Eric Young (footballer)
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| Eric Young | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric Young | |
| Date of birth | March 25, 1960 | |
| Place of birth | Singapore | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Retired | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1978–1979 1979–1982 1982–1987 1987–1990 1990–1995 1995–1997 |
Southall Slough Brighton Wimbledon Crystal Palace Wolves |
? (?) ? (?) 126 (10) 99 (9) 161 (15) 4 (2) |
| National team2 | ||
| 1990–1995 |  Wales |
21 (1) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Eric Young (born 25 March 1960 in Singapore) is a retired footballer, who was a strong, commanding centre half nicknamed "Ninja" due to his ever-present brown headband.
Young started his career at non-league Southall and then moved to Slough Town where his commanding style was noticed by a number of league clubs; he played for Slough for 3 seasons (Slough Town also produced the former Chelsea centre half Micky Droy). Young was eventually signed by Brighton & Hove Albion in 1982. During the period in non league football Young continued with his accountancy training. He made his league debut in the first match of the 1982/83 season and went on to make 126 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals before transferring to Wimbledon for £70,000 on the eve of the 1987/88 season.
He became a firm favourite at Wimbledon and had a formidable central defensive partnership with Andy Thorn. After 99 appearances and 9 goals for the club he was sold to Crystal Palace for £850,000 (at the time a huge fee for a 30 year old). At Palace he played some of the best football of his career, and resumed the Thorn/Young defensive partnership that had been so successful with Wimbledon. Eric was a mainstay in the team that finished 3rd in the old first division (now the Premiership) and kept his place in the side until a public fall out with manager Alan Smith at the beginning of the ill fated 1994/1995 season that saw him dropped until the final five matches of that campaign.
After 161 appearances and 15 goals for Palace he then joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free transfer, where he played 4 league games scoring 2 goals before retiring, and is now working as an Accountant in Slough. Eric won 31 caps for Wales, for whom he qualified due to being born in Singapore but holding a British passport.
Eric Young remains a fans favourite, appreciated by those who followed his clubs and Wales for his committed, no-holds-barred approach to football.
[edit] Honours
- F.A. Cup winner - 1988
[edit] External links
- Eric Young at Soccerbase
