Garry Monk facts for kids
Monk playing for Swansea City in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Garry Alan Monk | ||
| Date of birth | 6 March 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Bedford, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1995 | Torquay United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1996 | Torquay United | 5 | (0) |
| 1996–2004 | Southampton | 11 | (0) |
| 1998 | → Torquay United (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 1999 | → Stockport County (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2001 | → Oxford United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | → Barnsley (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2004 | Barnsley | 3 | (0) |
| 2004–2014 | Swansea City | 220 | (3) |
| Total | 281 | (3) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | Swansea City | ||
| 2016–2017 | Leeds United | ||
| 2017 | Middlesbrough | ||
| 2018–2019 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2019–2020 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| 2024–2025 | Cambridge United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Garry Alan Monk (born 6 March 1979) is an English football manager and former professional player. He was most recently the head coach of Cambridge United.
Monk played as a centre back. He started his playing career with Torquay United before joining Southampton. He spent nearly eight years there, but often played for other clubs on loan. These clubs included Torquay United, Stockport County, Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, and Barnsley.
In 2004, he joined League Two club Swansea City. Over the next ten years, he played for Swansea in all four professional football divisions. He was captain for most of that time. He played 270 matches and was part of the team that won the League Cup in 2013.
After his playing career, he became a manager. He managed Swansea City, and later took charge of Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, and Sheffield Wednesday. He joined Cambridge United in March 2024.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Garry Monk was born in Bedford, England. He began his football journey as a trainee with Torquay United. He played five matches for them during the 1995–96 season. He then moved to Southampton in May 1997 to become a professional player.
Monk returned to Torquay on loan in September 1998. He then played his first match for Southampton on 28 November 1998. He also had loan spells at Stockport County in 1999 and Oxford United in 2001.
He later went on a longer loan to Sheffield Wednesday from December 2002 to March 2003. He left Southampton in February 2004 and joined Barnsley. He scored his first career goal for Barnsley in an FA Cup match on 16 December. In June 2004, he moved to Swansea City.
Time at Swansea City
Garry Monk played his first match for Swansea on 7 August 2004. This was the first day of the new League Two season. He received three red cards during his first season with Swansea. Despite this, Swansea earned promotion to League One that season.
On 22 November 2005, Monk scored his first goal for Swansea. It was in a 4–0 win against Rushden & Diamonds in the Football League Trophy. His first league goal came on 14 January 2006 against Bradford City. Swansea reached the play-off final that season but lost to Barnsley in a penalty shootout.
In August 2006, Monk became Swansea's captain. However, he suffered a serious knee injury early in the 2006–07 season. This injury kept him out for the entire season.
Monk returned as captain for the 2007–08 season. He led Swansea to promotion to the second tier of English football. Swansea won the League One title with a club record 92 points. He scored one goal that season in a 3–2 win against Leeds United.
In the 2008–09 season, Monk formed a strong defensive partnership with Ashley Williams. Swansea finished 8th in their first season back in the Championship. In the 2009–10 season, Swansea just missed out on a play-off spot. Monk scored his first League Cup goal in a 3–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
The 2010–11 season was successful for Swansea. Monk captained the team to promotion to the Premier League. They won the Championship play-off final against Reading. After this success, Monk signed a new three-year contract.
On 6 February 2013, Monk extended his contract until June 2015. Later that month, he won his first major trophy. Swansea, managed by Michael Laudrup, beat Bradford City 5–0 in the 2013 League Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Monk came on as a substitute and lifted the cup with Ashley Williams.
After playing fewer matches in the 2012–13 season, Monk passed the Swansea captaincy to Ashley Williams.
Managerial Career
Leading Swansea City
On 4 February 2014, Garry Monk was appointed as the temporary player-manager of Swansea City. This happened after manager Michael Laudrup was sacked. His first match in charge was a 3–0 win against Cardiff City. Swansea also played in the Europa League that season, reaching the round of 32.
Swansea avoided relegation from the Premier League that season. On 7 May 2014, Monk became the permanent manager of Swansea City. He stopped playing football and signed a three-year contract.
In the first match of the 2014–15 season, Monk led Swansea to a 2–1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was Swansea's first league win there. Swansea had a great start to the season, winning their first three matches. Monk was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August.
Swansea finished the season in eighth place, which was a club record for points. Monk signed a new three-year contract in July 2015. However, after a poor run of results, Monk was sacked by Swansea on 9 December 2015. The team was 15th in the league at that time.
Managing Leeds United
On 2 June 2016, Monk became the head coach of Leeds United, a Championship club. His first signing for Leeds was Swedish striker Marcus Antonsson. Monk's first match in charge was a 3–0 defeat to Q.P.R.. His first win came in a penalty shootout against Fleetwood Town.
In November 2016, Leeds were in sixth place in the Championship. They also reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup. Monk was nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award for October. On 29 November 2016, Leeds were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Liverpool.
Leeds were in a strong playoff position by March 2017. However, they lost form in their final eight matches. They missed out on the playoffs on the last day of the season, finishing in 7th place. On 25 May, Monk resigned as Leeds United head coach.
Time at Middlesbrough
On 9 June 2017, Monk was appointed manager of Middlesbrough. The club had just been relegated to the Championship. Monk stated his goal was to get the club promoted back to the Premier League right away.
He made several new signings for the club, including Cyrus Christie, Jonny Howson, Martin Braithwaite, and Britt Assombalonga. He also brought in Darren Randolph and Ashley Fletcher. On 23 December 2017, it was announced that Monk had left Middlesbrough.
Leading Birmingham City
Monk became manager of Championship club Birmingham City on 4 March 2018. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. The team was in danger of relegation, but he led them to five wins in their last eleven matches. A win against Fulham on the final day secured their safety.
He worked to improve the team despite financial restrictions. After a slow start to the 2018–19 season, four wins in October earned him a nomination for Championship Manager of the Month. The team stayed in the top half of the table for a while. However, a run of losses and a nine-point deduction meant they were again in a relegation battle. They finished 17th.
In June 2019, Monk was sacked by Birmingham City.
Managing Sheffield Wednesday
On 6 September 2019, Monk was appointed manager at Sheffield Wednesday. He signed a contract of an unknown length. He was sacked from Sheffield Wednesday on 9 November 2020. The club was second-last in the league at the time.
Cambridge United Role
On 4 March 2024, after more than three years away from football, Monk became the head coach of Cambridge United. He signed a contract until the end of the 2025–26 season. On 16 February 2025, Monk left the club. Cambridge United was at the bottom of the league at that time.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Torquay United | 1995–96 | Third Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Southampton | 1996–97 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Torquay United (loan) | 1998–99 | Third Division | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Stockport County (loan) | 1999–2000 | First Division | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Oxford United (loan) | 2000–01 | Second Division | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 2002–03 | First Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Barnsley | 2003–04 | Second Division | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||
| Swansea City | 2004–05 | League Two | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | League One | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 42 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | League One | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | Championship | 40 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 46 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 220 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 270 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 281 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 339 | 8 | ||
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Swansea City | 4 February 2014 | 9 December 2015 | 77 | 28 | 17 | 32 | 36.36 | |
| Leeds United | 2 June 2016 | 25 May 2017 | 53 | 25 | 11 | 17 | 47.17 | |
| Middlesbrough | 9 June 2017 | 23 December 2017 | 26 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 46.15 | |
| Birmingham City | 4 March 2018 | 18 June 2019 | 59 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 32.20 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 6 September 2019 | 9 November 2020 | 58 | 18 | 15 | 25 | 31.03 | |
| Cambridge United | 4 March 2024 | 16 February 2025 | 49 | 9 | 13 | 27 | 18.37 | |
| Total | 322 | 111 | 81 | 130 | 34.47 | |||
Awards and Achievements
As a Player
Swansea City
- Football League Championship play-offs: Won in 2011
- Football League One: Champion in 2007–08
- Football League Cup: Won in 2012–13
- Football League Trophy: Won in 2005–06
- FAW Premier Cup: Won in 2004–05, 2005–06
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: Named in the 2007–08 League One team
As a Manager
Individual Awards
- Premier League Manager of the Month: Awarded for August 2014
See also
In Spanish: Garry Monk para niños
