Gary Pallister Biography

Biography, Man Utd, Gary Pallister - Gary Andrew Pallister, born 30 June 1965 in Ramsgate, Kent. He is an English former footballer, most noted for his nine year spell at Manchester United from 1989 until 1998. He was also capped 22 times by England between 1988 and 1996.

Pallister footballing career started at non-league Billingham Town, but at the age of 19, he joined his boyhood heroes Middlesbrough as a defender, making 156 League appearances over nearly five seasons, with a seven-game loan spell at Darlington in 1985, before he moved to Man Utd on 29 August 1989 for £2.3 million. It was the national record for a defender at the time, as well as being the highest fee between British clubs and the second highest fee to be paid by a British club second only to Ian Rush's return to Liverpool from Juventus a year earlier.

During his time at Manchester United, Pallister won the FA Cup in 1990, 1994 and 1996, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, Football League Cup in 1992, Premier League title in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997. He was also part of the team that came second in the league in 1992, 1995 and 1998, as well as the team that finished runners-up in the League Cup in 1991 and 1994 and the FA Cup in 1995. By the time of his departure from Old Trafford after nine years, he was the only player to have collected winner's medals in all of the club's successes under Alex Ferguson's management, and second only to Brian McClair (who left United at the same time) he was the club's longest serving player.

Already one of the most respected defenders in the English game, he had the rare achievement of representing the English national side before appearing in the top flight, in early 1988 when still playing in the Second Division for Middlesbrough. Later that year he helped Boro win their second successive promotion and reach the First Division just two years after they almost went out of business, but was unable to keep them there and they were relegated on the final day of the 1988-89 season. As one of the highest regarded defenders in England, his days at Ayresome Park were looking numbered as soon as Boro were relegated but he did begin the 1989-90 season still at the club in the Second Division before his move to United was completed.

Although it was his excellent defensive displays that helped Manchester United to the league title along with Steve Bruce at the heart of the defence, forming one of the best central defensive partnerships in the club's history, The final season Pallister played for Manchester United was the 1997–98 season in which Man United came second in the league table, losing by one point to Arsenal.

Pallister also scored some crucial goals for United. He scored an equaliser in extra time against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park, forcing a replay which United won and in which Pallister made the scoresheet once again. In April 1997, he scored twice against Liverpool in a match billed the "title decider" which ended in a 3-1 United win at Anfield. These would be the last two goals he scored for the club, who went on to win their fourth league title in four seasons shortly afterwards.

Transferred back to Middlesbrough for £2.5million (actually more than he had cost Man United nine years earlier) in July 1998 (his departure from Old Trafford at least partly prompted by United's acquisition of Jaap Stam), Pallister retired from playing due to a succession of injuries on 4 July 2001, at the age of 36, just three weeks after the appointment of Steve McClaren as manager following the departure of Bryan Robson. He has since become a regular TV football pundit, appearing on the BBC and ITV.

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