Gary Speed

Football player infobox
playername = Gary Speed


fullname = Gary Andrew Speed
height = height|metres=1.81
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1969|9|8
cityofbirth = Mancot
countryofbirth = Wales
currentclub = Sheffield United

clubnumber = 15
position = Midfielder
years = 1988–1996
1996–1998
1998–2004
2004–2008
2008–
clubs = Leeds United
Everton
Newcastle United
Bolton Wanderers
Sheffield United
caps(goals) = 248 (39)
058 (15)
213 (29)
121 (14)
030 0(5)
nationalyears = 1990–2004
nationalteam = Wales
nationalcaps(goals) = 085 0(7)
pcupdate = 11:32, 1 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 05:45, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Gary Andrew Speed (born September 8 1969 in Mancot, Wales) is a Welsh footballer, who plays in midfield. He holds the record for most appearances in the English Premier League. He is currently playing for Sheffield United. He was also captain for the Welsh national team until he retired from international football in 2004.

Club career

Early career

Speed began his career with Leeds United, playing a key role as they won the First Division championship title in 1992. He moved to Everton in 1996, for a fee of £3.5 million. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/3904323.stm BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Bolton Wanderers | Speed joins Bolton ] ]

Newcastle United

Speed was club captain at Everton, but moved to Newcastle United in 1998 for a fee of £5.5m, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/3904323.stm BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Bolton Wanderers | Speed joins Bolton ] ] in controversial circumstances, and while during his six years there he became the club's most dependable midfielder. Speed featured in the club's FA Cup Final defeats by Arsenal in 1998 and by Manchester United in 1999. He also played in the UEFA Champions League with Newcastle in season 2002-3.

Newcastle's manager, Sir Bobby Robson, was sorry to see Speed leave the club, and acknowledged that he would do very well for Bolton Wanderers.Fact|date=November 2007

Bolton Wanderers

Speed moved to Bolton Wanderers on a two-year deal in a £750,000 switch from Newcastle United in July 2004.cite news
title = Speed joins Bolton
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/3904323.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-07-21
accessdate = 2007-12-25] He became the first player to make 500 Premiership appearances when he played in Bolton's 4-0 victory over West Ham United in December 2006. [Cite news
title = Shearer lauds record-making Speed
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/6167279.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-12-11
accessdate = 2008-05-21]

On May 1 2007, Gary Speed was named as the First Team coach for Bolton after Sam Allardyce stepped down from his job. [ [http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,1004~1019045,00.html Speed Appointed As First Team Coach] - BWFC Official Site] However in October, he left the coaching job and returned to being just a player with the club. Conflicting reports of the incident claim then manager Sammy Lee relieved him of his duties to concentrate on playing however Speed, in an interview with the Bolton News, claims he chose to step down. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/7039158.stm "Speed relieved of coaching duties"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 11 October, 2007]

Speed scored a header for Bolton against Reading on August 25 2007, making him and Ryan Giggs the only players to have scored in every Premiership season to date. On October 20 2007, Ryan Giggs matched this achievement with a deflected shot at Aston Villa.Fact|date=November 2007 It had been reported in December 2007 that Speed was a target for Derby County, but it was confirmed on 24 December 2007 that he would join Sheffield United on loan on 1 January 2008, with a view to a permanent move for a fee of about £250,000.cite news
title = Blades agree deal to sign Speed
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/7158844.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2003-12-24
accessdate = 2007-12-25]

heffield United

Speed made his first team debut on the day of his transfer - being named in the starting eleven for a 0-0 away draw against Wolves on New Years Day 2008.cite news
title = Wolves 0-0 Sheff Utd
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7163905.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-01-01
accessdate = 2008-02-04] He played regularly for the rest of the season and deputised as captain when Chris Morgan was unavailable. Having seen his penalty parried Speed netted the rebound to score his first goal for the Blades in a victory over Coventry in March of that year.cite news
title = Sheff Utd 2-1 Coventry
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7285092.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-03-11
accessdate = 2008-03-12] He went on to finish the season on three goals for the Blades , scoring both goals in a 2-1 home victory over Bristol City in the penultimate game of the 2007-08 season.cite news
title = Sheff Utd 2-1 Bristol City
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7356056.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-04-26
accessdate = 2008-05-24] In an interview with BBC Wales on May 10th 2008, Speed hinted that the 2008/2009 season may be his last playing before moving into coaching or management but stated that he had not yet made up his mind.cite news
title = Speed gives retirement plan hint
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/7393811.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-06-10
accessdate = 2008-06-12]

International career

Speed had been capped for Wales 85 times, second in the all-time list only to Neville Southall. He retired from international football in 2004 after the side's 3-2 defeat to Poland in a World Cup qualifier. [Cite news
title = Speed retires from Wales
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3741366.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-10-13
accessdate = 2008-05-21] After his retirement from international football, he was recommended to take up the mantle of Wales' manager, by both the former manager Mark Hughes and fellow Welsh midfielder Robbie Savage.

Personal life

As a child, he went to Hawarden High School. He supported Everton as a youngster.

Career statistics

Notes

External links

* [http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10418~5953,00.html Gary Speed player profile] at sufc.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=7512|name=Gary Speed