Simon Royce

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Simon Royce

| image = SimonRoyce.jpg

| caption =

| fullname = Simon Ernest Royce{{Hugman|17234|access-date=12 June 2018}}

| height =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1971|9|9}}

| birth_place = Forest Gate, England

| currentclub = Leyton Orient (goalkeeping coach)

| clubnumber =

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1989–1991

| years2 = 1991–1998

| years3 = 1998–2000

| years4 = 2000–2003

| years5 = 2001–2002

| years6 = 2002

| years7 = 2002

| years8 = 2002–2003

| years9 = 2003–2005

| years10 = 2004–2005

| years11 = 2005

| years12 = 2005–2007

| years13 = 2007

| years14 = 2007–2010

| years15 = 2010–2011

| years16 = 2019–2020

| clubs1 = Heybridge Swifts

| clubs2 = Southend United

| clubs3 = Charlton Athletic

| clubs4 = Leicester City

| clubs5 = → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)

| clubs6 = → Manchester City (loan)

| clubs7 = → Queens Park Rangers (loan)

| clubs8 = → Queens Park Rangers (loan)

| clubs9 = Charlton Athletic

| clubs10 = → Luton Town (loan)

| clubs11 = → Queens Park Rangers (loan)

| clubs12 = Queens Park Rangers

| clubs13 = → Gillingham (loan)

| clubs14 = Gillingham

| clubs15 = Brentford

| clubs16 = Gillingham

| caps1 = 70

| goals1 = 0

| caps2 = 149

| goals2 = 0

| caps3 = 8

| goals3 = 0

| caps4 = 19

| goals4 = 0

| caps5 = 6

| goals5 = 0

| caps6 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| caps7 = 8

| goals7 = 0

| caps8 = 8

| goals8 = 0

| caps9 = 1

| goals9 = 0

| caps10 = 2

| goals10 = 0

| caps11 = 13

| goals11 = 0

| caps12 = 50

| goals12 = 0

| caps13 = 3

| goals13 = 0

| caps14 = 92

| goals14 = 0

| caps15 = 2

| goals15 = 0

| caps16 = 0

| goals16 = 0

| totalcaps = 431

| totalgoals = 0

}}

Simon Ernest Royce (born 9 September 1971) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who is goalkeeping coach at Leyton Orient.

As a player he was a goalkeeper who played in the Premier League for Charlton Athletic and Leicester City, although he spent the rest of his career in the Football League with notable spells at Southend United, Queens Park Rangers and Gillingham. He also played for Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City and Luton Town. Since taking up coaching he has been registered as a back-up player for both Brentford and back with Gillingham.

Playing career

Royce began his career with non-League Heybridge Swifts and after claiming the number one jersey off long standing Albie Bridge while still a teenager soon attracted the interest of many Football League sides. He joined Southend United for a £35,000 fee in October 1991 and became the first Heybridge player to be sold to a professional club.{{Cite web |url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5138744.Keeper_looks_a_good_catch/ |title=Keeper looks a good catch |website=The Argus |language=en |access-date=12 June 2018}} He spent a few seasons as understudy to Paul Sansome before finally establishing himself as the Shrimpers' first choice and a fans' favourite – he played in the successful Southend side in the mid 1990s under Barry Fry and later Peter Taylor before Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley snapped him up on a free transfer.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/5539195.Royce_ready_for_main_role_at_Charlton/?ref=arc |title=Royce ready for main role at Charlton |website=Gazette |language=en |access-date=12 June 2018}} Despite some strong performances in the Premier League, including many clean sheets resulting in setting a post-war club record, injury prevented Royce from establishing himself as regularly as he would have liked and, after the arrival of Dean Kiely, he rejoined former boss Peter Taylor at Leicester City.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/877444.stm |title=BBC SPORT {{!}} LEICESTER CITY {{!}} Taylor's new start |website=news.bbc.co.uk |access-date=12 June 2018}} Some good early form resulted with speculation about an England call-up for new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's initial squad,{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/jan/15/match.ipswichtown |title=Ipswich find the pressure points |last=Lacey |first=David |date=15 January 2001 |website=the Guardian |language=en |access-date=12 June 2018}} however this never materialised and further injuries prevented Royce from making as many first team appearances as he possibly could.

A second spell at Charlton followed before he moved into the lower tiers of the Football League with Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City (on loan), Luton Town (on loan) and Brighton & Hove Albion (on loan) again teaming up with Peter Taylor. During a Stoke City vs QPR game, he was attacked by a Stoke fan.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4496726.stm |title=Fans arrested after fight at goal |date=12 April 2005 |access-date=20 June 2007 |work=BBC News}}

Royce joined Gillingham in April 2007 as an emergency loan signing after the Kent team were left with no fit goalkeepers for their final three matches of the season,{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/6571405.stm |title=Royce plugs Gills goalkeeping gap |date=19 April 2007 |access-date=20 April 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport}} making his debut for Gillingham in the 3–2 home win over Port Vale on 21 April 2007.{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2006|access-date=12 June 2018}} In August 2007 he joined Gillingham on a free transfer,{{cite news |url=http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~1083049,00.html |title=Royce signs on the dotted line |access-date=1 August 2007 |publisher=www.gillinghamfootballclub.co.uk}} saying that he intended to see out the rest of his career at Gillingham and his performances in goal won him the Supporters' Player of the Year award for the 2007–08 season.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~1307346,00.html |title=ROYCE PUTS PEN TO PAPER {{!}} Gillingham {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723235351/http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~1307346,00.html |archive-date=23 July 2008 |access-date=1 January 2018 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~1299742,00.html |title=Gillingham {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Royce Wins Player Of The Year |website=www.gillinghamfootballclub.com |access-date=12 June 2018}} He was first choice goalkeeper at Gillingham again in the promotion season of 2008–09 and at the beginning of the following season.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~2065042,00.html |title=Gillingham {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} ROYCE BECOMES BEES COACH |website=www.gillinghamfootballclub.com |access-date=12 June 2018}}{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2008|access-date=12 June 2018}} He was forced out of the team by injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2009 and never regained his place from Alan Julian.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/8406312.stm |title=Gills' Royce injured in car crash |date=14 December 2009 |access-date=12 June 2018 |language=en-GB}}

Coaching career

His Gillingham contract expired at the end of that season and although he had been offered a goalkeeper/coach role at Gillingham, he opted in June 2010 to take up the role at Brentford,{{Cite web |url=http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~2064964,00.html |title=Brentford {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} BEES SIGN GOALKEEPING COACH |website=brentfordfc.co.uk |access-date=12 June 2018}} where he remained until the end of the 2017–18 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2018/june/goalkeeper-coaching-changes/ |title=Goalkeeper Coaching staff changes |access-date=12 June 2018 |language=en-gb}}

He returned to Gillingham as a goalkeeping coach in June 2019{{cite news |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/look-whos-back-207354/ |title=Gillingham appoint Simon Royce as their new goalkeeper coach |date=27 June 2019}} and was listed on the bench against Oxford United due to an injury to second-choice keeper Joe Walsh.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49778305 |title=Oxford United v Gillingham – BBC Sport |date=28 September 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49866683|title=Yeovil Town ball boys sent off, Garry Monk enjoys Riverside return & old boys rule|work=BBC Sport|date=28 September 2019}} He is also one of the oldest players to appear in a football video game as an active footballer when he appeared in FIFA 20, making his first appearance in the series since FIFA 11.{{cite web| url = https://www.goal.com/en-ug/news/who-is-the-worst-player-on-fifa-20/q5n1swd45h621prbpffec4f5q| title = Who is the worst player on FIFA 20? {{!}} Goal.com}} The Kent side announced in June 2020 that Royce would be released when his contract expired the following month.{{Cite web|title=Club Statement {{!}} Released and Retained List|url=https://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/news/2020/june/retained-list-2020/|access-date=2020-06-28|website=www.gillinghamfootballclub.com|language=en-gb}} In 2021 Royce joined Leyton Orient as goalkeeping coach under Kenny Jackett.{{Cite web |last=Orient |first=Leyton |title=Leyton Orient |url=https://www.leytonorient.com/players/simonroyce |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Leyton Orient}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! 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="3" \|Southend United \|1996–97{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=1996\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|First Division \|43 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|45 \|0
1997–98{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=1997\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Second Division \|37 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|4 \|0 \|1Appearance in Football League Trophy \|0 \|44 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !149 !0 !5 !0 !9 !0 !6 !0 !169 !0
rowspan="3" \|Charlton Athletic \|1998–99{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=1998\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Premier League \|8 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|8 \|0
1999–2000{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=1999\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|First Division \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|0 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !8 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 ! colspan="2" \|— !8 !0
rowspan="4" \|Leicester City \|2000–01{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2000\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Premier League \|19 \|0 \|4 \|0 \|1 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|24 \|0
2001–02 \|Premier League \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|0 \|0
2002–03{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2002\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Premier League \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|0 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !19 !0 !4 !0 !1 !0 ! colspan="2" \|— !24 !0
Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) \|2001–02 \|Second Division \|6 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|6 \|0
Manchester City (loan) \|2001–02 \|First Division \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|0 \|0
Queens Park Rangers (loan) \|2002–03 \|Second Division \|16 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2009\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|0 \|17 \|0
rowspan="3" \|Charlton Athletic \|2003–04{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2003\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Premier League \|1 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|1 \|0
2004–05{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2004\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Premier League \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|0 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !9 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 ! colspan="2" \|— !9 !0
Luton Town (loan) \|2004–05 \|League One \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|2 \|0
Queens Park Rangers (loan) \|2004–05 \|Championship \|13 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|13 \|0
rowspan="3" \|Queens Park Rangers \|2005–06{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2005\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|Championship \|30 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|32 \|0
2006–07 \|Championship \|20 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \|22 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !79 !0 !3 !0 !1 !0 ! colspan="2" \|— !83 !0
Gillingham (loan) \|2006–07 \|League One \|3 \|0 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|3 \|0
rowspan="4" \|Gillingham \|2007–08{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2007\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|League One \|33 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|36 \|0
2008–09 \|League Two \|42 \|0 \|3 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|43 appearances in Football League Two play-offs, 1 appearance in Football League Trophy \|0 \|49 \|0
2009–10 \|League One \|17 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|21 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !92 !0 !6 !0 !3 !0 !5 !0 !106 !0
rowspan="3" \|Brentford \|2010–11{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2010\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|League One \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|2 \|0
2011–12{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2011\|access-date=12 June 2018}} \|League One \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !2 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 !2 !0
rowspan="2" \|Gillingham \|2019–20{{Soccerbase season\|id=6916\|season=2019\|access-date=29 September 2019}} \|League One \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !95 !0 !6 !0 !3 !0 !5 !0 !109 !0
colspan="3" \|Career Total !363 !0 !18 !0 !14 !0 !9 !0 !404 !0

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

! 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="3" |Southend United

|1996–97{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=1996|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|First Division

|43

| colspan="2" |—

|45

1997–98{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=1997|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Second Division

|37

|1Appearance in Football League Trophy

|44

colspan="2" |Total

!149

!169

rowspan="3" |Charlton Athletic

|1998–99{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=1998|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Premier League

| colspan="2" |—

1999–2000{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=1999|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|First Division

| colspan="2" |—

colspan="2" |Total

! colspan="2" |—

rowspan="4" |Leicester City

|2000–01{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2000|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Premier League

|19

| colspan="2" |—

|24

2001–02

|Premier League

| colspan="2" |—

2002–03{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2002|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Premier League

| colspan="2" |—

colspan="2" |Total

!19

! colspan="2" |—

!24

Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)

|2001–02

|Second Division

| colspan="2" |—

Manchester City (loan)

|2001–02

|First Division

| colspan="2" |—

Queens Park Rangers (loan)

|2002–03

|Second Division

|16

|1{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2009|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|17

rowspan="3" |Charlton Athletic

|2003–04{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2003|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Premier League

| colspan="2" |—

2004–05{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2004|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Premier League

| colspan="2" |—

colspan="2" |Total

! colspan="2" |—

Luton Town (loan)

|2004–05

|League One

| colspan="2" |—

Queens Park Rangers (loan)

|2004–05

|Championship

|13

| colspan="2" |—

|13

rowspan="3" |Queens Park Rangers

|2005–06{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2005|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|Championship

|30

| colspan="2" |—

|32

2006–07

|Championship

|20

| colspan="2" |—

|22

colspan="2" |Total

!79

! colspan="2" |—

!83

Gillingham (loan)

|2006–07

|League One

| colspan="2" |—

rowspan="4" |Gillingham

|2007–08{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2007|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|League One

|33

|36

2008–09

|League Two

|42

|43 appearances in Football League Two play-offs, 1 appearance in Football League Trophy

|49

2009–10

|League One

|17

|21

colspan="2" |Total

!92

!106

rowspan="3" |Brentford

|2010–11{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2010|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|League One

2011–12{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2011|access-date=12 June 2018}}

|League One

colspan="2" |Total

rowspan="2" |Gillingham

|2019–20{{Soccerbase season|id=6916|season=2019|access-date=29 September 2019}}

|League One

colspan="2" |Total

!95

!109

colspan="3" |Career Total

!363

!18

!14

!404

Honours

Gillingham

Football League Two play-offs: 2009

Individual

Southend United Player of the Season: 1995–96{{Cite book |last=Miles |first=Peter |title=101 Interesting Facts on Southend United: Learn About the Boys From Roots Hall |publisher=Apex Publishing Limited |year=2015 |isbn=9781909143050}}
Gillingham Player of the Season: 2007–08{{Cite web |date=26 April 2008 |title=Royce crowned player of the year |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/sport/royce-crowned-player-of-the-year-a37429/ |access-date=13 March 2022 |website=Kent Online}}