.jpg) Derry withQueens Park Rangers in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shaun Peter Derry | ||
| Date of birth | (1977-12-06)6 December 1977 (age 47) | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1998 | Notts County | 82 | (4) |
| 1998–2000 | Sheffield United | 72 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | Portsmouth | 49 | (1) |
| 2002–2005 | Crystal Palace | 83 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | →Nottingham Forest (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Leeds United | 71 | (3) |
| 2007–2008 | →Crystal Palace (loan) | 30 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Crystal Palace | 85 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Queens Park Rangers | 92 | (1) |
| 2013 | →Millwall (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Notts County | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 578 | (12) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2015 | Notts County | ||
| 2015–2018 | Cambridge United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Shaun Peter Derry (born 6 December 1977) is an English former professionalfootballer and manager.
He previously managedNotts County andCambridge United, and played forCrystal Palace,Leeds United andQueens Park Rangers among other clubs. Derry was known for his hard-tackling and aggressive midfield style, and was primarily adefensive midfielder but could also play at right-back.
Born inNottingham, Derry started his career atNotts County as a trainee[2] before being bought bySheffield United in 1998 for a fee of £700,000.[3] He scored once during his spell at Sheffield United, his goal coming in the FA Cup against Rushden & Diamonds.[4]
Derry was sold toPortsmouth in 2000 for £300,000. He was a regular in the side under bothTony Pulis andSteve Claridge before being made team captain byGraham Rix. After Rix's departure, Derry was amongst the many players deemed surplus to requirements by new managerHarry Redknapp in summer 2002 rebuilding and was sold toCrystal Palace for £400,001. He scored only once during his spell at Portsmouth, his goal coming in a crucial win over against West Bromwich Albion.[5]
Derry helped Crystal Palace in their return to thePremier League in 2004, making 44 appearances including an appearance in the2004 First Division play-off final.[6] It was his corner that led toDarren Powell scoring a 90th-minute header to send the Eagles to extra-time in the semi-final, which they would win on penalties.[citation needed] He struggled to get into the team during the2004–05 season and, after a loan spell atNottingham Forest, Leeds signed him for an undisclosed amount in February 2005.[7]
Derry's first goal forLeeds United came on his home debut againstWest Ham United, sealing a 2–1 victory against the Hammers. Derry was a regular in the Leeds starting eleven in season2005–06, becoming a vital part of the squad as they pushed for promotion back into thePremier League and a cult hero with the Leeds fans for his passionate displays. Derry was part of the Leeds team which reached the Championship Playoff finals, but Leeds ended up on the wrong end of a 3–0 defeat to confine them to another season in the Championship. In August 2006 he pledged his future to the club, signing a contract extension until July 2009.[8]
Leeds' managerKevin Blackwell was sacked after a poor start to the 2006–07 season. In October 2006, new Leeds managerDennis Wise revealed Derry as the new vice captain of the club, withKevin Nicholls made captain.[9] Derry was once again a regular in the Leeds team in the2006–07 season. A hernia and Achilles tendon injury in January 2007 saw Derry being ruled out for the rest of the season.[10] Derry's fitness returnedthe following season as Leeds prepared for life inLeague One.[11] However, he did not feature for the club again and returned to former clubPalace on loan in November 2007.[12]
Further doubts about the midfielder's future at the Elland Road club arose when it was reported that Derry had declined Wise's offer to return and feature in the home tie againstOldham Athletic on New Year's Day 2008 with Leeds' missing midfielders due to injuries.[13] It was later revealed that it was actually managerNeil Warnock who blocked Derry's return to Leeds rather than Derry himself.[14]
Shortly after his loan spell concluded, Derry made his move back toPalace a permanent one, signing for the club on a three-year deal.[15] for £150,000.
In his second season back at the club he was named club captain after the departure of former captainMark Hudson toCharlton.[16] He held the position for the next two seasons.[citation needed]
In the2009–10 season, Derry played every minute of every match for Crystal Palace. The season was an eventful one during which Palace were placed into administration,[17] leading to the departure ofNeil Warnock toQueens Park Rangers[18] and a fight to avoid relegation toLeague One. This was finally achieved on the last day of the season, 2 May 2010 after an away 2–2 draw againstSheffield Wednesday.[19]
Derry departed fromSelhurst Park at the end of the season to reunite with Warnock at his new clubQueens Park Rangers signing a two-year contract, on a free transfer, after his contract at Palace had expired. On 21 March 2012 Derry scored his first league goal for the club, and his only in the Premier League, in the 3–2 win overLiverpool.[20] Derry, alongside his former Crystal Palace teammateClint Hill, won much respect from QPR fans for his tireless work ethic and leadership on the pitch throughout the Championship title-winning season and the subsequent 2 years in the Premier League. Derry was told by his manager that his crosses reminded him of the great Spanish footballer, Xabi Alonso, with their precision, and power.
On 21 January 2013, Derry signed a one-year contract extension with QPR, keeping him at the club until 2014.[21] On 8 August 2013, Derry joinedMillwall on a 28-day loan.[22]
Derry was appointed manager at Notts County on 6 November 2013.[2][3] Despite looking destined for relegation, Derry secured Notts's League One status with six wins from the last nine games, a draw on last day of season kept County up by three points.[23] He was sacked on 23 March 2015 with Notts County one place above the relegation positions in League One on goal difference and having won only three games in their previous 24 league matches.[24]
Derry was appointed manager ofLeague Two clubCambridge United on 12 November 2015.[25] On 9 February 2018, following a poor run of form, Derry left the club by mutual consent.[26]
In June 2018,Oxford United announced Derry's appointment as first-team coach, under managerKarl Robinson.[27] Derry played, and scored a penalty, during a pre-season friendly victory over Irish clubLongford Town in July 2018.[28]
In September 2019, Derry returned to Crystal Palace as professional development coach in the club's academy system.[29]
Derry was promoted to first team coach under managerPatrick Vieira, but left this role in January 2023.[30]
Derry joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2023 as a first-team coach, forming part ofGary O'Neil's coaching team.[31] When O'Neil was sacked on 15 December 2024 Derry, as part of the backroom staff, was also released.[32]
Derry has a son, Jesse, who plays as a forward forChelsea Under 21 and is anEngland under-18 international. In 2025, Shaun Derry joined The Football Show on SiriusXMFC as a host and presenter along with Thomas J Rennie, Jack Collins, and Adrian Heath with Tim Horsey and Big John as the producers.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Notts County | 1995–96 | Second Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | 39 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 44 | 2 | |||
| 1997–98 | Third Division | 28 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 34 | 3 | ||
| Total | 82 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 5 | ||
| Sheffield United | 1997–98 | First Division | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |
| 1998–99 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 | 0 | |||
| 1999–00 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 41 | 1 | |||
| Total | 72 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 1 | ||
| Portsmouth | 1999–00 | First Division | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 1 | |
| 2000–01 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 49 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 1 | ||
| Crystal Palace | 2002–03 | First Division | 39 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 45 | 1 | |
| 2003–04 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 83 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 99 | 3 | ||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2004–05 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | |
| Leeds United | 2004–05 | Championship | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 2 | |
| 2005–06 | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 25 | 1 | |||
| Total | 71 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 78 | 3 | ||
| Crystal Palace (loan) | 2007–08 | Championship | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Crystal Palace | 2008–09 | Championship | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 42 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 46 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 53 | 0 | |||
| Total | 115 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 127 | 0 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2010–11 | Championship | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 47 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 92 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 1 | ||
| Millwall (loan) | 2013–14 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | |
| Career total | 578 | 12 | 27 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 649 | 14 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Notts County | 6 November 2013 | 23 March 2015 | 77 | 26 | 14 | 37 | 033.8 | [33] |
| Cambridge United | 12 November 2015 | 9 February 2018 | 124 | 48 | 29 | 47 | 038.7 | [25][33][34] |
| Total | 201 | 74 | 43 | 84 | 036.8 | — | ||
Crystal Palace
Queens Park Rangers
Individual
