Michael Appleton

Michael Antony Appleton (born 4 December 1975) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently head coach of Charlton Athletic.

As a player, he operated as a midfielder, in a nine-year career that began in 1994 and ended 2003.

His playing years were cut short by a serious knee injury.

He began his career as a professional for Manchester United.

A lifelong Manchester United fan, Appleton progressed through the club's youth system before earning a professional contract in 1994.

He had a brief loan spell at Wimbledon in 1995, featuring in their makeshift squad for the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

In the 1995–96 season, he was loaned out to Lincoln City for a month to get first-team experience, playing four Division Three matches and one match in the Football League Trophy, before returning to Old Trafford.

In October 1996, Appleton made his Manchester United début in the 2–1 League Cup victory versus Swindon Town.

His second and last game for the Red Devils was a 2–0 defeat at Filbert Street against Leicester City.

While there, he had brief loan spells at Wimbledon, Lincoln City and Grimsby Town, before securing a permanent transfer to Preston North End in 1997.

In January 1997, Appleton joined Grimsby Town on a two-month loan from United, scoring three goals in ten league matches for the Mariners, against Swindon Town, Barnsley and Manchester City.

He returned to United in March 1997.

In the 1997–98 pre-season, Appleton joined Preston North End for a (then) club record fee of £500,000.

In his three-and-a-half years at Deepdale, he played 145 first-team games, scoring fifteen goals.

He also played an important part in the Lilywhites ' promotion to Division One in 2000 as Division Two champions.

He moved on to West Bromwich Albion in 2001, playing at the West Midlands club for two seasons, ending his playing career there.

Following his retirement, he became a coach with West Brom, and served as their caretaker manager for one match after Roberto Di Matteo was placed on leave.

In January 2001, Appleton moved from Preston to West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £750,000, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract.

He made his début in a 2–1 victory over Sheffield United, picking up a yellow card, and went on to play an important part in the Baggies ' play-off chase, although they ultimately lost to Bolton Wanderers in the semi-finals.

At the start of the 2001–02 season, Appleton was a regular in the first team, but on 19 November 2001, he tore posterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee, after an accidental training-ground collision with teammate Des Lyttle.

He was initially expected to be out for the rest of the season.

Appleton, who played his last first-team game of football in a single-goal victory at Birmingham City on 7 November 2001, made a total of 38 appearances for West Brom.

After the knee injury, Appleton stayed with West Brom in a coaching capacity.

He worked in the club's youth side for five years.

He worked with different age groups before moving up to the senior squad as assistant manager.

With West Brom getting promoted to the Premier League, Appleton had to wait until February 2003 for his return to football, 28 minutes into a reserve-team match against former club Manchester United.

In November 2003, at the age of 27, he was forced to retire, after losing his two-year battle with the injury.

West Brom manager Gary Megson described Appleton's retirement as "One of the saddest days I've had as a manager. Football can't afford to be losing a player of his ilk."

In June 2009, Appleton was appointed first-team coach.

On 10 November 2011, he earned his first managerial appointment at Portsmouth, before he became manager of Blackpool a year later.

After the board sacked Roberto Di Matteo and placed him on gardening leave on 6 February 2011, Appleton was placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs.

In his only match in charge, West Brom drew 3–3 at home to West Ham, having been 3–0 up at half-time.

On 10 November 2011, Portsmouth unveiled Appleton as their new manager on a three-and-a-half-year contract; his first official managerial role.

Appleton's first League game in charge was a 2–0 defeat against Watford.

Appleton made two new signings in Joe Mattock and George Thorne on loan from West Bromwich Albion.

After just over two months as Blackpool manager, he left his post with the Seasiders to take charge of Blackburn Rovers in January 2013.

He was relieved from his duties on 19 March that same year.

In July 2014, he was appointed manager of Oxford United, and led the club to promotion to League One in his second season.

Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, Appleton attended Seedley Primary School and Buile Hill Secondary School, both in Salford.

He represented the football teams of both schools, playing as a striker until the age of "12 or 13" before switching to midfield.