Telfer: Paul Norman (Paul)

2008-Current (Player Details)

Defender

Born: Edinburgh, Scotland: 21/10/1971

Debut v Crystal Palace (h): 26-08-2008

5’9” 11st 6lb (2008)

Telfer was born in Edinburgh, but began his career at Luton Town as a right-sided midfielder. In 1992, Telfer and then Luton teammate Darren Salton were involved in a horrific car crash. Telfer suffered only minor injuries and went on to make a full recovery, while Salton almost died and was forced to quit football following the accident. After scoring nineteen goals in one hundred and forty-four League games, of which eight were as a substitute, and scoring twice in nineteen Cup games as well as another goal in two other games for Luton, in the summer of 1995, he was signed by Coventry City for £115,000, where he began his long association with Gordon Strachan, who at the time was player-coach at the club, and later became Manager. While at Coventry, Telfer won his only senior Scotland cap, playing in Scotland's 2-0 friendly defeat against France on 29th March 2000 at Hampden Park. He was also capped by Scotland at 'B' and Under Twenty-one level. At Highfield Road he netted six goals in one hundred and ninety-one League games with thirteen of them being as a substitute, while in the Cups he also managed six goals from thirty starts and four times from the bench. However, in October 2001, a free transfer took Telfer to Southampton, who had appointed Strachan as Manager just over a month earlier. At Southampton, Telfer was converted from a midfielder to right-back, and was a member of the side that reached the 2003 FA Cup Final. In 2005, Strachan became Manager at Celtic, and again made Telfer one of his first signings, paying £200,000 to bring him to Celtic Park. While with Southampton Telfer scored once in one hundred and twenty-seven appearances of which fifteen were as a substitute, while in the Cups he didn't score in seventeen starts and two games from the bench and in other games he made two appearances, one as a substitute. Telfer played just under two years at Parkhead, where he won two Scottish League championships. However, his family had difficulty settling in Glasgow, and on 3rd December 2006, Telfer announced he would not renew his contract with Celtic because he wished to spend more time with his family in Winchester. On 2nd April 2007, Telfer brought forward his retirement and officially left Celtic to be with his family in England. He played fifty-seven League games of which one was off the bench and he scored once, while in the Cups he played eight games without scoring and in Europe he made eight appearances of which one was as a substitute. On 13th July 2007. Telfer came out of retirement, signing a one-year contract with League One side Bournemouth on a free transfer. On 12th December 2007, Telfer cancelled his contract with Bournemouth to help their financial problems. A few days earlier, he had been ruled out for the season with a foot injury that required surgery and he retired again. He made seventeen starts in the League with one game off the bench and three games in the FA Cup and another three in other games. On 8th August 2008, Telfer came out of retirement for a second time and joined Leeds United on a non-contract basis. He signed a one year deal with the club at the end of August. He returned to the game when he joined the Leeds squad in Ireland for the pre-season tour where he impressed with his fitness and became a part of Gary McAllister's squad. He made his debut against Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup. Although he had played much of his career at right-back, but made his first United appearances at the heart of the defence. He is the nephew of former Scotland, Hearts, Chelsea and Dundee United midfielder Eamonn Bannon. After a total of eighteen appearances for Leeds, since being signed by former boss Gary McAllister, Paul Telfer agreed with new Manager Simon Grayson to have his contract cancelled by mutual consent on 2nd February 2009. In April 2009, Telfer signed for non-league Slough Town, where his close friend, Darren Salton, was Assistant Manager. He only played one game for them.