View source for Tony Daley

{{Short description|English footballer (born 1967)}}
{{for|the Australian rugby union player|Tony Daly}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2010}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Tony Daley
| image = 
| fullname = Anthony Mark Daley<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|4617|accessdate=17 April 2020}}</ref>
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/50 50] |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/50}}</ref>
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1967|10|18|df=y}}<ref name=Hugman/>
| birth_place = [[Birmingham]],<ref name=Hugman/> England
| position = [[Midfielder#Winger|Winger]]
| youthyears1=
| youthclubs1=
| years1 = 1985–1994 | clubs1 = [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] | caps1 = 233 | goals1 = 31
| years2 = 1994–1998 | clubs2 = [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] | caps2 = 21 | goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1998–1999 | clubs3 = [[Watford F.C.|Watford]] | caps3 = 12 | goals3 = 1
| years4 = 1999 | clubs4 = [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] | caps4 = 7 | goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1999–2002 | clubs5 = [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]] | caps5 = 67 | goals5 = 6
| totalcaps = 340 |  totalgoals = 41
| nationalyears1 = 1985–1986 | nationalteam1 = [[England national under-18 football team|England Youth]]    | nationalcaps1 = 6  | nationalgoals1 = 2
| nationalyears2 = 1990 | nationalteam2 = [[England B national football team|England B]] | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1991–1992 | nationalteam3 = [[England national football team|England]] | nationalcaps3 = 7 | nationalgoals3 = 0
}}
'''Anthony Mark Daley''' (born 18 October 1967) is an English former [[association football|footballer]], who made the vast majority of his appearances for [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]], playing mainly as a [[Midfielder#Winger|winger]], well known for his pace.

==Playing career==

Daley joined hometown club [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] as an apprentice and made his senior debut, aged 17, on 20 April 1985 in a 2–0 defeat at [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]. He played for the Midlands club for ten seasons, nine at the highest level, and finished a runner-up in both the [[1989–90 in English football#First Division 2|1989–90]] and [[FA Premier League 1992-93#Final league table|1992–93]] league championships. He also played in their [[1994 Football League Cup final|1994 League Cup final]] triumph where they defeated [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]].

During this period, Daley was [[Cap (sport)|capped]] seven times for [[England national football team|England]] between 1991 and 1992 under former club manager [[Graham Taylor (football manager)|Graham Taylor]]. He made his full debut as a substitute in a vital 1–1 draw in [[Poland national football team|Poland]] on 13 November 1991 that saw England qualify for [[UEFA Euro 1992|1992 European Championships]] in Sweden. He was subsequently chosen for the squad at the tournament and played in two of England's three games there, but after the tournament he never played for England again.

He nearly got onto the scoresheet in the [[1994 Football League Cup final]] against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], but his shot hit the post and was rebounded by [[Dalian Atkinson]], only for [[Andrei Kanchelskis]] to block it with a handball for which he was sent off. [[Dean Saunders]] converted the penalty and put Villa 3–1 ahead, a scoreline which formed the final result and gave Villa a record fifth League Cup win. Daley collected what would be the only major trophy of his career.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzfRNhLD6EI]

Daley linked up with Graham Taylor again as he finally left [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] for [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] in July 1994 for £1.25 million, but he was plagued with injuries and was only able to manage 21 appearances for the club in four seasons.

He was signed once more by Graham Taylor, now at [[Watford F.C.|Watford]], in July 1998, on a free transfer. His injury woes continued though and he struggled to get fit, missing the final months as the club won promotion to the [[Premier League]], Daley scoring once in the process against Birmingham City.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-daley-helps-watford-rise-to-the-occasion-1085531.html
|title=Daley helps Watford rise to the occasion
|work=[[The Independent]]
|date=5 April 1999 |access-date=16 February 2010
| location=London
| first=Pete
| last=Lansley}}</ref> He was given a free transfer to newly promoted [[Football League First Division|Division 1]] side [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] in June 1999, and after a six-month spell there, he finished his playing career with [[Football Conference|Conference]] side [[Forest Green Rovers]], hanging up his boots in July 2002.

Daley's perhaps best known goal came in a First Division game against Everton at Villa Park on 22 October 1988. A spectacular flying volley in a 2–0 win for Villa, the goal quickly – thanks in no small part to the popular football video series 'Goals Galore' – became known as 'Daley's Dazzler' and is also remembered for full-back [[Chris Price (footballer)|Chris Price]] (who supplied the cross) having a little celebration all of his own.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}}

==Fitness coaching==
Upon finishing his career in professional football due to persistent injury, Daley completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports and Exercise Science at [[Coventry University]]. During this time, he also remained at [[Forest Green Rovers]] as their fitness coach and worked with youth players at Aston Villa's academy.

Following his studies, he joined [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] as a fitness and conditioning coach in June 2003 but later quit his post following a row with new manager [[Bryan Robson]] on 30 August 2007. He was not out of work for long as he joined former club [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]] in the same role the following month. He remained at Wolves in this role for almost ten years before leaving in May 2017.<ref name="Wolves exit">{{cite web |url=http://www.wolves.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/news-paul-lambert-departs-wolves-3726604.aspx|title= Paul Lambert departs Wolves |publisher=Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C |date=30 May 2017}}</ref>

In 1995, Daley was the subject of a half-hour documentary. The series ''[[Respect (TV series)|Respect]]'' was produced and directed by [[Pogus Caesar]] for [[Carlton TV]], and featured the likes of [[Dwight Yorke]], [[John Barnes (footballer)|John Barnes]] and [[Ron Atkinson]] all paying tribute to the winger.

In March 2020, Daley joined the Lion's Den Gym, Bassett's Pole, as a personal trainer.

==Honours==
'''Aston Villa'''
*[[Football League Cup]]: [[1993–94 Football League Cup|1993–94]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-cocacola-cup-final-saunders-destroys-united-s-dream-aston-villa-s-master-plan-puts-paid-to-ferguson-s-malfunctioning-big-red-machine-as-kanchelskis-is-dismissed-1432264.html |title=Football / Coca-Cola Cup Final: Saunders destroys United's dream: Aston Villa's master plan puts paid to Ferguson's malfunctioning Big Red Machine as Kanchelskis is dismissed |first=Joe |last=Lovejoy |website=The Independent |date=27 March 1994 |access-date=16 April 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Soccerbase}}
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=531 Tony Daley Football Heroes.net]
* [http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamBlack/PlyrsBlckMtchManagers/PlyrsBlackMtchTaylorG.html Black Players selected by Graham Taylor]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article6945792.ece Sunday Times article 6 December, 2009]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* [http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/334.html Player profile] at [http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/ Aston Villa Players Database]

{{England squad UEFA Euro 1992}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daley, Tony}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:England men's international footballers]]
[[Category:England men's B international footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Aston Villa F.C. players]]
[[Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Watford F.C. players]]
[[Category:Walsall F.C. players]]
[[Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1992 players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:Alumni of Coventry University]]
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. non-playing staff]]