Robert "Robbie" Findley is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for Real Salt
Lake in Major League Soccer.
He has also been capped by the United States national team, making his international debut
in 2007.
Findley played college soccer for the Oregon State Beavers and amateur soccer for the Boulder
Rapids Reserve before turning professional in 2007; he played in Major League Soccer
for Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, before moving to English club Nottingham Forest
in January 2011.
Early and personal life Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Findley attended
Shadow Mountain High School, graduating in 2003.
Findley is a cousin of basketball players Mike Bibby and Eddie House, and American football
wide receiver Shaun McDonald.
Club career College and amateur
Findley began his career playing college soccer at Oregon State University.
Findley spent two seasons with the Boulder Rapids Reserve of the USL Premier Development
League.
Major League Soccer Findley was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy
in the second round of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft as the sixteenth pick overall.
On June 21, 2007, Findley was traded along with midfielder Nathan Sturgis to Real Salt
Lake in exchange for veteran forward Chris Klein.
He joined Danish Superliga side Brøndby on trial in January 2009.
However, he failed to secure a contract with the club and returned to Salt Lake.
In the following season, he had three multi-goal matches, including the first hat trick in
franchise history.
In the 2009 MLS Cup Final, Findley scored in the 64th minute, tying the match at 1–1;
Salt Lake later emerged victorious in penalty kicks, claiming the MLS Cup in one of the
biggest upsets in the history of the MLS Cup final.
Findley's contract with Real Salt Lake expired at the end of the 2010 MLS season, and he
announced his intentions to leave MLS and move to Europe.
Despite this statement of intent, Findley was selected by Portland Timbers in the 2010
MLS Expansion Draft, enabling Portland to retain his MLS rights should he ever choose
to return to the league.
Nottingham Forest After a short trial with English club Wolverhampton
Wanderers in mid-December 2010, Findley was signed as a free agent by English Championship
club Nottingham Forest on December 23, 2010, subject to receiving a work permit.
His work permit was approved at a F.A.
hearing in London on January 15, 2011.
Findley incurred a thigh injury in training shortly after joining Forest and became unavailable
until Spring 2011.
After several months on the sidelines, Findley finally made his debut for Forest on April
22, 2011, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 victory over East Midlands rivals Leicester
City.
Findley made his full competitive debut for Forest on August 8, 2011 in a home fixture
against Notts County in the first round of the 2011–12 Football League Cup.
Findley scored Forest's second goal - his first goal for the club - after having an
earlier effort ruled out for offside.
He also converted his penalty in the match's penalty shoot-out, which Forest won.
Forest manager Steve McClaren said: "He can have a big impact in the Championship.
He is as fast as lightning.
He is quick, he covers a lot of ground, he works for the team, he defends when he has
to and, most importantly, he can get a goal".
After struggling for first-team opportunities in 2012, Findley was loaned to League Two
club Gillingham on September 21, 2012 for an initial period of one month.
He made his debut for Gillingham in a 2-0 away win at Port Vale, and supplied the cross
for the first goal.
Vale manager Micky Adams stated that "the pace of Findley scared the life out of" his
team.
After seven appearances for the Gills, Findley returned to Forest.
On January 14, 2013 Nottingham Forest announced that Findley's contract had been terminated
by mutual consent.
Return to Real Salt Lake Following his release from Forest, Real Salt
Lake acquired Findley's MLS rights from Portland in exchange for allocation money and re-signed
him on January 16, 2013.
International career Findley made his international debut for the
United States national team in October 2007 and made three appearances at the 2010 World
Cup in South Africa.
Career statistics As of 23 October 2012
References