I was involved in the world of football from the age of seven.
I played for local Bristol junior sides as a youngster, and then graduated to county youth football at the age of 11.
1985-86 Backwell Athletic J.F.C
1986-87 Milton nomads U’10’s [Manager – Oggy]
1986-87 Milton nomads ‘Players player’
1987 St Nicholas Easter Tournament Winners [Milton Nomads]
1987–88 Milton nomads U’11’s [Manager – Chris Twort]
1987-88 Hanham Minor league Cup Runners-up U’10’s[Milton Nomads]
After that, I attended Schools of Excellence, designed to cater for the best young football Players in the Bristol region.
1987-88 Hanham Minor Representative Team U’10’s
1988 Inter League U’10’s [Hanham Minor Representative Team]
1988 Milton Nomads U’11’s [Manager – Chris Twort]
1988 St Nicholas Easter Tournament Winners [Milton Nomads]
1988 Schools of Excellence - Redwood Lodge
1988-89 Hanham Minor league Winners U’11’s [Milton Nomads]
At 12 I was picked up by Norwich City, who were lying third in the Premiership at the time I joined their elite youth system? I was fortunate enough to travel to a number of foreign countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Ireland and Sweden, as I continued to enhance and broaden my overall football education.
1989 Hanaham Minor Ronnie Rampling six a side runners-up
1989 Denmark - Intoco Tournament [Norwich city] [Mentor – Kit Carson]
1989-90 Whitchurch Sports U’i2’s [Manager - Geof Recent]
1989-90 Schools of Excellence - Redwood Lodge
1989-90 Hanham Minor league Winners U’12’s [Whitchurch Sports]
1989-90 Bulgaria International football cup – ‘Kyna – naebeh Pleven’ [Norwich City]
1989-90 Gloucestershire youth football ASSN Inter League Runners-up [‘Bristol Boys’ Schools]
1990-91 Whitchuch Sports U’13’s
As the independent Schools of excellence amalgamated with B.C.F.C I then changed to ‘Keith Fears’ school of excellence, to enable me keep my contractual options open as I was so young and aiming high.
1990-91 Keith Fear Schools of Excellence – Hartcliff [mentor – Keith Fear]
1990–91 Hanham Minor league winners U’13’s [Whitchurch Sports]
1991 Nailsea six-a-side – U’13’s winner [Whitchurch Sports]
1991 Old Trafford 52’000 Crowd – Winners - ‘Sega Sixes’ National Competition [Whitchurch Sports]
1991 Austria - Wildehousen Nico Van Doorn suzuka [Norwich City]
By 14 I had been approached by a number of other Premiership clubs – including Arsenal and Southampton – and had been offered a contract with Manchester United.
1991-92 Whitchurch Sports U-14’s
1991-92 France - Runners Up ‘Ligue du Midi-Pyrenees District de TOULOUSE’ [Whitchurch sports]
1992 Carrow Road - Reebok Canary Cup Champions ‘defeated Glasgow Rangers [Norwich City]
1992 Manchester United – Offered Schoolboy Forms (Brian Kidd – Alex Ferguson – Les Kershaw)
I decided to remain with Norwich City F.C because of their highly rated youth system and then went through demanding trials for the FA’s National School at Lilleshall.
1992 Signed Schoolboy Forms - Norwich City F.C – mentor - Sammy Morgan [ex - Ashton Villa & N.Ireland International]
Along with 15 of the other top young prospects in England, I was fortunate enough to win a full-time placement at Lillishall – along with teammates Jamie Carragher, Gavin McCann and Stephen Clemence.
1992 England – Accepted 2 year Placement at the F.A National – Lillishall [mentor – Keith Blunt]
1993 Sunderland – Wearside TEC U-16 4th place – International Football Festival [Norwich City]
1993 Nordic Championships – Faroe Islands - Caps achieved – Denmark, Norway [2 Goals], Sweden, Finland
1994 Oman – Qatar - International friendly – 2 Caps achieved
Trials for England’s Under-16 side followed, and I became a first-team regular in midfield and was privileged to take part in the UEFA Youth Championships in Dublin, playing alongside England stars Emile Heskey, Jamie Carragher, Gavin McCann, and Richard Wright.
1993-94 Ireland - England U’16’s - European under 16 Youth Tournament Finals – 4 Caps Achieved – Portugal, Ireland, Ukraine, and R.C.S
Shortly afterwards, on my 17th birthday, I became the youngest player in history ever to sign as a professional at Norwich City F.C, who were then lying third in the Premier League. Gradually, I progressed to the Canaries’ first-team squad, training alongside Chris Sutton, Ade Akinbiyi, Darren Eadie, Robert Fleck and close friend Danny Mills.
1993-94 3 year Premiership Contract – September 1st - 17th Birthday
But just five weeks later, playing against Arsenal, I went in for a tackle and suffered the horrific knee injury, which was eventually to cut short my professional career.
1993-94 Tackle V’s Arsenal - November – Sustained serious Knee injury - denied advice to retire - underwent 9 operations over 3 years [2 pioneering]
I looked on frustratingly as Managers such as Martin O’Neil, Mike Walker, Gary Megson, Bruce Rioch all struggled to help Norwich City F.C through financial hardship having been relegated in the 1995/96 campaign
After three years – and nine operations – I joined my hometown club Bristol Rovers confidant I could re-launch my playing career alongside and under Player-manager Ian Holloway. I scored five goals in 22 starts and was rewarded with a four-and-a-half year contract.
1997-98 Bristol Rovers Debut – 22 Starts – 5 Goals - 2nd division
2002 Retired – 6 operations
Sadly, Norwich City F.C and Bristol Rovers F.C were both relegated as I watched closely the professional environments change like the weather, which resembles the career of a Manager or Player in football.
N.C.F.C - Premiership - 1st Division
B.R.F.C - 2nd Division - 3rd Division