Derek Bryan (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Derek Bryan

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Derek Kirk Bryan{{Hugman|2545|accessdate=13 May 2016}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|11|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hammersmith, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}

| position = Forward

| years1 = {{0|0000}}–1996

| clubs1 = Bedfont Green

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1996–1997

| clubs2 = Hampton

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1997–2002

| clubs3 = Brentford

| caps3 = 55

| goals3 = 9

| years4 = 2002

| clubs4 = Gravesend & Northfleet

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2002

| clubs5 = Welling United

| caps5 = 9

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2002

| clubs6 = Walton & Hersham

| caps6 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2002–2003

| clubs7 = Hampton & Richmond Borough

| caps7 = 0

| goals7 = 0

}}

Derek Kirk Bryan (born 11 November 1974) is an English retired footballer, best remembered for his five-season spell in the Football League with Brentford. Described as having "lightning pace and an eye for goal",{{Cite web |title=Player Profile |url=http://www.oldnonleaguedaily.com/teams/guidetoground.php?mode=playershow&pid=12681&team_id=78&league_id=252 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225055405/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/teams/guidetoground.php?mode=playershow&pid=12681&team_id=78&league_id=252 |archive-date=25 December 2013 |access-date=30 June 2014 |website=NonLeagueDaily.com}} his career was effectively ended by knee injuries suffered in January 2000.

Playing career

= Early years =

Bryan grew up in Hammersmith, London and began his career at Combined Counties League Premier Division club Bedfont Green.{{Cite web |title=Combined Counties Previous Tables |url=http://www.ccleague.co.uk/archive/prevtab.htm |access-date=30 June 2014 |publisher=Ccleague.co.uk}} He joined Isthmian League Second Division club Hampton on 1 August 1996.{{Soccerbase}}

= Brentford =

Bryan signed for Second Division club Brentford on 29 August 1997 in a £50,000 deal. He made his debut for the club in a 0–0 league draw at Plymouth Argyle on 13 September, replacing Ryan Denys after 81 minutes. He made his first start in a 2–2 away draw with Bristol City on 3 March 1998 and capped his day by scoring the opening goal just before half time. Niggling injuries saw Bryan make just 11 appearances during the 1997–98 season,{{Soccerbase season|11683|1997|accessdate=30 June 2014}} scoring two goals and Brentford suffered relegation to the Third Division on the final day.{{Cite book |last=Croxford |first=Mark |title=The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties |last2=Lane |first2=David |last3=Waterman |first3=Greville |publisher=Legends Publishing |year=2013 |isbn=9781906796723 |location=Sunbury, Middlesex |page=421}}

Bryan had to wait until November for his first appearance of the 1998–99 season, coming on as a 56th-minute substitute for Drewe Broughton in a 2–0 defeat at Shrewsbury Town. He made 24 appearances during the 1998–99 season, scoring four goals as Brentford were promoted straight back to the Second Division as champions.{{Soccerbase season|11683|1998|accessdate=30 June 2014}}{{Fchd|id=BRENFOR|name=Brentford F.C.}} Bryan made regular appearances throughout the first half of the 1999–00 season,{{Soccerbase season|11683|1999|accessdate=13 May 2016}} until disaster struck in a Football League Trophy quarter-final tie at home to Oxford United on 25 January 2000. Bryan scored the opening goal of the 2–0 win, but in the process he damaged the medial and cruciate ligaments in both knees. The injury meant that he missed the rest of the 1999–00 season and the entire 2000–01 season.

Bryan made his comeback from the injuries after 77 minutes of a 2–1 league victory over Peterborough United on 13 October 2001, when he came on as a substitute for Ben Burgess.{{Soccerbase season|11683|2001|accessdate=30 June 2014}} It turned out to be Bryan's final appearance for the club and he was released in March 2002.{{Cite web |title=Another leaves |url=http://www.brentford-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/another_leaves_41328/index.shtml |access-date=15 June 2015 |website=brentford-mad.co.uk}} During {{frac|3|1|2}} seasons at Griffin Park, Bryan made 64 appearances and scored 10 goals.

= Gravesend & Northfleet =

Bryan signed for Isthmian League Premier Division high-fliers Gravesend & Northfleet on 11 March 2002.{{Cite web |title=March 2002 |url=http://www.espnfc.com/story/254732 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=ESPNFC.com}} He made his debut for the club on the same day in a 2–0 defeat to Purfleet and made little impact before being substituted for Che Stadhart half time.{{Cite web |date=12 March 2002 |title=Surprise defeat dents Fleet's title hopes |url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/sport/surprise-defeat-dents-fleets-ti-a2605 |access-date=30 June 2014 |publisher=Kentonline.co.uk}} It was Bryan's only appearance for the club and he and departed a matter of weeks later.

= Welling United =

Bryan joined Southern League Premier Division club Welling United in late March 2002. Bryan made 9 appearances and scored one goal during what remained of the 2001–02 season and left the club at the end of the campaign.{{Cite web |title=Player Details: Season 2001–2002 Derek Bryan |url=http://soccerfactsuk.co.uk/s2001/player_details.php?playerid=922 |url-status=dead |access-date=30 June 2014 |publisher=SoccerFacts UK |archive-date=17 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317170332/http://soccerfactsuk.co.uk/s2001/player_details.php?playerid=922 }}

= Walton & Hersham =

On 8 November 2002 Bryan signed for Isthmian League First Division South club Walton & Hersham and made an appearance in a 0–0 FA Trophy draw with Chesham United on 2 December.{{Cite web |title=Alexander Goes At Walton & Hersham |url=http://www.oldnonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7582 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317181801/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7582 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |access-date=30 June 2014 |website=NonLeagueDaily.com}}{{Cite web |title=Chesham United 0 Walton & Hersham 0 |url=http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/6280901.Chesham_United_0_Walton___Hersham_0/ |access-date=4 January 2018 |website=This Is Local London |language=en}}

= Return to Hampton & Richmond Borough =

Bryan signed for former club Hampton & Richmond Borough (then members of the Isthmian League Premier Division) on 3 December 2002. He made his debut in a 6–0 Isthmian League Cup defeat to Lewes on 11 December.{{Cite web |title=Bryan Back With The Beavers |url=http://www.oldnonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7623 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317181711/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=7623 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |access-date=30 June 2014 |website=NonLeagueDaily.com}}

Honours

Brentford

Football League Third Division: 1998–99

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|League Cup ! colspan="2" \|Other ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="5" \|Brentford \|1997–98 \|Second Division \|11 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|11 \|2
1998–99 \|Third Division \|20 \|4 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|2Appearances in Football League Trophy \|0 \|24 \|4
1999–00 \| rowspan="2" \|Second Division \|18 \|1 \|1 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|1 \|1 \|22 \|2
2001–02 \|1 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !50 !7 !3 !0 !2 !0 !3 !1 !58 !7
Welling United \|2001–02 \|Southern League Premier Division \|9 \|1 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|9 \|1
colspan="3" \|Career total !59 !8 !3 !0 !2 !0 !3 !1 !67 !8

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |FA Cup

! colspan="2" |League Cup

! colspan="2" |Other

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals