Bryan Robson

Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English football manager and former player.

He began his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club captain, before moving to Manchester United in 1981, where he became the longest-serving captain in the club's history.

He won two Premier League winners' medals, three FA Cups, one Football League Cup, two FA Charity Shields and a European Cup Winners' Cup during his time there.

Robson was in the final academic year of pupils who still had the option of finishing education at the age of 15, and in the summer of 1972, he accepted Albion manager Don Howe's offer of a two-year apprenticeship, worth a wage of £5 per week in the first year and £8 per week in the second year.

Towards the end of the 1973–74 season, his second as an apprentice, Robson made his reserve team debut, against Everton reserves at Goodison Park.

He signed a professional contract in the summer of 1974, earning £28 per week plus a £250 signing on fee.

During the 1974–75 season, he was a regular in Albion's reserve team, but was not selected by Don Howe for the first team.

Following Howe's departure with three matches of the season remaining, Robson was called up to the senior team for the first time by caretaker manager Brian Whitehouse.

He made his first team debut away at York City on 12 April 1975 at the age of 18, helping Albion to a 3–1 victory.

In the following game, his home debut, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–0 win over Cardiff City, and also scored in the final match of the season away at Nottingham Forest.

During the following season, Robson played only sporadically.

He faced stiff competition for midfield places, not least from player-manager Johnny Giles, and was utilised by Giles in various positions, including centre-half, left-back and midfield.

Albion finished third in Division Two to win promotion back to the top-flight.

Robson experienced top-flight football for the first time during the 1976–77 season, and began to appear more regularly in the side, although he was still alternating between the positions of left back and his preferred central midfield role.

His rapid progress was halted however, when he received the first serious injury of his career.

Playing at left back, he broke his left leg in a tackle with Tottenham Hotspur striker Chris Jones.

Two months later, Robson made his comeback in a reserve game at The Hawthorns, but the original break was refractured in a challenge with Stoke City's Denis Smith.

Again he recovered, and returned to the first team in late December.

He went on to enjoy a run in the side and scored his first professional hat-trick, in a 4–0 win against Ipswich Town on 16 March 1977.

Robson represented England on 90 occasions between 1980 and 1991, making him at the time the fifth-most capped England player.

His goalscoring tally of 26 placed him eighth on the list at the time.

Robson captained his country 65 times; only Bobby Moore and Billy Wright have captained England on more occasions.

Bobby Robson stated that Robson was, along with Alan Shearer and Kevin Beattie, the best British player he ever worked with.

Robson began his management career as a player-manager with Middlesbrough in 1994, retiring from playing in 1997.

In seven years as Middlesbrough manager, he guided them to three Wembley finals, which were all lost, and earned them promotion to the Premier League on two occasions.

Between 1994 and 1996, he also served as assistant coach to England manager Terry Venables, which included Euro 96.

He later returned to West Bromwich Albion for two years as manager, helping them become the first top division team in 14 years to avoid relegation after being bottom of the league table on Christmas Day.

Less successful have been his short-lived spells as manager of Bradford City and Sheffield United, the former lasting barely six months and ending in relegation from what is now the EFL Championship, and the latter lasting less than a year and seeing his expensively-assembled side fail to challenge for promotion to the Premier League.

On 23 September 2009, Robson was appointed manager of the Thailand national team.

Nicknamed "Captain Marvel", Robson was voted in August 2011 as the greatest ever Manchester United player in a poll of the club's former players as part of a book, 19, released to celebrate the club's record-breaking 19th league title.

He resigned on 8 June 2011.

On 1 July 2011, Robson was appointed "Global Ambassador" at Manchester United.

Robson was born in Northlands, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, to Brian, a long distance lorry-driver, and Maureen Robson.

He was the second of four children, after sister Susan and ahead of younger brothers Justin and Gary (also footballers).

Robson was brought up in Witton Gilbert until he was six, when the family moved to nearby Chester-le-Street, the town where he was born.

As a boy, he supported Newcastle United; his childhood hero was Newcastle forward Wyn Davies.

A keen footballer from a young age, he joined the local Cub Scout group purely so that he could play for their football team.

Robson attended Birtley South Secondary Modern School, and later, Lord Lawson of Beamish comprehensive school, where he competed for the school in athletics and football.

He was captain of both his school football team and the Washington and District team.

As a teenager, he had trials with Burnley, Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion.