Michael Gilkes (footballer)

Michael Gilkes

Personal information
Full name	Michael Earl Glenis McDonald Gilkes
Date of birth	20 July 1965 (1965-07-20) (age 46)
Place of birth	Hackney, England
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position	Left midfield
Youth career
1983–1984	Leicester City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1984–1997	Reading	393	(43)
1986	→ Mikkelin Palloilijat (loan)	17	(4)
1992	→ Chelsea (loan)	1	(0)
1992	→ Southampton (loan)	6	(0)
1997–1999	Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	(1)
1999–2001	Millwall	32	(2)
2001–2003	Slough Town	83	(11)
National team
2000	Barbados	5	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Michael Earl Glenis McDonald Gilkes (born 20 July 1965 in Hackney, London) is an English former footballer. He played left wing, most notably for Reading, and was also a Barbados international.

Career

Gilkes played more than 550 times as a professional and made his name with the Reading side that nearly won promotion to the Premier League in the early 1990s. A fast, tricky winger, he made over 400 appearances in all competitions for the Berkshire club as they went from the old Fourth Division to the very edge of the top flight. They finished second in the new Division One in 1995 (only missing out on automatic promotion due to the streamlining of the FA Premier League from 22 clubs to 20) and reached the playoff final, surrendering a 2–0 lead held until the 75th minute before losing 4–3 in extra time to Bolton Wanderers.

Gilkes spent nearly thirteen years with the Royals, scoring 52 goals, before he was sold to Wolves in March 1997, managed by Mark McGhee who had departed from Reading to Wolves 16 months earlier.

He spent two seasons at Molineux before manager Keith Stevens signed him for Millwall. His time at the Molineux was less successful than it was at Elm Park, scoring just once in 38 league appearances, though he did come close to reaching the Premier League with them just as he had done at Reading. He joined Wolves just weeks before the end of the 1996–97 season, as they were edged out of the automatic promotion places to Barnsley and lost to Crystal Palace in the playoffs. A year later they finished ninth, missing out on the playoffs, but enjoyed a run to the FA Cup semi finals where they narrowly lost to Arsenal.

In a vote to compile the Royals' best-ever eleven, Gilkes was voted the best left-winger with 80.6% of the vote.^[1] Gilkes played at the Madejski Stadium in the Royals Legends game on 1 May 2006.

Since retiring from the game, Gilkes has swapped his tracksuit for a business suit in order to carve out a successful career as a Mortgage Consultant for a Reading based Estate Agent.

Gilkes joined the firm back in November 2008 and is now a fully qualified mortgage consultant working out of the Reading branch.

He was recruited by his former boss Mick Gooding – the popular midfielder who went on to manage the club from 1994–96. Mr Gooding is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the Estate Agency.

Gilkes in now Head Coach of Southern league Division One South & west side Hungerford Town alongside newly appointed manager Bobby Wilkinson.

Gilkes is also a personal trainer.

Gilkes has re-joined Reading F.C. as a Part-time Academy Coach.

References

1. ^ "Gilkes voted our best-ever left winger – vote now for the central midfielder". readingfc.co.uk. 2005-08-09. http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~696934,00.html. Retrieved 2006-11-29. 

External links

• Michael Gilkes career stats at Soccerbase
• Royals Legends video

Persondata
Name	Gilkes, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 July 1965
Place of birth	Hackney, England
Date of death
Place of death