Dale Anderson

Anderson was born in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and began his football career in the youth system of nearby Darlington. He made his senior debut on 4 May 1987, away to Chesterfield in the Football League Third Division, at the age of 16 years and 254 days, which made him the club's youngest ever first-team player, a record he held for 21 years until it was broken by the 15-year-old Curtis Main. He made fifteen appearances in the league, but only three in the 1989–90 Football Conference championship season as manager Brian Little preferred to field more experienced players. In June 1990, Anderson joined Middlesbrough, newly promoted to the Second Division, in exchange for defender Michael Trotter. He was signed with the intention of beginning his Middlesbrough career in the reserves, never broke through to the first team, and went on to play non-league football for clubs including King's Lynn, Shildon and West Auckland Town.