Michael Brown

Manchester City

Brown graduated through the Manchester City youth scheme before signing professionally for the club on 13 September 1994. While a youth player he played in several positions before establishing himself as a central midfielder. He captained the youth team in the 1994–95 season, leading to involvement with the first-team in the 1995 pre-season. Brown made his debut for Manchester City on 26 August 1995 against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, in which Brown was sent off only 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute for Steve Lomas. Despite this inauspicious start to his career he was played from the start four days later at Maine Road as City were beaten 2–0 by Everton. He went on to feature as the "Citizens" main back-up player, making 16 Premier League starts and five substitute appearances during the 1995–96 relegation season. He began the 1996–97 season as a first-team regular under manager Alan Ball after midfielder Garry Flitcroft had left the club. He reflected about the first-team opportunities, saying: "I was very young and was playing well in the youth team, the first-team weren't doing so well and I kind of got fast-tracked into the squad. I got a chance and did okay. I played quite a lot that season which was fantastic. Alan was the manager and he gave me a chance. It was a great club and to be at that age and go from nowhere to the first-team was pretty special." However, Ball was sacked and his successor Steve Coppell and Coppell's…

Brown made his debut for the England under-21s in the 1–0 defeat to Croatia at Roker Park on 23 April 1996. The match was only the second time in England U21 history that none of the starting lineup went on to win senior international caps. The following month he featured in the 1996 Toulon Tournament and played in the group games against Belgium, Angola and Portugal.

Bruno Ribeiro resigned as manager of Port Vale on 26 December 2016, and Brown was placed in temporary charge. Four days later Vale recorded a 1–0 home victory over Chesterfield in Brown's first match in charge. In the January transfer window he was forced to sell goalkeeper Jak Alnwick and reigning Player of the Year Anthony Grant, whilst top-scorer Alex Jones's loan deal expired and six other players left the club; Brown brought in youngsters Callum Guy, Tyler Walker, Olamide Shodipo, Axel Prohouly and Leo Fasan on loan, and signed Scott Tanser, Chris Eagles and Danny Pugh on free transfers. However, his team were dogged by injury problems, and Brown told the media that if he could keep the Vale out of the relegation zone that would be an achievement "off the scale". Having scored just one goal in their final seven games, Vale were relegated at the end of the campaign after drawing their final game 0–0 with Fleetwood, finishing one point short of safety. Despite being relegated, Brown was confirmed as the club's permanent manager in May 2017. He released 13 players at the end of the 2016–17 season. His first summer signing was former two-time Player of the Year Tom Pope on a free transfer after he managed to secure his release from Bury. He went on to sign ten more players during the window: goalkeepers Rob Lainton and Sam Hornby, defenders Joe Davis, Antony Kay, Gavin Gunning, Lawrie Wilson and Graham Kelly, midfielders Michael Tonge, Cristian Montaño, David Worrall and…

Brown was born in Hartlepool on 25 January 1977. His father, Robert (Bobby), helped to run Hartlepool Lion Hillcarter F.C. His mother, Barbara, was involved with the Hartlepool netball club, Oakesway. Brown attended High Tunstall Comprehensive School and represented the school football team at county level.