Phil Babb

Phil Babb
Babb playing in a friendly in 2017
Personal information
Full name Philip Andrew Babb[1]
Date of birth (1970-11-30) 30 November 1970[1]
Place of birth Lambeth, England
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position Centre back
Youth career
0000–1989 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)
National team
1994–2002 Republic of Ireland 35 (0)
Teams managed
2013–2015 Hayes & Yeading United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Philip Andrew "Phil" Babb (born 30 November 1970) is a former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

He 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 Clube de Portugal 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.

Club career

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 £3.6million,[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] Whilst 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 smashing his testicles on the goalpost. [7] In January 2000 he joined Tranmere Rovers on a month's 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 Clube de Portugal 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

Having chosen to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally, Babb earned 35 full caps, including four matches at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[13] 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."[14]

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

On 9 May 2013, Babb was appointed as manager of Conference South side Hayes & Yeading United.[15][16]

He left the club by mutual consent in February 2015.[17]

Career statistics

Club

Sources:[18][19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bradford City 1990–91 Third Division 3410––––3410
1991–92 464––––464
Total 80140000008014
Coventry City 1992–93 Premier League 340––––340
1993–94 403––––403
1994–95 30––––30
Total 773000000773
Liverpool 1994–95 Premier League 3406070470
1995–96 280404040400
1996–97 221103050311
1997–98 190002010220
1998–99 250100040300
1999–00 00000000
Total 12811201601401701
Tranmere Rovers 1999–00 First Division 40––––40
Sporting CP 2000–01 Primeira Liga 100––––––100
2001–02 270––––––270
Total 370000000370
Sunderland 2002–03 Premier League 260––––260
2003–04 First Division 220––––220
Total 480000000480
Career total 3741812016014041618

International

Republic of Ireland national team
YearAppsGoals
1994120
199570
199620
199720
199830
199930
200050
200100
200210
Total350

Honours

Liverpool

Sporting

Personal life

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.[24] He also worked as a pundit for Sky Sports.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 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. ↑ Phil Shaw (4 September 1996). "Babb returns to haunt Coventry". UK: The Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  6. ↑ "Liverpool 2 - 1 Bolton Wanderers". lfchistory.net. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  7. ↑ https://www.joe.ie/sport/phil-babbs-top-5-career-moments-597766. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  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. ↑ Phil Babb – FIFA competition record (archive)
  14. ↑ Tommy Staniforth (31 August 2000). "Keane faces fitness test". UK: The Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  15. ↑ "Former Liverpool man Phil Babb appointed Hayes & Yeading boss". 9 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Phil Babb takes over as Hayes & Yeading United manager". BBC Sport. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "Phil Babb: Hayes and Yeading boss departs by mutual consent". 25 February 2015 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  18. ↑ "Phil Babb". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
  19. ↑ LFChistory.net. "Liverpool career stats for Phil Babb - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!".
  20. ↑ "1995 Football League Cup Final Report". Liverpool FC History. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  21. ↑ http://tribunaexpresso.pt/sporting/2017-04-28-Um-dia-para-recordar--porque-ja-la-vao-15-anos--Sporting-campeao
  22. ↑ http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/geral/29-04-2002/sporting-campeao-nunca-vi-uma-coisa-destas-em-inglaterra-phil-babb
  23. ↑ "AS 55 AVENTURAS DO SUPER MÁRIO" (in Portuguese). Sporting Clube de Portugal. 1 June 2015.
  24. ↑ Paul Kelso (20 December 2006). "Babb bails out Golf Punk". UK: The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  25. ↑ Jonny Abrams (10 February 2010). "Whatever happened to the following 5 Liverpool players?". Sport.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
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