Ormerod: Brett Ryan (Brett)

2004-2004 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Blackburn: 18-10-1976

Debut: v Sunderland (h): 24-09-2004

5’11” 11st 4lb (2003)

Ormerod began his professional career at Accrington Stanley, however, he was quickly snapped up by Blackpool in 1997 for £50,000. During his four years with Blackpool, he suffered a badly broken leg that kept him out of the team in the 1999-2000 season. When he made his return the following season, he helped the team to promotion. After a couple of seasons back in Division Two, he was signed by the Premiership side Southampton for £ 1.75million. With Blackpool he had scored forty five goals in one hundred and twenty-eight League appearances of which twenty-three had been from the bench, he was also prolific in other games, scoring five in the FA Cup in six appearances, one as a substitute, four in seven League Cup games and another eight from seven starts and two of the bench in the play-offs. He won an FA Cup losers’ medal with Southampton in 2003. Ormerod found first-team opportunities limited at Southampton, and he was loaned out to other clubs. At Leeds on his one month loan starting in Sepember 2004 he failed to score in six games and blotted an otherwise good debut by missing a penalty. He fared a little better with Wigan Athletic in his one month loan from March 2005, scoring twice in six games of which three were as substitute. After Southampton were relegated to the CCCL, he was able to play more often after the sale of several teammates who had been keeping him out of the team. On 28th January 2006, he was snapped up on a free transfer by Blackpool's arch-rivals Preston North End on a three-and-a-half year contract. While at St Mary’s he scored twelve times in ninety-eight League games of which thirty-six were from the bench. He also managed six goals from six starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup and one goal from ten FA Cup appearances, of which four were as a substitute. His opportunities at Deepdale were limited by a broken leg and a fractured cheekbone. On 8th May 2006, he broke his leg during the playoff semi-final second leg against Leeds United. He made a rapid recovery, however, and came on as a substitute in the wins against Ipswich Town and Hull City, and scored his first goal of the season in the 3-2 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor. He went on to score another five goals and proved to be the perfect foil for strike partner for David Nugent, until injury struck again. The striker collided with team mate Michael Ricketts during the 1-0 defeat by Wolves in February 2007 and certainly came off worst, suffering a fractured cheekbone. He returned a month later wearing a Phantom of the Opera style mask and he was quickly back amongst the goals, with the opener at Leeds and a brace in the 4-0 win at Coventry. On 7th March 2008, he signed on loan for Nottingham Forest until the end of the 2007-08 season. At Preston he scored thirteen goals in thirty-seven starts and twenty five games from the bench in the League, and there was one goal from one start and two substitute appearances in the FA Cup but he failed to score in one League Cup and two play-off finals appearances. He scored his first goal for Forest against Walsall four minutes into the second half on 15th March 2008. He scored two goals for Forest in thirteen appearances, with his decent form helping Forest gain promotion to the CCCL, before returning to Deepdale. He was next loaned to Oldham Athletic on 16th October2008 for a month and he started two League games and came off the bench in three more, but did not score, as he returned to Deepdale early after breaking a toe in training. On 30th January he was sold to Blackpool on a free transfer with a contract until the end of the season. He scored twice in fifteen League games of which eight were from the bench. On 24th June 2009 he signed a one year contract with an option for a further year, which at present seems likely as he is a fixture in the starting eleven in the 2009-10 season. He scored the winning goal in the play-ff final against Cardiff City on 22nd May 2010 to ensure Blackpool's promotion to the EPL. At the end of the 2009-10 season he had scored thirteen goals in fifty-one League games of which seventeen had been from the bench. He had scored one goal in his only F.A. Cup appearance and had made two League Cup appearances without scoring and had scored one vtal goal in three play-off finals' appearances, for Blackpool since rejoining them in January 2009.