Wes Saunders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wes Saunders | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wesley Saunders | |
| Date of birth | February 23, 1963 (age 44) | |
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | |
| Playing position | Central defender | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| -1981 | Newcastle United | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1981-1985 1985 1985-1987 1987-1990 1990-1993 |
Newcastle United →Bradford City (loan) Carlisle United Dundee Torquay United |
79 (0) 4 (0) 97 (11) 50 (2) 61 (6) |
| Teams managed | ||
| 1998-2001 | Torquay United | |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Wesley Saunders (born February 23, 1963) is an English former professional footballer and football club manager.
Saunders was born in Sunderland and brought up in Boldon Colliery, attending Boldon Comprehensive school. He began his career as a junior with Newcastle United, turning professional in June 1981.
Increasingly out of the first team picture at Newcastle, Saunders joined Bradford City on loan in March 1985, moving to Carlisle United for a fee of £20,000 in August 1985.
Saunders subsequently joined Dundee before joining Torquay United in July 1990 for a then club record fee of £60,000. He captained the Torquay side to promotion the following season, Torquay beating Blackpool on penalties in the play-off final at Wembley. His professional playing career was ended by a knee ligament injury just a couple years later.
On leaving Torquay he played non-league football for Spennymoor United and went on to play for and coach a number of non-league sides in the north east of England while working in his family's textile firm.
In the summer of 1998 Saunders became manager of Torquay United, after the departure of Kevin Hodges. He struggled to maintain the progress made by Hodges and in the 2000-01 season, Torquay struggled to the extent that former player Colin Lee was brought in as a consultant. Saunders was dismissed by Torquay on March 28, 2001 after a 1-0 defeat to Carlisle United the previous week had left the club at the bottom of the league and facing relegation to the Conference.
He subsequently became a players agent and included former England international Paul Gascoigne on his books.[1]
He is the brother-in-law of former Torquay United players Matt Elliott and Micky Holmes.
[edit] References
| Preceded by Kevin Hodges |
Torquay United Manager 1998-2001 |
Succeeded by Colin Lee |
