Full name Richard Garfield Flash 1992–1995 Manchester United Position Midfielder 000?–1992 Aston Villa Height 1.75 m | Playing position Role Footballer Name Richard Flash | |
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Date of birth (1976-04-08) 8 April 1976 (age 39) | ||
Place of birth Birmingham, England | ||
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Richard Garfield Flash (born 8 April 1976) is an English former footballer, whose career was hampered by knee injuries.
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Flash was born in Birmingham. As a schoolboy he was scouted by Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester United; Manchester United scout Geoff Watson persuaded him to sign schoolboy forms, and he went on to captain United's West Midland youth team, the Manchester Eagles, for three years, winning the Keele Classic at under-14 level. In 1990, he turned down the opportunity to move to the F.A's National School of Excellence at Lilleshall to train locally with Aston Villa and Birmingham City, in addition to Manchester United. However, an injury to his right knee at age 14 hampered his development.
In 1992, he joined the ranks at Manchester United with Michael Appleton, Terry Cooke, David Johnson and Jovan Kirovski. During his seven-year club career, he played at youth team and reserve level and was roommates with David Beckham and Terry Cooke. However, he had injured his right knee when he was 14, and early in his Manchester United career he sustained a second dislocated right patella which forced him onto the sidelines for two years.
In 1995 Flash was signed by Graham Taylor and moved to reserve team level at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Graham Taylor re-signed him at Watford, where he made his senior debut as a substitute on 5 May 1997, but this was his only appearance for the club. After a brief spell on loan at Lincoln City he was injured again and sidelined for 6 months. Graham Taylor released him in 1998 but recommended him to Kevin Hodges at Plymouth Argyle, where he sustained a career-ending dislocation of his left patella in the 1998–99 season. He played 11 league games in his career.
Flash has a master's degree and has been manager of a branch of Goals Soccer Centres, a five-a-side football company; as of October 2014 he is head of the academic department at UCFB.