| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wayne Thomas Carlisle | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-09-09)9 September 1979 (age 46) | ||
| Place of birth | Lisburn, Northern Ireland | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bath City (assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Crystal Palace | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2002 | Crystal Palace | 46 | (3) |
| 2001–2002 | →Swindon Town (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2002–2004 | Bristol Rovers | 71 | (14) |
| 2004–2006 | Leyton Orient | 40 | (3) |
| 2006–2008 | Exeter City | 62 | (10) |
| 2008–2010 | Torquay United | 71 | (10) |
| 2011 | Truro City | 3 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Truro City | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 306 | (42) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2001 | Northern Ireland U21 & B | 12 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023 | Rotherham United (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Wayne Thomas Carlisle (born 9 September 1979) is a Northern Irish former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder. He is currently assistant manager ofBath City.
Carlisle was primarily a right-sided midfielder, however was able to play in a wide range of positions. He wascapped byNorthern Ireland at youth, under-21 level and B international.[1]
Carlisle was born inLisburn, Northern Ireland. He began his career with then EnglishChampionship sideCrystal Palace. Due to the club's financial troubles during the late 1990s, first-team opportunities became available for the then-young trainee. He made his league debut in February 1999 in Palace's 1–1 draw at home toBirmingham City.[2] Carlisle featured in 46 first team league matches while atSelhurst Park, but whenSimon Jordan stepped in to save the club, investments in more experienced and high-profile players limited Carlisle's chances.
In October 2001 Carlisle moved on loan toSwindon Town for three months, where he featured in 11 matches, scoring 2 goals. On 28 March 2002, Carlisle moved on a free transfer toLeague Two sideBristol Rovers.[3] In his over two years atMemorial Stadium, Carlisle produced a scoring record 14 goals in 71 matches, this despite the team struggling against relegation. With Rovers needing to cut costs, Carlisle, along with teammateDanny Boxall was placed on the transfer list in December 2003.[4]
He was released by Rovers in May 2004[5] and joined thenLeague Two sideLeyton Orient on a two-year contract the following month.[6] In the2005–06 season, Carlisle was restricted to mostly appearances from the bench, and transferred toConference National sideExeter City in the Januarytransfer window.[7]
Carlisle started promisingly with his new club, breaking straight into the first team, but his season was ended prematurely with a broken leg suffered againstTamworth.[8] At the end of the season, departing managerAlex Inglethorpe released Carlisle on a free transfer.
On 6 October 2006, Carlisle was re-signed by newExeter City managerPaul Tisdale after impressing as an early season trialist. Carlisle was taken to hospital on 19 October 2006 to have hisappendix removed.[9] He broke back into the Exeter City first team, was offered an extended contract,[10] and was involved in theirpromotion tothe Football League in 2008, scoring in both of the play-off semi-final games against local rivalsTorquay United.
Although offered a contract by Exeter, Carlisle chose to join Torquay United in May 2008,[11] where on his third visit to the new Wembley in three years Carlisle gained his second consecutive promotion. Carlisle started the 2009–10 season in fine form but early in the new year sustained a knee injury which restricted him to on a handful of games before the end of the season. Carlisle signed a six-month contract with Torquay United at the start of the 2010–11 season but in January 2011 took the decision to retire from professional football to pursue a career in player development at Ivybridge Community College, Devon.[12]
On 4 March 2011, Carlisle signed for Southern Premier League sideTruro City, but his spell there was short lived and in May 2011 he retired from playing football altogether to focus on a career in coaching.
During the2014-15 season, however, he came out of retirement to play twice for Truro City in the Southern League Premier Division; he also made one appearance in the FA Cup for the club.[13]
In March 2017, Carlisle returned to former club Exeter City in the role of head of coaching to ensure coaching consistency at all age groups.[15] Following the departure of Eric Kinder in the summer of 2019, Carlisle was promoted to the role of assistant manager.[16] The2021–22 season saw Carlisle and managerMatt Taylor lead Exeter to promotion from League Two with a second-placed finish.[17]
On 4 October 2022, Carlisle followed manager Taylor as assistant manager toEFL Championship sideRotherham United on a contract until 2026.[18] Following Taylor's sacking in November 2023, Carlisle formed a three-man interim management team with Dan Green andScott Brown.[19] Following the appointment ofLeam Richardson, Carlisle continued to assist the manager,[20] before departing the club on 19 December 2023.[21]
In February 2024, Carlisle joined former club Bristol Rovers as Individual Player Development Coach, once again supporting Matt Taylor.[22] On 1 July 2024, the club announced that he had been appointed assistant manager.[23] With the club sat in twentieth position, he was sacked alongside Taylor on 16 December 2024.[24]
In June 2025, Carlisle was appointed assistant manager ofNational League South sideBath City.[25]
