Gary Speed

Gary Speed
MBE
Speed managing Wales in 2011
Personal information
Full name Gary Andrew Speed[1]
Date of birth (1969-09-08)8 September 1969[1]
Place of birth Mancot, Flintshire, Wales
Date of death 27 November 2011(2011-11-27) (aged 42)
Place of death Huntington, Cheshire, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1984–1988 Leeds United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1996 Leeds United 248 (39)
1996–1998 Everton 58 (16)
1998–2004 Newcastle United 213 (29)
2004–2008 Bolton Wanderers 121 (14)
2008–2010 Sheffield United 37 (6)
Total 677 (104)
International career
1990–1991 Wales U21[3] 3 (2)
1990–2004 Wales 85 (7)
Managerial career
2010 Sheffield United
2010–2011 Wales
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gary Andrew Speed MBE (8 September 1969 – 27 November 2011) was a Welsh professional footballer and manager. As manager of Wales, Speed is often credited as being the catalyst for the change in fortunes of the national team and as setting the pathway to future successes.[4]

Having played for the Leeds United youth team, he began his professional career with the club in 1988. With Leeds, he won the English First Division championship in 1991–92, and later played for Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United. He captained the Wales national football team until retiring from international football in 2004. He was the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall with 85 caps between 1990 and 2004 until being overtaken by Chris Gunter in 2018,[5] playing mainly as a left-sided attacking midfielder. Speed was appointed manager of Sheffield United in 2010, but left the club after a few months in December 2010 to manage the Wales national team, remaining in this role until his death 11 months later.

Rarely troubled by injury or suspension, he held the record for the most appearances in the Premier League at 535, until it was surpassed by David James. At the time of his death, only James and Ryan Giggs had played in more Premier League matches than Speed.[6] Including appearances in the Football League and cup competitions, he made 840 domestic appearances.

  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 386. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
  2. ^ "Gary Speed". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  3. ^ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline Publishing Group. p. 980. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
  4. ^ "'His impact will last forever': Welsh football remembers Gary Speed, 10 years on from his death". inews.co.uk. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Wales' Chris Gunter admits China welcome was 'eye-opening'". The Independent. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  6. ^ Szczepanik, Nick (27 November 2011). "Gary Speed obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2011.