Eugene [Christie] Rose (Junior Nunoo) 2005-2006

First Regular Appearance: 9.1 (#357) Phoenix From The Flames  Sunday 16th October 2005

Last Regular Appearance: 10.1 (#388) Dragon Til I Die  Sunday 29th October 2006

Duration: EP: 357 - 388  |  SE: 9.1 – 10.1

Squad Number/Position: #18 (Striker) (2005-2006) / Harchester United co-Chairman (2006)

Last Seen: Signing over his share in Harchester United to brother Alex. Leaves for Australia to be a part of his daughter’s life.

Born in the autumn of 1983, Eugene was the result of a one-night-stand between his mother Diane Christie and Liverpool and Charlton star Terry Rose. Diane raised her son alone, without ever letting on to he or the married Terry of the other’s existence. Home for the two was a Peckham estate, and Diane was proud when Eugene was accepted into Charlton Athletic’s Youth Academy - for it kept him away from his troublesome friend Marlon.

It was just another day at the academy on Valentine’s Day 1994, when Eugene met Casper Rose, who would have the biggest influence on his life. The two connected on the pitch after Casper defended Eugene from the other boys’ taunts, over Eugene improvising his no shinnies for schoolbooks. The boys’ coach, Fraser Hibbs, immediately caught sight of the partnership the two young strikers shared, and saw a good future for both at Charlton. This was seemingly brought to a premature end when, after running away with Cass to watch his hero John Barnes in a Liverpool v. Harchester game, Diane is run over and killed in front of Eugene, and he is sent to a children’s home.

When Hibbsey comes across Eugene again aged fourteen, he is committing a robbery with Marlon at the academy, and now knowing Gene is Terry’s son, forces him to accept his responsibility and take Eugene in. With Eugene living with the Roses and back alongside Casper at Charlton, it takes Terry to become ill and need a bone-marrow transplant for the truth about Gene to come out. When Terry asks Eugene to take the Rose name, it is the final straw for Casper, who believes his father loves his new son more. With Eugene’s girlfriend (and Hibbsey’s daughter) Jessica about to abort his child, and his dream club Liverpool coming to watch him play, Cass forces Eugene to choose between his football and his child, which results in Gene losing everything.

At war with his brother for the next four years, Casper and Eugene are apart when Terry dies and Eugene marries Marlon’s sister Scarlett. Eugene’s talent hasn’t progressed at Charlton, much to the disappointment of his agent Chloe Tyler, and he is still involved in crime with Marlon. When new Harchester manager Felix Hahn is ordered to sign the Rose brothers, Eugene is arrested not for crashing the club’s memorial, but for committing aggravated burglary with Marlon. Having Casper back in his life both on the pitch and next door at the Barrons sends Eugene’s paranoia into overdrive, especially in regards to Scarlett. When the two are trapped together in the club’s lift, Eugene has Scarlett bugged with listening devices, and his attitude after winning the owner’s million-pound-goal pushes Scarlett into leaving him.

When a stunt involving Marlon, the million pounds and a fake (this time) burglary sees Casper shot in the shoulder, the two brothers reach that all-important truce and decide not to hate each other anymore. Eugene is lucky enough to be found not guilty at his trial, and sees it as his second chance. But a stunt by a TV station sees Gene come face-to-face with Jessica for the first time in five years, and he meets Lucy, the daughter he never knew existed. Jessica is settled in Australia with her new husband and doesn’t want her past life with Eugene causing problems, but Eugene is determined to be a father to Lucy.

Eugene is once again blighted by tragedy, when he is the one to discover Casper dead in his hotel room from a head injury. In losing Casper, Eugene gains a brother in Alex, also a product of Terry’s affairs, and part ownership of the club, for it was Cass who brought them back together. Unbeknown to Eugene, the new brother he is becoming attached to is the one, though accidentally, responsible for Casper’s death. With Casper dead, and the chance to be the father he never had as a young child waiting in Australia, Eugene signs over his share in the club to Alex and leaves behind his life as a Premier League player.

See also Child Eugene (Kayode Anderson) in SE06-10 Guest Character Profiles: C  and Teenage Eugene (Daniel Anthony) in SE06-10 Guest Character Profiles: T