Cresswell: Richard Paul Wesley (Richard)

2005-2007 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Bridlington: 20-09-1977

Debut v Norwich City (a) (substitute): 27-08-2005

6’0” 13st (2007)

Cresswell began his career with Scarborough and moved to York City on 15th November 1995. He had a short loan spell, with Mansfield Town from 27th March to 11th April 1997, where he scored once in five games. He won caps for the England Under-Twenty-One Team, before a £950,000 move to then Premiership side, Sheffield Wednesday on 25th March 1999, after scoring twenty-one goals in ninety-five League appearances of which twenty-three were as a substitute, three goals in six F.A. Cup games of which two were from the bench, and no goals in three starts and three substitute appearances in the League Cup and four other games while at York. He only was used very sparingly and mostly as a substitute as he failed to make an impact at Hillsborough and managed only two goals in thirty-one League games, of which twenty-four were as a substitute. He also failed to find the net in three games from the bench in F.A. Cup ties but did hit the net once, in one start and one game from the bench in the League Cup. He was then loaned to Leicester City in September 2000, before completing a £750,000 move later in the season. He managed only one F.A. Cup goal in four starts and nine games off the bench in all matches, before he was loaned out to Preston North End. In July 2001, after the loan spell from March to May, Cresswell was then transferred to Preston North End for £500,000. It was at Preston where Cresswell would enjoy his best goal return, in the 2004-2005 season, he scored a total of twenty-three goals in fifty-two games, which helped Preston to reach the Championship Play-offs, where they were beaten by West Ham United. Cresswell was purchased by Leeds United on the final day of the 2005 summer transfer window, 24th August 2005. At Deepdale he had scored a total of fifty-seven goals in one hundred and seventy-eight starts and twenty-eight games as a substitute. It had been widely believed that Cresswell would move to Sheffield United, Leeds' Yorkshire rivals, however, comments made by Sheffield manager Neil Warnock hinted that Cresswell would move to Leeds instead. It was confirmed on 31st August 2005 that Leeds had indeed signed Cresswell, for a fee of £1,150,000. After signing, Cresswell made it known that he was a lifelong Leeds United supporter, and did not want to miss a chance to join his favourite club. It did not take Cresswell long to find the net for his new club, scoring two goals in Leeds' Carling Cup defeat of Rotherham United, in only his second start. These goals meant that Leeds won a Yorkshire Derby for the first time in four years and immediately endeared Cresswell to Leeds fans. However, Cresswell suffered ruptured knee ligaments in a match against Derby County at Elland Road, just a week later. This injury kept Cresswell out of action for ten weeks, missing a total of thirteen games. Once Cresswell returned from injury, it did not take him long to rediscover his scoring touch, scoring in his second match back, against Coventry City. Another knee injury, this time before a match Away to Derby County again slowed his progress. Although a six week lay off was initally predicted after surgery, it turned out to be worse than first thought and he was eventually ruled out for the rest of the season. He left to join Stoke City in August 2007 on a three year contract for an undisclosed fee after agreeing terms but failing a medical with Hull City. Cresswell made forty-two League appearances for Stoke City in his first season and scored eleven goals. Cresswell was used regularly on the right wing by Stoke Manager Tony Pulis even though he was a natural striker. However, despite this his eleven goals helped his new club gain promotion to the EPL. Cresswell was once again forced to play as a right winger, playing thirty games but failing to score a single goal. His full record for Stoke was eleven League goals in fifty-four starts and twenty-one games from the bench, two F.A. Cup appearances without scoring and two League Cup goals from five starts and one as a substitute. He went to Sheffield United on loan on 28th September 2009 and scored twice in nine League games, one being as a substitute, and one goal in one F.A. Cup game, before he went to Bramall Lane on a permanent basis on 1st January 2010. After that he scored a further eighteen goals in sixty-three League games, of which seven were from the bench and he netted once more in one start and one game from the bench in the F.A. Cup and one goal in three starts in the League Cup by the end of the 2010-11 season. He had signed an extended contract in June 2010 which would keep him at Bramall Lane until June 2013. The Blades were relegated to League One at the end of the 2010-11 season and he had already found the lower division to his liking scoring four times in the first seven games.