829 Michael Branch

Biography

Striker Michael Branch joined Hull City on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2002 to add goals to Peter Taylor’s newly emerging squad. Branch was clearly a cut-above the fourth tier, during his seven games in black and amber he impressed with his pace and goals. He scored a brace in an October 2002 home victory over Rochdale that saw the announcement of Taylor’s triumphant arrival at the club. 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 rapid close at the end of November 2002.

Paul Michael Branch was born and raised in Sudley, a suburb of south Liverpool near Aigburth – his father Maxie Branch was a non-league defender that played several times for Liverpool’s Reserves team during the 1973/74 season. As early as eleven years old Michael was attracting attention from both the press and the Liverpool City Boys selectors thanks to his pace and goalscoring exploits – he was also an accomplished cricketer from the similar age. Branch continued to score remarkable numbers of goals at junior level football and in October 1992 he signed schoolboy forms at Premier League side Everton. In November 1992 Michael was selected for an England Under-15s get together at Lilleshall and in May 1993 he was selected to join the FA National School at Lilleshall, where the country’s finest talent were assembled to further their education and their footballing skills – ex-Tigers Nicky Barmby and Jamie Forrester were other Lilleshall graduates. He continued to hit goals at club and international level during his spell at Lilleshall and was regarded as one of the country’s hottest striking prospects as he approached the time to play senior football.

During the 1994/95 season Branch played in Everton’s FA Youth Cup squad as well as the Toffees’ A team. At the start of the 1995/96 season Branch’s two years at Lilleshall had ended, he signed YTS forms with Everton and was introduced to the first team squad during pre-season training and warm-up matches. He started his first Everton Reserves match in October 1995 and netted his first goal at that level a month later. His stellar progress continued in February 1996 when, only four months past his seventeenth birthday, he made his senior debut for Everton in a Premier League match against Manchester United – he followed his debut up with two further senior appearances during April 1996.

Michael’s upward trajectory continued in May 1996 when he was invited to join the England senior squad for a friendly against Hungary, though only to train with the senior players rather than play in the match. During the summer of 1996 Everton manager Joe Royle advised that Branch’s progress should be slowed somewhat to avoid burnout and he was withdrawn from an England Under-18 tournament. After signing his first professional contract in May 1996 Branch was a part of the Toffees’ first team during the 1996/97 season, often used off the bench – in September 1996 he became the youngest Everton player to start a league match at Goodison Park and in December 1996 he scored his first senior goal against Chelsea. Two further goals in April 1997 against Leicester City completed a successful first season in the Everton Premier League squad.

Branch was used less frequently by new Everton manager Howard Kendall in the opening months of the 1997/98 season as niggling injuries hampered his progress. A hamstring injury suffered in November 1997 followed by a December 1997 ankle fracture ended his season early and saw Michael fall down the pecking order at Everton, almost as quickly as his star had risen less than two years earlier. He returned to fitness in June 1998 but failed to break back into the Everton first team. In October 1998 Branch joined League Division 2 side Manchester City on loan, reuniting with former Everton manager Joe Royle and making 4 goalless appearances. Branch returned to the Everton first team squad in December 1998 but his goals had dried up and he was a peripheral figure for the rest of the season. In April 1999 he started the Merseyside derby against Liverpool, which turned out to be his final appearance for Everton – in three years he scored three goals for the Toffees in 45 senior appearances.

In November 1999 Branch joined League Division 1 side Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan after a similar move to Bristol City fell through at the eleventh hour. A few days later he made his Wolves debut against Tranmere Rovers and in December 1999 he opened his account for the Molineux side with a brace against Manchester City. After showing good form, Branch’s loan was converted to a permanent transfer in January 2000 in return for a £500,000 fee – he contributed further goals during the second half of the 1999/00 season as Wolves fell just short of the play-off places. Michael was a first team regular during the 2000/01 season as Wolves finished in mid-table, but his prowess in front of goal remained diminished and he turned provider from wide positions. Branch dropped out of the first team picture in the 2001/02 season and in March 2002 he joined League Division 2 side Reading on a one month loan that yielded just 2 appearances. He was not a part of Wolves’ first team plans during the 2002/03 season and his loan spell at Hull City was designed to offer him a fresh start – alas Branch’s proposed permanent switch to the Tigers fell through. He left Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2003 close season having scored ten goals in 79 appearances.

In July 2003 Branch signed for League Division 1 side Bradford City, where he spent one season as the Bantams ended up being relegated – Branch scored six goals in 35 appearances following his August 2003 goalscoring debut against Norwich City. In July 2004 he signed for League Two side Chester City, he scored regularly during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons but enjoyed a somewhat tempestuous relationship with manager Mark Wright. After two seasons of first team football during which Michael scored nineteen goals in 66 appearances, he left Chester City in October 2006 and ended his Football League career aged 27, just ten years after he was touted as a future England international. He had a short spell at National League side Halifax Town, spent two years coaching football in Australia, returned to England and played a few times for Northern Premier League side Burscough in 2010 before seeking pastures new.

The precise nature of those new pastures became evident in November 2012 when Branch was sentenced to a seven year prison term for possession of Class A and Class B drugs, after £50,000 worth of cocaine was found in his home. He was released from prison in September 2016 and got his life back on track by retraining as an accountant, campaigning for mental health treatment and, since 2022, working with youngsters for Everton in the Community.

In February 1994 Branch made his debut for England Under-15s, scoring twice against Wales as part of his development at the FA National School at Lilleshall – he went on to score regularly for the England Boys’ side over the next twelve months as he graduated to the Under-16s side. In September 1995 he was called up for England’s Under-17 squad. scoring on his debut against South Africa. Later that same month he made his debut for England Under-18s against Latvia, making 5 appearances during the 1995/96 season without scoring. Branch was invited to join the England senior squad in May 1996 to train with the senior players – later that month he was called up to the England Under-21 squad for the Toulon tournament and made his debut against Angola. In October 1996 Michael made his second and final appearance for England’s Under-21s when selected by manager Peter Taylor to come off the bench against Poland – this match saw his international career draw to a premature close as further call-ups were initially hampered by niggling injuries, then by a loss of form.

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