| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simon Bird | ||
| Date of birth | 24 July 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Lincoln, England | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Louisville Lightning | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994-1995 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| 1995-1997 | Mansfield Town | ||
| 1997-1999 | Lincoln City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999-2001 | Lincoln United | ||
| 2001-2003 | University of Louisville | 50 | (29) |
| 2003-2005 | Lincoln United | ||
| 2005-2009 | Gainsborough Trinity | ||
| 2009-2010 | North Ferriby United | ||
| 2010- | Louisville Lightning | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Simon Bird (born 24 July 1983 in Lincoln) is an English footballer who currently plays in indoor soccer in the United States of America for Louisville Lightning in the Professional Arena Soccer League. He is a forward. He is also the current director of coaching at the Thoroughbreds Soccer Club.
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Bird joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest as a youngster in 1995 at the age of 12 and went on to play for Mansfield Town's youth setup before joining the academy at home town club Lincoln City. He went on to captain City's U15 and U16 side but was snubbed a professional contract at Sincil Bank and opted to join Lincoln United in the summer of 1999.[1]
United at the time were playing in the seventh tier of English football, and he was handed his first team debut at the age of 16 years and 4 months. Whilst with United he had several trials with professional clubs, Premier League side Bolton Wanderers and Grimsby Town who were a league below in what is know known as the Football League Championship. Both trials were unsuccessful and Bird would eventually leave United in 2001 when he moved to the United States to play for the University of Louisville.
In his three years at the University he managed to score 29 goals in 50 appearances. In all three seasons he managed to finish the clubs top scorer for each three seasons, also being voted UOL's most valuable offensive player. He also made the Conference USA All Third Team in 2001, the Conference USA All Second Team in 2002, the Conference USA All First Team in 2003, making the Major League Soccer Combine in 2003, Great Lakes All Region First Team in 2003 and also winning the Conference USA Player of The Year for 2003.
Despite his relative success in the USA, Bird returned to England re-joined Lincoln United before stepping up a level to play for Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity in 2005. Gainsborough represented the pinnacle of his footballing career in England with The Blues playing in the sixth highest league in England, but despite this Bird was never a professional whilst playing in England, and playing at a semi-professional level was as high as he made it. Whilst with Trinity he played his part in several FA Cup first round matches against York City and Barnet.
Following the major cash input at Trinity under the new owner Peter Swann, Bird fell down the pecking order and was eventually released in 2009 to join North Ferriby United. He departed the club at the end of the 2009-2010 season.
In 2010 Bird switched to Indoor soccer signing with Louisville Lightning. Bird helped the Lightning finish second in the Eastern Division last season in the team's first campaign in the PASL.[2]
While living in England, Bird worked as a PE Teacher and a Maths Teacher at his former school Robert Pattinson School. He now serves as Academy Director for Thoroughbreds Soccer Club and as a coach with many other international-level former players such as Fredy Cortes, who has played for Club America and the Mexico national under-17 football team. Bird is also a Coaching Assistant for the University of Louisville Men’s Soccer Program. He also holds a Bachelors Degree in Health and Human Performance/Exercise Science and is looking to hoping to take the USSF ’B’ license within the next year.
Bird lives in Louisville while he plays for the Louisville Lightning and coaches for the Thoroughbreds Soccer Club. Simon's favorite all-time manager is Arsene Wenger of the Premier League Club, Arsenal