- Michael Walsh (footballer born 1977)
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For other people named Michael Walsh, see Michael Walsh (disambiguation).
Michael Walsh Personal information Full name Michael Walsh Date of birth 5 August 1977 Place of birth Rotherham, England Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Playing position Defender Youth career Scunthorpe United Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1995–1998 Scunthorpe United 104 (1) 1998–2007 Port Vale 173 (4) Total 277 (5) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Michael Walsh (born 5 August 1977 in Rotherham) is an English former football defender who spent twelve years as a professional in the Football League. He made a total of 319 appearances in league and cup games.
Beginning his career at Scunthorpe United in 1995, he made over 100 appearances for the club before moving to Port Vale in 1998 for a £100,000 fee. With Vale he won the Football League Trophy in 2001, but then suffered a catalogue of injuries that ended his career prematurely and severely limited his first team appearances. He retired in 2007 at the age of 29.
Contents
Playing career
Walsh started his professional career at Scunthorpe in 1995, making his league debut as a seventeen year old against Scarborough in April of that year.[1] He spent three years with the club, playing across the back four, making 124 appearances in all competitions.
He signed for John Rudge's Port Vale in June 1998 for £100,000.[2] He went on to received his only honour at the club in 2001, as he helped Vale to beat Brentford 2–1 in the Football League Trophy final.[3]
His injury saga began not long after signing a new contract under Brian Horton in 2001[4] when Walsh underwent surgery, but by the end of the year he seemed to have recovered.[5] However by June 2003 another operation was needed to correct a shoulder injury.[6] After this latest procedure he picked up an abdominal strain,[7] though he again slowly began to recover.[8] By November of that year he was injured again, this time because of his back, he required a series of injections and again consulted a surgeon.[9] By February 2004 he was on the road to recovery,[10] but the next month picked up a neck injury, meaning another operation.[11]
Missing most of the 2005–06 season due to injury, new boss Martin Foyle nevertheless offered him a fresh contract in May 2006.[12] This was on the belief that Walsh would play at least 30 games the following season.[13] In May 2007, following a season of twenty appearances, he was informed that he would not be offered a contract for the forthcoming season.[14] This was despite the player being desperate to reach the ten year mark with the club to claim a testimonial, insisting "[Vale] couldn't get a Sunday league player for what I was asking."[15] He retired from the professional game at the age of 29, and later turned out for local Northern Premier League Division One South side Alsager Town.[16]
Post-retirement
After leaving the game he became a CORGI registered gas fitter at Burslem-based BGC.[17]
Statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals England League FA Cup League Cup Total 1994–95 Scunthorpe United Third Division 1 0 4 0 0 0 5 0 1995–96 Scunthorpe United Third Division 30 0 3 0 2 0 37 0 1996–97[18] Scunthorpe United Third Division 34 0 0 0 0 0 34 0 1997–98[19] Scunthorpe United Third Division 39 1 4 0 2 0 48 1 1998–99[20] Port Vale First Division 19 1 1 0 2 0 22 1 1999–2000[21] Port Vale First Division 12 1 0 0 2 0 14 1 2000–01[22] Port Vale Second Division 39 1 1 0 1 0 48 1 2001–02[23] Port Vale Second Division 28 0 0 0 1 0 29 0 2002–03[24] Port Vale Second Division 17 1 0 0 1 0 18 1 2003–04[25] Port Vale Second Division 13 0 0 0 1 0 14 0 2004–05[26] Port Vale League One 23 0 2 0 0 0 25 0 2005–06[27] Port Vale League One 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2006–07[28] Port Vale League One 18 0 0 0 1 0 20 0 Total England 277 5 15 0 13 0 319 5 Career total 277 5 15 0 13 0 319 5 - Notes
- Football League Trophy results included in totals.
Honours
- with Port Vale
- Football League Trophy winner: 2001
References
- ^ "Former defender makes Alsager switch". scunthorpe-united.co.uk. 11 Jul 2007. http://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/page/News/0,,10442~1071319,00.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Port Vale pen pictures". BBC Sport. 18 April 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1282030.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy". BBC Sport. 22 April, 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1289338.stm. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Vale duo agree new deals". BBC Sport. 14 May 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/1330423.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Double boost for Horton". BBC Sport. 11 December 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/1703599.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Walsh has surgery". BBC Sport. 2 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/2956830.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Vale wait on injured four". BBC Sport. 11 September 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/3101360.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Bridge-Wilkinson not ready yet". BBC Sport. 25 September 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/3140670.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Horton sweats on Walsh". BBC Sport. 7 January 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/3376467.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Vale injuries bite". BBC Sport. 5 February 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/3462941.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Walsh operation delayed". BBC Sport. 21 May 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/3735245.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Sonner and Walsh sign Vale deals". BBC Sport. 22 May 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/5005222.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Foyle to rest Hulbert and Walsh". BBC Sport. 25 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/5213504.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Walsh likely to leave Port Vale". BBC Sport. 13 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/6651309.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Walsh: 'I love it at Port Vale'". portvale.vitalfootball.co.uk. http://www.portvale.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=65435. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Walsh signs for Alsager Town". portvale.vitalfootball.co.uk. 6 July 2007. http://www.portvale.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=72231. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Ex-Vale star Walshy swaps life as footballer for gas fitting". The Sentinel. 5 August 2008. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Ex-Vale-star-Walshy-swaps-life-footballer-gas-fitting/article-250464-detail/article.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=126. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=127. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=128. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=129. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=130. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=131. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=132. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=133. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=134. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=135. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Walsh in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8265&season_id=136. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
External links
Categories:- 1977 births
- Living people
- English footballers
- Association football defenders
- People from Rotherham
- Port Vale F.C. players
- Scunthorpe United F.C. players
- Alsager Town F.C. players
- The Football League players
- Northern Premier League players
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