Dean Ashton
Encyclopedia
Dean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League
and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra
, Norwich City
and , and was also capped by England
. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by injury. He retired on 11 December 2009, aged 26, after failing to recover from a long-term ankle injury sustained during international duty with England.
, Cheshire
, Ashton spent his youth career playing at both Stoke City and Crewe Alexandra. He was a product of Crewe Alexandra
's renowned youth development policy under manager Dario Gradi
. He signed scholarship forms as a 16-year-old in 2000 before making his first team debut later that year in Crewe's 1-0 win over Gillingham
and became one of the youngest players to represent the club. He waited three months for his second appearance, again as substitute, in a 3-1 victory over Grimsby Town
, and his first goal for the Railwaymen was in their 4-2 victory against Burnley
. His first start arrived in an FA Cup clash against Cardiff City
in January 2001. He finished his first season at the club with eight goals, including crucial ones against Bolton Wanderers
, Portsmouth
, Gillingham
and Wimbledon
towards the end of the season as Crewe secured their First Division
status.
His second season at the club was disrupted by injury and a temporary loss of form, but in spite of this he scored ten times and began to win international honours with England at Under-16, Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 level. Ashton scored sixteen more times in the 2002-03
season as the club bounced back to the First Division after just one season in the Second Division. Ashton had a number of notable displays for Crewe, one of which was in the 4-0 win against Luton Town
, where he scored 2 goals and set up David Vaughan's
goal. Crewe manager Dario Gradi
said that "These have been his best performances and people are right to say he has a bright future in the game."
In the 2003-04
season, he scored 19 league goals in the First Division, including his first Football League hat-trick in a 3-2 win at the JJB Stadium
against Wigan Athletic
on 6 March 2004 - a game in which he converted two penalties. During the season, Ashton was reportedly linked to a number of clubs, Wolves
were among the clubs interested in signing the striker at the time, however Dario Gradi
regarded all the rumours as just speculation. Having previously played for England at Under-19 level, he stepped up to the Under-21 side that season, scoring against the Netherlands
and Sweden
.
Ashton scored 18 times for Crewe in the 2004-05
season prior to becoming Norwich City's
record signing at £3 million.
to Norwich City from Leeds United
in 1994, although this record was later broken by the £3.5m transfer of Robert Earnshaw
to Carrow Road from West Bromwich Albion
. Additionally, Crewe inserted a 20% sell-on clause, meaning that the South Cheshire club would receive 20 percent of any profit if Norwich sold the striker to another club. Ironically, Ashton was advised by current Crewe Alexandra manager, and former Crystal Palace manager Dario Gradi not to join fellow relegation rivals Crystal Palace, and instead to sign for Norwich City. The goals Ashton scored for Norwich, including against Crystal Palace, would have seen Palace retain their Premier League status.
He scored on his home debut for Norwich City
against Middlesbrough
in an exciting eight goal thriller, Norwich came back from 4-1 down to draw the game 4-4. In February, Ashton scored an impressive goal against Manchester City
which later achieved second place in the BBC's Goal of the Month for February, Thierry Henry
's goal against Crystal Palace
won the award. Many of the pundits believed that Ashton would be the key to Norwich's survival. Ashton scored many important goals in Norwich's fight for survival, including the deciding goals against Newcastle and Birmingham. Norwich however, were relegated in 2005 and even with a host of Premier league clubs interested in him, Ashton decided to stay at the club in the next season in an attempt to win promotion back into the Premiership
. Later that year Ashton scored his first and only hat trick for Norwich City against Southampton
, in a 3-1 win at Carrow Road.
With Norwich out of the top flight there was much speculation surrounding Ashton's future at the club, with some people believing a player with his qualities merited a place in the Premiership. Many clubs, including Manchester City
and Charlton
. The Addicks manager, Alan Curbishley
, was reportedly prepared to axe six of his players to buy the Norwich youngster. West Ham
were also among the clubs interested in buying the striker. Nigel Worthington
attempted to quash these rumours, saying that Ashton would only be sold for a price which matched his value to the club. Wigan
manager, Paul Jewell
, was put off considering a move for Ashton because of this price. Dean Ashton re-stated his commitment to the club in the summer of 2005 by signing a contract-extension until 2009. By December, it looked likely that a Premiership club would bid for Ashton, as boss Nigel Worthington said that Ashton would be allowed to leave in January of that year - if the club are happy with the fee. Dean Ashtons future looked increasingly uncertain after missing the fa cup game against West Ham through injury which meant Ashton was not cup tied. After playing 46 games for Norwich, in which he scored 18 goals, he was transferred to West Ham on 22 January 2006 for a fee of £7 million, rising to £7.25 million with two £125,000 bonuses dependent on a future England call-up and possible European
qualification while Ashton is at West Ham. Norwich also negotiated a 15% sell-on clause.
Norwich accepted West Ham
's bid after apparently having been in negotiations with them for a few weeks. On 22 January 2006, the day the transfer was announced, Ashton agreed personal terms with the club and underwent a medical later in the day. He was unveiled at a press conference prior to West Ham's game against Fulham
on 23 January. Ashton said "The chance of a swift step up to the Premiership is too good to turn down. I'm really delighted to join a massive club like West Ham. When West Ham came along I jumped at the chance to be back and playing in the Premiership. My ambition has always been to be playing in the Premiership regularly and hopefully the club can make the best of my ability. I spoke to Norwich manager Nigel Worthington and the board and told them I wanted to pursue this opportunity. I'd like to thank Norwich for understanding that and allowing myself and my representative to talk to West Ham."
Ashton made an impressive start to his West Ham career, making his debut in the Hammers' 3-2 victory away to Arsenal
, and scored some key goals in West Ham's following fixtures, including two goals in the FA Cup
quarter-final against Manchester City
, which was vital in continuing the team's inspiring FA Cup run in 2006. In West Ham's semi-final against Middlesbrough
, Ashton broke 'Boro goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer
's cheekbone. He caught Schwarzer with his elbow in an aerial challenge in the first half. This incident did not go well with the Middlesbrough fans, who booed Ashton for the remaining time he was on the field. Ashton however, made an apology to Schwarzer and to 'Boro fans and said that it was accidental and that no malice was intended.
To cap off a pivotal season in Ashton's career, he scored a goal and was a thorn in the usually solid Liverpool
defence in the 2006 FA Cup Final
, which eventually ended (after a 3-3 draw) in a 3-1 penalty shootout victory for the Merseyside
rs. Ashton had been a doubt in the build-up to the game after picking up a hamstring injury in the Premiership
tie versus West Bromwich Albion. However, despite not participating in any intensive training before the final, Ashton declared himself fit, and duly produced one of the most impressive displays in his short time at West Ham
. Despite not managing to secure a place in Sven-Göran Eriksson
's England
2006 World Cup
squad, Ashton impressed sufficiently to draw praise from football
pundit Alan Hansen
. and then West Ham manager, Alan Pardew. He scored 6 goals in 16 appearances in his first half-season with the club. During the summer of 2006, Ashton was linked with moves away from Boleyn Ground
, one club that was mentioned the most was Newcastle United
. However, Alan Pardew
claimed Ashton would be "going nowhere".
Ashton suffered a broken ankle while on England duty in August 2006, which meant that he was forced eventually to miss the whole of the 2006-07 season. In his absence, West Ham were fighting relegation for virtually the whole season, which led to speculation that Ashton would leave if the club was relegated. Eggert Magnusson
, the club's chairman, stated in March 2007 that Ashton would not be allowed to leave until the following January at the earliest if the club were to go down. In the event, the club avoided relegation on the final day of the 2006-07 season.
Ashton returned to the West Ham team on 14 July 2007 in a pre-season friendly against Dagenham & Redbridge
where he played for 45 minutes. He admitted he had doubted whether he would ever return to top class football and was excitedly looking forward to next season, saying, "I don't think there will be a hungrier player in the Premier League this season than me". He scored his first goals for a year in the pre-season games against Leyton Orient
and A.S. Roma
. He made his return to the Premier League on 11 August 2007 against Manchester City
, coming on as a substitute for George McCartney
in the 65th minute, and went on to make 35 league and cup appearances in the 2007–08 season, scoring 11 goals, most notably an overhead kick against Manchester United. Ashton signed a new five-year contract at West Ham in June 2008, keeping him at the club until 2013.
Ashton started the 2008-09 Premiership campaign in blistering form, scoring both goals in the 2-1 home win against Wigan. However he quickly found himself back on the Hammers' burgeoning injury list after spraining his ankle in manager Gianfranco Zola
's first training session.
Ashton made no appearances in the 2009-10 season. On 11 December 2009, West Ham announced that Ashton had retired, aged 26, after failing to recover from a long-term ankle injury originally sustained during an international training session, in August 2006, following a tackle from Shaun Wright-Phillips
. Ashton played 56 games in all competitions for West Ham, scoring 19 goals, but at his retirement had not played since appearing against West Brom
on 13 September 2008.
Upon hearing the announcement of the striker's retirement, Ashton's former manager at Crewe, Dario Gradi, told the press that he wanted Ashton in time to become part of the coaching team at Crewe. Since retiring, Ashton has lived in Norwich
and has not had any involvement in football.
In January 2011 West Ham United, seeking compensation for Ashton, prepared a writ against the Football Association for £10.5m.
for their friendly against Greece
, part of new manager Steve McClaren
's first team. However, just a day before the match, the striker suffered a heavy tackle from Shaun Wright-Phillips
which resulted in a broken ankle in training and missed out on a chance to make his England debut against Greece. He then later was ruled out for more than a year and missed the whole of the West Ham season. He was recalled to the England squad and was fit to face Estonia. However, a few days later, it was announced that he had been ruled out of action for up to six weeks with a sprained medial knee
ligament
, forcing him to once again miss out on making his international debut for a second time. In May 2008, Ashton was named in McClaren's successor, Fabio Capello
's, squad for the USA
and Trinidad and Tobago
friendlies.
He finally made his debut, more than two years after his first call up, in the game against Trinidad & Tobago on 1 June 2008.
West Ham United
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
and , and was also capped by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by injury. He retired on 11 December 2009, aged 26, after failing to recover from a long-term ankle injury sustained during international duty with England.
Crewe Alexandra
Brought up in Holmes ChapelHolmes Chapel
Holmes Chapel is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Until 1974 the parish was known as Church Hulme.At the 2001 Census the population of the village was recorded as 5,669...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, Ashton spent his youth career playing at both Stoke City and Crewe Alexandra. He was a product of Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
's renowned youth development policy under manager Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
. He signed scholarship forms as a 16-year-old in 2000 before making his first team debut later that year in Crewe's 1-0 win over Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and became one of the youngest players to represent the club. He waited three months for his second appearance, again as substitute, in a 3-1 victory over Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, and his first goal for the Railwaymen was in their 4-2 victory against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. His first start arrived in an FA Cup clash against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in January 2001. He finished his first season at the club with eight goals, including crucial ones against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
towards the end of the season as Crewe secured their First Division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
status.
His second season at the club was disrupted by injury and a temporary loss of form, but in spite of this he scored ten times and began to win international honours with England at Under-16, Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 level. Ashton scored sixteen more times in the 2002-03
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
season as the club bounced back to the First Division after just one season in the Second Division. Ashton had a number of notable displays for Crewe, one of which was in the 4-0 win against Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, where he scored 2 goals and set up David Vaughan's
David Vaughan (footballer)
David Owen Vaughan is a Welsh footballer who plays for Sunderland. He plays as a midfielder.Vaughan previously played for Crewe Alexandra, where he spent seven years between 2000 and 2007...
goal. Crewe manager Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
said that "These have been his best performances and people are right to say he has a bright future in the game."
In the 2003-04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season, he scored 19 league goals in the First Division, including his first Football League hat-trick in a 3-2 win at the JJB Stadium
JJB Stadium
The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club....
against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 6 March 2004 - a game in which he converted two penalties. During the season, Ashton was reportedly linked to a number of clubs, Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
were among the clubs interested in signing the striker at the time, however Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
regarded all the rumours as just speculation. Having previously played for England at Under-19 level, he stepped up to the Under-21 side that season, scoring against the Netherlands
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
and Sweden
Sweden national under-21 football team
The Swedish U-21 national football team is the football team representing Sweden in competitions for under-21 year old players. Sweden U21's current captain is Jiloan Hamad with Jakob Johansson as vice captain.-UEFA European U-21 Championship Record:...
.
Ashton scored 18 times for Crewe in the 2004-05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season prior to becoming Norwich City's
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
record signing at £3 million.
Norwich City
Ashton joined Norwich City from Crewe Alexandra for a fee of £3 million in January 2005, breaking the club's transfer record previously held by the £1 million deal that brought Jon NewsomeJon Newsome
Jon Newsome is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender from 1989 until 2000, notably in the Premier League for Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United and Norwich City...
to Norwich City from Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in 1994, although this record was later broken by the £3.5m transfer of Robert Earnshaw
Robert Earnshaw
Robert Earnshaw is a Welsh footballer who plays for Cardiff City and Wales. He is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in the English Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two , the League Cup, the FA Cup and for his country at International level.Earnshaw was born in Mufulira,...
to Carrow Road from West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. Additionally, Crewe inserted a 20% sell-on clause, meaning that the South Cheshire club would receive 20 percent of any profit if Norwich sold the striker to another club. Ironically, Ashton was advised by current Crewe Alexandra manager, and former Crystal Palace manager Dario Gradi not to join fellow relegation rivals Crystal Palace, and instead to sign for Norwich City. The goals Ashton scored for Norwich, including against Crystal Palace, would have seen Palace retain their Premier League status.
He scored on his home debut for Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in an exciting eight goal thriller, Norwich came back from 4-1 down to draw the game 4-4. In February, Ashton scored an impressive goal against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
which later achieved second place in the BBC's Goal of the Month for February, Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
's goal against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
won the award. Many of the pundits believed that Ashton would be the key to Norwich's survival. Ashton scored many important goals in Norwich's fight for survival, including the deciding goals against Newcastle and Birmingham. Norwich however, were relegated in 2005 and even with a host of Premier league clubs interested in him, Ashton decided to stay at the club in the next season in an attempt to win promotion back into the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. Later that year Ashton scored his first and only hat trick for Norwich City against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, in a 3-1 win at Carrow Road.
With Norwich out of the top flight there was much speculation surrounding Ashton's future at the club, with some people believing a player with his qualities merited a place in the Premiership. Many clubs, including Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Charlton
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. The Addicks manager, Alan Curbishley
Alan Curbishley
Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley is an English football manager and former professional player....
, was reportedly prepared to axe six of his players to buy the Norwich youngster. West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
were also among the clubs interested in buying the striker. Nigel Worthington
Nigel Worthington
Nigel Worthington is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and manager.He was manager of the Northern Ireland national team from 2007 until after their final Euro 2012 qualifying campaign match against Italy in October 2011.As a player, he was a left full back and occasional left...
attempted to quash these rumours, saying that Ashton would only be sold for a price which matched his value to the club. Wigan
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
manager, Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
, was put off considering a move for Ashton because of this price. Dean Ashton re-stated his commitment to the club in the summer of 2005 by signing a contract-extension until 2009. By December, it looked likely that a Premiership club would bid for Ashton, as boss Nigel Worthington said that Ashton would be allowed to leave in January of that year - if the club are happy with the fee. Dean Ashtons future looked increasingly uncertain after missing the fa cup game against West Ham through injury which meant Ashton was not cup tied. After playing 46 games for Norwich, in which he scored 18 goals, he was transferred to West Ham on 22 January 2006 for a fee of £7 million, rising to £7.25 million with two £125,000 bonuses dependent on a future England call-up and possible European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
qualification while Ashton is at West Ham. Norwich also negotiated a 15% sell-on clause.
West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
's bid after apparently having been in negotiations with them for a few weeks. On 22 January 2006, the day the transfer was announced, Ashton agreed personal terms with the club and underwent a medical later in the day. He was unveiled at a press conference prior to West Ham's game against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on 23 January. Ashton said "The chance of a swift step up to the Premiership is too good to turn down. I'm really delighted to join a massive club like West Ham. When West Ham came along I jumped at the chance to be back and playing in the Premiership. My ambition has always been to be playing in the Premiership regularly and hopefully the club can make the best of my ability. I spoke to Norwich manager Nigel Worthington and the board and told them I wanted to pursue this opportunity. I'd like to thank Norwich for understanding that and allowing myself and my representative to talk to West Ham."
Ashton made an impressive start to his West Ham career, making his debut in the Hammers' 3-2 victory away to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, and scored some key goals in West Ham's following fixtures, including two goals in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
quarter-final against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, which was vital in continuing the team's inspiring FA Cup run in 2006. In West Ham's semi-final against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, Ashton broke 'Boro goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
's cheekbone. He caught Schwarzer with his elbow in an aerial challenge in the first half. This incident did not go well with the Middlesbrough fans, who booed Ashton for the remaining time he was on the field. Ashton however, made an apology to Schwarzer and to 'Boro fans and said that it was accidental and that no malice was intended.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
defence in the 2006 FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final 2006
The 2006 FA Cup Final was the final and deciding match of the 2005-06 FA Cup. It took place on 13 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the last FA Cup Final to be held there, as the new Wembley Stadium finished completion. The match saw the 2001 cup winners Liverpool beat London club West...
, which eventually ended (after a 3-3 draw) in a 3-1 penalty shootout victory for the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
rs. Ashton had been a doubt in the build-up to the game after picking up a hamstring injury in the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
tie versus West Bromwich Albion. However, despite not participating in any intensive training before the final, Ashton declared himself fit, and duly produced one of the most impressive displays in his short time at West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. Despite not managing to secure a place in Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
's England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad, Ashton impressed sufficiently to draw praise from football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
pundit Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
. and then West Ham manager, Alan Pardew. He scored 6 goals in 16 appearances in his first half-season with the club. During the summer of 2006, Ashton was linked with moves away from Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
, one club that was mentioned the most was Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. However, Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
claimed Ashton would be "going nowhere".
Ashton suffered a broken ankle while on England duty in August 2006, which meant that he was forced eventually to miss the whole of the 2006-07 season. In his absence, West Ham were fighting relegation for virtually the whole season, which led to speculation that Ashton would leave if the club was relegated. Eggert Magnusson
Eggert Magnússon
Eggert Magnússon is an Icelandic businessman and former President of the Football Association of Iceland and ex-chairman of West Ham United...
, the club's chairman, stated in March 2007 that Ashton would not be allowed to leave until the following January at the earliest if the club were to go down. In the event, the club avoided relegation on the final day of the 2006-07 season.
Ashton returned to the West Ham team on 14 July 2007 in a pre-season friendly against Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
where he played for 45 minutes. He admitted he had doubted whether he would ever return to top class football and was excitedly looking forward to next season, saying, "I don't think there will be a hungrier player in the Premier League this season than me". He scored his first goals for a year in the pre-season games against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
and A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
. He made his return to the Premier League on 11 August 2007 against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, coming on as a substitute for George McCartney
George McCartney
George McCartney is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for West Ham United on loan from Sunderland. He began his youth career at Sunderland, moving to West Ham before returning to Sunderland at the start of Roy Keane's time at charge...
in the 65th minute, and went on to make 35 league and cup appearances in the 2007–08 season, scoring 11 goals, most notably an overhead kick against Manchester United. Ashton signed a new five-year contract at West Ham in June 2008, keeping him at the club until 2013.
Ashton started the 2008-09 Premiership campaign in blistering form, scoring both goals in the 2-1 home win against Wigan. However he quickly found himself back on the Hammers' burgeoning injury list after spraining his ankle in manager Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
's first training session.
Ashton made no appearances in the 2009-10 season. On 11 December 2009, West Ham announced that Ashton had retired, aged 26, after failing to recover from a long-term ankle injury originally sustained during an international training session, in August 2006, following a tackle from Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Cameron Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers and the England national team. He is the adopted son of former England international, Ian Wright and the half-brother of fellow professional football player Bradley Wright-Phillips...
. Ashton played 56 games in all competitions for West Ham, scoring 19 goals, but at his retirement had not played since appearing against West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on 13 September 2008.
Upon hearing the announcement of the striker's retirement, Ashton's former manager at Crewe, Dario Gradi, told the press that he wanted Ashton in time to become part of the coaching team at Crewe. Since retiring, Ashton has lived in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and has not had any involvement in football.
In January 2011 West Ham United, seeking compensation for Ashton, prepared a writ against the Football Association for £10.5m.
International career
Ashton progressed through the England youth set up, racking up an impressive goal-to-game ratio. In August 2006, Ashton was first called up to the England senior squadEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
for their friendly against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, part of new manager Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
's first team. However, just a day before the match, the striker suffered a heavy tackle from Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Cameron Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers and the England national team. He is the adopted son of former England international, Ian Wright and the half-brother of fellow professional football player Bradley Wright-Phillips...
which resulted in a broken ankle in training and missed out on a chance to make his England debut against Greece. He then later was ruled out for more than a year and missed the whole of the West Ham season. He was recalled to the England squad and was fit to face Estonia. However, a few days later, it was announced that he had been ruled out of action for up to six weeks with a sprained medial knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
, forcing him to once again miss out on making his international debut for a second time. In May 2008, Ashton was named in McClaren's successor, Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
's, squad for the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
friendlies.
He finally made his debut, more than two years after his first call up, in the game against Trinidad & Tobago on 1 June 2008.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | Domestic League |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Other competition |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
31 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 11 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | |
| Total | 2006–08 | 46 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 19 |
| Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... |
2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
28 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 11 |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
16 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 7 | |
| Total | 2005–06 | 44 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 18 |
| Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club... |
2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
24 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 20 |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
44 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 20 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in English football The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable... |
38 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 44 | 16 | |
| 2001–02 2001-02 in English football The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the... |
32 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 10 | |
| 2000–01 2000-01 in English football The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons... |
21 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 8 | |
| Total | 2000–05 | 159 | 61 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 178 | 74 |
| Career Totals | 2000–08 | 249 | 93 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 280 | 111 |
Honours
Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
- Football League Division TwoFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
- Runner-up: 2002–03
West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- Runner-up: 2006
External links
- Profile on Premierleague.com
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Photo and stats at sporting-heroes.net
- Dean Ashton's Official Website at officialplayerwebsites.com
- Career information at ex-canaries.co.uk
- Dean Ashton statistics at Soccerbase.com