Edwards: Neil Ryan (Neil)

1989-1991 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Aberdare: 05-12-1970

Debut v Barnsley (a) ZDS Cup: 28-11-1989

5’8” 11st 2lb (1989)

Welsh Youth, Under-Fifteen, Under-Eighteen International and Mid-Glamorgan Schools goalkeeper who joined Leeds in March 1989. He got his first-team chance in a Zenith Data Systems Cup-tie at Oakwell after a rare injury to Mervyn Day. That remained his only Leeds appearance, although he had two loan spells with Huddersfield Town, without making the Terrier's first team, and one with Irish club Shelbourne before rejecting a contract at Blackpool to join Stockport County on loan. After three impressive games he joined County permanently for £10,000 in September 1991. He played at Wembley three times in twelve months with County, finishing on the losing team each time. In 1992 they were beaten by Stoke City in the Autoglass Cup Final, eight days later he was in the Stockport side beaten 2-1 by Peterborough United in the Division Three Play-off Final, and in 1993 Edwards featured in another Autoglass Cup Final when Stockport were beaten 2-1 by Port Vale. He made one hundred and sixty-four League appearances, of which one was as a substitute, and eleven games in each of the F.A. Cup and League Cup competitions as well as twenty-nine appearances in other games such as the Football League Trophy, before he moved to Rochdale, who paid £25,000 to take him from Stockport in November 1997. He made two hundred and forty-one League appearances, sixteen in the F.A. Cup, nine in the League Cup and played another twelve times in other games for Rochdale before moving to Bury in July 2005, where he was first choice keeper, making twenty-four League and one game each in the F.A. Cup and the League Cup before sustaining an injury which forced him to retire. Released by Bury in May 2006, he joined Carlisle United as part-time goalkeeping coach for the 2006-07 before joining Bolton Wanderers as assistant to Fred Barber and taking over when he is on Irish duties. Edwards made one appearance for the Welsh Under-Twenty-One team.