This article originally appeared in the Chesterfield v Notts County Matchday Programme
By Phil Tooley
Our new manager John Sheridan enjoyed an excellent playing career, playing well over 600 games whilst with Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City (loan), Bolton Wanderers, Doncaster Rovers and Oldham Athletic. In addition he won 34 caps for the Republic of Ireland, one of them in a World Cup Quarter Final match against Italy.
Born on 1st October 1964, John joined his local club as a youngster; "Being a Manchester lad I played for Manchester City from being 11 to 16 on schoolboy forms, it was a very big club at the time, Malcolm Allison was the manager and John Bond was there but I didn't get kept on at City and I went to Leeds on a trial, my younger brother Darren was already there on schoolboy forms. Luckily for me things went well and I signed for them."
At the time Leeds were in a transition period and his passing game earned him hero status at Elland Road. "When I went they had some quality young players, Tommy Wright, Scott Sellars and Denis Irwin were all there and we all lived in a house together for five years. We were all in the youth team together, not a bad four, we all looked after each other and we all went on to enjoy very good careers.
"The plus point was that we had a manager in Eddie Gray that if he believed in you, no matter how old you were, you'd have a chance. I made my debut at 17 and the other lads were all probably 18 when they made their debuts. When you've got a manager that does that, it stands you in good stead for the future."
His playing style got the No.1 manager of the day, Brian Clough interested and he signed for Nottingham Forest, but only just! "I'd had my time at Leeds, I'd been there 8 years and Chelsea were going to sign me. I'd been down, had my medical and was about to sign. I was a single lad and didn't really want to move to London on my own and luckily for me, on the way home Nottingham Forest came in for me and I met Mr Clough in some hotel, he'd probably not have remembered me, but it was a great move.
"Forest in those days were a great footballing side that suited the way that I played so I thought it was a great move for me so I signed straight away and had to phone Chelsea and tell them I wasn't going to sign for them. Unfortunately for me things didn't work out, I played one game, got Man of the Match and I didn't play again for him! Sometimes your face just doesn't fit and unfortunately mine didn't fit but it was probably the best thing in my career because I moved on to Sheffield Wednesday which is where I played my best football."
The highlight of his time at Hillsborough was the 1991 Rumbelows League Cup and promotion to the top flight in the same season. John scored the winner in the final against Manchester United and he recalls; "That five year period at Wednesday was the best I played, three cup finals, in Europe and we could even have won the league on the last day in one season. I was very fortunate to play alongside some very good players and the dressing room under Ron Atkinson was probably the best dressing room I've ever played in, I was very fortunate, great times and at that time I really enjoyed my football."
After a loan spell at Birmingham and at Bolton he moved permanently to Bolton and was there, but not playing, when we won 3-2 in Burnden Park's last ever cup game on our way to the FA Cup semi-final; "I remember that game against Chesterfield, young Kevin Davies scored a hat-trick didn't he, he looked a good player that night. The time had come to move on, David Pleat was manager at Wednesday and I'd had a few knee injuries and I thought my career was possibly coming to an end but Bolton was a great club. Again Scott Sellars was there as a player and we won the Championship and won it easily. I only had two years there but I had some good times there."
His knee was a cause for concern and he then dropped into the Conference with Doncaster; "I thought I might have to pack in playing, and probably should have done looking back, but I went to Doncaster when Ian Snodin was manager and I really only went to keep fit and I hoped a club may come in for me. Luckily for me Andy Ritchie, who was manager at Oldham, came and signed me and I ended up playing another 140 or so games at Oldham. It's all backfiring on me now though because I can hardly walk!"
The injury forced him to adjust his approach; "I did slow down dramatically but I really enjoyed it. I just loved playing football so that's why I kept on playing. Throughout my career, even when I was injured, I used to play which was probably the wrong thing but I was like that. A lot of players were in those days, they were a different breed, they just wanted to play.
"I've been very fortunate to play under some great managers, and some bad ones, and I've played with some great players. I really enjoyed my time and was fortunate to have played for so long and I'm very fortunate to be involved in management now and hopefully I can become a good manager. I've still got a lot to learn but hopefully I can take Chesterfield where they want to go."
On his times as a Republic of Ireland International John recalls; "They were unbelievable times. There were some World Class players and I was fortunate to have been able to go to two World Cups under Jack Charlton. We were a very good team and probably didn't get the credit we deserved.
"The side was renowned for the long ball tactics, which he did do, which is perhaps why I didn't play as much as I'd have liked to have done but the tactics were very effective and very difficult to play against. They were great days. Jack would often forget players' names, mine was an easy name but there were players who'd played all around the World that he kept forgetting. That was Jack, a great character but a very, very good manager."
In short, the highlight of John's playing career was; "The 1991 Cup final when I scored." A memorable opponent was; "Liverpool's Jimmy Case, who when I played against when I was 17, nearly snapped me in two. I always remember that!"
Too many good team mates to remember though John says; "I have some good friends, Mark Crossley and Tommy Wright, Chris Waddle's a good friend but I've too many to mention them all."
And as a Manchester lad; "I'm Sky Blue, Colin Bell's my all time hero."
Welcome to Saltergate (and the B2Net Stadium) John.
