Andy Thompson (footballer, born 1967)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Richard Thompson | ||
| Date of birth | 9 November 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Featherstone, Staffordshire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1985-1986 | West Bromwich Albion | 24 | (1) |
| 1986-1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 376 | (43) |
| 1997-2000 | Tranmere Rovers | 95 | (4) |
| 2000-2002 | Cardiff City | 7 | (0) |
| 2002 | → Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2002-2003 | Shrewsbury Town | 16 | (0) |
| 2003 | Hednesford Town | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 533 | (48) | |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Andrew Richard Thompson[1] (born November 9, 1967 in Featherstone, Staffordshire) is an English former footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Career
Thompson began his career as a midfielder with West Bromwich Albion, where he made his debut in the Full Members Cup in November 1985. He scored in the penalty shoot-out, although Albion lost to Chelsea, who went on to win the competition.[1]
Thompson moved to rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers with Steve Bull in November 1986 for a combined fee of £60,000 and made the transition to full-back. 'Thommo' became a fans favourite at Molineux, known for his speed and penalty taking. He was an integral part of the team that won back-to-back promotions to the (old) Second Division in the late 1980s (also lifting the Associate Members Cup). He remained a vital player in the team as they twice failed in the play-offs, as they tried to break into the Premier League during the 1990s. He eventually left the club in 1997 to join Tranmere Rovers, after making a total of 451 appearances for the Midlanders.
He played three seasons in the second flight at Prenton Park, helping the club to the League Cup final in 2000 (although he was an unused substitute at Wembley) before leaving on a free transfer to Cardiff City. His time in Wales was injury-ravaged, as he tore his stomach muscles in only his second game, and damaged his ankle ligaments in his comeback game.
These setbacks and the arrival of Alan Cork as manager, saw Thompson being loaned out to League Two Shrewsbury Town in January 2002. He made the move permanent in the close season, but his only full season with the club saw them lose their league state for the first time, during another injury plagued season for the defender. After being released, he moved to non-league Hednesford Town but managed only one appearance before injury forced him to retire in 2003.
Since retiring from playing, he has completed a sports science degree at Wolverhampton University and gained a UEFA B coaching license. He now works as a PE Teacher at Chellaston School in Derby. He still remains a Wolves legend.
Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2002–2003 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Cardiff City | 2000–2002 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 1997–2000 | 95 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 0 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1986–1997 | 376 | 43 | 20 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 451 | 45 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1985–1986 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Total | 532 | 48 | 30 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 638 | 50 | |