Terry Phelan
Encyclopedia
Terrence "Terry" Phelan (born 16 March 1967 in Manchester
, England
) is a former footballer
who played as a left-back
for a number of clubs, including Leeds United, Swansea City
, Wimbledon
, Manchester City
, Chelsea
, Everton
and Fulham
. Nicknamed "the scuttler" he also made 42 appearances for the Irish national team
, whom he represented at the 1994 FIFA World Cup
.
Phelan started his career as part of the Leeds United youth system, and made 19 appearances for Leeds in the 1985-86
season, but was released on a free transfer by Leeds manager Billy Bremner
. Phelan then spent a year at Swansea City
, earning a move to top division Wimbledon
a year later.
In his first season at Wimbledon, Phelan was a member of the team which won the FA Cup
with a shock win over Liverpool
in the final
. He also helped Wimbledon finish seventh in the league on two occasions during his time there.
After five years at Wimbledon in which he made 198 appearances, Phelan was transferred to Manchester City
for £2.5 million at the start of the 1992-93 season
, equalling the British record transfer fee for a defender as well as equalling the club's record fee. At Manchester City, Phelan made 122 appearances over three and a half seasons. Arguably the best goal of Phelan's career came at Maine Road for Manchester City in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur when the full-back ran the length of the pitch skipping several challenges and keeping his cool to slot home.
Phelan moved to Chelsea in November 1995, where he spent two years on the fringes of the first team (playing just 15 times in the league) before moving to Everton, where he played regularly under Joe Royle
, until he suffered an injury from which he took nearly 18 months to recover.
During Phelan's injury, Walter Smith
took over as Everton manager (after Howard Kendall's
third spell as manager lasted just one season), and did not select Phelan following his recovery, instead loaning him to Crystal Palace
. Phelan moved to Fulham
in February 2000, and was part of the Fulham team which won promotion to the Premiership
in 2001. However, Phelan was released by Fulham following promotion. Phelan then had a short spell with Sheffield United
before moving to the United States, where he played for Charleston Battery
and also coached young players. In October 2005, Phelan was named as player-coach of Otago United
in New Zealand Football Championship. He remained as coach for four seasons up until the end of the 2008/09 season when due to poor results he was replaced by his assistant Malcolm Fleming for the 2009-10 season. Now, during the summer, Terry leaves his family to teach youth soccer with One on One Soccer.
He is now living in McAndrew Bay in Dunedin, New Zealand and is Football Development Manager for Football South, a football federation that manages the game from the provinces of South Canterbury southwards.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a former footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played as a left-back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for a number of clubs, including Leeds United, Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. Nicknamed "the scuttler" he also made 42 appearances for the Irish national team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, whom he represented at the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
.
Phelan started his career as part of the Leeds United youth system, and made 19 appearances for Leeds in the 1985-86
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
season, but was released on a free transfer by Leeds manager Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
. Phelan then spent a year at Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, earning a move to top division Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
a year later.
In his first season at Wimbledon, Phelan was a member of the team which won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with a shock win over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the final
FA Cup Final 1988
The 1988 FA Cup Final took place on 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Wimbledon, unfashionable and unfancied, and Liverpool, one of the dominant teams of the 1980s and newly-crowned league champions....
. He also helped Wimbledon finish seventh in the league on two occasions during his time there.
After five years at Wimbledon in which he made 198 appearances, Phelan was transferred to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for £2.5 million at the start of the 1992-93 season
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
, equalling the British record transfer fee for a defender as well as equalling the club's record fee. At Manchester City, Phelan made 122 appearances over three and a half seasons. Arguably the best goal of Phelan's career came at Maine Road for Manchester City in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur when the full-back ran the length of the pitch skipping several challenges and keeping his cool to slot home.
Phelan moved to Chelsea in November 1995, where he spent two years on the fringes of the first team (playing just 15 times in the league) before moving to Everton, where he played regularly under Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
, until he suffered an injury from which he took nearly 18 months to recover.
During Phelan's injury, Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
took over as Everton manager (after Howard Kendall's
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
third spell as manager lasted just one season), and did not select Phelan following his recovery, instead loaning him to 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...
. Phelan moved to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in February 2000, and was part of the Fulham team which won promotion to the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
in 2001. However, Phelan was released by Fulham following promotion. Phelan then had a short spell 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...
before moving to the United States, where he played for Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
and also coached young players. In October 2005, Phelan was named as player-coach of Otago United
Otago United
Otago United is a soccer club based in Dunedin, New Zealand.It participates in the ASB Premiership. Their previous home stadium is Carisbrook in the South Dunedin suburb of Caversham which is the soon the replaced home of Otago Rugby...
in New Zealand Football Championship. He remained as coach for four seasons up until the end of the 2008/09 season when due to poor results he was replaced by his assistant Malcolm Fleming for the 2009-10 season. Now, during the summer, Terry leaves his family to teach youth soccer with One on One Soccer.
He is now living in McAndrew Bay in Dunedin, New Zealand and is Football Development Manager for Football South, a football federation that manages the game from the provinces of South Canterbury southwards.