Danny Webber

After a number of appearances for the club's youth team during the 1997–98 season, Webber began his footballing career as a trainee at Manchester United in July 1998. After scoring 16 goals in 11 appearances for the Under-17 side, including five goals against Fulham, Webber was rewarded with a professional contract on 28 December 1998.[3] Despite only scoring one more goal between then and the end of the 1998–99 season, Webber finished as the Under-17s' top scorer.

He progressed to the Under-19s in 1999–2000, for whom he scored 11 goals in 14 appearances. He also made his first appearances for the reserve team during that season, playing in matches against Bradford City, Newcastle United and Manchester City. In 2000–01, Webber established himself in the reserve side, scoring six goals in 20 appearances, and made his debut for the first team in November 2000 in a League Cup match against Sunderland.[4][5]

He made a second appearance for Manchester United in the League Cup in November 2001,[6] and then joined Port Vale on a one-month loan.[7] He made five appearances for Port Vale,[6] returning to Manchester United at the end of his loan spell as he felt that the departure of Andy Cole from the club at the end of December 2001 would enhance his first team opportunities. He did not break into the first team, however, and in March 2002, he joined First Division club Watford on loan for the rest of the season, where he scored two goals in five League appearances.[6][8]

He joined Watford again for the start of the 2002–03 season on a three-month loan and impressed Watford manager Ray Lewington who said, "Danny's come down from Manchester United and he has enthusiasm and a willingness to work. He's an absolute credit."[9][10] His loan spell came to an end in October 2002 after he dislocated his shoulder in a match against Sheffield Wednesday.[11][12] He made a third appearance for Manchester United as a substitute in the Champions League match against Deportivo de La Coruña in March 2003.[13] At the end of the season, he was offered a three-year contract, but turned it down in order to seek first-team football, saying "When I was 16, I made the decision that if I was still around at 21 and not in the first team I'd have to be professional and go and play first-team football somewhere else. I was a bit disappointed that I hadn't broken through but there's no point thinking about what could have been.".[14][15]

Webber joined Watford on a three-year contract in the summer of 2003.[16][17] He made 31 league and cup appearances in the 2003–04 season, scoring five goals, with a shoulder injury suffered in training in February 2004 restricting his appearance for the rest of the season.[18][19] Webber made a good start to the 2004–05 season, scoring nine goals by mid-October 2004, with manager Ray Lewington saying, "He has got mind and body right this year and is showing the potential we all knew he had. He is doing extremely well. And this season Danny is scoring tap ins as well as spectacular goals."[20] However, his season was interrupted by a dislocated shoulder suffered during a match against Gillingham in November 2004,[21][22] and he was later dropped from the first team in March 2005 owing to poor form.[23] Shortly afterwards, he joined Sheffield United on loan.[24][25] Webber scored 12 goals in 32 league and cup appearances for Watford in the 2004–05 season.[26]

Webber initially joined Sheffield United on loan in March 2005 with Danny Cullip moving in the opposite direction.[24][25] He scored after 93 seconds on his debut in a 4–0 away win over rivals Leeds United,[27][28] and four days later, scored two goals against Queens Park Rangers.[29][30] At the end of the 2004–05 season, he signed a permanent three-year contract with Sheffield United for a transfer fee of £500,000.[31][32]

During the 2005–06 season, Webber scored ten goals,[33] helping Sheffield United to win automatic promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.[34] In the 2006–07 season he played 22 games in the Premier League, scoring three goals, including the winning goals against Newcastle United and former club Watford.

After the "Blades" were relegated, Webber continued to appear regularly but struggled with injuries and an inability to turn appearances into goals. By the 2008–09 season he was in the final year of his contract and hoped to secure a new deal with the club[35] but more injuries saw him drop out of the first team reckoning. After the club missed out on promotion, Webber's contract was allowed to expire and he was released.[36] He was courted by numerous clubs in the summer, and was closely linked with Crystal Palace before Palace manager Neil Warnock stated that "it looks as if Danny will be going to Middlesbrough, it's difficult for us to compete with their money".[37]

In September 2009, Webber signed for Portsmouth who were looking for attacking options. He signed outside the transfer window as he was a free agent.[38] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 League Cup victory over Carlisle United on 22 September.[39] Webber scored his first Premier League goal for Portsmouth in a 1–1 home draw against West Ham United on 26 January 2010. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season after rupturing cruciate ligaments in a game against Tottenham Hotspur two months later. He received a runners-up medal for the 2010 FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea, though he was unable to take part in the final itself.[40] Webber remained in the treatment room for much of the 2010–11 campaign, before he made his return to action in a 2–0 defeat to Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 2 April, making a cameo appearance for the last five minutes. His contract was not renewed at the end of the season.

In July 2011, Webber joined Premier League newcomers Queens Park Rangers on a trial basis, who were managed by his former (and current) manager Neil Warnock He scored three goals for QPR in pre-season, one in a 13–0 win over Tavistock, and two in a 7–0 win against Bodmin Town.[41][42] In December, Webber had a trial spell at Scottish Premier League club Celtic.[43] Later in the month he began training with League One side Huddersfield Town.[44] In February 2012, Webber joined Birmingham City on trial with a view to signing a permanent contract.[45] In February, there was also reported interest from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.[46]

Webber went to Elland Road on a trial basis, and on 28 February he joined the Championship club on a deal lasting until the end of the season, making him Neil Warnock's first signing as Leeds United manager.[47] Webber made his debut as a substitute in a 1–0 home defeat to Southampton on 3 March.[48] He then made his first start for Leeds three days later, in a 0–0 draw with Hull City at the KC Stadium.[49] Webber scored his first goal for Leeds coming off the bench in the final game of the season against Leicester City on 28 April.[50] On 2 May 2012, Webber was told that his contract would not be renewed and that he was free to find another club.[51]

He went on trial at Brian Flynn's Doncaster Rovers in March 2013[52] and signed on a non contractual basis shortly after.[53] Rovers won promotion as League One champions at the end of the 2012–13 season, though Webber never made it onto the pitch.

Webber signed a one-year contract with League Two club Accrington Stanley in July 2013; he joined Stanley after being attracted to the club by manager James Beattie, his former teammate at Sheffield United.[54] He scored on his debut on 3 August, in a 4–1 defeat to Newport County at Rodney Parade.[55] He ended the 2013–14 campaign with three goals in 23 appearances for Stanley, but was not offered a new contract in the summer.[56]

Webber signed with Northern Premier League Division One North club Salford City in August 2014.[57] He made his club debut in the opening league match of the season on 16 August as Salford beat Scarborough Athletic 4–1.[58] The "Ammies" won promotion as champions in the 2014–15 season.[59] He scored Salford's opening goal in the 2–0 FA Cup first round giant-killing over Notts County on 6 November 2015.[60] Salford went on to win promotion out of the Premier Division via the play-offs in 2016 after a 3–2 victory over Workington.[61] He announced his retirement in July 2016, so as to focus his life on his family and his work for a football agency company.[62]