Ormerod: Brett Ryan (Brett)

2004-2004 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Blackburn: 18-10-1976

Debut: v Sunderland (h): 24-09-2004

5’11” 11st 4lb (2003)

Ormerodbegan his career with Blackburn Rovers, but was released in 1995 after being told he wouldn't make it. He dropped to non-league after leaving Ewood Park, signing for Accrington Stanley in 1995. He scored thirty-two goals in fifty-four appearances for the Lancashire team, while simultaneously working at a cotton mill. His prolific goalscoring form earned him a move to Second Division Blackpool in 1997, as the seasiders snapped him up for £50,000 on 21st March 1997. He made his debut for the Seasiders on 29th March 1997 in a 0-0 draw at Chesterfield and finished the season with four appearances but no goals. The striker was rarely used at Bloomfield Road in 1997/98. He scored his first goal for the club on 26th December 1997 in a 1-1 draw at Carlisle United, and followed that up with a second just two days later as Blackpool went down 1-2 at home to Wrexham, finishing the season with just those two goals in nine League games and not scoring in four Cup games. Ormerod established himself as a regular in 1998/99, and ended the season with four goals in his final five matches. This helped him to accumulate eight goals in forty games in the League and another one in three Cup games. He started the 1999/2000 season off well with a brace on the opening day in a 2-1 win at Bloomfield Road over Wrexham. However, on 23rd October he suffered a badly broken leg in a 2-1 win at Wycombe Wanderers, which ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign. Blackpool suffered in Ormerod's absence, and were relegated to Division Three. He had scored five goals in thirteen League games and no goals in two Cup games. Ormerod returned to fitness for the start of the 2000/01 season, and helped Blackpool win promotion back to Division Two. The former Accrington man had the most successful season of his career at that point, scoring an incredible twenty-seven goals in all competitions, including ten in his last eight matches of the campaign. There were eighteen goals in forty-one League games, nine in eight Cup games for a total of forty-nine games. He continued in a very similar vein in the 2001/02 season, scoring a hat-trick on 21st August 2001 in a 3-2 win at Bloomfield Road against Wigan Athletic in the First Round of the League Cup. By the time Gordon Strachan paid £1,750,000 on 5th December 2001 to take him to EPL side Southampton he had scored thirteen goals in twenty-one League games and another seven goals in six games in the Cup for the seasiders to bring full record with Blackpool to scoring forty five goals in one hundred and twenty-eight League appearances of which twenty-three had been from the bench, he was also prolific in other games, scoring five in the FA Cup in six appearances, one as a substitute, four in seven League Cup games and another eight from seven starts and two of the bench in the play-offs. Ormerod had caught Strachan's eyes in a League Cup tie earlier in the season, when the Scottish manager was out of work. Strachan said of him in his autobiography "It was almost as if he was the only man playing, no matter where the ball was he seemed to be there". Ormerod made his Saints debut on 15th December 2001 in a 2-0 home win over Sunderland. He scored his first goal for the club on 2nd March 2002 in a 3-1 win at Ipswich Town, which was his only goal for Southampton in 2001/02, even though he played eighteen League games, of which ten were as a substitute. Ormerod struggled to adapt to his new surroundings in the Premiership in his first few months at St Mary's. He improved massively through sheer hard work, and never gave anything less than 100%, forming a fantastic strike partnership with former Blackburn youth teammate James Beattie. While the more prolific Beattie grabbed most of the headlines, Ormerod's contribution was just as important. His unselfish running in wide areas created countless chances for Beattie, who ended the season with Twenty-four goals, while Ormerod had to be content with five in the League from twenty-two starts and nine games from the bench and three in the League Cup and one in the F.A. Cup in eight games.The three goals in the League Cup came in one game when he hit a hat-trick in the 6-1 home win over Tranmere Rovers in the Second Round on 2nd October 2002. His goals tended to be either spectacular, important or more than one at once.As was the case when he score twice just three days later in a fine 2-0 win over Manchester City at St Mary's. He scored one of the club's most famous goals ever on 13th April 2003, when he netted the opener in a 2-1 win over Watford at Villa Park in the FA Cup semi-final. His performances were appreciated by the fans, as he became a St Marys favourite. He went on to play the full game in Southampton's FA Cup final Picking up a losers' medal in a 0-1 defeat by Arsenal on 17th May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium. The arrival of Kevin Phillips from Sunderland saw him feature much less in the 2003/04 season. However, he still made a meaningful contribution, netting a brace on 7th December 2003 in a 3-2 win over Charlton Athletic at home, in a game that remains one of the all time classic matches to be played at St Mary's. While just six days later he scored the Saint's opening goal after only two minutes, with a fine run and finish in a shock 2-1 over Liverpool at Anfield. He finished the season with five League goals in fourteen starts and eight games from the bench and one goal in the F.A. Cup, as he played in four games in the Cups. The signing of Peter Crouch at the start of the 2004-05 season saw him slip further down the pecking order. This saw him loaned to Leeds United, then of the Championship, for a month on 23rd September 2004. He made his Leeds debut in a Friday evening match the following day at home to Sunderland, in an uninspiring match which saw the visitors take a sixty-fourth minute lead. Nine minutes later Leeds were awarded a dubious penalty after referee Michael Ryan found fault with Steve Caldwell's jostling of Clarke Carlisle from a Danny Pugh corner. In his urge to impress Ormerod grabbed the ball and insisted on taking the penalty. His spot-kick was unconvincing and Mark Poom got down smartly to his right to parry it and Carl Robinson completed the clearance as a cluster of Leeds players tried to capitalise on the rebound. He failed to score in six starts, while at Elland Road and blotted an otherwise good debut by missing a penalty. He returned to St Mary's in October, but failed to recapture the form he had shown previously. His only goal for the South Coast club that season came in a 5-2 Carling Cup hammering at Watford in the Fourth Round on 9th November 2004 from three games in the Cups and five starts and four games from the bench in the League. He moved to Wigan on loan in March 2005, and helped the club win promotion to the Premiership with two goals in a 2-0 win over Leicester on 16th April 2005, making three starts and coming off the bench on three occasions in the League. He was recalled by Saints manager Harry Redknapp in April, and was a surprise starter in the clubs final game of the season against Manchester United on 15th May 2005, a game at St Mary's which the Saints lost 1-2 to condemn them to bottom place and relegation from the EPL. Ormerod started 2005/06 well for Southampton, now in the Championship, scoring in his first appearance of the season in a 3-0 win at Southend United in the League Cup on 22nd August, and followed that up with his first league goal in a 2-2 draw at Derby County on 18th September. He struggled for form after that, however, and was in and out of the side during the winter and had made thirteen starts and come of the bench six times for the solitary goal in the League and had scored the one goal in two League Cup appearances before he was sold to Preston North End on a free transfer on 27th January 2006 on a three and a half year contract. While at Southampton he scored twelve times in ninety-eight League games of which thirty-six were from the bench. He also managed six goals from six starts and four games from the bench in the League Cup and one goal from ten FA Cup appearances, of which four were as a substitute. He got off to a good start at Deepdale and four days after signing he scored on debut in a 2-0 over Crystal Palace, by coincidence the same team he had played his final Southampton game against almost a week before in a 0-0 draw on 25th January 2006. He helped North End reach the 2006 play-off semi-finals, scoring four League goals in thirteen starts and two games from the bench for the Deepdale club. His opportunities at Deepdale were limited by a broken leg and a fractured cheekbone. On 8th May 2006, he broke his leg during the play-off semi-final second leg against Leeds United. He made a rapid recovery, however, and came on as a substitute in the wins by 3-2 at Ipswich Town on 17th October and Hull City 2-1 at home four days later, and scored his first goal of the season in the 3-2 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor, another six days later. He went on to score another five goals and proved to be the perfect foil for strike partner David Nugent, until injury struck again. The striker collided with team mate Michael Ricketts during the 0-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 10th February 2007 and certainly came off worst, suffering a fractured cheekbone. He returned a month later wearing a Phantom of the Opera style mask and he was quickly back amongst the goals, with the opener at Leeds in a 1-2 loss on 30th March and a brace in the 4-0 win at Coventry City, two weeks later. He performed reasonably well in 2006/07, scoring nine times, as Preston missed out on a play-off spot following a poor run of form late on. He scored eight in the League from sixteen starts and thirteen games as a substitute, and once in the League Cup from two appearances. He eventually lost his place in the North End side during 2007/08 after a series of lacklustre displays. On 7th March 2008, he signed on loan for Nottingham Forest until the end of the 2007-08 season. He scored his first goal for Forest against Walsall four minutes into the second half on 15th March 2008. He scored two goals for Forest in thirteen League starts, and his decent form helping Forest gain promotion to the CCCL, before returning to Deepdale. Ormerod had completely fallen out of favour at Deepdale and on 16th October 2008 he joined Oldham Athletic on loan for a month, but failed to find the net in two starts and three games as a substitute in the League and returned to Deepdale early after breaking a toe. On January 30th 2009 Ormerod rejoined Blackpool on a free transfer with a one year contract, following his release by Preston North End. At Deepdale he had scored thirteen goals in thirty-seven starts and twenty five games from the bench in the League, and there was one goal from one start and two substitute appearances in the FA Cup but he failed to score in one League Cup and two play-off finals appearances. He celebrated his return to Bloomfield Road by scoring in the 2-0 win over Norwich City on 7th March 2009. He scored twice in fifteen League games of which eight were from the bench. On 24th June 2009 he signed a one year contract with an option for a further year, and in 2009/10 Ormerod played an important role in helping Blackpool reach promotion to the Premiership. His first goal of the campaign came in 2-1 win over eventual champions Newcastle on 16th September 2009. He also scored the winner in the Championship play-off final against Cardiff on 22nd May 2010, which ensured Blackpool's promotion to the EPL. At the end of the 2009-10 season he had scored eleven goals in thirty-six League games of which nine had been from the bench. He had scored one goal in his only F.A. Cup appearance and had made two League Cup appearances without scoring and had scored one vital goal in three play-off finals' appearances. Ormerod was used sparingly in the clubs first Premiership campaign of 2010/11, starting just six games but he also came off the bench thirteen times. On 22nd February 2011 he became the first Blackpool player to score in all four divisions, after netting in The Seasiders' 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspurs at Bloomfield Road. It was to be his only League goal of the season, but he did score in the League Cup and played two Cup games. On 3rd June 2011 Ormerod signed a new deal with Blackpool, not long after the club had been relegated back to The Championship. However it proved to be his final season at Blackpool in which he scored just once in starting ten and came off the bench in seven games in the League. He did not feature in any Cup games. He did go on loan to Rochdale for a month from 4th January 2012, scoring once in four starts and one game from the bench in the League, but was released by Blackpool at the end of the season. In his second stint at Bloomfield Road he scored fifteen goals in eighty-seven League games, of which thirty-seven were from the bench. He also scored once in two starts in the F.A. Cup, once in three starts in the League Cup and twice in six starts in the play-offs. He joined Blue Square Premiership side Wrexham on a free transfer on 1st July 2012 on a two year contract. He made his debut on the opening day in a 3-1 home win over Woking on 11th August 2012 but did not find the net until 20th November when he got the second goal in a 5-1 win at Braintree Town. He started twenty-nine League games and came off the bench for ten more. He netted seven goals in the League and one each in the F.A.Cup, F.A. Trophy, and the Play-offs, playing in nine games in those competitions, as after gaining the final play-off place they were beaten by Newport County at Wembley in the play-off Final. But they did win the F.A. Trophy by beating Grimsby Town in the Final at Wembley on 24th March 2013 when they didn't miss one of their penalties to win 4-1 on penalties after the game had finished 1-1 after extra-time. He was on the mark five times in the League in 2013-14 as Wrexham looked to gain promotion back to the Football League but they were his only goals in twenty-six starts in the League and nine more from the bench and two starts in the F.A. Cup, as Wrexham could only manage seventeenth spot. Out of contract at the end of the season he left the club by mutual consent with four games left of the season. He had scored twelve League goals in fifty-five starts and nineteen games from the bench, no goals in two starts in the F.A. Cup and one goal in three starts in other games. It was not until 23rd September that Ormerod found another club when he signed for Northern Premier League Division 1 North side Padiham FC. He had spent time in pre-season training with former club Accrington Stanley, who were then managed by James Beattie, a long-time fellow player and friend, and appeared on the verge of signing when Beattie left. He made his debut for his new club in a 3-3 draw at Lancaster City. He has since played regularly and scored consistently, with his first goal coming from a seventy-fourth minute penalty in his second game in a 1-3 home defeat by Burscough four days later. On 22nd October he hit a hat-trick as Padiham had a rare win, beating Brigg Town 4-2 at home in an FA Trophy replay, with goals in the fifth, twenty-eighth and eighty-eighth minutes. Three days later he was again on the mark as he gave his side the lead after ten minutes as they recorded their first League win of the season with a 3-1 home win over Farsley. He got a consolation goal three days later as Padiham were beaten 5-1 at Droylsden.