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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrzej Edward Niedzwiecki | ||
| Date of birth | (1959-05-03)3 May 1959 (age 66) | ||
| Place of birth | Bangor, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1983 | Wrexham | 111 | (0) |
| 1983–1988 | Chelsea | 136 | (0) |
| Total | 247 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1985–1987 | Wales | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1991 | Reading (caretaker) | ||
| 2012 | Queens Park Rangers (caretaker) | ||
| 2018 | Stoke City (caretaker) | ||
| 2019–2020 | Reading (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Andrzej Edward Niedzwiecki (born 3 May 1959) is a Welsh football coach and formerfootballer who played as agoalkeeper.
After retiring early due to injury Niedzwiecki became a coach with Chelsea and thenArsenal before working alongsideMark Hughes with theWales national team. Since then he has worked with Hughes atBlackburn Rovers,Manchester City,Fulham,Queens Park Rangers,Stoke City andSouthampton.
Starting his playing career with Wrexham at the age of 14, Niedzwiecki won theThird Division title of1978 with the side. He stayed with the club until the summer of 1983, when he was signed for Chelsea by former Wrexham manager,John Neal. He quickly won a regular place in the Chelsea starting line-up and was impressive as the side won theSecond Division title in his first season. He also earned two caps forWales during his playing career.
Niedzwiecki was forced to retire aged 28, after battling numerous injuries. He later became acoach at Chelsea, eventually leaving the club in November 2000 after the arrival ofClaudio Ranieri. Niedzwiecki then linked up shortly after withArsenal,[2] succeeding the lateGeorge Armstrong as reserve team coach. He also worked as a part-time coach withWales, under new managerMark Hughes during this time.[2] In September 2004, he joinedBlackburn Rovers, again under Hughes, as a first-team coach.[2] When Hughes left forManchester City four years later, he was among several at Blackburn who followed him toManchester.[2]
However, on 19 December 2009 Hughes and his backroom staff were relieved of their duties at the Sky Blues. Niedzwiecki once again linked up as a coach with Hughes in 2010 atFulham.[2] He left the club in the summer of 2011 alongside Hughes. In 2012, he joinedQueens Park Rangers as a member of the coaching staff, after Hughes was appointed as the side's manager.[2] He together withMark Bowen were briefly appointed as joint caretaker managers after Hughes' dismissal in November 2012.[3] Niedzwiecki then went on to join up with Hughes atStoke City in June 2013.[4] He left Stoke in January 2018.[5]
In March 2018, he was appointed assistant first-team coach atSouthampton, following the appointment of Hughes as manager.[6][7] In May 2018, after Southampton's Premier League status for the following season was confirmed, it was announced that Niedzwiecki had signed a new long-term contract.[8] On 3 December 2018, he was dismissed following the sacking of Mark Hughes.[9]
In October 2019, Niedzwiecki was pictured with newReading F.C. bossMark Bowen.
In March 2022, following Bowen's appointment atAFC Wimbledon, Niedzwiecki was appointed assistant manager of the League One club.[10] He left the club in the summer, alongside manager Bowen.[11]
In June 2022, he returned to Reading, alongside Bowen, taking on the role of Director of Player Development.[12] He departed the club in January 2024 due to a restructuring of the club's coaching staff on account of financial difficulties.[13]
Niedzwiecki was born in Wales to Polish parents who emigrated to North Wales after theSecond World War.[14]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[A] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wrexham | 1977–78 | Third Division | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 1978–79 | Second Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1979–80 | Second Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1980–81 | Second Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1981–82 | Second Division | 42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 | |
| 1982–83 | Third Division | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| Total | 111 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 128 | 0 | ||
| Chelsea | 1983–84 | Second Division | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | |
| 1985–86 | First Division | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 1986–87 | First Division | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 1987–88 | First Division | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Total | 136 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 175 | 0 | ||
| Career Total | 247 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 303 | 0 | ||
| Team | From | To | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens Park Rangers (caretaker) | 23 November 2012 | 25 November 2012 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 |
| Stoke City (caretaker) | 6 January 2018 | 15 January 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 |
| Total[15] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.00 | ||
Wrexham
Chelsea