 Saunders in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dean Nicholas Saunders[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 June 1964[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Swansea, Wales | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1982 | Swansea City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1985 | Swansea City | 49 | (12) |
| 1985 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1985–1987 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 72 | (21) |
| 1987–1988 | Oxford United | 59 | (22) |
| 1988–1991 | Derby County | 106 | (42) |
| 1991–1992 | Liverpool | 42 | (11) |
| 1992–1995 | Aston Villa | 112 | (37) |
| 1995–1996 | Galatasaray | 27 | (15) |
| 1996–1997 | Nottingham Forest | 43 | (5) |
| 1997–1998 | Sheffield United | 43 | (17) |
| 1998–1999 | Benfica | 17 | (5) |
| 1999–2001 | Bradford City | 44 | (3) |
| Total | 618 | (190) | |
| International career | |||
| 1986–2001 | Wales | 75 | (22) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2011 | Wrexham | ||
| 2011–2013 | Doncaster Rovers | ||
| 2013 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| 2014–2015 | Crawley Town | ||
| 2015 | Chesterfield | ||
| 2024– | England (America's Kings League) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Dean Nicholas Saunders (born 21 June 1964) is a Welsh football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a striker in a career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He played for Liverpool and Aston Villa in the 1990s, and set a new British transfer record when he joined the former from Derby County. He began at his hometown club Swansea City before also playing for Brighton, Oxford United, Bradford City, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United as well as spells at Galatasaray and Benfica. He was capped 75 times at senior level for Wales between 1986 and 2001, scoring 22 times, making him one of the nation's highest-scoring and most-capped players of all time, although Wales never qualified for any major international competitions while Saunders was playing for them.[3]
Following his retirement from playing in 2001, he entered football coaching and then management, firstly of Wrexham and since then of Doncaster Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crawley Town and Chesterfield.
- ^ a b "Dean Saunders". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 306. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- ^ When Romania broke Welsh hearts, Dafydd Pritchard / Chris Wathan, BBC Sport, 17 November 2023