Gary Walsh (English footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Gary Walsh


fullname = Gary Walsh
height = height|ft=6|in=3
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1968|3|21|df=y
cityofbirth = Wigan
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
currentclub = Derby County
(Goalkeeping coach)
position = Goalkeeper (retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1985–1995
1988
1993–1994
1995–1997
1997
1997–2003
2000
2003–2006
clubs = Manchester United
→ Airdrieonians (loan)
→ Oldham Athletic (loan)
Middlesbrough
→ Bradford City (loan)
Bradford City
→ Middlesbrough (loan)
Wigan Athletic
Total
caps(goals) = 050 (0)
003 (0)
006 (0)
044 (0)
005 (0)
128 (0)
003 (0)
003 (0)
242 (0)
nationalyears = 1987
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 002 (0)

Gary Walsh (born 21 March 1968 in Wigan) is a retired English footballer who played as goalkeeper with a number of clubs included Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Bradford City and Wigan Athletic. He became goalkeeping coach at Wigan under manager Paul Jewell before teaming back up with Jewell at Derby County.

Playing career

Walsh left school in 1984 and signed for Wigan Athletic as an apprentice. He was originally a striker but was fielded as goalkeeper in a game being watched by a Manchester United scout. He was promptly offered an apprenticeship by Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson, and accepted the offer. He kept goal for United as they finished runners-up to neighbouring Manchester City in the 1986 FA Youth Cup.

Walsh was given a professional contract for the 1986–87 season (during which Ron Atkinson was sacked in favour of Alex Ferguson) and make his first-team debut soon after. For a short time in the 1987–88 season, a 19-year-old Walsh was made first-choice goalkeeper after Gary Bailey retired due to injury and Chris Turner was dropped from the team. However, this run of games was halted by a head injury sustained in a mid-season friendly in Bermuda, and a succession of further injuries ruled him out until the 1990–91 season. He was on the substitutes bench as United lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup that season, and the arrival of Peter Schmeichel that summer made his first-team opportunities even more limited.

While at Old Trafford, Walsh went on loan to Airdrieonians and Oldham Athletic.

A little frustrated at the lack of first team opportunities available to him, Walsh moved to Middlesbrough in August 1995, making over 50 league and cup games in a side managed by former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson. He signed for Bradford City on loan in October 1997 before a £500,000 fee made the transfer permanent.

Walsh produced his best form in a number of years in the 1997–98 season and crowned a superb campaign by picking up the club's Player of the Year award. However, injury and the form of Matt Clarke saw Walsh fall out of favour at Bradford City.

After several troubled months, he emerged at the start of the 2000–01 season campaign fully fit and ready to fight for his place (he also went on loan to former club Middlesbrough during this time). He featured strongly over the next few years before joining Wigan Athletic in 2003 as back-up to John Filan. On Wigan's promotion to the Premier League in 2005, he signed a new one-year contract to see the club through their first as a top division side.

Coaching career

Walsh started his goalkeeping coach role during his playing time at Wigan, before taking it up on a permanent basis after he retired at the end of the 2005–06 season. He teamed up with former Wigan manager Paul Jewell at Derby County on 3 January 2008. [cite news
url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/display.var.1941722.0..php
title=New job for Gary Walsh
accessdate=2008-01-03
date=2008-01-03
publisher=Telegraph & Argus]

References

External links

*soccerbase|8264|Gary Walsh

Persondata
NAME=Walsh, Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Football (soccer) player
DATE OF BIRTH=March 21 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH=Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=