Gray: Michael (Micky)

2005-2005 & 2007-2007 (Player Details)

Left Back

Born: Sunderland: 03-08-1974

Debut v Burnley (a): 05-02-2005

5’9” 10st 7 lb (2005)

Gray joined his home-town club, Sunderland, after failing to make the grade at Manchester United, and was the last player to leave the club from the beginning of the Peter Reid era. Gray started his career for Sunderland at the beginning of the 1992/93 season, shortly after his eighteenth birthday. He burst on to the Sunderland scene in spectacular fashion. He scored on his debut as a teenager with a long range effort in a win over Barnsley. He played in various positions, including as a striker, left winger and left back before fading slightly from first team affairs. He started as a left-winger before Reid switched him to full-back to accommodate Allan Johnston and his skills on the ball have marked him out as a classy left-back. It wasn't until 1996-7 he came to the fore, as a regular for Sunderland as they got relegated from the Premiership. He gained unwanted attention a year later, however, missing a penalty in the First Division playoff final, which would have taken Sunderland back into the Premiership. As a First Division player, he was picked by Kevin Keegan to make his international debut for England as a substitute in the match against Hungary on 28th April 1999. He was the last outfield player to be playing outside of the English top-flight and appear for England until 28th March 2007 when David Nugent of Preston North End scored on his début against Andorra (goalkeeper David James played for England in 2003 whilst playing for West Ham United in the First Division). Sunderland finished first in Division One and won promotion to the Premiership.In June 1999 Gray also played for England against Sweden and started the match against Bulgaria. However, as his next season was plagued by injury, he failed to make the England squad for Euro 2000. He has three England caps. This didn't affect his domestic team's form, however, as they finished in seventh place in the Premiership, a feat repeated in 2000-01. Officially appointed team captain following the retirement of Steve Bould, he wasted no time in announcing how proud he was to be leading his home-town club and his displays certainly reflected this In the 2001/02 season, Sunderland struggled, and with their dip in form came a dip in form for Gray, and for the next two seasons, he was constantly rumoured to be moving elsewhere. Relegation came for Sunderland at the end of the 2002-03 season, and two games into the 2003-04 season Gray finally left, joining Celtic on 1st September 2003, on a four month loan. In his twelve years with the Wearside club he made four hundred and ten appearances, twenty-seven of which were as a substitute and scored seventeen goals. However, after only four starts and six games off the bench, and generally out of favour, he moved to Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer on 1st January 2004. He constantly performed well for the team as they avoided relegation. However, he struggled to get a look-in after Mark Hughes replaced Graeme Souness as Manager and in February 2005, he joined Leeds United on loan until the season's end. He performed well for United but got sent off in a wild melee in the home game with Gillingham and missed games through suspension. Leeds wanted to retain him but could not afford his wage demands. He then returned to Blackburn and in his first season back there he helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup, having established himself as a first-team regular. Later Michael rejoined Leeds United for a second loan spell in a bid to save them from relegation, which ultimately failed. Leeds United were thought to be interested in signing Michael on permanent basis when Blackburn announced that he was due to leave them at the end of the season. He played seventy-three times, including one game from the bench for Rovers. He signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers on a one year contract on 25th June 2007, after becoming a free agent at Blackburn. After featuring regularly in his first season, he signed a further one-year deal to keep him at the club for the 2008–09 season, but did not play very often for the first team. He scored four times League games from thirty-three starts and eight games as a substitute and made three starts in the League Cup and two starts and one game from the bench in the F.A. Cup while at Molineux. He joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan on 9th January 2009. This was made permanent on 2nd February 2009, when he signed a contract until the end of the season. He signed a further one year contract on 19th May 2009. Wednesday suffered relegation from the CCCL at the end of the 2009-10 season and Gray was not retained. He announced his retirement from football as a consequence. He scored twice in thirty-nine League games of which three were as a substitute and also made one substitute appearance in the League Cup for Wednesday after signing permanently for them.