Simon Osborn

Simon Edward Osborn (born 19 January 1972) is an English former football player and football manager.

A midfielder, he played 395 league and cup games in a 17-year career in the English Football League.

Osborn was educated at Ashburton High School, now known as Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Croydon, from 1983 to 1989.

He turned professional for the 1989–90 season, when his performances for a newly-promoted Palace side secured their First Division survival with a 15th-place finish and saw him voted Young Player of the Year by the club's fans.

However, he missed out on a place in the squad for the final of the FA Cup that season, which Palace lost to Manchester United in a replay.

A central midfielder, Osborn started his career as a trainee at Crystal Palace in January 1990 under the stewardship of Steve Coppell.

They went on to finish third in 1990–91, one of the best finishes in the club's history.

They then dropped to tenth in 1991–92, enough to secure them a place as founder members of the Premier League.

They were relegated in 20th-place in 1992–93, though had they have won their final game of the season then Oldham Athletic would have taken their place in the relegation zone.

He began his career with Crystal Palace, helping the club to the First Division title in 1993–94, before he made a £90,000 move to Reading.

Osborn scored in the League Cup semi-finals in 1993, Palace's consolation in a 5–1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal.

New boss Alan Smith led the "Eagles" to the First Division title in 1993–94, Osborn's last season at Selhurst Park.

He helped the "Royals" to a second-place finish in the First Division in 1994–95, though they were then beaten in the play-off final.

Reading manager Mark McGhee handed over £90,000 for his services at the start of the 1994–95 season on 17 August.

The "Royals" narrowly missed out on a second-successive promotion as Osborn formed a vital part of the team that finished second in the First Division.

They went on to lose 4–3 to Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final at Wembley; the game was necessary due to the Premier League's reduction in size only allowing one automatic promotion place.

He made a £1.1 million move to Queens Park Rangers in July 1995, before being sold on to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1 million in December 1995.

As a result of Reading's failure to secure promotion, Osborn decided to move away from Elm Park to gain Premier League experience, and got his wish when Queens Park Rangers manager Ray Wilkins splashed out £1.1 million for the midfielder in July 1995.

Osborn lasted just six months at QPR, scoring once (against Bolton Wanderers ) in nine Premier League games for a side who ended the season in the relegation places, before moving back down a division and signing for Mark McGhee's Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £1 million transfer fee.

McGhee steered the club to a 20th-place finish in 1995–96, just three points above relegated Millwall.

Osborn scored six goals in 39 games in 1996–97, as Wolves finished third, four points behind Barnsley in the automatic promotion places; they went on to lose to his former club Crystal Palace at the play-off semi-finals.

They missed out on the play-offs by three places and nine points in 1997–98, Osborn scoring twice in 26 games, including one against former club QPR.

That season Wolves also got to the FA Cup semi-final but Osborn missed the game against Arsenal due to suspension.

Early in the 1998–99 season McGhee was sacked, and replaced by his assistant Colin Lee.

Wolves finished seventh, one place and three points behind Bolton Wanderers in the play-offs; Osborn scored three goals in 42 appearances.

The 1999–2000 season saw Bolton again finish sixth, one place and just two points ahead of Wolves; Osborn was limited to 26 appearances.

Following a poor start to 2000–01, Colin Lee was replaced by Dave Jones in January 2001, and two months later Osborn was loaned out to league rivals Tranmere Rovers for three months, where he scored once against Fulham.

At the end of the season his six-year stay at Molineux was brought to an end, after 185 appearances for the club.

After six years and 185 appearances at Molineux, he was loaned out to Tranmere Rovers, before switching to Port Vale in September 2001.

In September 2001, he moved on a free transfer to Brian Horton's Port Vale in the Second Division.

He played eight games in four weeks at Vale Park, before moving back up to the First Division with Gillingham.

He scored three goals in 30 games for Andy Hessenthaler's "Gills" in 2001–02.

He missed September to March of the 2002–03 campaign, and left the Priestfield Stadium after 49 league and cup appearances for the club.

He moved on to Gillingham the following month, before he joined Walsall in July 2003.

Osborn signed for Walsall in July 2003, who were then managed by his former boss Colin Lee.

He joined Hereford United in summer 2006, before moving into non-League football with Bromley.

He helped the club to win promotion out of the Isthmian League in 2007, and briefly served the club as manager in 2008.

He then joined Croydon Athletic, before scoring the winning goal for Cray Wanderers in the Isthmian League Division One South play-off final.

In 2010, he became a player-coach at Erith & Belvedere.

He joined the coaching staff at Margate in 2013, and was appointed joint-manager with Craig Holloway in April 2013, before losing his job eight months later.