Wes Brown facts for kids
Brown in 2024
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wesley Michael Brown | ||
| Date of birth | 13 October 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Longsight, Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back, right back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Fletcher Moss Rangers | |||
| 1992–1996 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2011 | Manchester United | 232 | (3) |
| 2011–2016 | Sunderland | 76 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Blackburn Rovers | 5 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Kerala Blasters | 14 | (1) |
| Total | 327 | (6) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2000 | England U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 1999–2010 | England | 23 | (1) |
|
|||
Wesley Michael Brown (born 13 October 1979) is a former English footballer. He played as a defender, either in the centre or on the right side. Wes Brown is best known for his long career with Manchester United.
During his time at Manchester United, he won many important trophies. These include five Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues. He was a key player in the team that won the "Treble" in the 1998–99 season. This means they won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League all in one year!
Brown joined Manchester United's youth academy when he was just 12 years old in 1992. He became a professional player in 1996 and made his first team debut in 1998. After a short break due to injury, he became a regular player from 2000 onwards. Sir Alex Ferguson, his manager at Manchester United, once called him "the best natural defender this club has had for years." After 15 years with Manchester United, Brown moved to Sunderland. He played there for five years and even helped them reach the League Cup final in 2014.
Wes Brown also played for the England national team. He earned his first cap in 1999 and was part of the squad for the 2002 World Cup. He scored his only international goal in 2008 against the Czech Republic. He retired from international football in 2010.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Manchester United
Wes Brown was born in Longsight, Manchester. He started playing football as a schoolboy for local teams like Fletcher Moss Rangers. He also attended the FA School of Excellence. He joined Manchester United's football Academy when he was 12. Brown was a very talented young player. He signed his first professional contract with Manchester United on 4 November 1996, when he was 17.
He quickly found success with the youth and reserve teams. He won the FA Youth Cup and a league medal with the reserves. He also won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award twice. He was only the second player to do this, after Ryan Giggs.
Brown made his first team debut in the Premier League on 4 May 1998, coming on as a substitute against Leeds United. His big chance came in the next season, 1998–99. He played many games as a right-back and also in his main position, centre-back. That season, United won the famous "Treble" – the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League.
Dealing with Injuries
Brown faced his first major injury during training for the 1999–2000 season. Because of this, he didn't play any competitive games that season. Manchester United still won their sixth Premier League title.
He made a strong return the next year, which impressed many people. His manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, even said Brown was Manchester United's most talented defender.
He had a great 2000–01 season and another good one in 2001–02. His reputation grew even more during the 2002–03 season, but injuries continued to affect him. He tore a knee ligament on the last day of the season. He didn't return to play until halfway through the 2003–04 season. Brown finished that season strongly. He gave an amazing performance in the FA Cup semi-final win against Arsenal, earning him the "man of the match" award. After this game, Ferguson again showed how much he believed in Brown's skills.
Brown was part of the team that won the FA Cup that year against Millwall. He also got runner-up medals in the 2005 and 2007 FA Cup finals.
Later Years at United
In January 2006, Nemanja Vidić joined Manchester United. Vidić formed a very successful partnership with Rio Ferdinand. This, along with Brown's ongoing injury problems, made it hard for him to keep a regular spot in the starting team. However, in the 2007–08 season, Brown became the main right-back for the club. He finished the season by helping Cristiano Ronaldo score a goal in the 2008 Champions League final. United won that game on penalty kicks, completing a league and European "double."
After almost three years without scoring a Premier League goal for United, Brown scored on 23 March 2008 against Liverpool. It was the first goal in a 3–0 win.
In April 2008, Brown signed a new five-year contract with Manchester United. This kept him at Old Trafford until 2013. On 4 October 2008, Brown scored his fourth goal for Manchester United. He headed in a cross from Wayne Rooney in a 2–0 win against Blackburn Rovers.
Brown had an ankle operation in November 2008, which kept him out for about five weeks. He made his first start in eight months against Hull City on 24 May 2009.
He started the next season well, playing in league games in August. Later, due to injuries to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić, Brown returned to play in central defence with Jonny Evans. Brown captained the League Cup game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which United won 3–2. On 19 February, he scored his first FA Cup goal in Manchester United's 1–0 win over Crawley Town. He also captained United in that match.
Moving to Sunderland
On 7 July 2011, Wes Brown joined Sunderland on a four-year contract. He made his debut on the first day of the season against Liverpool, where he was named "man of the match" in a 1–1 draw. On 5 November 2011, Brown scored an own goal against his former club, Manchester United. His first goal for Sunderland came on 21 December 2011. He scored the winning goal with two minutes left in a 3–2 victory against Queens Park Rangers. His season ended early in January 2012 due to an injury.
He returned to the Premier League on 2 November 2013. Brown was sent off three times during the 2013–14 season, but some of these decisions were later overturned. On 28 February 2015, Brown was sent off again in a match against Manchester United. However, the red card was later removed after Sunderland won an appeal.
At the end of the 2014–15 season, Brown's contract was ending. But on 12 June 2015, manager Dick Advocaat signed him for another year.
Playing for Blackburn Rovers
After dealing with more injuries, Brown signed a short-term contract with Blackburn Rovers on 21 September 2016. As part of this deal, Brown also took on a coaching role with the club's youth team. He worked with other coaches and helped guide the younger players. He made his debut and scored his first goal for Blackburn against Reading on 17 December 2016.
Time in India with Kerala Blasters
In August 2017, Brown joined Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. He reunited with his former Manchester United coach, René Meulensteen, who was managing the team.
Coaching Career
Wes Brown was part of the coaching team for the Blackburn Rovers Under-23s and Academy during his time there. He has a UEFA 'A' Licence, which is a high-level coaching qualification.
International Career
Wes Brown played for the England national team 23 times, starting in 1999. He was part of the England squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
He made his England debut in 1999 against Hungary. He was selected for the 2002 World Cup squad, but he spent his time on the bench.
Brown played well in the 2005–06 season, which led to him being called back to the England squad. He hoped to make it into the final England squad for the 2006 World Cup, but he was not chosen.
He was called up again by coach Steve McClaren. He played in a win against Andorra in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying on 2 September, playing alongside John Terry.
Under Fabio Capello
When Fabio Capello became England's manager, he chose Brown to start in his first two games. Brown also played in England's 2–0 win over the United States in May 2008.
Brown scored his only goal for England in a friendly match against the Czech Republic on 20 August 2008. He headed in a corner kick from David Beckham.
Brown played three times for England in their qualification for the 2010 World Cup. He was called up for a friendly against Brazil in Qatar, where he played the full 90 minutes.
He also played in England's 3–1 win over Egypt on 3 March 2010. However, he did not make the England squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa due to injuries.
Brown announced his retirement from international football on 8 August 2010. This was just one day after he had been called up to the England squad again.
Personal Life
Wes Brown was married to Leanne Wassell, and they have three daughters. They separated in 2022. His father, Bancroft Brown, passed away in February 2008. His half-sister, Claire Fallows, also passed away in July 2008.
Wes Brown has two brothers who also played football. His younger brother, Reece, played for Bury and was an England under-20 international. Another brother, Clive, played for several non-league clubs.
Honours
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
- FA Cup: 1998–99, 2003–04
- Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2009–10
- FA Community Shield: 2007, 2008
- UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08
Sunderland
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2013–14
Individual Awards
- Jimmy Murphy Academy Player of the Year: 1997–98, 1998–99
- PFA Team of the Year: 2000–01 Premier League
Images for kids
-
Brown in 2024
-
Wes Brown after a match against Barcelona in April 2008
-
Wes Brown playing in the Manchester derby. Manchester United wore a special plain kit for this game to remember the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
-
Wes Brown playing for Manchester United in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Wes Brown (futbolista) para niños
