Luke Harry Chadwick (born 18 November 1980) is an English former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. Chadwick began his career at

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

where he made 25 Premier League appearances in four seasons. While at

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...

he spent time out on loan at

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

and

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 ...

before joining

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...

on a permanent basis in the summer of 2004. A year later, he joined

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...

on loan before making the move permanent in January 2006. He remained at Stoke until November 2006 making 55 appearances before joining

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...

. Injuries restricted his time at

Carrow Road Carrow Road is a association football, football stadium in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship club Norwich City F.C., Norwich City. The stadium is east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum. ...

and he moved to Milton Keynes Dons in October 2008. In March 2014, Chadwick joined

Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed the U’s, the club h ...

, the club he supported as a child. He was released at the end of the 2014–15 season.

Club career

Manchester United

Born in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, Chadwick had a three-week trial at his favourite club Cambridge United at the age of 10. After a spell at Arsenal, he was signed to the

youth system. He made his professional debut on 13 October 1999 in the third round of the League Cup as a young United side lost 3–0 at

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...

. After loans at Royal Antwerp in Belgium, he made his

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

debut on 11 November 2000 in a 2–1 home win over

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

as an added-time substitute for

Dwight Yorke Dwight Eversley Yorke Chaconia Medal, CM (born 3 November 1971) is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian professional Association football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of Trinidad and Tobago national football team, Trinidad an ...

. On 17 December, he came on in the 80th minute for

Denis Irwin Joseph Denis Irwin (born 31 October 1965) is an Irish former professional footballer and sports television presenter. Irwin is the joint most successful Irish footballer in history, a record he shares with Ronnie Whelan and fellow Manchester U ...

at home to

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

and was sent off for a foul on Vladimír Šmicer in a 1–0 loss. He scored two league goals in the title-winning 2000–01 season, one in a 3–0 win at

Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football, and is managed by Graham Alexander. The club was founded in 1903 and ...

on 13 January 2001 and the other on 3 March in a 1–1 draw at

Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...

. After playing rarely for United in 18 months, Chadwick went on a one-month loan to First Division team Reading in February 2003. He was inspired by

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

Matthew Upson Matthew James Upson (born 18 April 1979) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a centre back. Upson played for England national football team, England at full international level, including at the 2010 ...

increasing his standing by making the same move. On his debut for the Royals on 10 February, he equalised in a 2–1 home win over Gillingham. His deal was extended until the end of the season. He helped the club to the play-off semi-finals, where they were ousted by eventually promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers. In July 2003, Chadwick was loaned for the season to First Division side

. He missed pre-season due to two jaw operations as part of a two-year treatment. In 40 total games he scored six goals, including two in a 4–0 win over Bradford on 20 September; after that game, he conceded that he may have to leave United.

West Ham United

On 2 August 2004, Chadwick moved to

of the newly renamed

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

on a free transfer. He was signed by

Alan Pardew Alan Scott Pardew (born 18 July 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer, who most recently managed Greek Super League club Aris Thessaloniki. Pardew's highest achievements in the sport include reaching the FA Cup ...

, who had led him at Reading. In his only season, he scored a goal on 10 December to open a 1–1 home draw with Leeds.

Stoke City

Chadwick joined

on loan at the start of the 2005–06 season. On 4 January 2006, the transfer was made permanent for a fee of £100,000, on a deal lasting until the summer of 2008 with the option of one more year. In the season opener away to Southend United on 6 August 2006, Chadwick was carried off after collapsing. It was confirmed that he was suffering only from dehydration.

Norwich City

On 13 November 2006, Chadwick signed on loan for

until 3 January; he was signed by Peter Grant, who had worked with him at Reading and West Ham. On his debut six days later, he opened the scoring in a 3–1 loss at rivals Ipswich Town. He suffered a knee injury in that match, ruling him out until March. After his loan ended, he signed a 2-year deal for a £200,000 fee. He said that his transfer was due to his wife and children returning to Cambridge. His injury problems continued into the following season as he struggled for fitness.

Milton Keynes Dons

On 1 October 2008, Chadwick was loaned to League One club Milton Keynes Dons for three months. He scored three goals in the eight games of his loan, including a brace on 28 October in a 2–1 win at

Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...

. He returned to Norwich in the middle of November due to a knee injury. He moved permanently on a 2-year deal at the turn of the year, on a free transfer. Chadwick was MK Dons' Player of the Season for 2009–10 and 2010–11, with the latter season ending in a 4–3 aggregate elimination in the playoff semi-finals by

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Peterborough United formed in ...

. In March 2011, his contract was extended by two more years. On 23 August that year, he scored twice in a 4–0 win at former club Norwich in the League Cup second round. A year and five days later, he did the same at the same stage in a 2–1 home win over

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...

. In March 2013, Chadwick signed a further two-year extension to his MK Dons deal.

Cambridge United

On 18 March 2014 Chadwick joined his hometown club

on loan. He made his debut the same day in a 2–1 home win against Welling United in the

Conference National The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National League (English football), National Le ...

. He signed permanently on 7 June, after the team won promotion in the play-off final against

Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...

. In 2014–15, Chadwick played a part in Cambridge's run in the FA Cup, scoring in their 2–2 home draw with

Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system. The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...

in the second round. In the fourth round against his former club Manchester United, he played in a goalless home draw and a 3–0 replay loss on his return to

; both sets of fans gave him a standing ovation when he was substituted in the latter game. At the end of the season he was released.

Soham Town Rangers and move into coaching

After leaving Cambridge United, Chadwick signed for Isthmian League Division One North side Soham Town Rangers in November 2015. He spent one season at Soham before returning to Cambridge as a full-time coach in the club's academy.

International career

Chadwick made his debut for the England under-21s in the win against

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

in September 1999. He played the full 90 minutes as England won 5−0 in the

2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship was the 12th staging of UEFA's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, European Under-21 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Slovakia from 27 May to 4 June 2000. The tournament had 47 entrants ...

qualifier at the

Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium (), currently known as the Select Car Leasing Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. It is the home of Reading Football Club, who play in EFL League One. It also provides the ...

. England qualified for the finals in Slovakia and Chadwick made substitute appearances against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

as they were eliminated at the group stages. He featured four times during England's qualifying campaign for

2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2002 was the 13th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Switzerland between 16 and 28 May 2002. Czech Republic U-21s won the competition for the first time. Qu ...

with his last appearance coming in the 5−0 win against

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

on 4 September 2001. Overall, Chadwick made 13 appearances for the U21s but scored no goals.

Personal life

Chadwick and his wife Hayley have two sons. As of 2015, both were in the youth ranks of Cambridge United. From 2016, Chadwick began mentoring young footballers, and in August 2023 was praised by England women's footballer

Georgia Stanway Georgia Marie Stanway (born 3 January 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Frauen-Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the England national team. Stanway started her senior career at Blackburn R ...

for his help. Chadwick's childhood fear of dentists prevented the fitting of braces to repair his

overbite Overbite is the extent of vertical ( superior-inferior) overlap of the maxillary central incisors over the mandibular central incisors, measured relative to the incisal ridges. The term overbite does not refer to a specific condition, nor is ...

. In May 2020, he spoke about how his mental health had been affected by abuse about his appearance he had received as a young player. He highlighted how the media had made fun of his appearance, "spots on my face, teeth sticking out, that sort of thing", making particular mention of the abuse he had received on the BBC

panel show A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participate. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on '' The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on ' ...

''They Think It's All Over''. He received an apology from the show's hosts Nick Hancock and

Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...

. In May 2025, Chadwick released an autobiography called ''Not Just a Pretty Face'' talking about his football career, personal life and mental health struggles.

Career statistics

Honours

Royal Antwerp *

Belgian Second Division The Belgian Second Division was the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was founded by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 1909 and folded in 2016, when it was replace ...

: 1999–2000 Manchester United *

: 2000–01 Cambridge United *

Conference Premier The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National Leagues and step 1 of the National Le ...

play-offs: 2013–14 Individual * Milton Keynes Dons Player of the Year: 2009–10,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

References

External links

*
Luke Chadwick
at ManUtd.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Chadwick, Luke 1980 births Living people Footballers from Cambridge English men's footballers English expatriate men's footballers England men's youth international footballers England men's under-21 international footballers Men's association football midfielders Manchester United F.C. players Royal Antwerp F.C. players Reading F.C. players Burnley F.C. players West Ham United F.C. players Stoke City F.C. players Norwich City F.C. players Milton Keynes Dons F.C. players Cambridge United F.C. players Soham Town Rangers F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players National League (English football) players Isthmian League players Belgian Pro League players Challenger Pro League players Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium English expatriate sportspeople in Belgium English football coaches Cambridge United F.C. non-playing staff 21st-century English sportsmen