Craig Farrell (footballer)

Craig Wayne Farrell (born 5 December 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Club career

Early career

Farrell was born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, where he grew up and attended Beechwood First School as a child. He played for local sides Cleveland Juniors and Marton Boys, before joining the youth system of hometown club Middlesbrough, who he supported as a boy, at the age of eight. He was offered at trial at Leeds United at 15, and after scoring five goals in two games he was offered a four-year contract at the club. He signed his first professional contract at the club in August 2002, after which he joined Third Division club Carlisle United on a one-month loan on 7 October. Following a successful loan spell at Carlisle, Farrell signed for the club permanently on a three-year contract in November for a fee that could have risen to £50,000 depending on appearances. He was placed on Carlisle's transfer list in November 2003 as part of manager Paul Simpson's clear-out. He said he was prepared to wait patiently to earn a regular place in the first team, saying "Karl and Magno have both been playing really well, so I can't really say much. I've only started one game this season in the LDV. I've got to keep working as hard as I can and make sure when my chance comes I take it." He was released by Carlisle in May 2005, along with teammates Kevin Henderson, Carlos Roca, Brian Shelley and Chris Beech.

Exeter City

Farrell signed for Conference National side Exeter City on 5 August 2005 on a one-year contract. Soon after joining Exeter, Farrell said he felt the club had the belief and the right kind of players to get promoted, saying: "The players are confident, and we have a really good side here. It's very similar to the Carlisle United side of last year which I got promoted with." He was released by Exeter in May 2006 after scoring eight goals in forty-five appearances in 2005–06.

York City

Farrell joined York City of the Conference National on 27 June 2006. He scored his first goal for York in a 2–2 home draw with Southport on 23 September 2006. York's manager Billy McEwan set Farrell a target of fifteen goals for 2006–07 during February 2007. He played through the last two months of the season with torn muscle fibres in his thigh. After finishing the season with ten goals in fifty-one appearances the club exercised their option to extend his contract for another season.

He started 2007–08 playing as a right winger, and after making seven appearances during the season was unable to feature for over a month due to poor form and a thigh problem. After a struggle to regain fitness, Farrell made his return after coming on as a sixty-ninth-minute substitute against Southern Football League Division One Midlands side Rushall Olympic in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup and proceeded to score the third fastest hat-trick in York's history and provide an assist for a fourth goal. Following this, he was voted as Player of the Round for the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup. York offered him a new contract for 2008–09 in April 2008, which he signed in May.

Farrell scored a goal and made two assists during the 3–3 draw at Stevenage Borough in October 2008 after playing as a striker alongside Onome Sodje, which he hoped would see him play in that position on further occasions. York manager Colin Walker challenged him to affirm himself as a striker, and was guaranteed a place in the team for their game against Cambridge United; the first time he would have started consecutive games since August 2008. He suffered a groin strain during York's 0–0 draw with Mansfield Town in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, which meant he missed the replay at Field Mill. Conference North club Gateshead attempted to sign Farrell on loan in January 2009 for the remainder of 2008–09, but he rejected this offer, saying he was not interested in moving down a division. On 31 January 2009, he joined fellow Conference Premier side Oxford United on loan until the end of the season . He made his debut a day later in a 2–1 victory over Lewes. His first goal came in the following game against Barrow, after being assisted by Lewis Haldane, in a game that finished 3–0. He finished the spell with fifteen appearances and scored two goals.

Rushden & Diamonds

Farrell joined Rushden & Diamonds on 12 June 2009, as part of an exchange deal plus £10,000 from York, for striker Michael Rankine. Farrell missed only three games for Rushden in 2009–10, making forty-eight appearances and scoring twelve goals, playing as either a target man or the right hand side of a three-man attack. Having scored one goal from twenty-nine matches in 2010–11, he was released by Rushden in May 2011.

AFC Telford United

Farrell signed for newly promoted Conference Premier club AFC Telford United on 27 June 2011 on a free transfer following his release from Rushden. After making seventeen appearances and scoring two goals for AFC Telford he was loaned out to Conference North side Hinckley United on 4 January 2012. He departed from Telford by mutual consent on 31 January.

Hinckley United

Upon release from Telford, Farrell signed a contract for Hinckley United in February 2012, where he had spent the previous month on loan. He scored Hinckley's final goal of 2011–12 against Stalybridge Celtic in the last game of the season on 28 April 2012. He made eighteen appearances and scored six goals for Hinckley in 2011–12.

Blyth Spartans

Farrell signed for newly relegated Northern Premier League Premier Division team Blyth Spartans on 9 June. He made eighteen appearances for Blyth, scoring seven goals.

Whitby Town

On 16 November 2012, Farrell joined Blyth's divisional rivals Whitby Town, making his debut in a 3–1 defeat at the Turnbull Ground, against Ashton United. He retired in February 2015 due to a serious hip injury.

International career

Farrell played for the England national under-16 team at the 1999 UEFA European Under-16 Championship and scored in a 3–1 victory over Slovakia. He was capped three times by the under-16 team in 1999.

Career statistics