Eddie Niedzwiecki

Starting his playing career with Wrexham at the age of 14, Niedzwiecki won the Third Division title of 1978 with the side. He stayed with the club until the summer of 1983, when he was signed for Chelsea by former Wrexham manager, John Neal. He quickly won a regular place in the Chelsea starting line-up and was impressive as the side won the Second Division title in his first season. He also earned two caps for Wales during his playing career.

Niedzwiecki was forced to retire aged 28, after battling numerous injuries. He later became a coach at Chelsea, eventually leaving the club in November 2000 after the arrival of Claudio Ranieri. Niedzwiecki then linked up shortly after with Arsenal,[https://archive.today/20130624211338/http://origin-www.chelseafc.com/page/Legends_Details/0,,10268~2598976,00.html "Eddie Niedzwiecki"], Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 31 May 2012. succeeding the late George Armstrong as reserve team coach. He also worked as a part-time coach with Wales, under new manager Mark Hughes during this time. In September 2004, he joined Blackburn Rovers, again under Hughes, as a first-team coach. When Hughes left for Manchester City four years later, he was among several at Blackburn who followed him to Manchester.

However, on 19 December 2009 Hughes and his backroom staff were relieved of their duties at the Sky Blues. Niedzwiecki once again linked up as a coach with Hughes in 2010 at Fulham. He left the club in the summer of 2011 alongside Hughes. In 2012, he joined Queens Park Rangers as a member of the coaching staff, after Hughes was appointed as the side's manager. He together with Mark Bowen were briefly appointed as joint caretaker managers after Hughes' dismissal in November 2012.{{cite news|last=Jurejko|first=Jonathan|title= Man United 3–1 QPR|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20374677|work=BBC Sport|access-date=27 November 2014|date=24 November 2012}} Niedzwiecki then went on to join up with Hughes at Stoke City in June 2013.{{cite web|title=Hughes Reunited With Key Men|url=http://www.stokecityfc.com/news/article/bowen-niedzwiecki-874596.aspx?|publisher=Stoke City F.C.|date=20 June 2013|access-date=20 June 2013}} He left Stoke in January 2018.{{cite web|title=First team coach leaves bet365 Stadium|url=http://www.stokecityfc.com/news/club-statement-15|publisher=Stoke City F.C.|access-date=17 January 2018}}

In March 2018, he was appointed assistant first-team coach at Southampton, following the appointment of Hughes as manager.{{cite web|title=In Profile: Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki|url=https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-03-15/in-profile-mark-bowen-eddie-niedzwiecki-southampton-backroom-staff|publisher=Southampton F.C.|access-date=16 March 2018|date=15 March 2018|archive-date=17 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317102047/https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-03-15/in-profile-mark-bowen-eddie-niedzwiecki-southampton-backroom-staff|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Eddie Niedzwiecki Biography|url=https://southamptonfc.com/first-team/eddie-niedzwiecki|publisher=Southampton F.C.|access-date=16 March 2018|date=15 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317102139/https://southamptonfc.com/first-team/eddie-niedzwiecki|archive-date=17 March 2018|url-status=dead}} In May 2018, after Southampton's Premier League status for the following season was confirmed, it was announced that Niedzwiecki had signed a new long-term contract.{{Cite web | title = Mark Hughes: Southampton boss signs new three-year contract | work = BBC Sport | date = 25 May 2018 | access-date = 28 May 2018 | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44262585}} On 3 December 2018, he was dismissed following the sacking of Mark Hughes.{{Cite web |title=Mark Hughes: Southampton sack manager after eight months in charge |work=BBC Sport |date=3 December 2018 |access-date=3 December 2018 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46091577}}

In October 2019, Niedzwiecki was pictured with new Reading F.C. boss Mark Bowen.

In March 2022, following Bowen's appointment at AFC Wimbledon, Niedzwiecki was appointed assistant manager of the League One club.{{cite web|url=https://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/2022/march/new-first-team-manager-appointed/|title=New first-team manager appointed|website=www.afcwimbledon.co.uk|date=30 March 2022}} He left the club in the summer, alongside manager Bowen.{{cite web | url=https://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/2022/may/mark-bowen-departs-for-a-new-role-elsewhere/ | title=Mark Bowen departs for a new role elsewhere }}

In June 2022, he returned to Reading, alongside Bowen, taking on the role of Director of Player Development.{{cite web|url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2022/june/23/eddie-niedzwiecki-returns-to-the-royals-as-director-of-player-development/|title=EDDIE NIEDZWIECKI RETURNS TO THE ROYALS AS DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT|website=www.readingfc.co.uk|date=23 June 2022|accessdate=5 January 2024}} He departed the club in January 2024 due to a restructuring of the club's coaching staff on account of financial difficulties.{{cite web|url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/january/05/club-statement-sparkes-and-niedzwiecki-depart-the-royals/|title=SPARKES AND NIEDZWIECKI DEPART THE ROYALS|website=www.readingfc.co.uk|date=5 January 2024|accessdate=5 January 2024}}

• Sourced from {{ENFA}}

!colspan="2"|Total

|-

!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

|-

|rowspan="7"|Wrexham

|1977–78

|Third Division

|15||0||1||0||0||0||1||0||17||0

|-

|1978–79

|Second Division

|6||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||6||0

|-

|1979–80

|Second Division

|6||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||8||0

|-

|1980–81

|Second Division

|0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0

|-

|1981–82

|Second Division

|42||0||4||0||5||0||0||0||51||0

|-

|1982–83

|Third Division

|42||0||2||0||2||0||0||0||46||0

|-

!colspan="2"|Total

!111!!0!!7!!0!!9!!0!!1!!0!!128!!0

|-

|rowspan="6"|Chelsea

|1983–84

|Second Division

|42||0||1||0||5||0||0||0||48||0

|-

|1984–85

|First Division

|40||0||3||0||9||0||0||0||52||0

|-

|1985–86

|First Division

|30||0||2||0||8||0||5||0||45||0

|-

|1986–87

|First Division

|10||0||2||0||1||0||1||0||14||0

|-

|1987–88

|First Division

|14||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||16||0

|-

!colspan="2"|Total

!136!!0!!8!!0!!25!!0!!6!!0!!175!!0

|-

!colspan="3"|Career Total

!247!!0!!15!!0!!34!!0!!7!!0!!303!!0

|}

{{refbegin}}

:A. {{note|Other}} The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Full Members Cup.

{{refend}}

Wrexham

• Football League Third Division champions: 1977–78

Chelsea

• Football League Second Division champions: 1983–84

{{reflist}}

• {{NFT player|27659}}
• {{WorldFootball.net|eddie-niedzwiecki}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Niedzwiecki, Eddie}}

Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Bangor, Gwynedd

Category:Welsh people of Polish descent

Category:Welsh men's footballers

Category:Men's association football goalkeepers

Category:Wrexham A.F.C. players

Category:Chelsea F.C. players

Category:Wales men's international footballers

Category:Arsenal F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Chelsea F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Southampton F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Wales national football team non-playing staff

Category:Stoke City F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Manchester City F.C. non-playing staff

Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers

Category:Stoke City F.C. managers

Category:Welsh football managers

Category:Reading F.C. non-playing staff

Category:AFC Wimbledon non-playing staff

Category:English Football League players