the disciplinary stakes. Lichaj proved his versatility, when Left-Back George McCartney's loan period ran out and it was only then that Paul Connolly was able to get into the first team as Lichaj filled in at Left-Back. He did not miss a match after his arrival and played in the final game of the season, on 7th May 2011, in a 2-1 win at Loftus Road over Championship Champions, Queens Park Rangers. Lichaj enjoyed his stay and indicated that he would like to rejoin Leeds the following season. Simon Grayson also made it clear he would like to have Lichaj return on loan, depending on his availability. Lichaj scored his first goal for Villa on 23rd August 2011, in a 2-0 win in the Carling Cup over Hereford United at Villa Park. Lichaj had carried what was thought to be a normal bruise in that game but after an ensuing Reserve fixture with Wigan Athletic he was sent for specialist treatment and it was revealed that he had a labral tear in his hip. He was expected to have surgery and be out of the game for four months. This brought a halt to any further loan arrangements with Leeds. He returned to training in January 2012 and by the end of the 2011-12 season he had scored one League goal in twelve starts and three games as a substitute and added another goal in three starts in the League Cup and made one start in the Europa League. On the International front, Lichaj was involved with U.S. Youth teams, helping them qualify for the 2005 Under-Seventeen World Championship and was also included in the squad for 2007 Under-Twenty World Cup Finals in Canada, but had to withdraw due to injury. He was called into the senior team training camps for the two World Cup qualifiers in June 2009 before being in the squad for two friendlies against Poland and Columbia in October 2009. Poland also selected him in their squad and Lichaj chose to represent his land of birth rather than his parents'. He made his debut for the U.S.A. on 12th October 2010 against Columbia, as a half-time substitute for Jonathan Spector, in the 0-0 draw at Chester, Pensylvania. On 17th November 2010 he received his second cap when he started and played the full ninety minutes against South Africa in a 1-0 victory in Capetown. He came on as a sixtieth minute substitute for Jozy Altidore against Paraguay in a 0-1 loss in Nashville Tennessee on 29th March 2011. He then played full games against Spain in a 0-4 defeat at Foxborough, Massachusetts on 4th June 2011, and then Gold Cup games against Guadaloupe, who they beat 1-0 in Kansas City, on 15th June 2011, Jamaica, who they beat 2-0 in Washington D.C. four days later, followed by two more home games against Panama, in Houston, Texas, who they beat 1-0 on 23rd June 2011 and Mexico who they went down to by 2-4 three days later in Pasadena, California. This brought his starts to six and two further games from the bench for a total of eight caps. He has not played since the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as National Coach, but his spell on the injured list did not help.