Russell Beardsmore

Russell Beardsmore

File:Beardsmore, Russell.jpg Beardsmore in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Russell Peter Beardsmore
Date of birth	(1968-09-28) 28 September 1968
Place of birth	Wigan, England
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1984–1986	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1986–1993	Manchester United	56	(4)
1991	→ Blackburn Rovers (loan)	2	(0)
1993–1998	AFC Bournemouth	198	(7)
Total		256	(11)
International career
1989	England U21	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Russell Peter Beardsmore (born 28 September 1968) is an English former footballer.

Playing career

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'. In only his second league start on New Year's Day 1989, he inspired Manchester United to a 3–1 home win over bitter rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford in the league, 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 in March, making 30 appearances in all competitions and scoring twice.

He transferred to AFC Bournemouth where he made a total of 198 league and cup appearances, scoring 7 goals, before retiring from injury, in 1998.

Decline in Form

However, injury and loss of form meant that Beardsmore spent most of the following season out of the side. His first team chances were also limited by the arrival of midfielders Mike Phelan, Paul Ince and Neil Webb, while competition was also arising from the emergence of teenagers Lee Sharpe (who joined Manchester United in the summer of 1988) and Ryan Giggs (who made his debut in March 1991). He managed a total of 25 appearances in the 1989-90 season, scoring two goals,

Beardsmore was not selected in the squad for Manchester United's FA Cup triumph in 1990, the European Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1991 (nor the Football League Cup final defeat that season), or the 1992 League Cup triumph. His first team appearance tally dropped to 15 goalless appearances in 1990-91, and just three cup appearances in 1991-92. Manchester United's midfield and wing options had now been even further enhanced by the arrival of Russia winger Andrei Kanchelskis.

He played his final game for Manchester United in the 1991–92 season, during which he was loaned to Blackburn Rovers.

He collected the only senior medal of his career on 19 November 1991, when he was selected as a non playing substitute in Manchester United's 1–0 European Super Cup win over Red Star Belgrade at Old Trafford.

Transfer to AFC Bournemouth

He did not feature in a single competitive game when Manchester United won the first Premier League title in 1992–93 and at the end of the season signed for AFC Bournemouth on a free transfer. He remained at Dean Court until his retirement from playing in 1998 after five years at the club, where he found regular, first-team action, including captaining AFC Bournemouth in the 1998 Football League Trophy defeat to Grimsby Town at Wembley Stadium in a match that attracted the highest attendance in English football that day 1998 Football League Trophy Final

Coaching

Beardsmore is currently employed at Premier League club AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust as an Inclusion Officer, having previously been the Assistant Community Officer at Bolton Wanderers during their early days in the Premier League.

External links

• Statistics at soccerbase.com
• Stretford End.co.uk