Paul Gerrard (born January 22, 1973), is an English football goalkeeper who last played for Nottingham Forest before being released in May 2006. He is 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in).
Paul William Gerrard was born on Monday 22nd January 1973 in Heywood, Rochdale in Greater Manchester. In his late teens he was a goalkeeping apprentice at Oldham Athletic under Joy Royle.Making his debut in the Premiership at the age of 19 on Saturday, 5th December 1992 in a 3-2 defeat at Queens Park Rangers. Paul soon made 118 League appearances for the Latics.
Joe Royle was appointed manager at Everton in November 1994 after Mike Walker’s Everton reign ended shy of 11 months. Nearly 2 years after Royle left Oldham he returned to buy Gerrard for £1million in July 1996. Paul’s debut was coming on for Neville Southall at half time in a 7-1 win at home to Southampton on Saturday, 16th November 1996. After Royle left Everton, Neville Southall returned between the sticks for the Toffees, and Gerrard decided to go on loan to Oxford United in 1997 for regular first team action.
After Howard Kendall took over the reigns for a second time at Goodison Park, Gerrard was recalled from Oxford. Despite this, Gerrard only played a small number of games.
Royle, now at Ipswich, swooped to sign Gerrard on loan, although he returned to Everton after an injury to first choice goalkeeper Thomas Myhre in the 2002/2003 season. Later that season new Nottingham Forest boss Joe Kinnear signed Gerrard for the last 2 months of the season in March 2004. Paul kept a clean sheet against Crewe in a 2-0 win for Forest.
In the summer of 2004 Gerrard eventually signed for Nottingham Forets despite Ipswich and Leeds being interested. The 2004/2005 season was a disaster or Forest with the club being relegated to League 1. Paul won Nottingham Forest’s Player of the Year award for the 2004-2005 season. Despite going into the 2005/2006 season as Nottingham Forest number 1 and reigning Player of the year Gerrard found himself dropped to new signing Rune Pedersen. This fuelled speculation about Gerrard’s future and he eventually handed in a tansfer request. Gerrard returned to first team action at the end of August in a 3-1 win against Gillingham.
Paul was later dropped as manager Gary Megson signed Russell Hoult on loan from West Bromwich Albion. Russell Hoult was recalled by West Brom in October and Gerrard returned as number one at Forest. In Novemember Gerrard’s wife Michelle gave birth to their first child Thomas Paul. By February 2006 Forest were a few points adrift of the play-offs, but on Wednesday 15th February Paul Gerrard limped off in a 3-0 defeat against former club Oldham Athletic and a day later Megson resigned as boss of Nottingham Forest.
He played only 1 game under Ian McParland and Frank Barlow due to a knee injury.
He was released from Forest at the end of the 05-06 season to free up some money on the wage bill as it is said he was on Premiership player wages.
He won Nottingham Forest’s Player of the Year award for the 2004-2005 season.