Tom Youngs (footballer, born 1979)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Anthony John Youngs[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 31 August 1979[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England | ||
| Date of death | 4 May 2025 (aged 45) | ||
| Place of death | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1997 | Cambridge United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2003 | Cambridge United | 151 | (43) |
| 2003–2005 | Northampton Town | 26 | (0) |
| 2005 | Leyton Orient | 10 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | Bury | 49 | (7) |
| 2007 | Stafford Rangers | 2 | (0) |
| 2007 | Cambridge City | ||
| 2007–2008 | Mildenhall Town | ||
| 2009 | Norwich United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Anthony John Youngs (31 August 1979 – 4 May 2025) was an English footballer who played as a forward.
Career
Youngs was first scouted by Cambridge United's academy as a youngster, although he had not been interested in the game until he was eight years old.
He played for Cambridge, Northampton, Leyton Orient, Bury, Stafford Rangers, and other clubs.[2] As a Cambridge player, Youngs was the club's top scorer for two consecutive seasons, 2000 to 2002, netting in 26 goals.[3]
In 2011, while playing for Mildenhall Town, Youngs was forced to retire from active play following a serious hip injury that he suffered during a game against Wisbech Town,[4] which Mildenhall went on to win 9–0.[3] He remained with the club as assistant manager.
Personal life and death
At school, Youngs got A Levels in English, Mathematics, and French. While an active footballer, he obtained a degree in Sports Journalism from Staffordshire University.[3] Reportedly, his scholarly achievements inspired the chant, "Tom Youngs has got A Levels", while he was with Cambridge.[3]
In 2015, Youngs was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.[3] In 2016, his autobiography was published.[5]
Youngs was married and had two daughters.[3] He died at St Nicholas Hospice in West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, on 4 May 2025. Youngs was 45.[6]
Honours
Cambridge United
- Football League Trophy runner-up: 2001–02[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2003). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004. Queen Anne Press. p. 467. ISBN 1-85291-651-6.
- ^ Tom Youngs at Soccerbase
- ^ a b c d e f "Ex-Cambridge United striker on his battle with multiple sclerosis" by Craig Lewis & Phil Shepka, BBC Sport, 23 March 2017
- ^ "Youngs Blow for Mildenhall" by Steve Whitney, NonLeaguePitchero, 15 November 2011
- ^ Youngs, Tom. What Dreams are (Not Quite) Made of: No Fame, No Fortune, Just Football ... and Multiple Sclerosis; Vertical Editions; 6 August 2016; ISBN 978-1904091967
- ^ "Tom Youngs 1979-2025 | Cambridge United F.C." www.cambridgeunited.com. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (24 March 2002). "Blackpool lift LDV Vans Trophy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2024.