Biography
Pacy wideman David Beresford joined the Tigers in June 2001 as manager Brian Little began spending the funds secured by new chairman Adam Pearson following the financial collapse of the club earlier in the year. Beresford was one of the club’s marquee signings, a player with experience at a higher level dropping down into the fourth tier to cause havoc. And at times that’s how it proved, though not enough times. Beresford slotted straight into City’s first eleven and while it became immediately apparent that he possessed express pace and a neat full-back-bamboozling trick or two, his end-product was less than ideal once he reached the byline. He missed only four of the 42 fixtures that Little took charge of that season and scored his only City goal in an impressive November 5-1 thumping of Cheltenham Town. But as the season wore on Beresford appeared to struggle for confidence and his productivity, which was variable to begin with, declined further. When Little left and Billy Russell then Jan Molby took the helm, both quickly discarded David and he left the Tigers in the 2002 close season.
David Beresford was born in Middleton in the North Manchester suburbs and joined local club Oldham Athletic as a youngster after graduating at the Lilleshall National School of Football Excellence. Seen as a highly talented player in his youth, Beresford received several England honours and made his Oldham first team debut in the Premier League in November 1993, just two weeks after his 17th birthday. He made two further appearances in the 1994/95 season before joining Swansea City on loan at the start of the 1995/96 season. His six appearances for the Swans impressed his parent club and when Beresford returned to Lancashire in mid-September he went straight into the Latics first team squad and was used primarily as an impact substitute, scoring his first senior goal in an October 1995 2-1 win over Reading. While Oldham struggled in League Division 1 in the 1996/97 season Beresford continued to thrive and was a regular first team starter. At the end of March 1997, with Oldham facing the prospect of relegation to the third tier, Beresford was sold to divisional rivals Huddersfield Town, managed by ex-Tiger Brain Horton, for a £350,000 fee. David went straight into the Terriers’ first team as a right winger and scored his first goal for the club in late April against Southend United.
Beresford started the 1997/98 season in Huddersfield’s first eleven but when Horton left the club in October, David’s first team chances were severely reduced under new boss Peter Jackson. He played occasionally during the 1998/99 season but when Jackson was replaced by Steve Bruce for the 2000/01 season, Beresford was again on the sidelines and was loaned to Preston North End. The pattern repeated in the 2000/01 season under Lou Macari, the loan spell being at Brain Horton’s Port Vale, and when Beresford left Huddersfield in a free transfer in the 2001 close season he had made only 42 appearances (and scored three goals) in just over four seasons, plus a further 10 appearances during loan spells.
Beresford joined Plymouth Argyle in July 2002 but he struggled to maintain a first team place after the opening weeks of the season. After 19 appearances for the Pilgrims Beresford was loaned to Macclesfield Town in October 2003 then joined Tranmere Rovers a month later, reuniting with his former City boss Brian Little. David once again found a regular first team place at Prenton Park under Little and gave two years of service before returning to Macclesfield Town in July 2005 for his last season in the Football League. Beresford hung up his boots in the 2006 close season – though he did make a brief return with Curzon Ashton in 2008 – and across his 13 year career he had made 281 senior appearances (114 off the bench) and scored 11 goals. He then return to his native Greater Manchester, studied for a Sport Science degree and became a PE teacher in Rochdale.
While making his way into the game at Oldham Beresford was a regular for the England Under-16 side during the 1992/93 season. He also won under-17 and under-18 caps in 1994 and 1995.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 11 November 1976, Middleton
Hull City First Game: 11 August 2001, Exeter City A (League Division 3), 24 years, 273 days old
Hull City Final Game: 20 April 2002, Lincoln City H (League Division 3), 25 years, 160 days old
Clubs
Oldham Athletic (1992-1997), Swansea City (1995, loan), Huddersfield Town (1997-2001), Preston North End (1999-2000, loan), Port Vale (2000, loan), Hull City (2001-2002), Plymouth Argyle (2002-2003), Macclesfield Town (2003, loan), Tranmere Rovers (2003-2005), Macclesfield Town (2005-2006), Curzon Ashton (2008)
Hull City Record
Career: 47 apps, 1 goals
David Beresford| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001/02 | 33 (8) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | - | - | 3 (0) | 0 |