Savage for Stockport

Robbie Savage has signed for Stockport Town... nine years after hanging up his boots as a professional Stockport Town, who play in the 10th tier of English football, announced the signing on Sunday afternoon, announcing, "Ok folks, our second super Sunday signing is former Welsh international @RobbieSavage8". Savage started his footballing career at Manchester United, […]

Andrew White
29th January 2020
Stockport Wikicommons

Robbie Savage has signed for Stockport Town... nine years after hanging up his boots as a professional

Stockport Town, who play in the 10th tier of English football, announced the signing on Sunday afternoon, announcing, "Ok folks, our second super Sunday signing is former Welsh international @RobbieSavage8".

Savage started his footballing career at Manchester United, playing in the FA Youth Cup wining team of 1992, later labelled "the class of 92". Savage was then given a professional contract by Manchester United, but he failed to make the grade, not playing a single minute before moving to Crewe in 1994.

Savage enjoyed long spells in his career at Crewe, Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Derby County. His greatest success came at Leicester, where he reached two league cup finals, losing the first 2-1 to Tottenham, before winning the second 2-1 against Tranmere Rovers. This medal would prove to be Savage's solitary winners medal in his entire career.

Savage is arguably better remembered for the worse moments in his career, infamously captaining Derby to the lowest ever Premier League points tally of just 11 points. On top of this, Savage's extraordinary 89 yellow cards leave him seventh highest yellow-carded player in Premier League history.

Savage made the move to Broadcasting with BT Sport, and initially received a lot of flack.

"I'll take criticism... but not from the likes of Robbie Savage"

John Terry

Despite this, Savage has gone on to become a successful and well-respected pundit.

So why return to playing? Savage, who is involved with the club's owners Pro Football Academy (which seeks to get young players back involved with the game after being released by clubs), says his aim is to help young players progress.

"It's not a PR stunt, it's me trying to help youngsters progress in the game", Savage said, after signing for the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) First Division South side.

"I want to try and give a bit of what I went through in my career with rejection, rehabilitation and the mental side of football."

While Savage may not have had the glittering success of "the class of 92", he did still have a respectable career. Playing 11 seasons in the Premier League is no mean feat.

It's brilliant for a Non-league club to see the extra gate-receipts that Savage's signing will bring, and it's refreshing to see a former pro who cares about the future of the game.

Only 0.012% of professional club's academy players ever play in the Premier League. If Savage's signing can even get one former academy player back into league football, it'll be a resounding success

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