Gary Speed
Record breaking Welsh wonder
| Full name: | Gary Andrew Speed |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | September 8, 1969 |
| Date of death: | November 27, 2011 |
| Clubs played for: | Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton, Sheffield United |
Club Career
Gary Speed came through the youth ranks at Leeds, making his first team debut in May 1989 as a 19-year-old. He quickly established himself, first on the left wing and eventually as a combative midfielder, thanks to his good touch and excellent game awareness. Speed’s qualities helped Leeds to climb out of the old Second Division as Champions in 1990 and he then made 41 appearances in manager Howard Wilkinson’s side that won the First Division title in 1992.
Speed moved from Leeds to the club he supported as a boy, Everton, at the end of the 1995-96 season and was even made club captain, but he was on the move again in 1998, this time to Newcastle. After a spell at Bolton he joined Sheffield United in 2008, first as a player, then coach before taking over as manager in late 2010.
After just two months in the job at Bramall Lane he took over from John Toshack as Wales boss.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-96 | Leeds | 248 | 39 |
| 1996-98 | Everton | 58 | 15 |
| 1998-2004 | Newcastle | 213 | 29 |
| 2004-08 | Bolton | 121 | 14 |
| 2008-2010 | Sheffield United | 37 | 6 |
International Career
Speed lies second behind goalkeeper Neville Southall as the player with the most Welsh international appearances to his name, which is an even more incredible achievement given that he retired from the international game back in 2004.
He made his debut in 1990 as a substitute against Costa Rica and won his final cap 14 years later against Poland. Unfortunately he was one of a generation of Welsh players, including the likes of Mark Hughes and Ryan Giggs, who never played in a major finals tournament.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-2004 | Wales | 85 | 7 |
Key Games
Leeds 4-0 Sheffield United (Second Division, April 16, 1990
Leeds looked every inch the favourites for the Second Division title after crushing Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United 4-0 at Elland Road. Speed scored the last goal of the afternoon after picking up a through ball from Chris Kamara and sprinting half the length of the pitch before coolly slotting home.
Leeds 4-1 VFB Stuttgart (European Cup 1st round 2nd leg, September 30, 1992)
Leeds met VFB Stuttgart in the first round of the European Cup and were on the end of a 3-0 hammering in the first leg in Germany. It looked like all hope was lost, but after 20 minutes in the second leg at Elland Road Eric Cantona headed a cross down and Speed slammed the ball home with a superb left foot volley. He later described it as his best ever goal. Leeds won the tie 4-1 and went out on the away goals rule, until it was discovered that Stuttgart had fielded an ineligible player. A play-off game was organised, which Leeds won and so they went through to the next round in the most unlikely fashion.
Liverpool 1-1 Everton (Premier League, November 20, 1996)
Everton fan Speed’s first Merseyside derby saw the Toffees trailing to a first half Robbie Fowler goal. But with just eight minutes left to play, Andy Hinchcliffe swung in a free-kick and Speed rose majestically to power a header home at the far post and earn Everton a draw.
Honours
| Club | Competition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Leeds | League Championship | 1991-92 |
| Second Division Championship | 1989-90 |
Did You Know...?
Speed has the dubious distinction of having lost in three major cup finals. He was a member of the Leeds team that lost the 1996 League Cup final to Aston Villa and then played for Newcastle in FA Cup final defeats against Arsenal in 1998 and Manchester United in 1999.
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.
Speed was a huge fan of quizzes, but he was far better on the subjects of geography and history than he is football.
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