Marc Rieper, born 5th June 1968 in Denmark, made a name for himself as a dependable and robust central defender. Standing tall at 6 feet 3 inches (1.93m) and weighing in at 13 stone 9 pounds (87kg), Rieper quickly became a formidable force within his footballing careers.
Rieper began his professional career in July 1992, joining Brondby in the Danish Superliga. In his debut season, 1992 - 1993, he made 32 first team appearances and scored two goals in league matches. The following season, he played 31 matches. In the 1994 - 1995 season at Brondby, Rieper featured in 18 first team matches and scored a solitary goal.
His formidable performances attracted interest from England and in July 1994, Rieper joined West Ham United for a reported fee of approximately £1 million. His first season with the Hammers saw him make 21 first team appearances, scoring once. This pattern of regular appearances and the occasional goal continued throughout his time at the East London club, with his last season, 1997 - 1998, cut short due to only making five appearances, but still managing to find the back of the net once.
Rieper moved north of the border In September 1997, signing with Scottish giants, Celtic for a fee believed to be in the region of £1.4 million. His debut season, 1997 - 1998, saw Rieper make 30 first-team appearances and marked his term with two goals. The following season saw a decline in appearances, featuring only seven times for the Bhoys. Rieper's performance on the pitch for Celtic is rememberable amongst fans, despite the last season - 2000 - 2001, where he appeared not at all in any first team matches.
In April 2001, Rieper returned to Denmark, joining AGF Aarhus in the Superliga, though he did not make any first team appearances during the 2000 - 2001 season. Despite his short time there, Rieper left an impressive mark on all clubs he had been part of.
