Dennis Mortimer
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dennis George Mortimer[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 April 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| – | Coventry City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1969–1975 | Coventry City | 193 | (10) |
| 1975–1985 | Aston Villa | 317 | (31) |
| 1985 | → Sheffield United (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 1985–1986 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 40 | (2) |
| 1986–1987 | Birmingham City | 33 | (4) |
| – | Redditch United | ||
| Total | 590 | (47) | |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Dennis George Mortimer (born 5 April 1952) is an English former footballer and captain of Aston Villa. He made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Coventry City, Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Birmingham City.[2]
Life and career
Mortimer was born in Liverpool. He began his career with Coventry City, where he came through the ranks and made over 200 appearances as a promising midfielder. His accomplished displays for Coventry attracted the attention of several top clubs, and he joined Aston Villa in 1975. Mortimer captained Villa to the 1982 European Cup Final. A 1–0 victory against Bayern Munich in the De Kuip Stadium was courtesy of a Peter Withe goal. From 1975 to 1985 he made 403 appearances for Villa scoring 36 goals.
Mortimer was capped by England under-23 and England B but was never capped for the full England team, often described as 'the best player never to get an England cap'.
After leaving Villa, Mortimer moved to Brighton & Hove Albion but was only there a year before returning to the Midlands with Birmingham City, thereby breaking the second-city taboo by playing for City and Villa. During the 1988–89 season, Mortimer was player-manager of non-league club Redditch United before moving into coaching, becoming assistant manager to Ossie Ardiles at West Bromwich Albion.
He worked for The Professional Football Association as regional director of coaching in the Midlands area and has help to develop many of Englands top young players and coaches. Mortimer is also a director at Wolverhampton Wanderers Women FC.
Mortimer regularly attends Aston Villa games and sometimes provides commentary on the club's radio station. He is regarded as one of the club's greatest players.
Mortimer received an honorary doctorate from the University of Worcester in 2011 for "his outstanding contribution to football".[3]
Career honours
- Aston Villa
References
- ↑ "Dennis Mortimer". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ↑ "Dennis Mortimer". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ↑ "Honorary Degrees & Fellowships". University of Worcester. 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
