Who is Shaka Hislop and which teams did he play for?
Shaka Hislop caused an almighty scare on Sunday night when he collapsed live on air whilst doing punditry work for ESPN. The former goalkeeper was covering the build-up to the pre-season friendly game between Real Madrid and AC Milan in California when he appeared to stagger before falling to the ground. But to the relief of absolutely everybody, ESPN have since confirmed that Hislop is now fine and is ‘conscious and talking.’
So, who exactly is Hislop and which teams did he play for in his football career? Here is everything you need to know.
Who is Shaka Hislop?
Hislop was born in Hackney, London, in February 1969. Before embarking on a career as a professional footballer, Hislop graduated from St. Mary’s College in Trinidad and secured a scholarship to play college football at Howard University in the United States. Hislop graduated from Howard with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, during which time he undertook an internship at NASA. The 54 year-old is married to his wife, Desha, and they have five children together. He is also the cousin of American sprint athlete Natasha Hastings, while his brother Kona played for Livingstone and Hartlepool.
Which teams did Shaka Hislop play for?
Not long after graduating, Hislop signed his first professional contract with Reading in 1992 where he would stay for the next two seasons. Hislop signed for Newcastle for £1.5 million in 1995 where he was a part of the team which finished second in two consecutive Premier League seasons under the management of Kevin Keegan. After failing to establish himself between the sticks in the North East, Hislop left to join West Ham on a free transfer in 1998 where he was installed as the number one by Harry Redknapp. Hislop spent four years at Upton Park before linking up with Redknapp again at Portsmouth in 2002. The shot stopper returned to West Ham in 2005 and played every game of the Hammers’ run to the FA Cup final in 2006. Hislop made the move across the pond to sign for MLS side FC Dallas in the summer of 2006, eventually retiring in August 2007 after suffering a back injury. He was eligible to play for England but chose to play for Trinidad and Tobago at international level, making 26 appearances for the Caribbean nation which included playing at the 2006 World Cup against England.
