Dean Gordon

Dean Gordon
Dean Gordon
Born	February 10, 1973 (age 53); Croydon, London, England
Occupation	Professional footballer (retired)
Years active	1991–2009
Known for	Left-back for Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, and other clubs

Dean Dwight Gordon (born 10 February 1973) is a retired English professional footballer who operated primarily as a left-back from 1991 until 2009, with playing stints in England, Cyprus, and New Zealand.

His career highlights include appearances in the Premier League representing Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough. Gordon also featured professionally for numerous other clubs such as Cardiff City, Coventry City, Reading, Grimsby Town, APOEL Nicosia, Blackpool, Albany United, New Zealand Knights, Auckland City, and Torquay United. Additionally, he competed within the English Non-League system with teams including Worksop Town, Crook Town, Lewes, and Whitby Town among others.

Originating from Croydon, South London, Gordon is recognized as a journeyman footballer, having represented 20 different clubs over an 18-year span. Despite this extensive list, the first ten years of his career were spent with only two clubs before a period of more frequent transfers.

Crystal Palace

Gordon’s professional journey commenced at Crystal Palace where he progressed from trainee to professional status in July 1991. Over his tenure, he made in excess of 200 appearances, earning a reputation for robust tackling and dynamic attacking contributions down the left side, often netting remarkable long-range goals.

Middlesbrough

On 6 July 1998, Gordon transferred to Premier League outfit Middlesbrough for a fee of £900,000. He featured in every league fixture during his debut season at the Riverside. In November 2001, he was loaned to Cardiff City, where he scored once against Blackpool. Middlesbrough released him at the conclusion of that season.

Coventry City

In July 2002, Gordon signed for Coventry City and quickly established himself as a regular starter during his initial campaign, scoring once against Ipswich Town. After falling out of favor, he was loaned to Reading in March 2004 and later undertook a trial with Hibernian in July 2004.

Grimsby Town

August 2004 saw Gordon join Football League Two club Grimsby Town on a free transfer, marking his first move outside England’s top two divisions. Despite consistent playing time, manager Russell Slade released him in March 2005.

APOEL Nicosia

In 2005, Gordon signed with Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia but was let go after only a few months with the club.

Later career

November 2005 brought Gordon back to English non-league football with Crook Town as he sought to revive his career amidst delays obtaining international clearance while maintaining proximity to his business ventures in Darlington. Following an unsuccessful trial at Barnsley, he joined Blackpool in January 2006 but was released after just one appearance. A proposed transfer to Chester City fell through, prompting him to sign for Lewes in February 2006. He later returned to Crook Town before moving on to Worksop Town within the same season.

In June 2006, Gordon relocated to New Zealand where he signed for North Shore’s Albany United, then shifted to Auckland City in September, scoring twice across five matches. In December, he joined A-League club New Zealand Knights, foregoing an opportunity to compete against Barcelona in the FIFA Club World Cup. After making six appearances, he returned to England and re-signed with Lewes in February 2007.

After training with and signing non-contract terms at English side Torquay United in February 2007, Gordon made eight appearances during their relegation campaign before being released. Later that year, he appeared seven times for Whitby Town on a match-to-match basis and signed for Northern Premier League outfit Ilkeston Town in August 2008. He also had a brief spell at local side Thornaby.

In March 2009, Gordon signed with Conference North club Workington.

International career

During the mid-1990s, Gordon represented the England Under-21 squad, earning a total of 13 appearances.

Personal life

Following his retirement from professional football, Gordon made Sunderland his home, dedicating his efforts to coaching and promoting anti-racism initiatives through 'Show Racism The Red Card,' delivering educational workshops throughout schools in the North East. Additionally, he oversees Futsal Sunderland, coordinating futsal tournaments and activities suitable for participants of all age groups.

He is the parent of Southampton FC athlete Nathan Wood-Gordon.

Honours

Individual

Selected for the PFA Team of the Year in the 1995–96 First Division

External links