Duberry: Michael Wayne (Michael)

1999-2004 (Player Details)

Central Defender

Born: Enfield: 14-10-1975

Debut v Southampton (a): 11-08-1999

6’1” 12st 13lb

Duberry started at Chelsea in June 1993, where he was a trainee and had successful loan periods with Bournemouth in September 1995, making seven appearances for them. However, he craved first team football and was eventually moved to Leeds. On the day that Glenn Hoddle was appointed England’s coach, a reporter asked what the Chelsea coach had done to deserve his elevation. 'Well,' said the man from the FA (was it Graham Kelly? it would certainly be in keeping), 'he has been coaching English players as talented as Michael Duberry...' There was an eerie silence as the members of the press digested this pearl. No-one had the heart to ask if they had collectively misheard. At the time, Duberry looked like quite a prospect for the England team, and there's little doubt he had what it took to make it. However, as he graduated from young gun to senior player, his career had meandered somewhat. Imports blocked his path at Chelsea. After seventy-seven starts and nine substitute appearances in which he got one goal, he moved to Leeds United in July 1999, for £4.5 million, in search of first-team action only to find a still younger Englishman, Jonathan Woodgate, stepping up to take his place alongside club captain Lucas Radebe. Charlton Athletic came close to signing Duberry and bringing him back to London. After finally impressing after getting his chance due to an injury crisis at Elland Road, he too became a victim of the club's injury hoodoo when he was ruled out for the season in September 2000. His Leeds career took a further down turn when Duberry was implicated in the court case involving Woodgate and Lee Bowyer. Duberry had picked the players up on the night in question after the event. After giving evidence, it was clear he and Woodgate were unlikely to see eye-to-eye again. Many will remember the chants of the Cardiff fans during an FA Cup tie in January 2002. With Duberry on as a substitute to partner Woodgate there were plenty of eyebrows raised. As it was Leeds folded to the Welshman in a controversy-filled game in which the ersatz defensive duo were loudly derided. At Old Trafford, earlier in the season, he had been regaled with the mocking chant 'Duberry, Duberry, start the car'. His future appeared to lie elsewhere. At the start of the 2002/03 season, he had played just thirty-one games for Leeds in three years. O'Leary never really gave him a chance and Venables didn't use him much either. Duberry announced in the summer of 2002 that he wanted to leave for first team fooball but no one wanted or could afford him. He played in most of the 2003-04 pre-season games under Peter Reid and best friend Jody Morris signed for Leeds. Things were looking up for Duberry and it seemed like Reid would give him his chance but then bad luck and irony hit Duberry in the face and broke a cheekbone and was sidelined for eight weeks. He was playing against O’Leary’s new side Aston Villa in the Dublin pre-season tournament. O'Leary just wouldn't stop blighting Duberry's life! It seemed like Duberry had again missed his chance as Reid had to bring in central defensive cover in the form of World Cup winner Roque Junior and French international Zoumana Camara. Duberry finally got his chance after Eddie Gray sent Roque Junior packing. He made a number of vital goal-line clearances, won a number of penalties and even scored. He was often seen in the final minutes of games pushing forward as a makeshift attacker. One couldn’t blame him for lack of effort but sadly Michael really wasn't in the class of the men he replaced. He was also too highly paid and Leeds needed to shift him as they couldn’t afford his wages in the First Division. Well, no one wanted Duberry AND his wages. Wolves wanted him but only if Leeds paid £18,000 A WEEK towards his wages. Blackwell decided at the last minute that Leeds might as well keep him as the squad was so small. But after a few appearances Blackwell decided that he could do without Duberry and in October 2004 he was dispatched to Stoke City on loan for three months; much to the relief of the Leeds fans and the player who was coming in for a lot of stick. Duberry played well during his loan at Stoke, making fifteen League appearances, and Blackwell had to recall him one game earlier than expected due to a crisis in the Leeds United central defence for the Third Round FA Cup match versus Birmingham City. Duberry returned to form, within fifteen minutes, making a play that led to Birmingham's second goal. Blackwell substituted him almost immediately and that was the sad end to his jinxed Leeds United career. Incredibly new Wolves manager Glenn Hoddle was strongly rumoured to be looking at him! He even turned down a move to Nottingham Forest under new Manager Gary Megson. In March 2005 Duberry agreed to accept a payout and a free transfer to Stoke City, signing a two-and-a-half year deal. He became a regular at Stoke making eighty more League appearances and scoring one goal as well as making five F.A. Cup, two League Cup appearances before Reading came along and signed him at the end of January 2007 for £800,000 to take up the challenge of again playing in England’s Premier League. He made forty-seven starts and one substitute appearance in the League and one F.A. Cup and three League Cup and two play-off finals appearances. Reading decided on 15th May 2009 not to renew Duberry's contract. On 10th July 2009 Wycombe Wanderers signed Duberry on a two year contract and made him club Captain. His contract was cancelled on 1st February 2010 after he had made just eighteen League and one F.A. Cup appearances. He signed with Scottish Premier League side St Johnstone, rejoining his former Chelsea and Leeds team-mate Jody Morris, initially to the end of the 2009-10 season. By the end of the season he had scored one goal in seventeen League and one Scottish Cup appearances. Despite family concerns he signed a one year contract in May 2010. He collected five England Under-Twenty-one Caps.