Sean Parrish

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sean Parrish

| image =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|3|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Wrexham, Wales

| height = {{convert|1.78|m|order=flip}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/players/sean-parrish-4988/|title=Sean Parrish|publisher=AFS Enterprises|website=11v11.com|accessdate=9 April 2021}}

| currentclub = Shrewsbury Town (first-team coach)

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1989–1992

| years2 = 1992–1994

| years3 = 1994–1996

| years4 = 1996–2000

| years5 = 2000–2002

| years6 = 2002–2004

| years7 = 2004–2006

| clubs1 = Shrewsbury Town

| clubs2 = Telford United

| clubs3 = Doncaster Rovers

| clubs4 = Northampton Town

| clubs5 = Chesterfield

| clubs6 = Kidderminster Harriers

| clubs7 = AFC Telford United

| caps1 = 3

| caps2 = 90

| caps3 = 66

| caps4 = 108

| caps5 = 55

| caps6 = 56

| caps7 = 79

| goals1 = 1

| goals2 = 7

| goals3 = 8

| goals4 = 42

| goals5 = 11

| goals6 = 8

| goals7 = 7

| manageryears1 = 2006

| manageryears2 = 2010–?

| manageryears3 = 2012–2017

| manageryears4 = 2017–2018

| manageryears5 = 2018–2023

| manageryears6 = 2023–

| manageryears7 = 2024

| managerclubs1 = AFC Telford United (caretaker manager)

| managerclubs2 = Northampton Town (academy manager)

| managerclubs3 = Wolverhampton Wanderers (youth coach)

| managerclubs4 = AFC Telford United (assistant manager)

| managerclubs5 = Wolverhampton Wanderers U23 (assistant)

| managerclubs6 = Shrewsbury Town (first-team coach)

| managerclubs7 = Shrewsbury Town (caretaker)

| totalcaps = 457

| totalgoals = 84

}}

Sean Parrish (born 14 March 1972) is a Welsh footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the first-team coach at Shrewsbury Town.

He played in the Football League for Shrewsbury Town, Doncaster Rovers, Northampton Town, Chesterfield and Kidderminster Harriers. He won promotion from the fourth tier with Northampton in 1997 and Chesterfield in 2001.

As a coach, Parrish held positions at his former clubs Shrewsbury Town and AFC Telford United, including as caretaker manager at both. He also worked for several years in the youth ranks of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Playing career

Parrish began his career at Shrewsbury Town but played only a handful of games before joining non-league club Telford United. He moved to Doncaster Rovers in 1994 before joining Northampton Town two years later, for a fee of £35,000.{{cite news |title=SEAN PARRISH - Midfield. 14/3/72. 5ft 10ins. Squad number 14. |url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/7586960.sean-parrish-midfield-14372-5ft-10ins-squad-number-14/ |access-date=13 November 2024 |work=Worcester News |date=17 November 2003}}

On 11 May 1997, Parrish scored the only goal of a Division Three play-off semi-final away to Cardiff City, advancing down the centre of the pitch from inside his own half before executing a lob over Steve Williams.{{cite news |last1=Todwell |first1=Jeff |title=Football: Northampton are inspired by Parrish |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-northampton-are-inspired-by-parrish-1261065.html |access-date=14 November 2024 |work=The Independent |date=11 May 1997}} Thirteen days later he played in the final, won by a single goal against another Welsh club Swansea City. He was part of the team that reached the Division Two play-off final the following season.

He then joined Chesterfield in 2000, where he won promotion in his first season but was limited by injury in his second. In 2002, he turned down a one-year extension at the Spireites to join Kidderminster Harriers on a two-year deal as manager Ian Britton's first signing.

Parrish joined the reformed AFC Telford United in 2004. In his first season back at the New Bucks Head, he scored the winning goal against Kendal Town in the playoff final to achieve promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division. He captained the club, made 115 appearances across both entities, and was inducted into the Bucks Hall of Fame in 2010.{{cite news |title=AFC Telford United honour for Sean Parrish |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/9023869.stm |access-date=13 November 2024 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=22 September 2010}}

Coaching career

Parrish was the caretaker manager at AFC Telford United in 2006, between the tenures of Bernard McNally and Rob Smith.{{cite news |title=Rob Smith: Time right to leave AFC Telford |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/afc-telford-united/2013/09/26/i-left-at-the-right-time-says-former-afc-telford-boss-rob-smith/ |access-date=13 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star |date=26 September 2013}} In 2010, he was academy head at Northampton Town. He returned to AFC Telford United in 2017 as assistant manager on a voluntary basis, serving under his cousin Rob Edwards.{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Lewis |title=AFC Telford bring in Sean Parrish as assistant manager |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/afc-telford-united/2017/07/12/afc-telford-bring-in-sean-parrish-as-assistant-manager/ |access-date=13 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star |date=12 July 2017}}{{cite news |title=Shrewsbury Town interim boss Sean Parrish seeks advice from cousin and Luton boss Rob Edwards |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/2024/11/08/sean-parrish-seeks-advice-from-family-and-people-he-trusts/ |access-date=9 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star |date=8 November 2024}}

After spending five years as an assistant manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers under-23 side, Parrish returned to Shrewsbury Town as first-team coach under head coach Matt Taylor in July 2023.{{cite news |last1=Drury |first1=Jonny |title=Former Wolves coach Sean Parrish joins Shrewsbury Town coaching staff |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/shrewsbury-town-fc/2023/07/28/former-wolves-coach-sean-parrish-joins-shrewsbury-town-coaching-staff/ |access-date=9 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star |date=28 July 2023}} When Paul Hurst was sacked on 3 November 2024, Parrish assumed the role of caretaker head coach for the first team; he lost away to relegation rivals Burton Albion in EFL League One and to Walsall in the EFL Trophy before the appointment of Gareth Ainsworth.{{cite news |title=Sean Parrish on another poor day for Shrewsbury Town |url=https://cdn-www.shropshirestar.mna.arcpublishing.com/sport/football/shrewsbury-town-fc/2024/11/09/sean-parrish-on-another-poor-day-for-shrewsbury-town/ |access-date=13 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star |date=9 November 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Westbury |first1=Ollie |title=Sean Parrish on Shrewsbury Town's search for a new head coach |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/2024/11/12/sean-parrish-on-shrewsbury-towns-search-for-a-new-head-coach/ |access-date=13 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star |date=12 November 2024}}

Personal life

Parrish is the cousin of fellow former footballer and coach Rob Edwards.{{cite news |date=8 November 2024 |title=Shrewsbury Town interim boss Sean Parrish seeks advice from cousin and Luton boss Rob Edwards |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/2024/11/08/sean-parrish-seeks-advice-from-family-and-people-he-trusts/ |access-date=9 November 2024 |work=Shropshire Star}}

Honours

Northampton Town

Football League Third Division play-offs: 1997{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027002521/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |archivedate=27 October 2018 |title=Football: Swansea run over by Frain |work=The Independent|location=London |first=Norman |last=Fox |date=25 May 1997 |accessdate=1 May 2020}}