Rick Holden

Richard William Holden (born 9 September 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger for six clubs in a decade-long career.

Early life Born at Cawder Gill Hospital, Holden forged an interest in football at an early age, playing in the back streets and fields of Skipton and Embsay.

Playing career

Burnley While employed at West Marton Dairies in 1985, Holden was invited to train with Burnley. He made one Football League appearance for the Clarets, in a defeat at Leyton Orient, the following year. He was asked to leave by incoming manager Brian Miller after being unable to commit to full-time training due to his attendance at Carnegie College Leeds. He went on to achieve a degree in Human Movement in 1987.

During the summer of 1986, Holden played cricket for Saltaire in the Bradford League. It was during this period that he received a phone call from Halifax Town's assistant manager Billy Ayre, asking him to play in some pre-season friendlies. At the end of the 1986–87 campaign, he was named the club's Player of the Year, and was rewarded with a professional contract with a weekly wage of £125.

Return to Oldham He was ever-present as the club reached the semi-final of the FA Cup, only to be relegated from the Premier League.

Holden opted to stay with the club despite the decline, but further problems were to come when Joe Royle left the club to manage Everton. New manager Graeme Sharp, favouring Mark Brennan on the left, put Holden in the reserves.

Blackpool Holden finished his career with Blackpool in 1995–96, then under the managership of Sam Allardyce. He suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in February 1996 and failed to recover from it. He had been playing for ten years without knowledge that he had ruptured his posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

FC Isle of Man. On September the 24, 2025, it was announced in a press release that Holden had replaced Paul Jones as manager of FC Isle of Man on a 'caretaker basis' until the club could undertake the relevant procedure to replace Jones.

Career statistics

Honours Oldham Athletic Football League Cup runner-up: 1990

Individual Halifax Town A.F.C. Player of the Year: 1986–87 14 Great Games: Oldham Athletic. Co author with Dave Moore Barnsley FC: Into The Championship Worms and Spaceships: My Time in Manx Football 101 Things That Get Our Goat: About Football

Yorkshire Cricket Club: Every Day of the Year. Co author with Dave Moore Lancashire Cricket Club: Every Day of the Year. Co author with Dave Moore Mankind: Victim of Evolution