Adrian Heath

"See also Adrian Heath (painter)."

Infobox Football biography


playername = Adrian Heath
fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1961|1|11
cityofbirth = Newcastle-under-Lyme
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=5|in=6
currentclub = Austin Aztex (manager)
position = Midfielder (retired)
years = 1979–1982
1982–1988
1988–1989
1989–1990
1990–1992
1992
1992–1995
1995–1996
1996–1997
clubs =Stoke City
Everton
RCD Espanyol
Aston Villa
Manchester City
Stoke City
Burnley
Sheffield United
Burnley
caps(goals) = 095 (16)
226 (17)
024 0(1)
009 0(0)
075 0(4)
006 0(0)
115 (29)
004 0(0)
005 0(0)
nationalyears = 1981–1983
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 008 0(3)
manageryears = 1996–1997
1999
2005
2007 2008–
managerclubs = Burnley
Sheffield United
Coventry City (caretaker)
Coventry City (caretaker) Austin Aztex
pcupdate =

Adrian Heath (born 11 January 1961 in Newcastle-under-Lyme) is an English football manager and former player. He is currently manager of American team Austin Aztex. As a player he is best remembered as part of the successful Everton side of the 1980s.

Playing career

Heath grew up supporting Stoke City and started his playing career at the club. He became a regular in the first team, making 95 appearances. Heath joined fc|Everton in January 1982 for a then club record fee of £700,000. He become the club's top scorer in his first full season, scoring 18 in all competitions in the 1983–84 season. Despite the fact that Heath only played 17 games in the 1984–85 campaign, his scoring got into double figures every season until 1988.

A goal for which many fans remember Heath is credited with changing Everton's fortunes in the 1983–84 road to the League Cup Final at fc|Oxford United. Grabbing a poor Kevin Brock back-pass, Heath scored a goal away at Oxford to equalize the match and earn Everton a chance to turn things around.

Heath then became something of a journeyman, with a spell in Spain with Espanyol. He later returned to England where he spent the remainder of his career, the most notable part being a three year stint at fc|Burnley. In all, over £2 million was spent on fees for Heath during his career.

Managerial career

Heath began his managerial career as player-manager of Burnley in March 1996. He left after the 1996–97 season having finished ninth in the Second Division. Two years later he was appointed manager of fc|Sheffield United but he left the club after only five months.

He also worked with former Everton team-mate Peter Reid at afc|Sunderland, afc|Leeds United and fc|Coventry City. When Reid left Coventry in January 2005, Heath stepped in as caretaker. He remained at the club under Reid's successor Micky Adams and again acted as caretaker in January 2007 before leaving the club after Iain Dowie was appointed. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2007/01/17/adams_stay_or_go_feature.shtml Adams sacked by City] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/6371083.stm Dowie takes over as Coventry boss] ]

Heath was appointed manager of USL-1 expansion team Austin Aztex in February 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.sunherald.com/447/story/383634.html|title=Aztex Announce Head Coach|first=Austin Aztex Soccer Club|publisher=SunHerald|date=2008-02-21|accessdate=2008-02-21] Austin Aztex have a close relationship with English side Stoke City, where Heath started his career.

Honours

with Everton

Football League Division One
*Winner - 1984-85, 1986-87

FA Cup
*Winner - 1984
*Runner-up -1989

Football League Cup
*Runner-up - 1984

Charity Shield
*Winner - 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987

European Cup Winners Cup
*Winner - 1985

with Burnley

Football League Second Division playoffs
*Winner - 1994

References

External links

*soccerbase|3377
*soccerbase (manager)|9