Kevin Ratcliffe

Kevin Ratcliffe ( born November 12, 1960 in Mancot ) is a former Welsh footballer. The central defender took over as captain in 1985, contrary to the European Cup Winners' Cup for Everton and also won the " Toffees " two English championships and even the FA Cup.

Sports career

Club career

Ratcliffe began in 1977 as a " trainee " in the youth department of FC Everton and within 18 months he signed the first professional contract. His debut in the "first team " was the defender on March 12, 1980 against Manchester United in a 0-0 draw and held both his defensive and themselves harmless in a duel with Joe Jordan. However, the path as a professional player turned out in the early years as stony and so Ratcliffe came only sporadically for the course - and then often unloved by him on the left -back position. After disagreements with Howard Kendall changing to Ipswich Town in 1981 seemed close already, when the then active there coach Bobby Robson signaled great interest. The following year he removed Kendall for a home game against Birmingham City completely out of the team and this then asked for a transfer release. Before a possible change, however, he succeeded in gradually, with Billy Wright to replace a competitor in the central defender position.

In technical terms, Ratcliffe also included in the further course of his career, not one of the better football players, but with a good positional play, leadership, stability in defensive behavior and above all an above-average quickness, he quickly rose in rank to the top. With Mark Higgins he made - as well as later with Derek Mountfield - in the middle of the Toffees and already in December 1983, took over the post of team leader Ratcliffe. From now on, things really took off. Ratcliffe won in 1984 with the Everton FC FA Cup. A year later, the 24 -year-old captain of both the English championship and the victory in the European Cup winners - the " triple win " prevented Manchester United, 1-0 retained the upper hand in the FA Cup final against Everton. Furthermore, European ambitions stood in the way the lock for English teams as a result of the Heysel disaster, but confirmed in 1987 Ratcliffe with his second English league title that the Toffees were among the best national team in the 1980s.

In the remaining seasons until 1992 sporting highlights were few and from the " golden team " to Ratcliffe was at the beginning of the nine- decade a midfield team. Ratcliffe returned Liverpool in the spring of 1992 the back and let in three years at FC Dundee, Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Chester City last finish his career.

Welsh national team

As a former student, youth and U -21 players Ratcliffe denied 1981-1993 a total of 59 appearances for the Welsh national team. He often led the " Dragons " as a captain on the field, but although Wales in the 1980s, a large number of above-average football players - including Ian Rush, Neville Southall and Mark Hughes - decreed remained a participation in a European or World Championship finals always out of range.

Coaching career

While he was still actively playing football, Ratcliffe collected at Chester City as an assistant to Mike Pejic first experience in coaching. In the summer of 1995 he took a lead role in the fourth division and worked for four years for the "Blues ", to disagreements with the new owner for an abrupt end to the commitment ensured .. Biggest achievements were both in the 1996/97 season reaching the play- off games to the rise and in the following year, reaching a midfielder rank despite huge financial problems and austerity measures in the club.

Next stop was from November 1999 Shrewsbury Town, another club from the fourth English top flight. Ratcliffe secured his new club on the final day of the 1999/2000 season in the league in the Football League, while his former club from Chester had to leave the league composite simultaneously. The term of office in Shrewsbury lasted nearly four years and ended with a big disappointment. With a team that still had his old club and first division club from Everton off in January 2003 in the FA Cup, got the " Shrews " at the end of the 2002/03 season in the Football Conference from.

To this day, Ratcliffe joined any other professional club more than head coach in appearance. Instead, he began to work in the sports department of the radio station BBC Wales.

Achievements

  • European Cup Winners' Cup: 1985
  • English Championship: 1985, 1987
  • English Cup: 1984
  • Charity Shield: 1984, 1985, 1986 ( shared ), 1987
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