Tyrone Mears

Football player infobox
playername = Tyrone Mears


fullname = Tyrone Mears
height = height|m=1.81
nickname = Tye
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|2|18
cityofbirth = Stockport
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Olympique de Marseille
(on loan from Derby County)
clubnumber = 8
position = Right Back
youthyears =
youthclubs = Manchester City
years = 2001–2002
2002–2006
2006–2007
2007
2007–
2008–
clubs = Manchester City
Preston North End
West Ham United
→ Derby County (loan)
Derby County → Marseille (loan)
caps(goals) = 01 0(0)
70 0(4)
05 0(0)
13 0(1)
28 0(1)
00 0(0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 23:33, 22 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Tyrone Mears (born February 18, 1983 in Stockport, England) is a professional English football player who currently plays as a right-back for Olympique de Marseille (on loan from Derby County). His previous clubs include Manchester City, Preston North End and West Ham.

Club career

Manchester City

Mears came through the ranks at Manchester City and signed trainee forms in August 2001.cite web | title = Tyrone Mears | work = Soccerbase | publisher = Racing Life | url = http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=26768 | accessdate = 2007-08-11 ] Mears only made one appearance for City, replacing Stuart Pearce as a substitute in the 84-minute against Nottingham Forest in March 2002. [cite news | title = Man City 3-0 Nottm For | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2002-03-20 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1898581.stm | accessdate = 2007-08-11 ] On Manchester City's promotion to the FA Premier League in 2002, Mears' first-team opportunities became limited and he was sold to Preston North End.

Preston North End

Mears joined Preston in July 2002 for a fee of £200,000. He signed a three-year contract and was expected to provide cover for Graham Alexander. [cite news | title = Preston sign Mears | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2002-07-03 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/2090377.stm | accessdate = 2007-08-11 ] He made his debut for Preston as a substitute in a 3-3 draw with Walsall in October 2002 [cite news | title = Walsall 3-3 Preston | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2002-10-19 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/2313877.stm | accessdate = 2007-08-11 ] and went on to make a total of 24 league and cup appearances in the 2002-03 season as Preston finished in mid-table of the Football League Championship. He made only 14 appearances in the 2003-04 season and five in the 2004-05 season as a stress fracture put him out of the game for ten months.cite news | title = Mears eyes fresh start at Preston | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2005-03-29 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/4391017.stm | accessdate = 2007-08-11 ] Despite his long-term injury, he was offered and signed a further three-year contract in March 2005, saying "I was out for 10 months so you worry about what is going to happen to you. You need to be in the team but Preston have been very good to me and I can't speak more highly of the manager. Last season to get the stress fracture was very hard but that's all behind me now and I'm looking forward to a fresh start with a three-year deal." He made 39 league and cup appearances in the 2005-06 season as Preston reached the Championship play-offs semi-final. During that season, instead of having his surname Mears on the back of his shirt, he had his nickname "Tye", a rare occurrence in English football. In July 2006, after rejecting two bids from Charlton, Preston accepted an offer for Mears from West Ham.cite news | title = Mears completes West Ham switch | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/5141432.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2006-07-06 | accessdate = 2007-04-22]

West Ham United

Mears signed for West Ham for an initial £1 million in July 2006, rising to £1.9 million depending on appearances and possible future international recognition with England. However, he was only to make six league and cup appearances for West Ham as he struggled to break into the first team. He memorably produced an athletic overhead clearance on the line after Stilian Petrov lobbed West Ham keeper Roy Carroll in a match against Aston Villa in September 2006. [cite news | title = West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/5308202.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2006-09-10 | accessdate = 2007-04-22]

Derby County

With his opportunities in the West Ham first-team limited, he was allowed to join Derby County on loan until the end of the 2006-07 season in January 2007.cite news| title = Derby sign defender Mears on loan| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6319349.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 2007-02-01| accessdate = 2007-04-22] Derby manager, Billy Davies, who had managed Mears at his previous club, Preston, said of him, ""He is a very attacking full-back with excellent pace who adds great competition. Ideally we would like to make this deal permanent in the summer." He made his debut as an 84th minute substitute in a 1-0 win at Southampton on 3 February 2007 [cite news| title = Southampton 0-1 Derby | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6305293.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 2007-02-03| accessdate = 2007-04-22] and went on to make a total of 17 league and cup appearances as Derby were promoted to the Premier League after beating West Bromwich Albion in the Championship play-off final in May 2007. [cite news| title = Derby 1-0 West Brom | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6689971.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 2007-05-28| accessdate = 2007-04-22] Mears then joined Derby permanently for £1 million in July 2007, signing a three-year contract.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6270026.stm|title=Derby complete signing of Mears|date=2007-07-04|accessdate=2007-07-04|publisher=BBC Sport] Manager Billy Davies said, ""We're delighted with this deal. Tye is a very good young full back with excellent pace and potential. We need him for the challenge ahead and I know he is committed to working hard." A stress fracture sustained in January 2008 ruled him out for three months of the 2007–08 season. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7194466.stm|title=Mears sidelined for three months |date=2008-01-17|accessdate=2008-02-26|publisher=BBC Sport] Mears scored his first goal for Derby against Leeds United in a 2-0 win on the last day of the 06/07 season. Mears scored his second goal for Derby in April 2008 against his former club West Ham.

Olympique de Marseille

On August 29 2008 Mears caused controversy when he flew to France to go on trial with Olympique de Marseille without the express permission of Derby manager Paul Jewell. [cite news|url=http://therams.co.uk/stories/jewell-fumes-at-mears-after-defender-goes-awol|title=Jewell fumes at Mears after defender goes AWOL |date=2008-08-29|accessdate=2008-08-29|publisher=BBC Sport] Jewell responded, saying that Mears will never play for the club again whilst he is in charge. [cite news|url=http://www.ramfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=863099|title=Mears in big trouble with Rams boss |date=2008-08-29|accessdate=2008-08-29|publisher=BBC Sport] Mears was fined six weeks by County for going on the trial with Marseille, a fee of less than £75,000. Mears was given six weeks in which to appeal the punishment. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7623390.stm|title=Mears fined for trip to Marseille|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-09-18|accessdate=2008-09-18] Following the trial, the clubs agreed that Mears would go on loan to Marseille for the duration of the 2008/09 season, for a loan fee of £160,000, with the French club having the option to buy him for £1.5m at the end of the loan. [cite news|url=http://therams.co.uk/stories/rams-defender-mears-is-set-to-join-marseille|title=Rams defender Mears is set to join marseille |date=2008-08-29|accessdate=2008-09-01|publisher=therams.co.uk]

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=26768|name=Tyrone Mears