Wes Brown

Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown (born 13 October 1979) is an English association football player who plays as a defender (football) for Premier League side Manchester United F.C., and the England national football team. Wes Brown regularly plays in the Defender (association football) Full back and Defender (association football) Centre back positions.

Having joined the youth team in 1996, Brown has One-club man at Manchester United. Wes Brown made Wes Brown senior debut in 1998 and became a regular first team player in the 1998–1999 season, in which Wes Brown was part of the club's The Treble team. After a year-long hiatus due to injury, Brown became a regular fixture in the first team from 2000 onwards. Over the next eight years Wes Brown won numerous honours, including four more Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a English League Cup, and another Champions League. Manager Alex Ferguson has stated that Brown is "without question the best natural defender this club has had for years". Brown showed talent and maturity at an early age, signing full professional terms with boyhood club Manchester United on 4 November 1996 at the age of 17.

Brown went on to success with the reserve and youth sides, winning the FA Youth Cup and a Lancashire Division One medal with the reserves. Wes Brown also added two Jimmy Murphy (Young Player of the Year) awards to Wes Brown collection.

On 4 May 1998, Brown made Wes Brown full first team Premiership debut against Leeds United A.F.C., coming on as a substitute. Wes Brown breakthrough would occur the next year, the 1998–99 in English football season, where Wes Brown made several first-team appearances at right-back as well as Wes Brown more natural position of centre-back. The season could not have gone any better for Brown, as United completed The Treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Brown suffered the first of what would be a string of injuries while training for the 1999–2000 in English football campaign. As a result, Wes Brown did not play a single competitive game all season, while United went on to seal their sixth Premier League title in eight seasons.

Wes Brown strong comeback the following year prompted praise from all corners, with club manager Alex Ferguson making waves by proclaiming Brown to be Manchester United's most talented defender.

A fine 2000–01 in English football campaign was followed by another solid year in 2001–02 in English football. Wes Brown reputation grew even greater during the 2002–03 in English football season, but again, Wes Brown performances were marred by injury. Brown tore a knee ligament on the final day of the season, and did not return until midway through the 2003–04 in English football season. Brown finished the season in good form, notably giving an imperious, man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup semi-final win over Arsenal F.C.. It was after this fine display that Ferguson re-iterated Wes Brown confidence in Brown's abilities.

Brown was a member of the side that won the FA Cup that year, against Millwall F.C at Cardiff, and later went on to collect runners-up medals in the 2005 and 2007 Finals.

After nearly three years without scoring a Premier League goal for United, Brown scored on 23 March 2008 against Liverpool F.C., the first in a 3–0 win.

After initially rejecting a new contract offer in December 2007, Brown signed a new five-year contract along with fellow defender Rio Ferdinand and midfielder Michael Carrick in April 2008, which will keep Wes Brown at Old Trafford until 2013 and ended any transfer speculation. On 4 October 2008, Brown scored only the fourth goal of Wes Brown Manchester United career when Wes Brown headed in Wayne Rooney's cross in United's 2–0 win away to Blackburn Rovers F.C.. The goal was controversial, however, as Blackburn's players believed that Nemanja Vidić had impeded their goalkeeper, Jason Brown (footballer), allowing Brown to head in at the far post.

Brown was ruled out of first team action for around five weeks in November 2008, following an exploratory ankle operation. Brown made Wes Brown first start in eight months away against Hull City A.F.C. on 24 May 2009.

International career

Brown made Wes Brown debut in 1999 against Hungary national football team and was given a place on the England national football team 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. and France national football team.

Brown scored Wes Brown first goal in a friendly against Czech Republic on August 20 at Wembley. Wes Brown stole in front of a defender to head in a David Beckham corner.

International goals

Personal life

Brown is married to Leanne Wassell, with whom Wes Brown lives in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, with their two daughters, Halle and Lilia. Wes Brown father, Bancroft Brown, died in February 2008. Wes Brown half-sister, Claire Fallows, died on 19 July 2008 during pregnancy. Brown's younger brother, Reece, currently plays for the Manchester United Academy side, having signed for the club at the age of 9.