Mike Sheron

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mike Sheron

| image =

| caption = Sheron pictured in 2013

| fullname = Michael Nigel Sheron

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|1|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, England

| height =

| position = Striker

| currentclub = Blackburn Rovers
(Under 23s head coach)

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Manchester City

| years1 = 1990–1994

| clubs1 = Manchester City

| caps1 = 100

| goals1 = 24

| years2 = 1991

| clubs2 = → Bury (loan)

| caps2 = 5

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 1994–1995

| clubs3 = Norwich City

| caps3 = 28

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 1995–1997

| clubs4 = Stoke City

| caps4 = 69

| goals4 = 34

| years5 = 1997–1999

| clubs5 = Queens Park Rangers

| caps5 = 63

| goals5 = 19

| years6 = 1999–2003

| clubs6 = Barnsley

| caps6 = 152

| goals6 = 33

| years7 = 2003–2004

| clubs7 = Blackpool

| caps7 = 38

| goals7 = 8

| years8 = 2004–2005

| clubs8 = Macclesfield Town

| caps8 = 26

| goals8 = 3

| years9 = 2005

| clubs9 = Shrewsbury Town

| caps9 = 7

| goals9 = 2

| years10 = 2005

| clubs10 = Warrington Town

| caps10 = 2

| goals10 = 0

| totalcaps = 490

| totalgoals = 126

| nationalyears1 = 1992–1993

| nationalteam1 = England U21

| nationalcaps1 = 16

| nationalgoals1 = 4

}}

Michael Nigel Sheron (born 11 January 1972) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who is under-23s head coach at Blackburn Rovers.

As a player, he was a striker who notably played in the Premier League for Manchester City and Norwich City. He also played in the Football League for Bury, Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, Barnsley, Blackpool, Macclesfield Town and Shrewsbury Town.{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=7241 |title=Mike Sheron |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=3 December 2009}} Sheron was capped by England at under-21 level.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-u21-intres86.html |title=England – U-21 International Results 1986–1995 – Details |date=10 January 2004 |first=Barrie |last=Courtney |accessdate=3 December 2009 |url-status=live |website=RSSSF |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125164210/http://rsssf.com/tablese/eng-u21-intres86.html |archivedate=25 January 2010 }}

Career

Sheron started his career with Manchester City, whom he joined as a schoolboy. His first league appearance came in March 1991 on loan at Bury, for whom he played five times. His Manchester City debut came in the 1991–92 season in a match against Everton. Sheron a total of 29 appearances over the course of the season, scoring seven times. The majority of Sheron's Manchester City appearances were in a striking partnership with Niall Quinn, particularly in the 1992–93 season when Sheron scored 14 goals. Following the arrival of Paul Walsh and Uwe Rösler in March 1994, Sheron's first team opportunities become limited, and in August 1994 he joined Norwich City for a fee of £1,000,000.{{cite book |title=Everything Under the Blue Moon |first=David |last=Clayton |publisher=Mainstream Publishing |year=2002 |page=179 |isbn=1-84018-687-9}} His time at Norwich was not a happy one. Struggling with injuries, Sheron scored just two league goals for Norwich, and moved to Stoke City in October 1995 in a player exchange deal that took Keith Scott to Carrow Road.{{cite web |url=http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/sheron.htm |title=Mike Sheron |work=Flown From The Nest |publisher=Steve Whitlam |accessdate=3 December 2009}} Sheron performed considerably better for Stoke, scoring 39 goals in 71 starts, including a brace in the last ever Potteries derby match at the Victoria Ground.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-sheron-casts-veil-over-rudges-hopes-1268386.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-sheron-casts-veil-over-rudges-hopes-1268386.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Sheron casts veil over Rudge's hopes |first=Phil |last=Shaw |newspaper=The Independent |date=21 April 1997 |accessdate=3 December 2009}}

His success at Stoke prompted Queens Park Rangers to pay £2.75 million for his services. After 18 months at QPR, the club were facing financial difficulties, and as one of the highest wage earners, Sheron was sold to Barnsley for £1.5 million.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/the-crazy-world-of-qpr-loftus-road-heads-for-meltdown-436368.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/the-crazy-world-of-qpr-loftus-road-heads-for-meltdown-436368.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The crazy world of QPR: Loftus Road heads for meltdown |first=Jasper |last=Gerard |newspaper=The Independent |date=15 February 2007 |accessdate=3 December 2009}}{{cite news |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-5229074.html |title=Why Sheron just had to go |newspaper=Evening Standard |date=15 February 2007 |accessdate=3 December 2009}}{{dl|date=October 2023}} Sheron spent four years at Barnsley, making more appearances for them than for any of his other clubs.

Towards the end of his playing career Sheron had short spells at several lower division clubs, playing for Blackpool, Macclesfield and Shrewsbury. At Blackpool he started the final as Blackpool won the 2003–04 Football League Trophy.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3517244.stm |title=Blackpool 2-0 Southend |publisher=BBC |date=21 March 2004 |accessdate=27 October 2018}}

After leaving Shrewsbury, Sheron signed for Warrington Town of the Northern Premier League who he briefly played for before hanging up his boots to join the club's coaching staff.{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/s/179/179331_sheron_on_the_move.html |title=Sheron on the move |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=26 October 2005 |accessdate=3 December 2009}}{{cite news |url=https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/5335030.final-whistle-blows-on-sherons-playing-career/|title=Final Whistle Blows on Sheron's Playing Career |newspaper=Warrington Guardian |date=25 November 2005 |accessdate=18 November 2023 }}

Coaching career

Sheron started his coaching career with Manchester City's Academy before moving to Bury where he served as Youth Team manager for three years.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bury/6727927.stm |title=Sheron is new Shakers youth boss |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 June 2007 |accessdate=3 December 2009}} After a year working with Oldham Athletic, Sheron joined the coaching staff at Liverpool's Academy before making the switch to Rotherham United as academy head coach.{{cite web|title=Mike Sheron appointed Rotherham academy head coach|url=http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Mike-Sheron-appointed-Rotherham/story-19806209-detail/story.html|website=Stoke Sentinel|accessdate=11 December 2014}} In March 2015 he joined Blackburn Rovers as their Lead Youth Development Coach.{{cite web|title=Where is Mike Sheron now?|date=17 June 2015 |url=http://www.premierleagueheroes.com/mike-sheron/}} In August 2019 Sheron was appointed head coach for Blackburn Rovers under 18s{{Cite news |title=Billy Barr named under 23s boss |url=https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/august/billy-barr-named-under-23s-boss/ |publisher=Blackburn Rovers Official Site|date=19 August 2019}}

Personal life

Sheron is the uncle of Hartlepool United midfielder Nathan Sheron.https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/stoke-graham-kavanagh-arsenal-chelsea-3970661, Better prospect than me at that age' - Ex-Stoke City star on son's link with Arsenal and Chelsea, Stoke Sentinel, 21 March 2020

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other{{efn\|Appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs, Full Members Cup}} !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}}
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="5"\|Manchester City \|1990–91 \|First Division \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1991–92 \|First Division \|29	7	1	0	3	1	1	0	34	8
1992–93 \|Premier League \|38	11	5	3	2	0	0	0	46	14
1993–94 \|Premier League \|33	6	2	0	5	0	0	0	40	6
colspan="2"\|Total !100	24	8	3	10	1	1	0	119	28
Bury (loan) \|1990–91 \|Third Division \|5	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	7	1
rowspan="3"\|Norwich City \|1994–95 \|Premier League \|21	1	4	2	4	1	0	0	29	4
1995–96 \|First Division \|7	1	0	0	2	2	0	0	9	3
colspan="2"\|Total !28	2	4	2	6	3	0	0	38	7
rowspan="3"\|Stoke City \|1995–96 \|First Division \|28	15	0	0	0	0	2	0	30	15
1996–97 \|First Division \|41	19	1	0	4	5	0	0	46	24
colspan="2"\|Total !69	34	1	0	4	5	2	0	76	39
rowspan="3"\|Queens Park Rangers \|1997–98 \|First Division \|40	11	2	0	0	0	0	0	42	11
1998–99 \|First Division \|23	8	0	0	4	1	0	0	27	9
colspan="2"\|Total !63	19	2	0	4	1	0	0	69	20
rowspan="6"\|Barnsley \|1998–99 \|First Division \|15	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	17	2
1999–2000 \|First Division \|36	9	1	0	4	2	0	0	41	12
2000–01 \|First Division \|34	1	1	0	5	5	0	0	40	6
2001–02 \|First Division \|33	12	2	0	2	0	0	0	37	12
2002–03 \|Second Division \|34	9	1	0	1	0	1	0	37	9
colspan="2"\|Total !152	33	7	0	12	7	1	0	172	34
Blackpool \|2003–04 \|Second Division \|38	8	2	0	3	0	7	3	50	11
Macclesfield Town \|2004–05 \|League Two \|26	3	3	1	1	0	3	0	33	4
Shrewsbury Town \|2004–05 \|League Two \|7	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	2
colspan="3"\|Career total !488	126	27	6	40	17	16	3	570	152

Honours

Blackpool

Football League Trophy: 2003–04{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3517244.stm |title=Blackpool 2–0 Southend |website=BBC Sport |date=21 March 2004 |access-date=17 March 2024}}

Individual