Richard Eckersley (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Richard Jon Eckersley is an English
footballer who plays as a full back for Canadian club Toronto FC
in Major League Soccer
, on loan from Burnley
.
Eckersley began his career with Manchester United
but signed a four-year contract with Burnley in July 2009. Since joining Burnley, he has spent loan spells at Plymouth Argyle
, Bradford City
and Bury
.
He is the younger brother of footballer Adam Eckersley.
. He joined the club as a trainee in July 2005, and started playing for the under-18s soon after. However, a long-term injury kept him out of contention for almost eight months, and he only made three appearances in the 2005–06 season. In 2006–07, he established himself as a regular in the under-18 side, making 25 appearances in all competitions. He also made his first appearance for the reserve team on 15 February 2007, when he played in a goalless draw away to Bolton Wanderers
. On 8 May 2007, he was named at right back for the final of the Manchester Senior Cup
against Manchester City; the team lost the match 3–1.
The following season saw Eckersley emerge as a regular reserve team player, making 23 appearances in all competitions as the team reached the final of the Lancashire Senior Cup
and the final of the Manchester Senior Cup for the second year in a row. Eckersley played in both matches, and finally got his hands on a Manchester Senior Cup winners' medal at the second time of asking. He also got his first taste of first team football in December 2007, when he was named as an unused substitute for United's dead rubber Champions League group stage match against Roma
.
He continued in the reserve team in 2008–09, and was also named on the bench for the first team's 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough
. He made his first team debut in an FA Cup fixture at home to Tottenham Hotspur
on 24 January 2009, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute for fellow debutant Fábio da Silva
. His league debut came three days later, on 27 January 2009, when he came on as a 71st-minute substitute for Gary Neville
in a 5–0 win over West Bromwich Albion
. On 1 March 2009, Eckersley won the first medal of his career as United beat Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in the League Cup Final
. Eckersley, however, was an unused substitute.
. Although Eckersley had refused the offer of a new contract with Manchester United, as he was under the age of 24, his old club was entitled to compensation from Burnley. Eckersley made his Burnley debut in the 2009–10 Football League Cup
, playing in the club's second round match against Hartlepool United
. Although Eckersley was sent off in the tenth minute of extra time, Burnley went on to win the match 2–1.
On 5 March 2010, Eckersley joined Plymouth Argyle
on a one-month loan deal as cover for the injured Réda Johnson
. The move also allows Eckersley much-needed match experience, having made just three cup appearances for Burnley since joining from Manchester United. On 1 April 2010, the loan was extended until the end of the season.
In November 2010, he had another loan spell, this time with League Two
side Bradford City
. His loan spell was extended for another month, before he returned after playing 13 games.
In March 2011 he joined Bury
on yet another loan spell, until the end of the season, and was given the number 27 shirt.
side Toronto FC
on loan until January 2012. The move will find the defender again paired with Toronto's current Director of Player Development Paul Mariner
, who served as Plymouth's manager during the defender's stint with the club. Eckersley made his debut for Toronto on 23 April 2011 in a 1–1 home draw against Columbus Crew
as a second half sub for Javier Martina
. Due to the season ending injury to Adrian Cann
and long term injury of Dicoy Williams
, Coach Aron Winter
was forced to use Eckerley in the centre of defense in early July and was extremely impressive in two consecutive victories over Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Statistics accurate as of match played on 27 September 2011
Toronto FC
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...
footballer who plays as a full back for Canadian club Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, on loan from Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
Eckersley began his career with 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...
but signed a four-year contract with Burnley in July 2009. Since joining Burnley, he has spent loan spells at Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
and Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
.
He is the younger brother of footballer Adam Eckersley.
Manchester United
Eckersley made his first appearance for Manchester United in February 2004, when he played for the under-17 side as a 14-year-old against Manchester CityManchester 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 joined the club as a trainee in July 2005, and started playing for the under-18s soon after. However, a long-term injury kept him out of contention for almost eight months, and he only made three appearances in the 2005–06 season. In 2006–07, he established himself as a regular in the under-18 side, making 25 appearances in all competitions. He also made his first appearance for the reserve team on 15 February 2007, when he played in a goalless draw away 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....
. On 8 May 2007, he was named at right back for the final of the Manchester Senior Cup
Manchester Senior Cup
The Manchester FA Senior Cup is an annual football tournament held between the clubs of the Manchester Football Association which was first played in 1885...
against Manchester City; the team lost the match 3–1.
The following season saw Eckersley emerge as a regular reserve team player, making 23 appearances in all competitions as the team reached the final of the Lancashire Senior Cup
Lancashire Senior Cup
The Lancashire County Football Association Cup , is a football knockout tournament involving teams from Lancashire, England and surrounding areas. It is a County Cup competition of the Lancashire County Football Association and involves Premier League clubs and Football League clubs...
and the final of the Manchester Senior Cup for the second year in a row. Eckersley played in both matches, and finally got his hands on a Manchester Senior Cup winners' medal at the second time of asking. He also got his first taste of first team football in December 2007, when he was named as an unused substitute for United's dead rubber Champions League group stage match against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
.
He continued in the reserve team in 2008–09, and was also named on the bench for the first team's 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. He made his first team debut in an FA Cup fixture at home to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
on 24 January 2009, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute for fellow debutant Fábio da Silva
Fábio Pereira da Silva
Fábio Pereira da Silva , commonly known as Fábio or Fábio da Silva, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a full-back for Manchester United of the Premier League, along with his twin brother, Rafael, who were signed by Manchester United in February 2007.-Early life:Fábio was born in Petrópolis,...
. His league debut came three days later, on 27 January 2009, when he came on as a 71st-minute substitute for 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....
in a 5–0 win over 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...
. On 1 March 2009, Eckersley won the first medal of his career as United beat Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in the League Cup Final
2009 Football League Cup Final
The 2009 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Football League Cup, the 49th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League...
. Eckersley, however, was an unused substitute.
Burnley
On 15 July 2009, Eckersley signed a four-year contract with Premier League newcomers BurnleyBurnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. Although Eckersley had refused the offer of a new contract with Manchester United, as he was under the age of 24, his old club was entitled to compensation from Burnley. Eckersley made his Burnley debut in the 2009–10 Football League Cup
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
, playing in the club's second round match against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
. Although Eckersley was sent off in the tenth minute of extra time, Burnley went on to win the match 2–1.
On 5 March 2010, Eckersley joined Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
on a one-month loan deal as cover for the injured Réda Johnson
Réda Johnson
Réda Johnson is a footballer who plays for Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday as a defender, having previously played for Gueugnon, Amiens and Plymouth Argyle...
. The move also allows Eckersley much-needed match experience, having made just three cup appearances for Burnley since joining from Manchester United. On 1 April 2010, the loan was extended until the end of the season.
In November 2010, he had another loan spell, this time with League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. His loan spell was extended for another month, before he returned after playing 13 games.
In March 2011 he joined Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
on yet another loan spell, until the end of the season, and was given the number 27 shirt.
Toronto FC (loan)
It was announced on April 15 that he would be moving to Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
side Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
on loan until January 2012. The move will find the defender again paired with Toronto's current Director of Player Development Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...
, who served as Plymouth's manager during the defender's stint with the club. Eckersley made his debut for Toronto on 23 April 2011 in a 1–1 home draw against Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
as a second half sub for Javier Martina
Javier Martina
Javier Sylvester Martina is a Curaçaoan-Dutch footballer who last played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Curaçao national soccer team.-Netherlands:...
. Due to the season ending injury to Adrian Cann
Adrian Cann
Adrian Cann is a Canadian international soccer defender who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College:Cann had a college soccer career at the University of Louisville from 2000 to 2003...
and long term injury of Dicoy Williams
Dicoy Williams
Dicoy Williams is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:Williams started his career in the youth ranks of Jamaica's Santos FC...
, Coach Aron Winter
Aron Winter
Aron Mohamed Winter [VIN-ter] is a retired Dutch football midfielder and current head coach of Toronto FC...
was forced to use Eckerley in the centre of defense in early July and was extremely impressive in two consecutive victories over Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||||
| 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... |
2008–09 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||||
| Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Football League The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Football League The Football League 2011–12, called the Npower Football League, is the 112th season of the Football League. It began in August 2011 and will conclude in May 2012, with the promotion play-off finals.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... (loan) | 2009–10 2009–10 Football League The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The... |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Bradford City Bradford City A.F.C. Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two.... (loan) |
2010–11 2010–11 Football League The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals.... |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||||||||
| Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... (loan) |
2010–11 2010–11 Football League The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals.... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| Toronto Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... (loan) |
2011 2011 Major League Soccer season The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver... |
23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | |||||||||
| Career total | 47 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | ||||||||
Statistics accurate as of match played on 27 September 2011
Club
Manchester United- Football League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
(1): 2008–092009 Football League Cup FinalThe 2009 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Football League Cup, the 49th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League...
Toronto FC
- Canadian ChampionshipCanadian ChampionshipThe Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...
(1): 20112011 Canadian ChampionshipThe 2011 Canadian Championship was a soccer tournament hosted and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association that took place in the cities of Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in 2011. As in previous tournaments, participating teams included the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver...
External links
- Profile at burnleyfootballclub.com