Gary Speed

Gary Speed (born September 8, 1969 in Mancot) is a Wales football (soccer), who plays in midfielder. He is currently the player/coach for Bolton Wanderers F.C., after a £750,000 switch from Newcastle United F.C. in July 2004. He was also captain for the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 after the side's 3-2 defeat to Poland national football team in a Football World Cup 2006 qualifier.

As a child, he went to Hawarden High School.

Speed began his career with Leeds United F.C., winning the title with them in 1992. He moved to Everton F.C. in 1996, for a fee of £5,500,000. He then moved to Newcastle in 1998, and while there he became the club's most dependable midfielder. Newcastle's manager, Sir Bobby Robson, was sorry to see Speed leave the club, and acknowledged that he would do very well for Bolton.

He had been cap (sport) for Wales over 80 times, and holds the record for the most FA Premier League appearances. Besides being a strong tackler, Speed is noted for skill in set pieces, regularly scoring from them.

After his retirement from international football, he was recommended to take up the mantle of Wales' manager, by both the former manager Mark Hughes and fellow Welsh midfielder Robbie Savage. The then Bolton's manager Sam Allardyce had urged Speed to see out the rest of his 2 year contract with Bolton first. At the time, Speed stated he would not apply for the position but would talk to the Football Association of Wales if approached. On 30 July 2006 it was announced that Speed had taken a part time coaching role in league 2 side Wrexham A.F.C.'s academy.

On 9 December 2006 Gary Speed played in Bolton's 4-0 victory over West Ham United. In doing so he became the first player in the history of the FA Premier League to play 500 games.

On 25 August 2007 Speed scored a header for Bolton against Reading F.C., making him the only player to have scored in every Premiership season. Ryan Giggs (also a Welsh footballer) of Manchester United F.C. is the only other player that could achieve this but has yet to score in the 2007-08 season.

On 1st May 2007 Gary Speed was named as the First Team coach for Bolton Wanderers after Sam Allardyce stepped down from his job.