Alan Merrick

Infobox Football biography


playername= Alan Merrick
fullname = Alan Ronald Merrick
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1950|6|20
cityofbirth = Selly Oak, Birmingham
countryofbirth = England
height =
currentclub = Retired
clubnumber =
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1968–1975
1975
1976–1979
1980
1981
1981
1982
1983
clubs = West Bromwich Albion
→ Peterborough (loan)
Minnesota Kicks
Los Angeles Aztecs
San Jose Earthquakes
Minnesota Kicks
Toronto Blizzard
Team America
caps(goals) = 131 (5)
005 (0)
103 (4)
022 (2)
012 (0)
012 (2)
030 (5)
018 (0)
nationalyears = 1983
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 1 (0)
manageryears = 1983–1988
managerclubs = Minnesota Strikers
pcupdate = 22:33, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
ntupdate = 7 December 2006

Alan Ronald Merrick (born 20 June, 1950) is a retired English-American soccer defender.

Playing career

Club level

Merrick was born in Selly Oak, Birmingham, but grew up in North Warwickshire, where he attended Water Orton Junior School and Coleshill Grammar School.cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | date = 2005 | pages = p153 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4] He joined West Bromwich Albion in July 1966, turning professional in August 1967. He made his senior debut in September 1968 in a League Cup tie against Peterborough United and in the same year won three England youth caps. In 1975 the team loaned Merrick to second division club Peterborough. At the end of the season, Merrick moved to the United States where he signed with the Minnesota Kicks of the North American Soccer League. Merrick remained with the Kicks through the 1979 season when he moved to the Los Angeles Aztecs. Merrick moved again at the end of the season, to the San Jose Earthquakes for the 1981 season. However, after twelve games, the Earthquakes traded Merrick to the Minnesota Kicks. At the end of the 1981 season the Kicks traded Merrick to the Toronto Blizzard for the 1982 season. In 1983, the U.S. Soccer Federation, in coordination with the NASL, entered the U.S. national team, known as Team America, into the NASL as a league franchise. The team drew on U.S. citizens playing in the NASL, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. Merrick left the Blizzard and signed with Team America. When Team America finished the 1983 season with a 10-20 record, the worst in the NASL, USSF withdrew the team from the league.

International level

On April 8, 1983, Merrick earned one cap with the U.S. national team in a 2-0 victory over Haiti. He started the game, but subbed out for Erhardt Kapp in the second half. [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesu/usa-intres-det80.html USA - Details of International Matches 1980-1989] ]

Coach

In 1983, Merrick retired from playing and joined the coaching ranks with the Minnesota Strikers. At the time, the Strikers played in the NASL, but after the collapse of the league in 1984, the Strikers moved to Major Indoor Soccer League. Merrick continued to coach them through the 1987-1988 season. He is currently the head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s club team.

References

External links

* [http://www.ynw62.dial.pipex.com/amerrick.htm West Bromwich bio]