Neville Southall facts for kids
Southall in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neville Southall | ||
| Date of birth | 16 September 1958 | ||
| Place of birth | Llandudno, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1970–1973 | Llandudno Swifts | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1974 | Llandudno Town | ||
| 1974–1976 | Bangor City | ||
| 1976–1979 | Conwy United | ||
| 1979–1980 | Winsford United | ||
| 1980–1981 | Bury | 39 | (0) |
| 1981–1998 | Everton | 578 | (0) |
| 1983 | → Port Vale (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | → Southend United (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 1998 | → Stoke City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 1998 | Stoke City | 9 | (0) |
| 1998 | Doncaster Rovers | 9 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Torquay United | 53 | (0) |
| 2000 | Bradford City | 1 | (0) |
| 2001 | York City | 0 | (0) |
| 2001 | Rhyl | 3 | (0) |
| 2001 | Shrewsbury Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2001 | Dover Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Shrewsbury Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2002 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 710 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1982–1997 | Wales | 92 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1999 | Wales (caretaker) | ||
| 2001–2002 | Dover Athletic | ||
| 2004–2005 | Hastings United | ||
| 2009 | Margate (caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Neville Southall MBE (born 16 September 1958) is a former professional footballer from Wales. He is widely seen as one of the best goalkeepers of his time. In 1985, he won the FWA Footballer of the Year award, which is given to the best player in England.
Before becoming a professional footballer in his early 20s, Southall worked as a binman and a waiter. He joined Everton in 1981 for £150,000. He became the team's main goalkeeper during the 1983–84 season. He played a record 751 games for Everton in all competitions.
With Everton, Southall won many trophies. These include the First Division title twice, the FA Cup twice, and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985. After leaving Everton in 1998, he played for several other clubs, including Torquay United.
Southall also played 92 times for the Wales national team between 1982 and 1998. This was a record for Wales for many years. For his services to football, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1996.
Since retiring as a player, Southall has managed a few football clubs and has worked with disadvantaged children. He is also known for his activism, supporting LGBT rights and other causes.
Contents
Club Career
Starting Out
Neville Southall was born and grew up in Llandudno, Wales. As a teenager, he had trials with clubs like Crewe Alexandra but was not signed. He didn't think he would ever play football for a living. He worked as a binman and a waiter while playing for local teams like Llandudno Town and Conwy United.
His talent started to get noticed at Winsford United. In 1980, the professional club Bury signed him for £6,000. He played 39 league games for Bury in the 1980–81 season and was named the club's Player of the Year.
Everton's Number One
In 1981, Everton manager Howard Kendall bought Southall for £150,000. At first, he had to compete with other goalkeepers for a spot on the team. He even spent a short time on loan at Port Vale.
By the 1983–84 season, Southall became Everton's first-choice goalkeeper. That year, Everton reached two major finals. They lost the League Cup final to Liverpool but won the FA Cup by beating Watford 2–0.
The Glory Years
The 1984–85 season was one of the best in Everton's history. The team won the First Division championship by a large margin. Southall was a key player, making incredible saves. One famous save was against Tottenham Hotspur, which helped Everton win a crucial match.
That same season, Everton also won a European trophy, the European Cup Winners' Cup. They beat the Austrian team Rapid Wien 3–1 in the final. Southall was so good that he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year.
Everton won the league title again in the 1986–87 season. Southall was praised for his amazing performances, helping the team concede very few goals.
Later Years at Everton
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Everton was not as successful. In one famous incident in 1990, Southall sat by his goalpost at half-time during a match against Leeds United. He was unhappy with the team's performance.
Despite the team's struggles, Southall remained a top player. In 1995, he helped Everton win the FA Cup again. In the final against Manchester United, he made a fantastic double save to stop Paul Scholes from scoring. Everton won the match 1–0. This victory made Southall the most decorated player in Everton's history.
Southall played his last game for Everton on 29 November 1997. He left the club after 17 years to find a new team where he could play regularly.
Career After Everton
After leaving Everton, Southall played for many different clubs. He had short spells at Southend United and Stoke City.
In December 1998, he joined Torquay United and became their main goalkeeper for two seasons. He was even named Torquay's Player of the Year in his first season.
On 12 March 2000, at the age of 41, he played one last game in the Premier League for Bradford City. He became one of the oldest players in the league's history. He retired from playing professionally soon after.
International Career with Wales
Southall played for the Wales national team from 1982 to 1997. He earned 92 caps, which means he played in 92 international matches. For a long time, this was the record for any Welsh player.
Wales came very close to qualifying for major tournaments like the 1986 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1988 with Southall in goal. In 1985, they needed to beat Scotland in their final qualifying game. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, and Wales missed out.
In 1993, Wales again had a chance to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. They needed to win their last game against Romania. Unfortunately, Wales lost 2–1, and their dream of reaching the World Cup was over.
Despite not playing in a World Cup or European Championship, Southall had many proud moments playing for Wales. This included a 1–0 victory over world champions Germany in 1991. He played his final game for Wales in 1997 against Turkey.
Style of Play
Southall was famous for his amazing ability to stop shots. He was especially good in one-on-one situations against forwards. He would quickly run off his goal line to make himself look bigger and scare the attacker.
He relied on his quick reactions to make saves. Southall was very dedicated and always looked for ways to improve. He would even read books about other sports like boxing to help with his balance and jumping.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing, Southall became a manager and coach. He briefly managed clubs like Dover Athletic and Hastings United. He also coached young players for the Welsh national youth teams.
Southall has also focused on helping others. He has worked with children from difficult backgrounds and set up a company to help young people find jobs. He also works as a teaching assistant in a school in Wales.
He is very active on social media, where he supports charities and speaks out for LGBT rights. He sometimes lets charities take over his Twitter account to raise awareness for their causes.
Honours
Winsford United
- Cheshire Senior Cup: 1980
Everton
- First Division: 1984–85, 1986–87
- FA Cup: 1983–84, 1994–95
- FA Charity Shield: 1984, 1985, 1995
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1984–85
- Individual
- Bury Player of the Year: 1980–81
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1985
- PFA Team of the Year: 1986–87 First Division, 1987–88 First Division, 1988–89 First Division, 1989–90 First Division
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 1995
- Torquay United Player of the Year: 1998–99
- Football League 100 Legends
- Gwladys Street's Hall of Fame
- World Soccer 'Greatest Players of the 20th Century'
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Neville Southall para niños
