Career Stories Feature #2: Robbie Savage

Robbie in the prime of his life, working as a pundit (Inset)


Career Stories #2

Known for his energetic prowess and erratic aggression in the centre of midfield, Savage was an incredible talent who was adept at running in to advance positions as well as using his defensive qualities to hold his position and get stuck in. He was also a great leader, and would often see other team-mates rally around him. His full-time career lasted an impressive 18 years. Here is a chronological account of it - club by club!

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#2:  Robbie Savage

His love for football sees him currently contracted for the 10th tier Stockport Town Football Club at the age of 45! He joined them just last year after hanging up his boots in 2011.

Manchester United

Robbie was an apprentice striker at Manchester United and won the FA Youth Cup with them in 1992. He was given a professional contract in 1993 as a reward but never played a game for the senior team and after just his first season he was given a chance to impress at Crewe Alexandra.

I can only guess it was his hair that stopped him breaking into the 1st team


Crewe Alexandra

It wasn't until his second season at Crewe Alexandra that he became a regular squad player. He was remembered as a competent youngster with evident potential. Crewe played in the Second Division or League One as it is now known.  The team were performing exceptionally well in those times, they were just finding their feet in the division and were pushing for another promotion place to put themselves into the second tier. Crewe, in the previous 30 seasons were not used to playing with these expectations. During his 3 seasons at Crewe he played very well and was all part of the team's success. They were promoted to the second tier in 1997.

However, he had his vision's set on bigger things. He handed in a transfer request and was allowed to join Premier League club Leicester City in July 1997. The 23-year-old was just about to make a name for himself in the big time!

Savage at Crewe


Leicester City 

Martin O' Neil, the manager of City at the time, invested £400,000 to bring Robbie in to the Midlands club. A figure he could not possibly regret spending. Especially as they tripled the selling amount for him when he went to Birmingham City five years later. 

In his five years at Leicester (1997-2002), they were well known at having an incredibly decent squad with the likes of Muzzy Izzet, Neil Lennon, Emile Heskey, Tony Cottee amongst others. On 30th September 1997, he made his European debut against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup coming on a second-half substitute. This was a first-round, second leg tie - Leicester, unfortunately, didn't advance in to the second round and faced defeat in both legs. Robbie would go on to play little European football in his career although did enjoy a little more UEFA Cup football for Blackburn Rovers later on. 

However, during that first season, The Foxes finished in a respectable 10th place in the Premier League with their powerful young striker Emile Heskey leading the goalscoring charts for them with 10 goals in that campaign. 

In the 1998-1999 season, Robbie's second with The Foxes, they again finished 10th place with Tony Cottee this time leading the goalscorers charts... equalling the 10 league goals scored by Heskey previously! They pushed on and reached the final of the League Cup, but lost in the final to Tottenham Hotspurs after midfielder Allan Neilsen bagged a 90th-minute goal. In his first two seasons, Robbie had played in 69 league games, scoring three times. He kept on improving in his development to become a top player. 

After the disappointment of losing out on the league cup in 1999, Leicester fought back with willing determination and managed to reach the final again just 12 months later, where they would find themselves up against Tranmere Rovers this time. This was a match they were expected to win, against a club of a much lower reputation. Tranmere were managed at the time by Scouse icon John Aldridge and they themselves were more than likely there to just enjoy the experience of playing in a Wembley final. Scottish centre-half Matt Elliot scored two goals including an 81st-minute winner following Tranmere's equaliser on the 77th minute. It was another great season overall for Leicester and Savage, the team had improved on their previous two seasons and jumped from 10th to 8th, Robbie played in 35 league games and scored one goal. 

Leicester celebrating the League Cup win in 2000


At the end of the 2000-01 season, Robbie would go on to win Leicester City's official Player of the Year Award. They reached the FA Cup quarter-final this season and dropped down 5 places in the league. From 8th to 13th - finishing the season with 48 points from 14 wins and 6 draws.

The following season, once again - Robbie was voted as player of the year for the second consecutive time but it was unimpressive overall for the team as they finished rock bottom in the league. With just 5 wins and 13 draws all season long during the 2001-02 campaign - Leicester had to suffer the reality of playing Division 1 football the next year after a 20th place finish. Robbie was one who simply didn't want to accept it, and he fleed the club to stay in the league and went on to play for Birmingham City after an impressive five years at a club he played exceptionally well for.  

Birmingham City

Robbie wasn't far from reaching 28 at the time of his transfer deal to Birmingham, which amounted to a figure of £1.25M. At this age, it's right to assume he was at the peak of his abilities and many have wondered whether or not he could be in contention to play for one of the bigger clubs in the league. Birmingham City had just been promoted as Leicester were relegated. Instead of trying to maintain comfortable mid-table finishes with The Foxes, he again had to think about the aim of trying to avoid the drop. It was interesting to see if Robbie could continue to play in the Premier League at the standard he was doing in the years previously. 

Robbie signing for Birmingham


Remarkably, the determined midfielder had received another accolade, he was voted as the clubs player of the year in his first season. Following his two consecutive awards at Leicester, he had now done this collectively for three years running where he would be voted as the best player in a season for a squad. Robbie had helped them finish in a comfortable 13th place in the league - 10th the season after and 12th in his final season. 

Blackburn Rovers 




According to Robbie himself he joined Blackburn from Birmingham so that he could live closer to his parents in Wrexham. However, looking at a map - the two places are approximately the same distance away from his hometown! Blackburn at the time did though boast a slightly better squad and of course, had won the league 10 years before he signed and had their ambitions set on reaching a UEFA cup place as well as winning a trophy - they did reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup, narrowly missing out on playing in the final in the 2004-05 season and the 2006-07 season losing to Arsenal and Chelsea respectively. 

It was during his time at Blackburn Rovers that he announced his retirement from international football. The Welshman had a bust-up with head coach John Toshack. He managed to gain 39 caps for his country and scored 2 goals. (1995-2004)

The Welsh Becks

His time at Blackburn Rovers was considered as a good stint. They managed to comfortably survive getting relegated throughout, as well as partaking in the UEFA Cup. At the end of his Blackburn days, as he was reaching his mid 30's, the physical side of his game was slowly declining and he went on to search for more first-team football. He was linked to play for Sunderland but went on to play for Derby County in 2008. 

Derby County

In the 2007-08 season, Derby County famously finished bottom of the league with a record low amount of points in an entire Premier League season. In the 38 games played, they won only 1 game and managed to draw just 8 times - losing 29 games in total - a miserable season for Derby who brought Savage in halfway through in January to help them improve. Robbie stayed with the club following the relegation and stayed until 2011 when he eventually retired. 

Skipper wearing the armband at County


Decent at going forward, brilliant in the art of defense, he may not have been the most fluorescent of midfielders; he didn't go on to win a gazillion trophies at Machester United following his apprenticeship there but Robbie was an incredible character in the dressing room and was well respected at all clubs he played for. 

Punditry Career

Even during his days playing football, Robbie has always found himself in the media spotlight, even appearing on the UK version of MTV cribs! The Welsh 'Becks' was always going to find a pathway of media broadcasting after his boots were up for good. He has worked for ESPN, BT Sport, William Hill as an official ambassador and perhaps most famously of all as the host of 606, a BBC radio show that gathers the opinions and reactions of supporters following results in the big weekend games. Robbie is known to be very direct, open and honest and is not afraid to let a guest on the show know if he is talking nonsense, leading to some hilarious footage loved by listeners of the show.

Robbie in the studio at BBC Radio 5


Honours

Manchester United

Leicester City


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