Dino Maamria

Noureddine "Dino" Maamria (born 26 May 1971) is a Tunisian former professional footballer who is currently Assistant Manager to Graham Westley at League Two Newport County.
Maamria started his playing career with AS Marsa of Tunisia, spending two years with the club professionally after progressing through the youth system. He left the club in 1994, and spent a season at CO Transports. He moved to England in 1996, and joined Burnley, although made no first-team appearances due to injury. Maamria subsequently signed for Glentoran of the IFA Premiership, spending the remainder of 1996–97 season with the club. In February 1998 Maamria appeared as a trialist for Ayr United in the Scottish Football League First Division. He joined Conference National side Doncaster Rovers in 1998, spending two years at the club. He spent the 2000–01 season at Southport, before signing for Leigh RMI in July 2001.
After two successful seasons at Leigh, Maamria signed for Stevenage Borough for a five-figure fee in February 2003. He left the club after making just ten appearances, joining Charleston Battery of the USL First Division. He made nine appearances for Charleston, before rejoining Stevenage in September 2003. Maamria went on to spend three seasons with Stevenage. In July 2006, he rejoined Southport, before signing for Rushden & Diamonds on a free transfer in January 2007. However, he returned to Southport on loan two months later.
After being released by Rushden at the end of the 2006–07 season, Maamria signed for Northwich Victoria in August 2007. He became caretaker manager in October 2007, before becoming permanent manager two months later. He guided the club away from relegation to the Conference North during the same season, but was sacked by Northwich in October 2008. He subsequently joined his former club, Stevenage, as a first-team coach in November 2008, and has helped guide the club to back-to-back promotions. Maamria left Stevenage in order to join Westley at Preston North End in January 2012, only to return to Stevenage as assistant manager when Westley was re-appointed as manager in March 2013.

Maamria came through the youth system at AS Marsa in his native Tunisia, making his first-team debut in 1992. He spent two years with the club. One of his final games for AS Marsa was in the Tunisian President Cup Final in 1994, played at Stade El Menzah, beating Étoile Sportive du Sahel 1–0. Maamria has described it as one of the "proudest moments" of his career, owing this to the fact that the game was played in front of the Tunisian President, as well as the stadium being "full to the brim". He went on to have a brief spell at CO Transports, who also played in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1, leaving the club in 1995.

He started his English career with Burnley in 1996. Maamria had moved to England earlier on in the year in order to live with his English wife, who lived in Burnley. Whilst playing Sunday league football, he was watched by a group of Burnley supporters, who suggested he contact the club for a trial. Burnley's chief scout at the time, Brian Miller, accepted Maamria's request for a trial period with the club. After scoring in a reserve match against Bradford City, he earned a short-term contract at Burnley, although he failed to make a first-team appearance for the club after suffering a long-term injury. After being released by Burnley towards the latter stages of 1996, Maamria signed for Glentoran of the IFA Premiership. Burnley caretaker manager Clive Middlemass had recommended Maamria to Glentoran manager Tommy Cassidy, with the player spending the remainder of the 1996–97 campaign with the club.

He signed for Doncaster Rovers in August 1998. During the 1999–2000 season, a season in which Maamria finished as the club's top goalscorer, Maamria was transfer-listed by Doncaster, and subsequently attracted interest from Cardiff City and Kingstonian, with Cardiff City making a formal bid for the player, although no move materialised. He made 39 appearances and scored 11 goals for the club, and was released by Doncaster in June 2000. After being released by Doncaster, Maamria went on a two-week course at Lilleshall in order to get an FA coaching badge. He joined Southport in July 2000, making 25 appearances and scoring five goals for the club. He joined Leigh RMI in August 2001, combining playing for the club with a coaching job at his former employers, Burnley. During his time at Leigh, Maamria also worked as an Ethnic Minorities Development Officer at Turf Moor. He made 58 appearances and scored 26 goals for the club. He joined Stevenage Borough for a five-figure fee in February 2003. After making 10 appearances and scoring five goals, he joined Charleston Battery in the USL First Division, where he failed to score in nine appearances.

He rejoined Stevenage in September 2003 after receiving international clearance. During this spell with the club, he made 96 appearances and scored 33 goals. He rejoined Southport in July 2006. Rushden & Diamonds manager Graham Westley wanted to sign Maamria in December 2006, and Southport denied having received an official approach for him from Rushden. Southport said they wanted an improved offer from Rushden if they were to let Maamria leave. After making 17 appearances and scoring six goals with Southport, he joined Rushden on a one-and-a-half year on a free transfer in January.

He joined Northwich Victoria in August 2007 and later became the club's caretaker manager. Northwich's prospective new owners said they wanted to make him the club's permanent manager once their takeover was complete. Following the completion of their takeover, he was confirmed as the club's permanent manager, and saved the club from relegation in April 2008. Maamria was sacked by Northwich on 23 October 2008, having been placed on gardening leave in September.

Maamria subsequently re-joined former club Stevenage as part of Graham Westley's coaching team. Maamria was also included as part of the playing staff, helping the club to its first ever Herts Senior Cup success in April 2009, scoring twice in the final against Cheshunt in a 2–1 victory. Later that month, he made a 90th minute appearance in Stevenage's 1–0 win over Ebbsfleet United. At the end of the season it was confirmed that Maamria would remain at the club, but just as a coach. He was forced to come out of retirement once more, featuring on the bench in Stevenage's match away to Eastbourne Borough in March 2010. Following a shortage of players for Stevenage's match against Lincoln City in September 2010, Maamria was assigned the number 27 shirt and featured as an unused substitute in the club's 1–0 win.

In January 2012, Maamria joined Preston North End as first-team coach after Westley was appointed as the club's manager. He left the club in February 2013 after Westley was sacked. A month later, Maamria rejoined Stevenage as assistant manager to Westley, who had returned for a third spell in-charge of the Hertfordshire club.

In November 2015, Maamria was appointed Southport manager after the departure of Paul Carden. Maamria turned around the Southport side who were in the relegation zone when he was appointed, winning 7 games in a row and becoming manager of the Month in December 2015. On 14 March 2016, Maamria left Southport due to family and travel reasons.

On 10 October 2016 Maamria was again appointed Assistant Manager to Graham Westley at League Two Newport County.

Maamria made one appearance for the Tunisia U21 team in 1991.

Maamria was born and raised in Tunisia. He states that his footballing hero is Diego Maradona, and believes that Maradona is "the best player to have ever played the game". He has always wanted to remain in football when he finished playing, and that coaching is an "ideal job that he loves doing". Maamria says that George Boyd is the best player he has ever played football alongside, and attributes this to his "fantastic ability, and more importantly, fantastic attitude". He also enjoys listening to hip hop and R&B music.