Biography
Striker Branch joined City on loan from Wolves in October 2002 to add goals to Peter Taylor’s new squad. Branch was clearly a cut-above the fourth tier during his seven games in black and amber, impressing with his pace and goals. City owner Adam Pearson thought he had negotiated a deal to sign Branch once his loan spell ended, but Wolves reputedly reneged on that deal and his time at City drew to a close.
Liverpool-born Branch began his career at Everton and was amongst the Toffees’ most promising youngsters for some years when he broke into the first team in February 1996. He spent five seasons at Goodison Park but was enable to secure a regular start. In 1999 embarked on an impressive loan spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, which was made a permanent transfer in return for a £500,000 fee in January 2000. Branch was a Wolves first team regular for two seasons but lost his place in 2001, leaving the club in 2003 shortly after his loan to City.
Branch signed for Bradford City in the 2003 close season, spending one season at Valley Parade and contributing six goals. In 2004 he switched to Chester City where he again scored goals, but he later drifted into the non-league scene.
Branch made a single England Under-21 appearance against Poland in October 1996.
In November 2012 Branch was sentenced to a seven year prison sentence for possession of Class A and Class B drugs, after £50,000 worth of cocaine was found in his home. He was released in 2016 and retrained as an accountant.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 18 October 1978, Liverpool
Hull City First Game: 5 October 2002, Kidderminster Harriers A (League Division Three), 23 years, 352 days old
Hull City Final Game: 30 November 2002, Wrexham A (League Division Three), 24 years, 43 days old
Clubs
Everton (1995-2000), Manchester City (1998, loan), Birmingham City (1999, loan), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1999-2000, loan), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2000-2003), Reading (2002, loan), Hull City (2003, loan), Bradford City (2003-2004), Chester City (2004-2006), Halifax Town (2007), Burscough (2010)
Hull City Record
Career: 7 apps, 3 goals
Michael Branch| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | 6 (1) | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |