Adrian Paul Heath (born 11 January 1961) is an English

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

manager and former player. He most recently served as head coach of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

club Minnesota United until October 2023. As a player, he is best known for his six seasons at Everton, where he won two First Division titles and an

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

. As a manager, Heath initially worked in his native England before moving abroad to Orlando City, an expansion side in the American second division. Orlando City had the best start of any newly founded team in the history of American soccer, winning multiple honours before joining

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

in 2015.

Playing career

Born in

Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. It is adjacent to the city of Stoke-on-Trent. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the population ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, Heath started his playing career at Stoke City having joined the club from playing in the local Lads and dads League. He signed a professional contract at 17 and played in the reserves under the guidance of player coach Howard Kendall, Heath's impressive performances helped the second string to second place in the Central League and saw him win the club's young player of the year award. Known as "Inchy" due to his small stature, he burst on to the first team scene in 1979–80 displaying great maturity in the First Division and scoring two vital goals at the end of the season which ensured Stoke's survival. He scored seven goals in 41 matches in 1980–81 and five in 20 in 1981–82. With Heath fast becoming one of the most sought after midfielders in the country Richie Barker allowed him to join Everton, who were being managed by Kendall, in January 1982 for a then club record fee of £750,000. He became Everton's top scorer in his second full season, scoring 18 in all competitions in the 1983–84 season. His goal against Third Division Oxford United in the League Cup quarter final is widely credited with changing Everton's fortunes in the 1983–84 season, in which they went on to reach the League Cup final (losing to Liverpool in the replay) and lift the FA Cup, their first silverware since 1970. Grabbing a poor Kevin Brock back-pass, Heath scored a goal away at Oxford to equalize the match and earn Everton a chance to turn things around. Heath was a key member of the successful Everton side of the mid-1980s, winning two league titles in 1985 and 1987 and the

in 1984. However his participation in the 1984-1985 title-winning season was cut short in December after a challenge from Sheffield Wednesday's Brian Marwood resulted in a cruciate ligament injury which kept him out for the rest of the season. It is thought that Heath was in line for a call-up to Bobby Robson's England squad at the time. The injury prevented Heath from playing in the final of the European Cup Winner's Cup in which Everton beat Rapid Vienna 3–1. In 2018, the Everton Heritage Society arranged for Heath to receive a replica of the Cup Winner's Cup medal which was presented to him at Goodison Park in November 2018 during halftime of a Premier League fixture against Cardiff City. In the 1988–89 season, Heath had a spell in Spain with Espanyol. After a single season, he returned to England, where he spent the remainder of his career. In 1990,

Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...

manager Howard Kendall signed Heath from Aston Villa. Heath was one of a number of former Everton players signed by Kendall, and the transfer marked the third different club at which Heath had played under Kendall. His debut came as a substitute against Charlton Athletic in January 1990. During the 1990–91 season, Heath forged a strike partnership with Niall Quinn, the short and agile Heath contrasting with Quinn's aerial ability. The pair started 33 matches together, though Heath scored only one goal, in the second match of the season. Heath then had a barren run that lasted 46 matches and came to an end in November 1991, when Heath scored two goals in a League Cup tie at Queen's Park Rangers. As the 1991–92 season progressed, Heath lost his place in the team to young striker Mike Sheron. In March 1992, Heath briefly returned to his first club Stoke City, until the end of the 1991–92 season. In that brief spell back at the Victoria Ground, Heath played in six league matches a play-off match against Stockport County and also played in the 1992 Football League Trophy Final which saw Stoke beat Stockport 1–0. Heath also had a notable three-year stint at

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

from 1992 to 1995, where he helped them lift the 1994 Second Division play-Off trophy. Following a brief period at Sheffield United, he returned to Burnley as player-manager before retiring at the end of the 1996–97 season which served him accolades.

Managerial career

England

Heath began his managerial career as

player-manager A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...

of Burnley in March 1996. He left after the 1996–97 season having finished ninth in the Second Division. He worked with former Everton teammate Peter Reid at

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

, managing Sunderland Reserves to a Pontins League championship in 1999. That summer, he was appointed manager of Sheffield United but he left the club after only five months. He later followed Reid to Leeds United and Coventry City. When Reid left Coventry in January 2005, Heath stepped in as caretaker. He remained at the club under Reid's successor

Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football Manager (association football), manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 43 ...

, and again acted as caretaker in January 2007, before leaving the club after Iain Dowie was appointed.

United States

Heath was appointed manager of USL-1

expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...

Austin Aztex in February 2008 after a meeting with owner Phil Rawlins in a pub in Newcastle Under Lyme. In 2010, the team relocated to Florida to become Orlando City, playing in the USL PRO division. In Orlando, Heath led the team to two regular season titles and the league championship in their first two years. Heath was named USL coach of the year both years. After their successes in the USL, Orlando City was granted an expansion franchise in

for the 2015 season with Heath at the helm. On 21 November 2014, Heath signed a contract extension committing him to Orlando City through to the end of the 2017 MLS season. Heath was sacked by Orlando City on 7 July 2016 following a 4–0 defeat against

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The franchise be ...

. In November 2016, Heath was hired as head coach for Minnesota United prior to their first season in MLS after a tenure in the North American Soccer League. The team struggled in its early games. Through the first four games Minnesota United conceded 18 goals, more than any other MLS team had allowed in the first six games of a season. Heath got his first win as United's manager with a 4–2 home victory over Real Salt Lake. On 6 October 2023, Heath and Minnesota United parted ways after seven seasons at the club. He was the only manager that Minnesota United have had in their Major League Soccer history.

Career statistics

As a player

Source: :A. The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the FA Charity Shield,

Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...

, Football League play-offs, Full Members Cup, Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy, Screen Sport Super Cup,

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European association football, football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The competition's official name was originally the European Cup Winners' Cup; it was renam ...

As a manager

Personal life

Adrian Heath's son, Harrison, is also a footballer.

Honours

Player

Everton *

Football League First Division The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...

: 1984–85, 1986–87 *

: 1983–84 * FA Charity Shield:

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

, 1986,

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

: 1984–85 *

Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

runner-up: 1983–84 Stoke City *

: 1991–92 Burnley * Football League Second Division play-offs:

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

Manager

Orlando City * USL Pro League:

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

* USL Pro Commissioner's Cup: 2011,

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

Minnesota United * U.S. Open Cup runner-up:

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

Individual * USL Pro Coach of the Year:

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, Adrian 1961 births Living people Footballers from Newcastle-under-Lyme English men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Stoke City F.C. players Everton F.C. players RCD Espanyol footballers Aston Villa F.C. players Manchester City F.C. players Burnley F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. players English Football League players La Liga players English expatriate men's footballers English expatriate sportspeople in Spain Expatriate men's footballers in Spain England men's under-21 international footballers England men's B international footballers English football managers Burnley F.C. managers Sunderland A.F.C. non-playing staff Sheffield United F.C. managers Coventry City F.C. managers Leeds United F.C. non-playing staff Coventry City F.C. non-playing staff Newcastle United F.C. non-playing staff Austin Aztex coaches Orlando City SC head coaches Minnesota United FC head coaches English Football League managers USL First Division coaches English expatriate football managers English expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate soccer coaches in the United States