Eddie Niedzwiecki

Eddie Niedzwiecki
Personal information
Full name Andrzej Edward Niedzwiecki
Date of birth (1959-05-03) 3 May 1959
Place of birth Bangor, Wales
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Stoke City (first-team coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1983 Wrexham 111 (0)
1983–1988 Chelsea 136 (0)
Total 247 (0)
National team
1985–1987 Wales 2 (0)
Teams managed
1991 Reading (caretaker manager)
2012 Queens Park Rangers (caretaker manager)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Andrzej Edward "Eddie" Niedzwiecki; born 3 May 1959) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Wrexham and Chelsea and is now first-team coach at Stoke City. After retiring early due to injury Niedzwiecki became a coach with Chelsea and then Arsenal before working with Mark Hughes with the Wales national team. Since then he has worked with Hughes at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City.

Playing career

Starting at Wrexham at the age of 14, Niedzwiecki stayed with the club until the summer of 1983, when he was signed for Chelsea by former Wrexham manager, John Neal. He quickly won a regular place in the Chelsea starting line-up and was impressive as the side romped to the Second Division title in his first season. He also earned two caps for Wales during his playing career.

Coaching career

Niedzwiecki was forced to retire aged 28, after failing to recover from numerous injury problems. He later went on to become a coach at Chelsea, leaving the club in November 2000 after the arrival of Claudio Ranieri. He joined Arsenal[1] the following month, succeeding the late George Armstrong as reserve team coach. He also worked part-time as coach with Wales, with Mark Hughes as manager for the Welsh, during this time.[1] In September 2004, he joined Blackburn Rovers, under Mark Hughes, as first-team coach.[1] Four years later, when Hughes left for Manchester City, he was among the several backroom staff from Blackburn to follow him in making the switch.[1]

However he became unemployed on 19 December 2009 when Hughes and his complete backroom staff were relieved of their duties at the club. In 2010 he once again linked up with Hughes at Fulham as part of the new Fulham manager's coaching staff.[1] He left in the summer of 2011 after Hughes had left the club. In 2012, he joined Queens Park Rangers' backroom staff, after Hughes was appointed manager.[1] He and Mark Bowen were briefly joint caretaker managers after Hughes' dismissal in November 2012,[2] Niedzwiecki joined up with Hughes at Stoke City in June 2013.[3]

Career statistics

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Wrexham 1977–78 Third Division 150100010170
1978–79 Second Division 6000000060
1979–80 Second Division 6000200080
1980–81 Second Division 0000000000
1981–82 Second Division 420405000510
1982–83 Third Division 420202000460
Total 11107090101280
Chelsea 1983–84 Second Division 420105000480
1984–85 First Division 400309000520
1985–86 First Division 300208050450
1986–87 First Division 100201010140
1987–88 First Division 140002000160
Total 136080250601750
Career Total 2470150340703030
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Full Members Cup.

Honours

Wrexham
Chelsea

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Eddie Niedzwiecki", Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Jurejko, Jonathan (24 November 2012). "Man United 3-1 QPR". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Hughes Reunited With Key Men". Stoke City F.C. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
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