Glen Little
Encyclopedia
Glen Matthew Little is an English footballer born in Wimbledon
who plays as a right winger for Wrexham. He previously played for Burnley
, Derry City
, Glentoran
, Crystal Palace
, Sheffield United
and Aldershot Town
. He has also appeared in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers
, Reading
, and Portsmouth
.
club Glentoran, Little gained the status of cult hero. One of the top footballers to play in the Irish League in the 1990s, Little scored a memorable goal to win the 1996 Irish Cup
.
He moved from Glentoran to Burnley
in November 1996 for a £100,000 fee. After Stan Ternent
's arrival at Turf Moor
in summer 1998, Little became a fixture in the right-wing slot, linking up especially well with full-back Dean West
. In Burnley's 1999–2000 Second Division promotion season, Little scored a memorable goal at home to Bristol Rovers
. He also helped Burnley beat Tottenham Hotspur
in the League Cup in 2002 after a game-turning performance when brought on as a substitute. Little attracted attention during this time, and his club was reported to have turned down big money offers for his signature.
In early 2003 he joined Reading
on loan. In September 2003 he moved to Premier League Bolton Wanderers
on loan in a deal which involved Delroy Facey
and Gareth Farrelly
moving to Burnley. Little made his Premiership debut for the Trotters against Wolverhampton Wanderers
and set up the equalising goal for Kevin Davies
but his time with Sam Allardyce
's team was brief.
After eight years at Burnley, Little left on a Bosman transfer
to sign for Reading in the summer of 2004. Little's talents were widely regarded as one of the main reasons behind Reading's record breaking 106 point Championship
lifting 2005–06
season, with Little scoring five goals and setting up fourteen, more than any other player in the league.
Little started the 2006–07 season on the sidelines
due to an injury sustained during the close season. Seol Ki-Hyeon
took Little's place in the Reading team while he was out injured, but due to an injury to Dave Kitson
, Seol was pushed up front, freeing the right wing for Little to return to the starting line-up. In November 2006, Little signed a one year extension to his contract with Reading, keeping him at the Madejski Stadium
until the summer of 2008. He went on to make 24 top flight appearances in the season.
Following Reading's narrow relegation in 2008, and Little's injuries leading to a lack of first team action during the 2007–08 season, he opted to sign for Portsmouth on a one-year contract, on 20 June 2008. However, he found opportunities limited at Pompey, so in March 2009 he rejoined Reading on loan until the end of the 2008–09
season. However, Reading failed to gain promotion so Little returned to Portsmouth, where he was released at the end of the 2008–09 season.
In July 2009 Little had a trial with Sheffield United
and subsequently signed a one year contract at Bramall Lane
. Despite this he struggled to make an impact and made only sixteen appearances for the Blades, many as a late substitute and was released by the South Yorkshire club when his contract expired.
In July 2010, Little signed for Aldershot Town
on a one-year deal. He was released by new manager Dean Holdsworth
on 26 January 2011.
In March 2011 Little joined Conference side Wrexham on trial in the hope of winning a contract. Sadly though due to the clubs financial position and transfer embargo nothing came the initial trial. In June Little rejoined the Welsh club for pre season training where he impressed in pre season games against Aberystwyth, Rochdale and Wolves he and earned a short term contract with the club just before the beginning of the new season. Sadly he pulled a hamstring on the same day so his debut for the club will be delayed.
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
who plays as a right winger for Wrexham. He previously played for Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
, Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
. He has also appeared in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
.
Career
He made his Derry debut on 20 November 1994 on loan from Palace. While at Irish Premier LeagueIrish Premier League
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
club Glentoran, Little gained the status of cult hero. One of the top footballers to play in the Irish League in the 1990s, Little scored a memorable goal to win the 1996 Irish Cup
Irish Cup
For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
.
He moved from Glentoran to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in November 1996 for a £100,000 fee. After Stan Ternent
Stan Ternent
Francis Stanley "Stan" Ternent is an English former footballer and manager. He managed Blackpool, Hull City, Bury, Burnley, Gillingham and Huddersfield Town. He is currently a scout for Sunderland.-Career:...
's arrival at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
in summer 1998, Little became a fixture in the right-wing slot, linking up especially well with full-back Dean West
Dean West
Dean West is an English semi-professional football player, who currently plays for Lincoln Moorlands Railway. He is best known as a right sided full-back, but can also play in midfield if needed...
. In Burnley's 1999–2000 Second Division promotion season, Little scored a memorable goal at home to Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. He also helped Burnley beat Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the League Cup in 2002 after a game-turning performance when brought on as a substitute. Little attracted attention during this time, and his club was reported to have turned down big money offers for his signature.
In early 2003 he joined Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on loan. In September 2003 he moved to Premier League Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on loan in a deal which involved Delroy Facey
Delroy Facey
Delroy Michael Facey is a British-Grenadian professional footballer. He currently plays as a centre forward for Hereford United...
and Gareth Farrelly
Gareth Farrelly
Gareth Farrelly is an Irish footballer. He currently plays for Warrington Town and Paul Hastings FC ....
moving to Burnley. Little made his Premiership debut for the Trotters against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and set up the equalising goal for Kevin Davies
Kevin Davies
Kevin Cyril Davies is an English footballer who currently plays for Bolton Wanderers and the England national football team as a striker. He was made Bolton team captain in January 2009....
but his time with Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
's team was brief.
After eight years at Burnley, Little left on a Bosman transfer
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
to sign for Reading in the summer of 2004. Little's talents were widely regarded as one of the main reasons behind Reading's record breaking 106 point Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
lifting 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, with Little scoring five goals and setting up fourteen, more than any other player in the league.
Little started the 2006–07 season on the sidelines
Sidelines
The "sidelines" is a term commonly used to define the white or colored lines which mark the outer boundaries of a sports field. American football sidelines, for example, mark the edge of the field. Should a player pass through the sidelines, he is considered out of bounds...
due to an injury sustained during the close season. Seol Ki-Hyeon
Seol Ki-Hyeon
Seol Ki-Hyeon or Seol Ki-Hyun |Gangwon]]) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for Ulsan Hyundai as a winger or striker. He is also the first South Korean footballer to score in the history of the UEFA Champions League, during his time at RSC Anderlecht.-Early career:At the end of...
took Little's place in the Reading team while he was out injured, but due to an injury to Dave Kitson
Dave Kitson
David Barry "Dave" Kitson is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Portsmouth as a striker.-Early life:...
, Seol was pushed up front, freeing the right wing for Little to return to the starting line-up. In November 2006, Little signed a one year extension to his contract with Reading, keeping him at the Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
until the summer of 2008. He went on to make 24 top flight appearances in the season.
Following Reading's narrow relegation in 2008, and Little's injuries leading to a lack of first team action during the 2007–08 season, he opted to sign for Portsmouth on a one-year contract, on 20 June 2008. However, he found opportunities limited at Pompey, so in March 2009 he rejoined Reading on loan until the end of the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season. However, Reading failed to gain promotion so Little returned to Portsmouth, where he was released at the end of the 2008–09 season.
In July 2009 Little had a trial with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and subsequently signed a one year contract at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. Despite this he struggled to make an impact and made only sixteen appearances for the Blades, many as a late substitute and was released by the South Yorkshire club when his contract expired.
In July 2010, Little signed for Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
on a one-year deal. He was released by new manager Dean Holdsworth
Dean Holdsworth
Dean Christopher Holdsworth is an English former professional football player, now manager. As a striker he scored 193 goals in 610 league games over a 22 year career. Despite playing for 16 clubs in 19 spells the majority of his goals and appearances came at Brentford, Wimbledon, and Bolton...
on 26 January 2011.
In March 2011 Little joined Conference side Wrexham on trial in the hope of winning a contract. Sadly though due to the clubs financial position and transfer embargo nothing came the initial trial. In June Little rejoined the Welsh club for pre season training where he impressed in pre season games against Aberystwyth, Rochdale and Wolves he and earned a short term contract with the club just before the beginning of the new season. Sadly he pulled a hamstring on the same day so his debut for the club will be delayed.
Honours
- IFA Cup
- GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
1995
- Glentoran
- Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
- ReadingReading F.C.Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
2005/06
- Reading
- Community Shield
- PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
2008
- Portsmouth
External links
- Glen Little profile at readingfc.co.uk