 Ince in 2006 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1967-10-21)21 October 1967 (age 58)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Ilford, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder[1] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1986 | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1989 | West Ham United | 72 | (7) |
| 1989–1995 | Manchester United | 206 | (25) |
| 1995–1997 | Inter Milan | 54 | (10) |
| 1997–1999 | Liverpool | 65 | (14) |
| 1999–2002 | Middlesbrough | 93 | (7) |
| 2002–2006 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 115 | (10) |
| 2006 | Swindon Town | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | Macclesfield Town | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 609 | (73) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989 | England U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 1992 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| 1992–2000 | England | 53 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2006–2007 | Macclesfield Town | ||
| 2007–2008 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| 2008 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2009–2010 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| 2010–2011 | Notts County | ||
| 2013–2014 | Blackpool | ||
| 2022–2023 | Reading | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (/ɪns/; born 21 October 1967) is an English professionalfootball manager and former player who was most recently manager ofReading. Amidfielder, Ince played professionally from 1986 to 2007, starting his career withWest Ham United and later representingManchester United,Liverpool,Middlesbrough,Wolverhampton Wanderers,Swindon Town andMacclesfield Town in England, as well asInter Milan in Italy. With a combined total of 271 league appearances for the two, Ince is one of the few players, especially in thePremier League era, to have represented both ofarch rivals Liverpool and Manchester United.
Ince spent the majority of his playing career at the highest level; after breaking through with his boyhood club West Ham United in theSecond Division, he joined Manchester United in 1989, where he won the Premier League twice, theFA Cup twice and theFootball League Cup once during his six-year spell atOld Trafford. After falling out with managerAlex Ferguson, Ince was sold to Inter Milan ofSerie A in 1995, where he was a runner-up in the 1997UEFA Cup. After two years in Italy, Ince returned to the Premier League with Liverpool, later also representing Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the top flight.
Ince was capped 53 times by theEngland national team, scoring two goals. He played atUEFA Euro 1996, the1998 FIFA World Cup andEuro 2000, and became the first black player tocaptain England.[3]
After a spell as player-coach of Swindon, he retired from playing while player-manager of Macclesfield Town in 2007. He went on to manageMilton Keynes Dons (twice),Blackburn Rovers,Notts County andBlackpool. His sonTom is also a footballer.
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince was born inIlford, Greater London.[4] He grew up as aWest Ham United supporter. He was spotted playing, aged 12, by West Ham managerJohn Lyall around the time that the club was in the Second Division and achieved a surprise FA Cup final triumph over Arsenal.[citation needed]
Ince signed for the Hammers as a trainee, aged 14. Lyall helped Ince through troubled school times eventually signing him as aYTS trainee, on leaving school, in 1984.[5] He is a product of theWest Ham youth team and made his debut in English football on 30 November 1986 againstNewcastle United in theFirst Division.[6] He became a regular player in1987–88, proving himself to have all-round qualities of pace, stamina, uncompromising tackling and good passing ability. He also packed a powerful shot, and was awarded with England under-21 honours to go with the youthcaps he acquired as an apprentice. He firmly established himself as the successor in West Ham's midfield for the veteranBilly Bonds, who retired at the end of the 1987–88 season. Unfortunately for Ince, West Ham were not enjoying one of their best spells when he broke into the team. Despite having won the FA Cup in 1980 and finished third in the league in 1986, they had failed to sustain their challenge for major honours and finished 15th in 1987 and 16th in 1988, and worse was to follow.[citation needed]
In August 1988, an eventfulseason for Ince began. In a struggling West Ham side, he shot to national recognition with two stunning goals in a shock 4–1 win over defending league championsLiverpool in theLeague Cup, and continued to score goals as the Hammers reached the semi-finals while having real trouble finding any form in the League. West Ham lost toLuton Town in the semi-finals and, despite frequent displays of individual brilliance from Ince, were relegated at the end of the season, which cost managerJohn Lyall his job after 15 years at the helm.
Ince played just once in theSecond Division the following season before completing a highly controversial transfer toManchester United for£1 million. Ince had been photographed in a Manchester United kit long before the transfer was complete, which appeared in theDaily Express. Ince received abuse from West Ham United fans for many years afterwards. The initial move was postponed after he failed a medical, but was quickly completed on 14 September 1989 after he later received the all-clear.[7]
In an article inFour Four Two magazine,[when?] Ince said:
"I spoke toAlex Ferguson and the deal was close to being done. I then went on holiday, and my agent at the time,Ambrose Mendy, said it wasn't worth me coming back to do a picture in a United shirt when the deal was completed, so I should do one before I left, and it would be released when the deal was announced. Lawrence Luster of theDaily Star took the picture and put in the library. Soon after, their sister paper, theDaily Express, were looking for a picture of me playing for West Ham, and found the one of me in the United shirt in the pile. They published it and all hell broke loose. "I came back from holiday to discover West Ham fans were going mad. It wasn't really my fault. I was only a kid, I did what my agent told me to do, then took all the crap for it."[8]
Ince eventually made his Manchester United debut in a 5–1 win overMillwall, although his next game for United came in a 5–1Manchester derby defeat byManchester City. Ince became a strong presence in the United midfield alongsideBryan Robson andNeil Webb, although the first season of this midfield partnership saw Robson and in particular Webb miss many games due to injury.
United won theFA Cup in his first season, defeatingCrystal Palace 1–0 in a replay atWembley after initially drawing 3–3. In both of these games, Ince was selected at right-back in favour ofViv Anderson, with his favoured central midfield position being occupied byMike Phelan. Ince was man of the match for the replay.[9]
Over the next four seasons, Robson's United career gradually wound down until he finally left to manageMiddlesbrough in 1994. During this time, Ince found himself playing alongside several other different central midfielders, including Mike Phelan, Neil Webb andDarren Ferguson. One of his best games came in February 1994, when he scored in a 2–2 away draw with former club West Ham in thePremier League.[10]
Ince won his second winners' medal when Manchester United defeatedBarcelona in the final of theEuropean Cup Winners Cup inRotterdam in 1991, and received his third another year later when United beatNottingham Forest in the 1992League Cup final.[citation needed]
Manchester United continued to dominate the domestic game in 1993–94, enjoying an almost unbroken lead of the Premier League throughout the season, and Ince was the midfield general in the side which won the "double" of league and FA Cup in 1994. A year later Manchester United went to West Ham on the last day of the season, needing a win to retain their Premier League crown. They could only draw the game andBlackburn Rovers took the title. Ince's next game saw them lose the FA Cup final toEverton, leaving United without a major trophy for the first time in six seasons.
In June 1995, Ferguson sold Ince toInter Milan for £7.5 million – at the time one of the biggest fees involving an English club. Ferguson had long sustained a tempestuous relationship with Ince, labelling him a "bottler" and a "big-time Charlie" (a statement Ferguson said later he regretted). Ince's nickname,The Guvnor, also rankled with Ferguson, who once berated him by saying, "There's only one guvnor around here, Incey, and it ain't you".[11] Many fans saw this as the prime reason for Ince being sold, rather than on footballing or economic grounds.[12][13]
While at United, Ince won twoPremier League title medals as well as twoFA Cup winner's medals and one winner's medal each in theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup andFootball League Cup. He had also collected runners-up medals in the League Cup twice and the FA Cup once.[citation needed]
In the 1995–96 season, Inter failed to challenge for a 14thscudetto, finishing seventh in Serie A. Ince, though, had a successful first season, playing in all but four of Inter's league matches and performing well after a slow start which had started speculation that he could be on his way back to the Premier League as early as the November transfer window - withArsenal andNewcastle United both reported to be interested. However, he would remain in Milan for two seasons.[14]
The next year, Ince had another successful season with the nerazzurri, scoring 6 times in 24 matches in the championship – in which Inter finished third – and also playing his part in Inter's run through to theUEFA Cup Final. Ince scored in the third round second-leg match away toBoavista as Inter swept all before them before meetingSchalke 04 inthe final. Ince was suspended for the away first-leg as Inter lost 1–0[15] but he returned to the line-up for the home match which the Italians won 1–0 thanks to a goal fromIván Zamorano. Schalke won 4–1 in the resulting penalty shoot-out.[citation needed]
Ince was offered a new, improved contract by club presidentMassimo Moratti, despite having two and a half years left on his current contract. Due to family reasons he was unable to accept the contract and returned to England with Liverpool.[citation needed]
In July 1997, Ince returned to England, joining Manchester United's rivalsLiverpool. His new club's fans were divided over his links to United.[16] In his first season atAnfield, he equalised in a 1–1Merseyside Derby draw at home toEverton on 23 February 1998,[17] and on 6 May he scored twice in a 4–0 win over newly crowned league champions Arsenal to secure third place.[18] He equalised in a 2–2 comeback draw against United, who nonethelesswon the treble.[19]
According toGraeme Le Saux's autobiography, Ince's homophobic taunting and Le Saux's reaction during a 1997 match between Liverpool and Chelsea resulted in a long-running coolness between the two players.[20] Ince won no honours in his two seasons with Liverpool, and remarked on his teammates "I just felt they were good players, but just wanted to go out all the time, and I just thought that wasn't the way. I thought they needed that professionalism on the pitch";[16] these players were dubbed the "Spice Boys" by the tabloid media for their off-field issues.[21] He fell out with Liverpool managerGérard Houllier in the summer of 1999, when he attempted to signMarc-Vivien Foé without consulting him.[16]
Houllier put Ince on the transfer list and the 31-year-old signed forMiddlesbrough for £1 million in July 1999. He was signed by his former Manchester United midfield partnerBryan Robson.[22]
Ince received 11, 9 and 10 yellow cards in his three respective seasons.[22] On 22 October 2001, in a 2–0 home win over rivalsSunderland, he was sent off for putting his hands toNiall Quinn's face.[23] The following 10 March, he scored in a 3–0 victory againstEverton at theRiverside Stadium to put Boro into the semifinals of the FA Cup,[24] but he missed the defeat to Arsenal in that round due to suspension.[25]
In July 2002, Ince left Boro after turning down a two-year contract extension, citing the long commute from his home in the northwest. He played 106 games for Boro, scoring nine goals.[26]
In August 2002, Ince signed a one-year contract withFootball League First Division sideWolverhampton Wanderers, who had just signed his former Manchester United teammateDenis Irwin.[27] In his first season outside top-flight football, he helped the team to promotion via a 3–0 win overSheffield United in theplay-off final, assisting the second goal byNathan Blake.[28]
Ince and Irwin signed new one-year contracts to remain with Wolves for the2003–04 FA Premier League season.[29] The team finished bottom and he was sent off in the last game of the season, a 2–0 loss to Tottenham atMolineux.[30]
With over 100 appearances to his name, Ince signed a new contract in June 2005.[31] Through thigh problems, he missed four months between August and December.[32]
In April 2006, Ince announced that he wanted to continue playing for Wolves for a further season after speaking with his friendTeddy Sheringham. However, following Ince's failure to get the manager's job at Wolves in July 2006 on Hoddle's resignation, the newly appointed manager,Mick McCarthy, decided not to offer Ince a new contract. Throughout his time with the club, Ince declared his intention to return, at some point in the future, as manager of Wolves.[33]
Ince made his debut for the full England team on 9 September 1992 in a friendly match againstSpain inSantander, losing 1–0.[34] Ince made history during the tour of the US when, on his seventh cap against the host nation on 6 June 1993, he became England's first black captain in the absence ofDavid Platt andTony Adams. England lost 2–0.[35]
Ince's only international goals came on his 12th appearance. These were two in a 7–1 win away toSan Marino in the final game of the unsuccessful1994 FIFA World Cup qualification, on 17 November 1993.[36] DuringEuro 96 Ince was a member ofTerry Venables' England team as the midfield ball winner and got the label of "Gazza'sminder",[37] whose job was to create room for Paul Gascoigne to exploit with his natural ball skills. Though the first group game ended in a disappointing 1–1 draw at Wembley againstSwitzerland, England went on to defeatScotland 2–0 and then met theNetherlands and put on a display subsequently heralded as "the greatest in generations" and "the high point of the tournament for England".[38] Ince was fouled for a penalty which gave England the lead and helped them towards a 4–1 win; he also picked up a yellow card which rendered him unavailable for the quarter-final against Spain, so David Platt replaced him in a match England won in apenalty shoot-out.[39]
Venables put Ince back in the side for the semifinal againstGermany, replacing the suspendedGary Neville as England switched systems to a back three, accommodating Ince in central midfield with Paul Gascoigne and David Platt. Ince was part of an England team that played well but the match rarely spent much time as one-way traffic in either direction,[40] and it finished a 1–1 draw. England lost the penalty shoot-out whenGareth Southgate missed the sixth England penalty. Ince, along with fellow midfieldersSteve McManaman andDarren Anderton and captain Tony Adams, received criticism for not taking a penalty before Southgate, and Ince also sat with his back to the action for the whole time.[41][42]
Ince, in an incident reminiscent ofTerry Butcher seven years earlier, started a crucial1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier away to the Italy on 11 October 1997 with a white England shirt and ended it with a red one after his own blood soaked the shirt following a deep cut to his head. The game ended goalless and England had qualified.[43] He was selected in the England squad for the finals in France. England got through the group but succumbed in the second round toArgentina, again after a penalty shoot-out. This time Ince did take a penalty but saw it saved.[44]
Ince was sent off in a 2–1 loss againstSweden in England's first qualifying match forEuro 2000 on 5 September 1998.[45] In his absence, managerKevin Keegan choseDavid Batty in central midfield.[46] When Batty himself was sent off againstPoland,[47] Ince returned for the playoff againstScotland.[48][49]
In a warm up match for Euro 2000 againstMalta, Ince came on as a substitute and won his 50th cap, and was subsequently named in the 22-man squad for the tournament.[50] He duly played in all three of England's group games of the tournament – winning a penalty againstRomania in the last game[51] – but England lost two of three matches and were eliminated. He publicly said that he would not followAlan Shearer into international retirement, given that he did not want to end his England career on a low note.[52]
A tenacious, athletic, and hard-working player, Ince was known for his tireless running and ability to provide defensive support to his team in midfield.[53][54]
Ince signed a one-year contract withSwindon Town as a player/coach on 31 August 2006. Swindon beat the likes ofBirmingham City andWest Bromwich Albion for his signature. A key factor in the transfer was Ince's long standing friendship with Town managerDennis Wise, who had played alongside him in the England team during the 1990s.[55] He made his first start for Swindon in his second game, the 2–1 victory overMK Dons on 12 September, winning a penalty.[56] Having played one more game, he ended his contract by mutual consent on 6 October, citing long travel times from his home inChester. He said he would remain for his coaching badges.[57]
On 23 October 2006, Ince was confirmed as the new player-manager ofMacclesfield Town in succession toBrian Horton. However, he was ineligible to play for the Silkmen until January when the transfer window opened, as Swindon Town still held his registration.[58] He joined Macclesfield with the club bottom ofLeague Two, seven points off their nearest rivals. He then revived confidence and after a 3–0 win against Chester they managed to climb off the bottom of the table. They subsequently avoided relegation, albeit on the last day of the season. On 4 January 2007 Ince was named as League Two Manager of the Month for December. Ince retired as a player while at Macclesfield, where he only made one league appearance, as an 85th-minute substitute forAlan Navarro in a 1–1 home draw withNotts County on 5 May that saved the team from relegation.[59][60]
Ince was unveiled as the newMilton Keynes Dons manager along with his assistantRay Mathias and fitness coach Duncan Russell on 25 June 2007.[61] The Dons reached the top of their Division in September 2007[62] and other clubs began to take a serious interest. In October and November 2007, he denied rumours that he was being linked with managerless Premier League teamsWigan Athletic,[63]Derby County[64] and Championship teamNorwich City.[65]
Ince was named as League Two Manager of the Month in October and December 2007, and again in April 2008.[66][67][68]
Ince's first silverware as manager came in theFootball League Trophy final atWembley on 30 March 2008, with MK Dons defeatingGrimsby Town 2–0.[69] He then secured the Dons' return toLeague One on 19 April after they beatStockport County 3–2.[70] A week later, the Dons became League Two champions after they beatBradford City 2–1.[71]
In the close-season it was speculated that Ince had been contacted byBlackburn Rovers in their search to appoint a new manager, something that Ince himself denied.[72] However, theBBC reported that Ince would be named as Blackburn manager by the end of the week of 19 June.[73] He was appointed on 22 June and became the first black British manager in England's top division.[4] On the first day of the 2008–09FA Premier League season, Blackburn won 3–2 againstEverton atGoodison Park on 16 August.[74] Ince's 2008 summer signings included England international goalkeeperPaul Robinson,Danny Simpson (Loan),Vince Grella,Carlos Villanueva (Loan),Robbie Fowler,Mark Bunn andKeith Andrews, spending over £10 million on Robinson, Grella and Andrews.[75]
After winning just three games in 17, Ince was sacked on 16 December 2008 after just six months in charge.[76] He had been with Blackburn only 177 days, one of the shortest reigns of a Premier League manager.[77] Blackburn fans had been demanding his removal following a 5–3 loss toManchester United atOld Trafford in theLeague Cup on 3 December. At the game, the crowd could be heard chanting "You don't know what you're doing" and "We want Incey out" as well as singing the name of their former managerGraeme Souness.[78]
On 3 July 2009, Ince signed again forMilton Keynes Dons on a two-year deal.[79][80] During Ince's second spell the Dons were less successful, finishing in 13th place in League One. On 16 April 2010, he announced that he would leave the job a year early, at the end of the2009–10 season.[81]
Ince returned to management on 28 October 2010, signing a three-year deal with Notts County.[82] On 3 April 2011 he left the club by mutual consent after a run of five successive defeats left them in 19th, two points above the relegation zone.[83]
On 18 February 2013,Blackpool appointed Ince as manager on a one-year rolling contract. He had been watching the team, for which his sonTom played, in person for over a year.[84] Ince took charge of his first match as Blackpool manager on 20 February 2013, a 2–0 defeat againstLeeds United atElland Road.[85] He earned his first win on 9 March 2013, a 2–1 victory againstWatford atVicarage Road.[86]
Under Ince, Blackpool made their best-ever start to a league season. Their victory atAFC Bournemouth on 14 September 2013 gave them 16 points out of a possible 18, with five wins and a draw in their first six games.[87] Following the game at Bournemouth, Ince was given a five-match stadium ban byThe Football Association for his conduct towards a match official in the tunnel after the game. The FA concluded that his behaviour had constituted violent conduct. He was also fined £4,000.[88] Ince left Blackpool on 21 January 2014, after less than a year in charge, becoming their fourth-shortest-serving manager in their history (40 league games). Under his management, Blackpool won 12 out of 42 games and had not won since 30 November 2013.[89]
On 19 February 2022, Ince andMichael Gilkes were announced as interim managers ofChampionship sideReading.[90] On his debut three days later, the team won 2–1 at home toBirmingham City.[91] Despite losing 3–0 toHull City on 23 April, Ince guided Reading to safety with two games left to play, ensuring Championship football for the club in the2022–23 season.[92] In May 2022, Ince was given the manager's job on a permanent basis along with assistantAlex Rae who was also given a permanent role.[93]
On 11 April 2023, Ince was sacked by Reading. At the time Reading were in 22nd in the Championship and had not won in their previous eight games.[94]
Ince married Claire in 1990. They have two sons and a daughter.[95] His eldest son,Tom, has played for theEngland national under-17 football team and for Ince's former clubLiverpool.[96] On 1 November 2010, Ince put through a two-month loan deal to bring Tom to Notts County and on 3 August 2011 Tom signed a two-year contract withBlackpool.[97][98] The two were reunited in February 2022 when Ince became interim manager of Reading.[99]
Ince is the uncle of singerRochelle Humes and cousin to footballerRohan Ince and Trinidadian goalkeeperClayton Ince.[100][101][102]
In June 2025, Ince was charged withdrink driving after hisRange Rover crashed into thecentral reservation inNeston,Wirral.[103] In July 2025, Ince received a 12 month driving ban, was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 statutory surcharge and £85 costs.[104]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Ham United | 1986–87 | First Division | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
| 1987–88 | First Division | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
| 1988–89 | First Division | 33 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 3 | — | 2[c] | 1 | 49 | 8 | ||
| 1989–90 | Second Division | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 72 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 95 | 12 | |||
| Manchester United | 1989–90 | First Division | 26 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 36 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 47 | 3 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 47 | 3 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 41 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | — | 47 | 5 | ||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 39 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4[h] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 56 | 9 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 36 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[h] | 0 | 1[e] | 1 | 48 | 6 | |
| Total | 206 | 24 | 27 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 281 | 28 | ||
| Inter Milan | 1995–96 | Serie A | 30 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 3 | ||
| 1996–97 | Serie A | 24 | 7 | 4 | 2 | — | 10[g] | 1 | — | 38 | 10 | |||
| Total | 54 | 10 | 9 | 2 | — | 10 | 1 | — | 73 | 13 | ||||
| Liverpool | 1997–98 | Premier League | 31 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4[g] | 0 | — | 40 | 8 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 34 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3[g] | 1 | — | 41 | 9 | ||
| Total | 65 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | 81 | 17 | |||
| Middlesbrough | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 31 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 3 | |||
| Total | 93 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 106 | 9 | ||||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2002–03 | First Division | 37 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[i] | 0 | 45 | 3 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2004–05 | Championship | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 31 | 4 | |||
| 2005–06 | Championship | 18 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 3 | |||
| Total | 115 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | 131 | 12 | |||
| Swindon Town | 2006–07 | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Macclesfield Town | 2006–07 | League Two | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 609 | 72 | 64 | 7 | 50 | 8 | 37 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 771 | 91 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1992 | 3 | 0 |
| 1993 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 November 1993 | Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy |  San Marino | 1–1 | 7–1 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 5–1 |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Macclesfield Town | 23 October 2006 | 25 June 2007 | 35 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 040.0 |
| MK Dons | 25 June 2007 | 21 June 2008 | 55 | 33 | 12 | 10 | 060.0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 21 June 2008 | 16 December 2008 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 028.6 |
| MK Dons | 6 July 2009 | 8 May 2010 | 56 | 23 | 9 | 24 | 041.1 |
| Notts County | 27 October 2010 | 3 April 2011 | 29 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 034.5 |
| Blackpool | 18 February 2013 | 21 January 2014 | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 028.6 |
| Reading | 20 February 2022 | 11 April 2023 | 58 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 031.0 |
| Total | 296 | 116 | 65 | 115 | 039.2 | ||
Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
England
Individual
Milton Keynes Dons
Individual
While each team had spells in command, the semi-final rarely spent much time as one-way traffic in either direction
England squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
