Garry Monk

Garry Alan Monk (born 6 March 1979 ) is an English football manager and former professional player who is head coach of club Cambridge United.

Monk, a centre back, began his playing career with Torquay United before joining Southampton.

In nearly eight years, he rarely appeared for the club, instead spending time on loan at Torquay United, Stockport County, Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley.

On 4 September, he was given a straight red card in the 84th minute of the match away to Yeovil Town, for conceding a penalty on Phil Jevons, converted by Gavin Williams for the only goal of the match.

Monk was again sent off on 20 November in a 0–2 defeat at Shrewsbury Town for pushing over referee Eddie Ellans in the 43rd minute; teammate Andy Robinson was also dismissed two minutes later.

Born in Bedford, Bedfordshire, Monk began his career as a trainee with Torquay United, making five appearances during the 1995–96 season, whilst still a trainee after growing up in Torquay for the majority of his youth.

At the end of that season he moved to Southampton to complete his apprenticeship and turned professional with them in May 1997.

Monk returned to Torquay on loan in September 1998 and on returning to The Dell immediately broke into the first team squad, making his first team debut against Derby County on 28 November 1998 in place of the injured Ken Monkou.

In September 1999, he had a loan spell at Stockport County, before being recalled to the first team for two matches in January 2000.

He later had a loan spell at Oxford United (in January 2001), but was recalled from Oxford by Glenn Hoddle owing to an injury crisis amongst the Southampton defenders.

In May 2001, he started in both of the last two home matches at The Dell, against Manchester United and Arsenal, both of which resulted in victories.

Monk had a longer loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday (from December 2002 to 20 March) with a view to a permanent transfer, which failed to materialise after Wednesday's relegation to Division Two.

In 2004 he signed for League Two club Swansea City, and over the next ten years played for them in all four divisions of fully professional football, for the majority of that time as captain, made 270 appearances in all competitions, and was a member of their 2013 League Cup final-winning team.

He began his managerial career with Swansea City, and later took charge of Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday before joining Cambridge United in March 2024.

He eventually left the Saints in February 2004, signing for Barnsley on a free transfer, having been on loan for the previous three months.

He struggled to settle in at Oakwell, but scored his first career goal in a 2–1 home FA Cup win against Bristol City on 16 December, and moved to Swansea City on a free transfer in June 2004.

Monk made his debut for Swansea on 7 August 2004 in their 0–2 defeat to Northampton Town at Vetch Field on the first day of the new League Two season.

He received a third red card on 8 February 2005 for two bookings in a minute during a 0–1 defeat at Mansfield Town.

Swansea finished the season with promotion to League One.

On 22 November 2005, Monk scored his first goal for Swansea, heading their third as they reached the quarter-final of the Football League Trophy with a 4–0 win over Rushden & Diamonds at the Liberty Stadium.

The first league goal of his career came on 14 January 2006, opening a 1–1 draw away to Bradford City from Robinson's corner just before half time.

Swansea defeated Brentford in the play-off semi-finals, but lost in a penalty shootout to Barnsley in the final at the Millennium Stadium on 27 May.

Monk played the full 120 minutes in the final, and put in the cross from which Rory Fallon equalised with an overhead kick.

In August 2006, following the release of Roberto Martínez, it was announced he Monk become the captain for the forthcoming season.

However, just two matches into the 2006–07 season, he picked up a cruciate ligament injury in an innocuous-looking challenge with Scunthorpe striker Andy Keogh, which ruled him out for the whole campaign and with his contract running out at the end of the season his future was in doubt.

Monk returned to the team at the beginning of the 2007–08 season as skipper, captaining the Swans to promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in 24 years.

Monk lifted his first piece of silverware as Swansea captain as the team sealed promotion as League One champions with a club record 92 points.

He contributed one goal during the campaign, a header in a 3–2 home win over Leeds United.

The 2008–09 season brought Monk a new central defensive partner in Ashley Williams, signed from Stockport County towards the end of the previous campaign, as Alan Tate was dropped from the side.

On 9 August, the opening day of the Championship season, Monk was sent off for a foul on Matt Holland in a 0–2 defeat to Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

His only goal of the season was the home winner against Bristol City on 18 April 2009, heading in Andrea Orlandi's corner after 25 minutes.

In their first season back in the Championship, Swansea finished 8th.

In the 2009–10 season, Swansea missed out on a Championship play-off place on the final day of the season.

On 11 August, in the first round of the League Cup, Monk headed Swansea's first goal of a 3–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Two weeks later, he was one of three Swansea players sent off – alongside Àngel Rangel and Gorka Pintado – as the team lost 1–2 after extra time at home against Scunthorpe United in the second round.

Following Paulo Sousa's exit to join Championship rivals Leicester City, Monk criticised his former manager, saying his tactics and training methods were not good enough.

The 2010–11 season started well, as Monk played every match until picking up an injury against Colchester United in the FA Cup on 8 January 2011.

He would soon return to the side, however, and captain the Swans to a place in the Premier League via a Championship play-off final win against Reading.

Monk's 2012 autobiography Loud, Proud and Positive would later reveal that the Portuguese manager and his captain rarely saw eye to eye.

Monk's contribution would be rewarded with a new three-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2014.