Michael Maidens facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Douglas Maidens | ||
| Date of birth | 7 May 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Middlesbrough, England | ||
| Date of death | 19 October 2007 (aged 20) | ||
| Place of death | Lazenby, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2004 | Hartlepool United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | Hartlepool United | 25 | (1) |
| 2007 | → York City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Blyth Spartans (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| Total | 35 | (2) | |
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Michael Douglas Maidens (born 7 May 1987 – died 19 October 2007) was a talented British professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a key position in the middle of the field. Michael began his football journey with Hartlepool United in 2004. He made his very first big game appearance in the League Cup against Crystal Palace in September 2004.
Later, he joined York City for a short time in January 2007. He played three games for them. After that, he also played for Blyth Spartans in the 2007–08 season, where he played seven games and scored one goal. In total, Michael played 35 games and scored 2 goals in his career.
Contents
Michael Maidens: A Young Footballer's Journey
Starting His Football Career
Michael was born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. He started training to become a professional footballer with Hartlepool United. Even at a young age, his talent was noticed. In 2001, he was chosen to be on standby for a special "Under-15 Schoolboy Development Course" by The Football Association. Soon after, he got a full invitation to join the course.
His first time playing for the main team was on 21 September 2004. He came on as a substitute (a player who comes into the game to replace another) late in the game. This was during a League Cup match against Crystal Palace, which Hartlepool United lost 2–1. About a month later, on 30 October 2004, he played his first league game. Hartlepool United won that home game against Port Vale 1–0.
Memorable Moments and Loans
During the 2005–06 season, Michael scored what was called Hartlepool's "Goal of the Season." It was a fantastic curling shot in a 3–1 win against Huddersfield Town in March 2006. Because of his great play, he signed a professional contract with Hartlepool on 4 July 2006. This meant he was officially a full-time professional player.
In January 2007, Michael joined York City on a one-month loan. A loan means a player temporarily moves to another club. He played three games for York City during this time. Later, for the start of the 2007–08 season, he went on loan again, this time to Blyth Spartans. He made a great start, scoring a goal in his very first game for them. Blyth Spartans won that game 2–0 against Alfreton Town. He played seven games and scored one goal for Blyth Spartans.
Remembering Michael
On 20 October 2007, Hartlepool United shared the sad news that Michael Maidens had passed away. He was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident near Lazenby, North Yorkshire, on 19 October 2007.
As a way to show respect for Michael, Hartlepool United postponed their youth team game and their league game against Swansea City. Swansea City and the Football League fully supported this decision. Both Swansea City and Hartlepool players paid tribute to Michael on 21 October 2007.
To honor Michael's memory, Hartlepool United decided to retire his number 25 shirt. This means no other player will wear that number for the club. They also named their "Goal of the Season Award" after him, calling it 'The Michael Maidens Goal of the Season Award'. This was to remember his amazing goal in 2006.
