Speed: Gary Andrew (Gary)

1987-1996 (Player Details)

Left Midfield

Born: Mancot, North Wales: 08-09-1969

Debut v Oldham Athletic (h): 06-05-1989

6’0” 12st 0lb (1989)

#28 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Speed joined Leeds straight from Hawarden Grammar Schoolin 1987. A Welsh Youth International he got his first team chance after scoring in twelve consecutive Northern Intermediate League games. With only one full senior appearance to his name Speed was called up for Wales in October 1989, as a late replacementto the squad for a World Cup qualifier at Wrexham. On that occasion he sat out the game on the substitutes’ bench but he made a big impact as Leeds raced to the Second Division title following season and on 19th May 1990 he turned out for the Welsh Under-Twenty-one team aganist Poland followed on the next day by playing for the full side against Costa Rica as a substitute. That was the start of a long international career which saw him score seven goals and win eighty-five full caps to go with his Welsh Youth caps and three Under-Twenty-one caps, before retiring from International football in 2004. For Leeds he had a truly tremendous League-Championship-winning season in 1991-92 when his forays down the left and his ability in the air brought him, and others, plenty of goals. He was always one of the first names on Howard Wilkinson’s teamsheet and a £3.4 million bid from Everton for the talented Welshman was turned down in March 1996. However, under three months later the deal did go through, enabling Speed to join the side he had supported as a youngster when he played for Manchester City’s nursery side Blue Star, until he was thirteen. For Speed it was supposed to be a "dream" move to his beloved Everton. However his time on Merseyside, despite being club Captain, was not a particularly happy or productive one and a move to Newcastle United in February 1998 for £6.5 million followed. While with the Goodison Club he made fifty-eight League appearances, scoring fifteen goals, while in the Cup competitions he scored twice in seven appearances. In only his fourth game at United he had to travel to play at Goodison against Everton and the reception he received was hostile to say the least. Whether this affected him is impossible to say but he did take some time to settle into the St James’ team, but when he did acclimatise he turned out to be a truly outstanding player. He became an excellent, strong midfielder for the Geordies and struck up an amazing understanding with Rob Lee and the two dominated many games. He had an excellent knack of coming in from deep positions, almost unseen by the opposition, and attacking corner-kicks and free-kicks sent into the box. Indeed this was how the majority of his goals were scored, but he could as well put in powerful shots from anywhere within shooting distance. Not unsuprisingly he skippered his country and it was a shock to most Newcastle fans when they sold him to Bolton Wanderers in July 2004 for £750,000 on a two year contract. On Tyneside he started two hundred and six League games with a further seven from the bench and scored twenty-nine goals, while in the Cups and European Competitions he started a further sixty-nine and came of the bench twice and scored eleven times. He became the first player to play over five hundred EPL games, when he turned out for Bolton against West Ham United on 9th December 2006. On 1st May 2007 he was named as first team coach for Bolton but in October he relinquished his coaching duties to concentrate on playing. On 25th August 2007, Speed scored a header for Bolton against Reading, making him the only player to have scored in every EPL season. Ryan Giggs later equalled the feat. After being targetted by Derby County, it was confirmed that he would join Sheffield United on loan on 1st January 2008, with a view to a permanent move for a fee of £250,000. At the Reebok Speed started one hundred and fifteen League games and came off the bench six times and scored fourteen goals. In the Cup and European Competitions he started fifteen games and made three substitute appearances but did not score. At Bramall Lane he made thirty-seven League appearances and scored six goals and played two further games in the FA Cup and one in the League Cup. In an interview with BBC Wales on 10th May 2008, Speed hinted that the 2008/2009 season might be his last as a player before moving into coaching or management but stated that he had not yet made up his mind. He started his final season as a regular in the Blades' midfield but suffered a back injury in November 2008 and after surgery he could not regain fitness and missed the rest of the season, concentrating instead on a coaching role at the club. In June 2009 he was approached by Swansea City to take the managerial role left vacant by Roberto Martinez. He is contracted to Sheffield United until June 2010. On 6th May 2010 Speed confirmed his retirement as a player, when he signed a one year deal to remain on the coaching staff at Bramall Lane. He was awarded an MBE in the Birthday Honours list in 2010.