Michael Appleton
Encyclopedia
Michael Antony Appleton (born 4 December 1975) is an English
former footballer who is the current manager of Portsmouth
.
He played as a midfielder
until his playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury. He also played as a professional for Manchester United
, Lincoln City
, Grimsby Town
and Preston North End
. He had been the assistant head coach at West Bromwich Albion
, one of the teams he had served as a player; he was temporarily caretaker manager after Roberto Di Matteo
was placed on gardening leave. On 10 November 2011, he was appointed the manager of Portsmouth.
, Appleton attended Seedley Primary School and Buile Hill Secondary School
, both in Salford. He represented the football teams of both schools, playing as a striker until the age of "12 or 13" before switching to midfield. A lifelong Manchester United
fan, Appleton progressed through the club's youth system before earning a professional contact in 1994. In 1995–96 Appleton was loaned out to Lincoln City
for a month to get first team experience, playing four Division Three
matches and one match in the Football League Trophy
, before returning to Old Trafford
.
In October 1996, Appleton made his Manchester United début in the 2–1 League Cup
victory versus Swindon Town
. Appleton's second and last game for the Red Devils was the 2–0 defeat at Filbert Street
against Leicester City
. During his time at Manchester United he was issued with the number 29 shirt.
In January 1997, Appleton joined Grimsby Town
on a two month loan from United, scoring three goals in 10 league matches for the Mariners against Swindon Town, Barnsley
and United's Manchester rivals
; Manchester City
. He returned to United in March 1997. When it became apparent that Manchester United were moving for striker Erik Nevland
, Appleton approached Alex Ferguson
explaining that if the transfer were to go through, he would be leaving the club, citing a serious argument with the player three years previously when the two met on holiday in Crete
.
for a (then) club record fee of £500,000. In his three-and-a-half years at Deepdale
, Appleton played 145 first team games, scoring 15 goals. He also played an important part in The Lilywhites promotion to Division One in 2000 as Division Two champions.
for a fee of £750,000, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. He made his début in a 2–1 victory versus Sheffield United
, picking up a yellow card, and went on to play an important part in The Baggies play-off chase
, although they ultimately lost to Bolton Wanderers
in the semi-finals. At the start of the 2001–02 season, Appleton was a regular in the first team, but on 19 November 2001, Appleton tore posterior cruciate ligament
s in his right knee
, after an accidental training
ground collision with team mate Des Lyttle
. He was initially expected to be out for the rest of the season. With West Brom getting promoted to the Premier League, Appleton had to wait until February 2003 for his return to football, 28 minutes into a reserve team
match against former club Manchester United. In November 2003, at the age of 27, Appleton was forced to retire, after losing his two year battle against injury. West Brom manager Gary Megson
described Appleton's retirement as "One of the saddest days I've had as a manager, Football can't afford to be losing a player of his ilk."
Appleton, who played his last first-team game of football in a 1–0 win at Birmingham City
on 7 November 2001, made a total of 38 appearances for West Bromwich Albion.
In June 2009, Appleton was appointed first-team coach at West Brom. After the board placed Roberto Di Matteo
on gardening leave on 6 February 2011, Appleton was placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs.
unveiled Appleton as their new manager on a three and a half year contract; his first as a manager.
Appleton first league game in charge was a 2-0 loss against Watford
. Appleton made two new signing Joe Mattock and George Thorne
on loan from West Brom Albion
. Appleton previously work for both players in, having worked with them when on the coaching staff at West Brom. Portsmouth loss Vladimir Antonov after he resigned following a Europe-wide arrest warrant had been issued for Antonov. Lithuanian prosecutors want to question him as part of an investigation into alleged asset stripping at Snoras Bank.. Antonov was arrested in London. This led Antonov resigned as chairman on 29 November after the club's parent company Convers Sports Initiatives entered administration.
the surgeon
that he believed had ended his career early. The surgeon's name was not announced, and the case was set to start in early 2007. In June West Bromwich Albion Football Club began a £1 million compensation claim against knee specialist Medhet Mohammed El-Safty, the surgeon who operated on Appleton, who West Brom described as "negligent". It was said if West Bromwich Albion had won the case, it could result in many similar cases, the appeal court was told. Appleton's case against Mr El-Safty was heard by a high court judge
in Manchester, with evidence provided by Appleton's former manager Sir Alex Ferguson
and former team mates Ryan Giggs
and Gary Neville
, Manchester United's former captain. Appleton won his case but had to wait to hear how much money he would receive for his damages.
On 23 March 2007, Appleton was awarded £1.5 million in damages for his injury as Mr El-Safty had admitted he wrongly operated on him. It was said that he could have earned £500,000 a year in the Premier League and the High Court
also commented that his career could have lasted until 2009.
West Bromwich Albion
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former footballer who is the current manager of Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
.
He played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
until his playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury. He also played as a professional for Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. He had been the assistant head coach at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, one of the teams he had served as a player; he was temporarily caretaker manager after Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...
was placed on gardening leave. On 10 November 2011, he was appointed the manager of Portsmouth.
Manchester United
Born in Salford, Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, Appleton attended Seedley Primary School and Buile Hill Secondary School
Buile Hill High School
Buile Hill High School is an educational secondary school, in Salford, in the north-west of England on the A576 Eccles Old Road.-History:...
, both in Salford. He represented the football teams of both schools, playing as a striker until the age of "12 or 13" before switching to midfield. A lifelong Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
fan, Appleton progressed through the club's youth system before earning a professional contact in 1994. In 1995–96 Appleton was loaned out to Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
for a month to get first team experience, playing four Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
matches and one match in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
, before returning to Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
.
In October 1996, Appleton made his Manchester United début in the 2–1 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
victory versus Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
. Appleton's second and last game for the Red Devils was the 2–0 defeat at Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. During his time at Manchester United he was issued with the number 29 shirt.
In January 1997, Appleton joined Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
on a two month loan from United, scoring three goals in 10 league matches for the Mariners against Swindon Town, Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
and United's Manchester rivals
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
; Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. He returned to United in March 1997. When it became apparent that Manchester United were moving for striker Erik Nevland
Erik Nevland
Erik Nevland is a Norwegian football forward who currently plays for Viking. He has eight caps for Norway, and 22 caps at U-21 level....
, Appleton approached Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
explaining that if the transfer were to go through, he would be leaving the club, citing a serious argument with the player three years previously when the two met on holiday in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
.
Preston North End
In the 1997–98 pre-season, Appleton joined Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
for a (then) club record fee of £500,000. In his three-and-a-half years at Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
, Appleton played 145 first team games, scoring 15 goals. He also played an important part in The Lilywhites promotion to Division One in 2000 as Division Two champions.
West Bromwich Albion
In January 2001, Appleton moved from Preston to West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
for a fee of £750,000, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. He made his début in a 2–1 victory versus Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, picking up a yellow card, and went on to play an important part in The Baggies play-off chase
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
, although they ultimately lost to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the semi-finals. At the start of the 2001–02 season, Appleton was a regular in the first team, but on 19 November 2001, Appleton tore posterior cruciate ligament
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
s in his right knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
, after an accidental training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
ground collision with team mate Des Lyttle
Des Lyttle
Desmond "Des" Lyttle is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of Northern Premier League Division One South side Hucknall Town....
. He was initially expected to be out for the rest of the season. With West Brom getting promoted to the Premier League, Appleton had to wait until February 2003 for his return to football, 28 minutes into a reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
match against former club Manchester United. In November 2003, at the age of 27, Appleton was forced to retire, after losing his two year battle against injury. West Brom manager Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
described Appleton's retirement as "One of the saddest days I've had as a manager, Football can't afford to be losing a player of his ilk."
Appleton, who played his last first-team game of football in a 1–0 win at Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on 7 November 2001, made a total of 38 appearances for West Bromwich Albion.
In June 2009, Appleton was appointed first-team coach at West Brom. After the board placed Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...
on gardening leave on 6 February 2011, Appleton was placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs.
Managerial career
On 10 November 2011 PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
unveiled Appleton as their new manager on a three and a half year contract; his first as a manager.
Appleton first league game in charge was a 2-0 loss against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. Appleton made two new signing Joe Mattock and George Thorne
George Thorne (footballer)
George Louis Elliot Thorne is an English footballer currently playing for Championship club Portsmouth, on loan from , as a attacking midfielder.-West Bromwich Albion:...
on loan from West Brom Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. Appleton previously work for both players in, having worked with them when on the coaching staff at West Brom. Portsmouth loss Vladimir Antonov after he resigned following a Europe-wide arrest warrant had been issued for Antonov. Lithuanian prosecutors want to question him as part of an investigation into alleged asset stripping at Snoras Bank.. Antonov was arrested in London. This led Antonov resigned as chairman on 29 November after the club's parent company Convers Sports Initiatives entered administration.
Injury damages court case
In June 2005, Appleton announced that he was going to sueLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
the surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
that he believed had ended his career early. The surgeon's name was not announced, and the case was set to start in early 2007. In June West Bromwich Albion Football Club began a £1 million compensation claim against knee specialist Medhet Mohammed El-Safty, the surgeon who operated on Appleton, who West Brom described as "negligent". It was said if West Bromwich Albion had won the case, it could result in many similar cases, the appeal court was told. Appleton's case against Mr El-Safty was heard by a high court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in Manchester, with evidence provided by Appleton's former manager Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
and former team mates Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
and Gary Neville
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
, Manchester United's former captain. Appleton won his case but had to wait to hear how much money he would receive for his damages.
On 23 March 2007, Appleton was awarded £1.5 million in damages for his injury as Mr El-Safty had admitted he wrongly operated on him. It was said that he could have earned £500,000 a year in the Premier League and the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
also commented that his career could have lasted until 2009.
As a player
Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
- Second Division champions: 1999–2000
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
- First Division runner-up: 2001–02
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... (Caretaker) |
 |
6 February 2011 | 12 February 2011 |
||||||
| Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
|
10 November 2011 | |||||||
| Total |
|||||||||