British-born football speaker and former player Brian Deane spent more than twenty years on the pitch playing in the forward position. Fondly remembered for scoring the first-ever goal scored in the FA Premier League Deane is best-known for his time with Leeds United and Sheffield United.
Deane made his professional debut for Doncaster Rovers in the 1985–86 season and went on to play 66 times for them in the Third Division, scoring 12 goals. He was then sold to Sheffield United. He first appeared for Sheffield United in an 8–1 friendly and his first league goal came in the Third Division in the opening game of the season against Reading but his hero status did not really start until 17 September, a day when both he and Tony Agana hit hat-tricks in a thumping 6–1 victory over Chester City. It was the first double hat-trick by Blades players since January 1926. His goals helped the Blades win promotion as Third Division runners-up that season, and followed this up with a second successive promotion a year later which saw the club return to the First Division after 14 years away.
In 1990-91, Deane scored 13 goals as the Blades survived their first season back in the First Division. Brian scored a further 12 goals the following season to help the Blades finish ninth in the league, their highest finish for 17 years and meaning they comfortably qualified for a place in the new FA Premier League.
Deane scored the first goal in the FA Premier League against Manchester United after just 5 minutes on 15 August 1992. In the same game, he scored a second goal after 50 minutes from the penalty spot as Sheffield United went on to complete a historic 2–1 win. On 16 January 1993, Deane scored a hat-trick against Ipswich Town in a 3–0 league victory, making him one of the first players to score a hat-trick in the Premier League.
This success in the Premier League caught the eye of many teams, he left Sheffield United to sign for Leeds United for £2.9million in June 1993, a record signing for Leeds and a record sale for the Blades. At the time, Deane was one of the most expensively signed players in English football. He spent four years at Elland Road, scoring 32 goals in 138 Premier League appearances, enjoying an appearance in the UEFA Cup and collecting a Football League Cup runners-up medal in the 1995–96 season.
A return to Sheffield United then came before spells at a host of other clubs including Benfica, Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Perth Glory.
Brian Deane retired from professional football in the mid-2000s and has since gone on to cultivate a career as a manager and sports speaker, managing Norwegian team Sarpsborg 08 for a couple of seasons, Deane helped the side avoid relegation during the first year of his reign.
Born in Leeds, Deane went on to play a quarter of his 21-year long career at Leeds United and remains strongly affiliated with the club, he is often called upon to appear as a football speaker at club events and asked to comment upon the game outcome and relegation fears by British newspapers.
As well as working as a player and football speaker for Leeds United Brian Deane was also called upon to play in several international games during his professional career, garnering three England caps Deane played twice against New Zealand and against Spain on their home ground of Estadio El Sardinero in 1992. Deane is now the director of the International Academy for Football and Education and helping young aspiring footballers to realise their potential and dreams.
A football speaker with a wealth of experiences from a number of different teams and environments, this vibrant figure is a great after dinner speaker with a sense of humour entwined with a real flavour of the intricacies of the footballing world, making him a fantastic and well-rounded football speaker for your event.
