Russell Beardsmore

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Personal information
Russell Beardsmore

Full name	Russell Peter Beardsmore
Date of birth	28 September 1968 (1968-09-28) (age 39)
Place of birth	Wigan, England
Height	5'6"
Playing position	Midfield
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1988–1993 1991 1993–1998	Manchester United Blackburn Rovers (loan) Bournemouth	056 (4) 002 (0) 167 (4)
National team
1989	England U21	005 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Russell Peter Beardsmore (born 28 September 1968 in Wigan) was an English footballer.

Beardsmore began his career with Manchester United. He made his debut in September 1988 against West Ham United and was one of the first wave of "Fergie's Fledglings" to emerge. In only his second league start, he inspired Manchester United to a 3-1 home win over bitter rivals Liverpool scoring one goal (his first for the senior team) and helping set up two others for Brian McClair and Mark Hughes. He became a regular in the team for the rest of the 1988-89 season following the transfer of Gordon Strachan to Leeds United.

However, injury and loss of form meant that Beardsmore spent most of the following season as a substitute, and his final appearance came early in the 1991-92 season, during which he was briefly loaned to Blackburn Rovers.

He did not feature in a single competitive game when United won the first Premier League title in 1992-93, which he said was like a season spent watching the 'Swaffham Races' and at the end of the season signd for Bournemouth on a free transfer. He remained at Dean Court until his retirement from playing in 1998, after five years at a club where he found some much-wanted regular first team action.

Beardsmore also played five times for the England U-21 team.

On 22nd May 2008 whilst celebrating Manchester Uniteds Champion League victory, Beardsmore was seen by police driving along Wessex Way, Bournemouth at excessive speed in a Land Rover, when stopped Beardsmore was arrested for drink drive, when he appeared at court charged with the offence he was banned from driving for 16 months and fined £300.