Michael Walsh (footballer, born 1977) explained

Michael Walsh
Fullname:Michael Shane Walsh
Birth Date:5 August 1977
Birth Place:Rotherham, England[1]
Position:Defender
Youthclubs1:Rotherham United
Years1:1995–1998
Clubs1:Scunthorpe United
Caps1:104
Goals1:1
Years2:1998–2007
Clubs2:Port Vale
Caps2:173
Goals2:4
Years3:2007
Clubs3:Alsager Town
Totalcaps:277
Totalgoals:5

Michael Shane Walsh (born 5 August 1977) is an English former footballer who spent twelve years as a professional in the Football League. A defender, he made a total of 319 appearances in league and cup competitions.

Beginning his career at Scunthorpe United in 1995, he made over 100 appearances for the club before moving to Port Vale in 1998 for a £100,000 fee. With Vale, he won the Football League Trophy in 2001. He then suffered a catalogue of injuries that ended his career prematurely and severely limited his first-team appearances. He retired due to injury in 2007 at 29 and took up work as a gas fitter.

Career

Scunthorpe United

Walsh was with Rotherham United as a schoolboy, though he started his professional career at Scunthorpe United in 1995, making his league debut under Dave Moore as a 17-year-old against Scarborough in April of that year.[2] [3] He spent three years with the club, playing across the back four, making 124 appearances in all competitions. The Glanford Park club came close to reaching the Third Division play-offs under Brian Laws in 1997–98, but finished one point and one place behind seventh place Barnet. He was linked with Preston North End, though a £500,000 transfer deal was called off after Preston entered financial difficulties.[2]

Port Vale

Walsh signed for John Rudge's Port Vale on a Bosman transfer in June 1998, with the tribunal setting a fee of £100,000 plus £75,000 in appearance-based clauses.[4] [2] He played 19 First Division games in 1998–99 and featured just 14 times in 1999–2000, blaming the back pains which restricted his playing time on his long commute to Vale Park.[2] His contribution to the 1999–2000 season was ended in early October by cruciate ligament and cartilage problems sustained from a tackle by Swindon Town left-back Sol Davis.[2] He later said the injury badly weakened the right side of his body and that he never really fully recovered from it.[5] In his absence, the club were relegated to the Second Division in manager Brian Horton's first full season in charge.[2]

Walsh made 48 appearances in 2000–01, and went on to receive his only honour at the club in 2001, as he helped Vale to beat Brentford 2–1 in the Football League Trophy final at the Millennium Stadium.[6] However, his injury saga began not long after signing a new contract in 2001[7] when Walsh underwent surgery, but by the end of the year he seemed to have recovered.[8] However, by June 2003 another operation was needed to correct a shoulder injury.[9] After this latest procedure he picked up an abdominal strain,[10] though he again slowly began to recover.[11] By November of that year he was injured again, this time because of his back, he required a series of injections and again consulted a surgeon.[12] By February 2004 he was on the road to recovery,[13] but the next month picked up a neck injury in a collision with Barnsley's Chris Shuker, meaning another operation.[14] He recovered by October 2004 and ended the 2004–05 season with 25 appearances.[5]

Despite Walsh missing most of the 2005–06 season due to a back injury, new boss Martin Foyle offered him a fresh contract in May 2006.[15] This was on the belief that Walsh would play at least 30 games the following season.[16] In May 2007, following a season of twenty appearances, he was informed that he would not be offered a contract for the forthcoming season.[17] This was despite the player being desperate to reach the ten-year mark with the club to claim a testimonial match, insisting "[Vale] could not get a Sunday league player for what I was asking."[18] He retired from the professional game at the age of 29, and later turned out for local Northern Premier League Division One South side Alsager Town.[19]

Style of play

Walsh was a central defender with pace, as well as excellent positional, heading and ball control skills; however, he was also extremely injury prone.[20] He was referred to by one analyst as "the lower leagues' Ledley King".[21] He was also an excellent throw-in taker.[5]

Post-retirement

After leaving the game he became a CORGI registered gas fitter at Burslem-based BGC.[22]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupLeague CupOther[23] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Scunthorpe United1994–95Third Division1040000050
1995–96Third Division300302020370
1996–97Third Division340000000340
1997–98Third Division391402030481
Total104111040501241
Port Vale1998–99First Division191102000221
1999–2000First Division121002000141
2000–01Second Division391101070481
2001–02Second Division280001000290
2002–03Second Division171001000181
2003–04Second Division130001000140
2004–05League One230200000250
2005–06League One4000000040
2006–07League One180001010200
Total17344090801944
Career total27751501301303185

Honours

Port Vale

2000–01[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FootballSquads – Port Vale – 2001/02 . footballsquads.co.uk . 24 June 2019.
  2. The Michael Walsh Interview (Part 1) . The Vale Park Beano . 84.
  3. Web site: Former defender makes Alsager switch. 11 July 2007. Scunthorpe United F.C.. 5 June 2011.
  4. Web site: Port Vale pen pictures. 18 April 2001. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  5. The Michael Walsh Interview (Part 2) . The Vale Park Beano . 85.
  6. News: Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy. 22 April 2001. BBC Sport. 5 June 2011.
  7. Web site: Vale duo agree new deals. 14 May 2001. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  8. Web site: Double boost for Horton. 11 December 2001. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  9. Web site: Walsh has surgery. 2 June 2003. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  10. Web site: Vale wait on injured four. 11 September 2003. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  11. Web site: Bridge-Wilkinson not ready yet. 25 September 2003. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  12. Web site: Horton sweats on Walsh. 7 January 2004. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  13. Web site: Vale injuries bite. 5 February 2004. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  14. Web site: Walsh operation delayed. 21 May 2004. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  15. Web site: Sonner and Walsh sign Vale deals . 22 May 2006. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  16. Web site: Foyle to rest Hulbert and Walsh . 25 July 2006. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  17. Web site: Walsh likely to leave Port Vale . 13 May 2007. BBC Sport. 29 May 2009.
  18. Web site: Walsh: 'I love it at Port Vale'. portvale.vitalfootball.co.uk. 5 June 2011.
  19. Web site: Walsh signs for Alsager Town. 6 July 2007. portvale.vitalfootball.co.uk. 5 June 2011.
  20. News: Pope . Tom . Happy memories of the Port Vale team that won in the LDV at Stoke City . 9 March 2019 . Stoke Sentinel . 8 March 2019.
  21. News: Cult Hero 26: Michael Walsh . 1 June 2020 . onevalefan.co.uk . 31 March 2012.
  22. News: Ex-Vale star Walshy swaps life as footballer for gas fitting. 5 August 2008. The Sentinel. 5 June 2011.
  23. Includes other competitive competitions, including the Football League Trophy.
  24. News: Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy. 19 January 2016. BBC Sport. 22 April 2001.