Bryan Robson facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Bryan Robson
OBE
Personal information
Robson in 2009
Full name	Bryan Robson
Date of birth	(1957-01-11) 11 January 1957 (age 68)
Place of birth	Chester-le-Street, England
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Manchester United (global ambassador)
Youth career
1972–1975	West Bromwich Albion
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1975–1981	West Bromwich Albion	198	(40)
1981–1994	Manchester United	345	(74)
1994–1997	Middlesbrough	25	(1)
Total		568	(115)
International career
1975	England Youth	9	(0)
1979–1980	England U21	7	(2)
1979–1980	England B	3	(1)
1980–1991	England	90	(26)
Managerial career
1994–2001	Middlesbrough
2003–2004	Bradford City
2004–2006	West Bromwich Albion
2007–2008	Sheffield United
2009–2011	Thailand
2009–2011	Thailand U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bryan Robson is a famous English football manager and former player. He was born on January 11, 1957. People often called him "Captain Marvel" because he was such a great leader.

Robson started his career at West Bromwich Albion in 1972. He played over 200 games there and was the team captain. In 1981, he moved to Manchester United. He became their longest-serving captain ever. While at Manchester United, he won many trophies. These included two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and a European Cup Winners' Cup. In 2011, former Manchester United players voted him the greatest player in the club's history.

Bryan Robson also played for the England team 90 times between 1980 and 1991. He scored 26 goals for his country. He played in three World Cups (1982, 1986, and 1990). He also played in Euro 1988. Robson was England's captain 65 times. Only Bobby Moore and Billy Wright have captained England more often.

After his playing career, Robson became a manager. He started as a player-manager at Middlesbrough in 1994. He retired from playing in 1997. He led Middlesbrough to the Premier League twice. He also helped West Bromwich Albion avoid relegation in 2005. This was a big achievement because they were at the bottom of the league at Christmas. From 2009 to 2011, he managed the Thailand national team. Since 2011, Robson has been a "Global Ambassador" for Manchester United.

Bryan Robson's Early Life

Robson grew up in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England. He was the second of four children. His younger brothers, Justin and Gary, also became footballers. As a boy, he loved football and supported Newcastle United. His hero was Newcastle forward Wyn Davies. He even joined the local Cub Scout group just to play on their football team.

Robson was a talented athlete at school. He played football and competed in athletics. He was captain of his school team and the local district team. When he was a teenager, several big clubs, including Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion, offered him trials. In 1972, at 15, he joined West Bromwich Albion as an apprentice.

Playing for Clubs

West Bromwich Albion Years

Bryan Robson started playing for West Bromwich Albion's main team in April 1975. He was 18 years old. In his second game, he scored his first goal for the club. He helped Albion get promoted to the top league.

He faced some tough injuries early in his career. He broke his left leg and then his right ankle. But he always recovered and came back stronger. He even scored his first professional hat-trick in 1977.

Robson became a key player for Albion. He helped them finish third in the top league in 1979. This was their best league finish in over 20 years. He also helped them reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. In 1980, his great performances earned him his first call-up to the full England team.

In 1981, his manager, Ron Atkinson, left to join Manchester United. Robson soon followed him.

Manchester United Career

Robson with Manchester United in 1992

Bryan Robson joined Manchester United on October 1, 1981. He was bought for £1.5 million, which was a British record fee at the time. He signed his contract on the Old Trafford pitch. He wore the famous number 7 shirt for most of his time at United.

In 1983, Robson helped United win the FA Cup. He scored two goals in the final replay against Brighton. This was his first trophy as United captain. He was the first English captain to lift the FA Cup for United since 1909.

He also led United to a memorable run in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1984. He scored two goals against Barcelona to help United win a thrilling match. In 1985, he captained United to another FA Cup win against Everton.

United started the 1985–86 season very well, winning ten games in a row. This made fans hope for a league title. However, injuries, including a dislocated shoulder, limited Robson's playing time. United finished fourth that season.

When Alex Ferguson became manager in 1986, Robson remained a vital part of the team. In 1990, Robson and United finally won another major trophy. He scored in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. United won the replay 1–0. Robson became the first United captain to lift the FA Cup three times.

In 1991, Robson helped United win the European Cup Winners' Cup. They beat Barcelona 2–1 in the final.

Robson continued to play regularly even with younger players joining the team. In the 1992–93 season, he finally won the league championship medal he had worked for since his West Bromwich Albion days. He made 14 appearances that season.

In the 1993–94 season, Robson won another Premier League title. He also scored his final goal for the club in the FA Cup semi-final replay. His last game for United was on May 8, 1994. He played 461 games for Manchester United, scoring 99 goals. He is remembered as one of their greatest players.

Middlesbrough Playing Days

In May 1994, Robson left Manchester United to become player-manager at Middlesbrough. He played his last game as a professional footballer on January 1, 1997. It was a Premier League match against Arsenal, just 10 days before his 40th birthday. He later said his body ached for two weeks after trying to keep up with the younger players.

Playing for England

Robson (background) playing for England in a friendly match against Mexico, 1986

Bryan Robson first played for the England youth team in 1975. They won a "mini World Cup" tournament. He made his debut for the England under-21 team in 1979.

On February 6, 1980, Robson played his first full international game for England. England beat the Republic of Ireland 2–0. In September 1981, he scored his first goal for England against Norway.

At the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, Robson scored against France after just 27 seconds. This was one of the fastest goals in World Cup history. He captained England for the first time in November 1982. He scored a hat-trick in England's 8–0 win over Turkey in 1984.

Robson, nicknamed "Captain Marvel," helped England qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Sadly, he got a shoulder injury in England's second game. This meant he could not play for the rest of the tournament.

He continued to play for England and helped them reach the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Again, an injury in the second match kept him out of the rest of the tournament. His place was taken by David Platt.

Bryan Robson played his final game for England in October 1991. Many famous footballers, like Paul Gascoigne and Peter Beardsley, have said Robson was one of the best players they ever played with.

Robson's Style of Play

Bryan Robson was a very complete midfielder. He was known as a "box-to-box" player. This means he was good at both attacking and defending. He scored many goals and was great at anticipating where the ball would go. He was fast, competitive, and brave. He also had a lot of stamina. Robson was good at tackling, passing, and heading the ball.

Managerial Career

Managing Middlesbrough

Robson became player-manager of Middlesbrough in 1994. He had a fantastic start, leading them to win the Division One title. This meant promotion to the Premier League. He also oversaw the club's move to their new Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough signed big-name players like Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli. In the 1996–97 season, Robson led Boro to both domestic cup finals. However, they lost both the League Cup final and the FA Cup final. They were also relegated from the Premier League that season. This was partly because they had three points deducted for cancelling a game due to player illness.

Despite relegation, the club kept Robson as manager. He led them straight back to the Premier League in the 1997–98 season. They also reached the League Cup final again, but lost to Chelsea. Robson managed Middlesbrough until June 2001.

Bradford City and West Bromwich Albion

In November 2003, Robson became manager of Bradford City. He won his first game, but the team struggled and was relegated. His contract was not renewed.

In November 2004, Robson returned to his old club, West Bromwich Albion, as manager. The team was at the bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day. No team had ever avoided relegation from that position before. But Robson and his players achieved the impossible! They won their final game and, with other results going their way, they stayed in the Premier League.

However, the next season, Albion were relegated with two games left. Robson left the club in September 2006.

Sheffield United and Manchester United Ambassador

In May 2007, Robson became the manager of Sheffield United. He faced challenges with inconsistent results. He left the club in February 2008.

In March 2008, Robson returned to Manchester United as an ambassador. He works to help promote the club's goals.

Managing Thailand

On September 23, 2009, Robson became the coach of the Thailand national team. This was his first time managing an international team. He led Thailand to a 3–1 victory against Singapore in his first competitive match. He resigned from the role on June 8, 2011.

Life Outside Football

Personal Life

Bryan Robson married his wife Denise on June 2, 1979. They have three children: Claire, Charlotte, and Ben.

Health

In March 2011, it was announced that Robson had surgery for throat cancer.

Other Activities

As a player, Robson promoted sports brands like adidas. He also appeared in TV advertisements, including a Carlsberg advert with other former England players. In 2006, he released his autobiography called Robbo: My Autobiography.

Career Achievements

As a Player

Manchester United

Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94
FA Cup: 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90
FA Charity Shield: 1983, 1993
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1990–91

Individual Awards

PFA Team of the Year: Six times between 1981 and 1989
PFA Team of the Century (1977-1996): 2007
First Division Goal of the Season: 1985–86
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1988–89

As a Player-Manager

Middlesbrough

Football League First Division: 1994–95 (Champions)

As a Manager