Nolberto Solano

Nolberto Solano
Solano with Peru in 2007
Personal information
Full name Nolberto Albino Solano Todco
Date of birth (1974-12-12) 12 December 1974
Place of birth Callao, Lima, Peru
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
San Marcos (manager)
Youth career
1987–1990 Alianza Lima
1991–1992 Sporting Cristal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993 Sporting Cristal 11 (1)
1993 Deportivo Municipal 27 (7)
1994–1997 Sporting Cristal 97 (31)
1997–1998 Boca Juniors 32 (5)
1998–2004 Newcastle United 172 (29)
2004–2005 Aston Villa 49 (8)
2005–2007 Newcastle United 58 (8)
2007–2008 West Ham United 23 (4)
2008 AEL 17 (2)
2009 Universitario 32 (10)
2010 Leicester City 13 (0)
2010–2011 Hull City 11 (0)
2011–2012 Hartlepool United 14 (2)
Total 556 (107)
International career
1994–2009 Peru 95 (20)
Managerial career
2012 Universitario
2013 José Gálvez
2014 Internacional de Toronto
2019–2020 Peru Olympic
2023 AFC Eskilstuna
2024 Blyth Spartans
2024– San Marcos
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nolberto Albino Solano Todco (born 12 December 1974) is a Peruvian football coach and former player who is the manager of San Marcos.

Solano spent much of his career in the Premier League, primarily with Newcastle United, and also with Aston Villa and West Ham United. He became the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League, and appear in the FA Cup final. He is considered a cult hero at the Tyneside club, and was also noted for his trumpet playing and formed his own salsa band named The Geordie Latinos. He has described himself as an "adopted Geordie."

Solano is a popular figure in his native Peru, where he is seen as one of the most famous Peruvians, appearing on telephone cards and having his wedding televised live. He played 95 times for the national team between 1994 and 2009, including at the Copa América of 1995, 1999 and 2004 and the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Towards the end of his career, he went into coaching, and was first team coach at non-league side Newcastle Benfield, while contracted to Hartlepool United. He had short spells at Universitario and José Gálvez, and was manager of Internacional de Toronto for a few matches, before the club had its licensing agreement terminated. From 2015 to 2022, Solano was involved within the national team setup, as assistant manager to Ricardo Gareca and manager of the Olympic football team. In 2023, he briefly led AFC Eskilstuna in the Swedish Superettan, before another brief term as manager of Blyth Spartans in 2024.