Mark Howard (defender)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Mark Howard
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1986|1|29
cityofbirth = Salford
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Brøndby IF
clubnumber = 5
position = Defender
youthyears = ?–2006
youthclubs = Manchester United
years = 2006–
clubs = Brøndby IF
caps(goals) = 044 0(1)

Mark Howard (born 29 January 1986) is an English football player, who plays as a defender for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.

Biography

Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, Howard attended Hope High School, Salford, with fellow Manchester United youth player, Phil Bardsley. Howard began his career playing for the Barr Hill Lads Club in Salford, Manchester. He signed for professional club Manchester United as a junior player, and played a number of years in the youth and reserve teams of the club. Having failed to make an impact in the first team of Manchester United, Howard was amongst seven United players given a free transfer at the end of the 2005-06 season. [ [http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=332758&itype=466&icategoryid=120/ Released by Manchester United] , ManUtd.com, 24/5/06.]

Mark moved to multiple Danish Superliga champions Brøndby IF. Brondby had recently hired Manchester United reserve team coach René Meulensteen as manager. Howard participated in training sessions and played a friendly match against German team FC Nürnberg, before signing a three-year contract with Brøndby on 28 July 2006. [da icon [http://www.brondby.com/article.asp?aid=38163&id=145/ Howard er nu Brøndbyspiller] , Brondby.com, 27/7/06.] He made his senior debut for Brøndby in August 2006, and played 13 of 18 league games as Brøndby finished in seventh place after the first half of the 2006-07 Superliga season.

When Meulensteen left the club in January 2007, new manager Tom Køhlert brought in Danish defender Mikkel Bischoff in contention for Howard's place in the central defence. When Bischoff suffered an injury, Howard proved himself once again and continued in the starting 11 for the rest of the season. He was also a part of the Brøndby team which won the 2006-07 Royal League cup on March 15, 2007. In the final match of the cup, Howard received a penalty kick, which Martin Ericsson converted to a goal, securing Brøndby a 1-0 win over F.C. Copenhagen.

Having secured his place in the starting eleven during the first half of the 2007-08 season, Howard was awarded the player of the year in Brøndby on 1 December 2007.

References

External links

*da icon [http://www.brondby.com/player.asp?sid=153&id=33 Brøndby IF profile]
* [http://resol.dr.dk/sportservice_person.aspx?personid=622745 Career stats] at Danmarks Radio
* [http://90min.dk/howard-glad-for-at-vaere-tilbage/ Interview with Mark Howard on 90min.dk]