Eric Young (footballer, born 1960)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric Young[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 March 1960[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Singapore[1] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) |
Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1979 | Southall | ||
| 1979–1982 | Slough Town | 104 | (23) |
| 1982–1987 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 126 | (10) |
| 1987–1990 | Wimbledon | 99 | (9) |
| 1990–1995 | Crystal Palace | 161 | (15) |
| 1995–1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 31 | (2) |
| 1997 | Crystal Palace | 0 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Enfield | 4 | (0) |
| 1998–2001 | Egham Town | ||
| Total | 525 | (48) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990–1995 | Wales | 21 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eric Young (born 25 March 1960) is a former Welsh professional footballer who played as a
As a player he notably played for
Born in Singapore, he gained 21 international caps for Wales. He was a strong, commanding centre-half, nicknamed "Ninja" due to his ever-present brown headband, which he wore during matches to protect scar tissue on his forehead.
Club career
Young started his career at non-league
He became a fan favourite at
After 161 league appearances and 15 goals for Palace, he then joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free transfer. He spent two seasons at Wolves before completing his professional career, briefly returning to Palace in 1997 without playing a senior game, but then continued to play non-league football for another four seasons whilst also qualifying as a chartered accountant, before finally hanging up his boots at the age of 41 at Egham Town.
International career
As a British citizen who was born abroad – in Singapore – FIFA eligibility rules at the time of Young's first international selection entitled him to represent any of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom at international level.[4] He opted for Wales, despite having no specific family connection to that country.
He made his international début for Wales, aged 30, versus Costa Rica in a friendly game at Ninian Park in 1990, alongside fellow débutantes Gary Speed and Paul Bodin.[5] Despite his comparatively late start, Young won a total of 21 caps for Wales.
Personal life
He is now working as an accountant in a construction based company in
Honours
- Wimbledon
Crystal Palace
Individual
References
- ^ a b c "Eric Young". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- ^ Eric Young, Slough Town FC
- ^ Eric Young went from non league to the international stage via Brighton and Crystal Palace, In Parallel Lines, 26 November 2017
- ^ "Wales - International Results 1990-1999 - Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ^ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 150.
External links
- Eric Young at Soccerbase
- Eric Young – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Eric Young, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database
