Liam Chilvers

Liam Christopher Chilvers (born 6 November 1981) is an English former footballer who played as a centre back.

A graduate of the Arsenal Academy, he won the FA Youth Cup with the club in 2000.

After turning professional he spent four weeks of the 2000–01 season on loan at Northampton Town, three months on loan at Notts County in the 2001–02 season, and the first half of the 2002–03 season on loan at Belgian side K.S.K. Beveren.

Born in Chelmsford, Essex, Chilvers entered the Arsenal Academy at the age of seven, and featured in their FA Youth Cup final win over Coventry City in 2000.

On 22 December 2000, he joined Second Division club Northampton Town on a four-week loan.

He made his debut the next day, in a 2–1 win over Peterborough United at London Road.

He started six further games for the "Cobblers", only one of which ended in defeat, before returning to Highbury at the end of his loan spell.

Unable to extend the loan deal, Town boss Kevin Wilson was "sorry to see Liam go".

Chilvers joined Notts County on a three-month loan spell in November 2001, and made eleven appearances for the club.

He scored his first senior goal on 1 December, scoring a consolation goal in a 3–2 loss to Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

He spent the second half of the 2002–03 season and the whole of the 2003–04 campaign on loan at Colchester United, after which he was allowed to join the club permanently.

Chilvers scored in a pre-season friendly for Arsenal against Stevenage in 2002.

He then spent the first half of the 2002–03 season on loan at Belgian Pro League club K.S.K. Beveren, who had a partnership with Arsenal at the time; John Halls, Graham Stack, and Steve Sidwell also were sent on loan to the Belgian side.

He was sent off on his debut – a 6–1 defeat by Sint-Truidense.

He made four further appearances out of position as a full-back, before he returned to England – by that time his three Arsenal colleagues had returned to London and the Beveren manager had given up trying to speak to Chilvers in English.

He later admitted he did not enjoy his experience, though he did get to play alongside Yaya Touré and Emmanuel Eboué.

On 24 January 2003, he joined Colchester United on loan until the end of the season, after impressing manager Steve Whitton on a trial.

He only made six appearances.

At the end of the campaign Arsenal and Northampton Town agreed a transfer that would see Chilvers sign a three-year deal at Northampton; however, Chilvers backed out on the deal in the final stages of negotiations.

He returned to Colchester United on loan at the start of the 2003–04 campaign, initially on a three-month deal.

He made his League Cup bow against Rotherham United at Millmoor on 23 September, and was sent off for the first time in his professional career for a professional foul in the last minute of a 1–0 defeat; Colchester stated that they would appeal the ban.

He retained his first team place after serving his suspension, and the loan deal was extended until the end of the season.

Chilvers made a total of 45 appearances in league and cup throughout the campaign.

Chilvers was released by Arsenal in June 2004, and so quickly agreed to join Colchester United on a permanent basis.

Manager Phil Parkinson said that "Liam's a quality player. He's got the chance to go a long way in the game."

In all he made 48 appearances in 2004–05.

He was sent off the second time in his career when he received two yellow cards in a goalless draw with Port Vale at Vale Park on 8 March 2005; Vale also had two players sent off in what was described as 'a dour game'.

He netted his second senior goal on 16 April, his ninetieth-minute strike at the Galpharm Stadium winning the U's a share of the points with Huddersfield Town.

He received interest from Barnsley in September 2005, though he remained put at Colchester.

He made another 40 appearances in 2005–06, and found himself on the scoresheet in games at Milton Keynes Dons and AFC Bournemouth.

He helped the club to win promotion into the Championship as League One runners-up.

During the campaign he picked up eight bookings.

He stayed at Colchester for the next two years and helped the club win promotion into the Championship, before he transferred to Preston North End in July 2006.

He spent four years with the club, though was out of action for a year due to injury.

Chilvers joined Preston North End on a two-year contract in July 2006, with an option for a further two years.

He fitted in well at the Championship club, and made 49 league and cup appearances in 2006–07, finding his way onto the scoresheet in games at Ipswich Town and Barnsley.

He re-joined Notts County on a permanent basis in July 2010, and was loaned out to Port Vale in September 2011.

He signed with AFC Telford United in September 2012, before beginning a second loan spell with Port Vale in November 2012, which was made into a permanent move two months later.

He helped Vale win promotion out of League Two in 2012–13.

He joined Hyde in September 2014.