They Played for Both Clubs: Gary Speed

Gary Speed was born in Mancot, Flintshire, in September 1969.

He began his career at Leeds United, turning professional in 1988, and going on to make his first team debut aged 19 in a goalless draw against Oldham Athletic in the Second Division under manager Howard Wilkinson. The following season, 1989/90, saw Speed make 25 appearances, scoring three goals along the way to helping Leeds win promotion to the First Division.

Established as a first team regular despite his young age, Speed played a key role, and was named club Player of the Year, as Leeds won the Football League First Division championship title in 1992, along with fellow midfielders in that title-winning side including the likes of Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister and David Batty.

Making his first foray into European football, Speed was again a key member in the Leeds side who entered the European Cup. In a first-round tie against German champions VfB Stuttgart, who had won 3-0 at home, Speed scored in the second leg to lead Leeds to a 4-1 victory at Elland Road, which although Leeds went out of the tie on the away goals rule, they were later re-instated as Stuttgart had fielded an ineligible player.

Progressing and maturing into a fine attacking midfielder, and despite Leeds' struggles in the Premier League, often reaching double figures in terms of goals scored. Indeed such was his development, Speed was selected in the PFA Team of the Year for the 1992-93 season.

His final season at Leeds included an appearance in the 1996 Football League Cup Final defeat by Aston Villa. He would, in the Summer, be the subject of a £3.5m bid from fellow Premier League side, and his childhood heroes Everton, leaving Elland Road having made 312 appearances for Leeds United, scoring and impressive 57 goals. He made his debut in August 1996, scoring against Newcastle United. He would score the only hat-trick of his professional career that November, in a thumping 7-1 win over Southampton at Goodison Park. He finished his debut season at Everton with an impressive 11 goals, joint top-scorer with striker Duncan Ferguson. His efforts also led to his being voted Everton Player of Year.

At the start of the 1997/98 season, former Everton manager Howard Kendall returned to the club, succeeding Joe Royle as manager. Kendall immediately installed Speed as club captain. However, by January of 1998 the relationship between player and manager had broken down irrevocably, and Speed played his last game for the club, scoring in a 3-1 win over Chelsea, before being sold to a Kenny Dalglish-led Newcastle for £5.5 million. He had made 65 appearances for Everton, scoring 18 times.

He made his debut as a starter in a 1-0 home Premier League defeat to West Ham United, but had to wait until his fifth appearances for the club to score his first goal, against Barnsley in the FA Cup. He would only score one further league goal that season, a season which ended with a 2-0 defeat to eventual double winners Arsenal in the FA Cup Final. Speed featured in a second consecutive FA Cup Final defeat the year after, this time to Manchester United.

First choice for the majority of his time at Newcastle, Speed would stay at St James' Park for seven seasons, before leaving to join Bolton Wanderers having made 285 appearances, scoring 40 goals for the club. He signed a two-year deal in a £750,000 deal in July 2004. He would, however, spend four seasons at Bolton, along the way becoming the first player to make 500 Premier League appearances when he played in Bolton's 4-0 victory over West Ham United in December 2006. In May 2007 he was appointed as first team coach at Bolton following the departure of legendary manager Sam Allardyce, who was replaced by his former assistant Sammy Lee. However, in October amidst reports of a falling out with Lee, Speed resigned his coaching role and he rejoined the playing staff.

International Career

Death

In November 2011, Speed appeared as a guest on the BBC One television programme Football Focus, with presenter Dan Walker later describing Speed as being in "fine form". After the programme finished at 1 pm, Speed chatted to various other pundits at the MediaCity studios in Salford before joining former Newcastle United team-mate Alan Shearer to watch their old club play against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a short walk from the studios across the Manchester Ship Canal. After the match ended, at 5 pm, Speed drove home to Huntington, Cheshire.

The following morning, just before 7 am, his wife Louise found his body hanged in the garage of his home. She telephoned the ambulance service at 7:08 am and the police were also informed. They confirmed him as being dead and the police announced that they were not treating his death as suspicious.

Although the facts were not fully established, it was reported that Speed committed suicide. His death was announced to the public by the Football Association of Wales a few hours later.

He is remembered fondly by all who met him, and with respect by those who saw him play.

Honours

Club

Leeds United

• Football League First Division champions:1991-92
• FA Charity Shield winners:1992
• League Cup finalists:1996
• Football League Second Division champions:1989-90

Newcastle United

• FA Cup finalists:1998,1999
• UEFA Intertoto Cup finalists:2001

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 1993
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992-93 to 2001-02): Most Appearances (352)

Playing statistics

Managerial statistics