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Phil Babb

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Phil Babb
Babb in 2024
Personal information
Full name Philip Andrew Babb[1]
Date of birth (1970-11-30) 30 November 1970 (age 54)[1]
Place of birth Lambeth, England
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
–1989 Millwall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1992 Bradford City 80 (14)
1992–1994 Coventry City 77 (3)
1994–2000 Liverpool 128 (1)
2000 → Tranmere Rovers (loan) 4 (0)
2000–2002 Sporting CP 37 (0)
2002–2004 Sunderland 48 (0)
Total 374 (18)
International career
1994–2002 Republic of Ireland 35 (0)
Managerial career
2013–2015 Hayes & Yeading United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Philip Andrew Babb (born 30 November 1970) is a sports television pundit and former professional football player and manager.

As a player he was a central defender who made over 370 league appearances during his career, most notably spending six Premier League seasons with Liverpool, and also playing in the top flight for Coventry City and Sunderland. He also played in Portugal for Sporting CP and in the Football League for Bradford City and Tranmere Rovers. Babb represented the Republic of Ireland at the 1994 World Cup, playing in 35 internationals.

He later had a spell as manager of Non-league side Hayes & Yeading United, but has largely worked as a pundit for Sky Sports and other networks since retiring.

Club career

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Born in Lambeth, London, Babb came through the youth ranks of Millwall, before beginning his senior career in 1990 with Bradford City. He moved to Coventry City in July 1992 for a fee of £500,000,[2] where he spent two seasons before moving to Liverpool on 1 September 1994 for £3.6 million,[3] which made him the most expensive defender in Britain at the time.[4]

Babb only scored once during six Premier League years and 170 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, incidentally against his former club, Coventry, in September 1996.[5] While at Liverpool he played in the victorious 1995 Football League Cup Final.[6] In 1998, Babb was involved in an infamous blooper against Chelsea which ended with him sliding into the goalpost with a leg either side, injuring his coccyx.[7] In January 2000 he joined Tranmere Rovers on a one-month loan and helped them reach the 2000 Football League Cup Final,[8] however his loan spell ended before the final itself and he was unable to take part. He moved to Portugal with Sporting CP on a free transfer in 2000,[9][10] appearing in 38 official games in his second season – one goal against FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Cup (3–0 away win, 6–2 on aggregate)[11]– as the Lions conquered both the league and the domestic cup.

Babb ended his career at the age of 33 with Sunderland (also two years),[12] suffering top level relegation in 2003, and helping the Black Cats to a Football League Championship play-off semi-final.

International career

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Babb was born in England to a Guyanese father and Irish mother.[13] Having chosen to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally, Babb earned 35 full caps, including four matches at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[14] In August 2000, he and Ireland teammate Mark Kennedy were sent home from a training camp "after appearing in court charged with drunken and abusive behaviour and causing criminal damage."[15]

Babb's final game for Ireland was in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying against Russia in Moscow, on 7 September 2002: having come into the game in the 85th minute, his first touch of the ball was diverted behind Irish goalkeeper Shay Given for an own goal.

Managerial career

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On 9 May 2013, Babb was appointed as manager of Conference South side Hayes & Yeading United.[16][17]

He left the club by mutual consent in February 2015.[18]

Personal life

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In 2006, Babb became an investor in Golf Punk magazine, alongside former Sunderland teammates Michael Gray, Jason McAteer, Thomas Sørensen and Stephen Wright, saving the publication from closure.[19] He also worked as a pundit for Sky Sports.[20]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[21][22]
Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bradford City 1990–91 Third Division 34 10 – 34 10
1991–92 Third Division 46 4 – 46 4
Total 80 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 80 14
Coventry City 1992–93 Premier League 34 0 34 0
1993–94 Premier League 40 3 40 3
1994–95 Premier League 3 0 3 0
Total 77 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 77 3
Liverpool 1994–95 Premier League 34 0 6 0 7 0 – 47 0
1995–96 Premier League 28 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 40 0
1996–97 Premier League 22 1 1 0 3 0 5 0 31 1
1997–98 Premier League 19 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 22 0
1998–99 Premier League 25 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 30 0
1999–2000 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 0
Total 128 1 12 0 16 0 14 0 170 1
Tranmere Rovers 1999–2000 First Division 4 0 4 0
Sporting CP 2000–01 Primeira Liga 10 0 10 0
2001–02 Primeira Liga 27 0 27 0
Total 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 0
Sunderland 2002–03 Premier League 26 0 26 0
2003–04 First Division 22 0 22 0
Total 48 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 48 0
Career total 374 18 12 0 16 0 14 0 416 18

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Republic of Ireland 1994 12 0
1995 7 0
1996 2 0
1997 2 0
1998 3 0
1999 3 0
2000 5 0
2001 0 0
2002 1 0
Total 35 0

Honours

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Liverpool

Sporting CP

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1999). The 1999–2000 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 978-1-85291-607-7.
  2. ^ "Bradford City – Phil Babb". Sporting Heroes. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  3. ^ "Coventry City – Phil Babb". Sporting Heroes. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Player profile". LFC History. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  5. ^ Shaw, Phil (4 September 1996). "Babb returns to haunt Coventry". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  6. ^ "Liverpool 2 – 1 Bolton Wanderers". lfchistory.net. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Phil Babb's top 5 career moments". Joe.ie. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Tranmere book Wembley place". BBC. 27 January 2000. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Liverpool – Phil Babb". Sporting Heroes. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  10. ^ "O'Shea makes step up". BBC Sport. 29 August 2002. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  11. ^ "Ronaldo back in business". BBC Sport. 20 September 2001. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database". Neilbrown.newcastlefans. 30 November 1970. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  13. ^ "Mixed race Irish heritage in the public eye".
  14. ^ Phil Babb – FIFA competition record (archived)
  15. ^ Samantha McCaughren (14 November 2000). "Soccer Stars Get Probation Act". Independent Newspaper. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  16. ^ "Former Liverpool man Phil Babb appointed Hayes & Yeading boss". 9 May 2013.
  17. ^ "Phil Babb takes over as Hayes & Yeading United manager". BBC Sport. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  18. ^ "Phil Babb: Hayes and Yeading boss departs by mutual consent". BBC Sport. 25 February 2015.
  19. ^ Paul Kelso (20 December 2006). "Babb bails out Golf Punk". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  20. ^ Jonny Abrams (10 February 2010). "Whatever happened to the following 5 Liverpool players?". Sport.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  21. ^ Phil Babb at National-Football-Teams.com
  22. ^ LFChistory.net. "Liverpool career stats for Phil Babb - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!".
  23. ^ Moore, Glenn (2 April 1995). "Liverpool prevail in cup final to savour". The Independent. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Histórico da Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira" [Supercup Cândido de Oliveira all-time record] (PDF) (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 11 August 2012. p. 12. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Tribuna Expresso | Um dia para recordar (porque já lá vão 15 anos): Sporting campeão". Tribuna Expresso.
  26. ^ "Sporting campeão: "Nunca vi uma coisa destas em Inglaterra" (Phil Babb)". 29 April 2002.
  27. ^ "AS 55 AVENTURAS DO SUPER MÁRIO" (in Portuguese). Sporting Clube de Portugal. 1 June 2015.
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