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Wed 29 June 2022 | 5:06

Top facts about Robbie Savage, Skippy

Robbie Savage is a well-known media personality and former footballer who was renowned for his hard-working and aggressive playing-style. Read on to find out more facts about Robbie Savage.

Robert William Savage, a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, was born on October 18, 1974. He is currently a football analyst and Macclesfield's director of football in the Northern Premier League Division One West.

Robbie Savage’s age

is 47.

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he began his career as a young player with Manchester United and spent the majority of his time there before being released and joining Crewe Alexandra.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he settled in at

Leicester City

and took on a similar job at Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers.

He joined Derby County in 2008, and later that year, after a brief loan with Brighton & Hove Albion, he returned to the club as captain, where he finished his playing career. He also participated in 39 times for the Wales national team.

He currently hosts 606 on BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday evenings as a pundit for the BBC. Additionally, he co-hosts BT Sport's Early Kick Off.

Top facts about Robbie Savage:

Robbie Savage joined Leicester City in the Premier League for £400,000 in July 1997. There, the "right-footed player" frequently sat on the bench before recommending himself for coach Martin O'Neill's first eleven and, in addition to right midfield, increasingly played the role of attacking right-back as a so-called "wingback."

Robbie Savage early life

Colin and Valerie Savage welcomed Savage into the world on October 18, 1974, in Wrexham. Until he finished his GCSE coursework in July 1991, he attended Ysgol Bryn Alyn in Gwersyllt.

Regarding

Robbie Savage’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he became an apprentice with Manchester United after graduating from school. Unfortunately, there is no more information available regarding

Robbie Savage’s parents

.

Robbie Savage personal life

Two kids belong to Savage and his wife Sarah. One of his kids, Charlie, joined the Manchester United junior system in 2012, and in April 2021, the club offered him his first professional contract.

In a 1-1 tie against Young Boys on December 8, 2021, Savage offered commentary for BT Sport during the game in which his son Charlie made his senior Manchester United debut. Charlie entered the game as a late substitution.

Pick's disease, a condition that resembles dementia, was discovered in Robbie Savage's father while he was in his mid-50s. He passed away in 2012.

Savage represents the Alzheimer's Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to dementia care and research.

Savage has previously said that, in the future, he would have like to end his playing career with hometown club Wrexham before managing them.

He said that missing the opportunity to join Everton in 2005 was his biggest regret in terms of his football career.

Robbie Savage professional career

Robbie Savage made his final break in the English elite class in the 1998/99 season, making headlines both on and off the field in addition to his athletic abilities.

Tottenham Hotspur

interpreted his unsportsmanlike behavior in the League Cup final against Justin Edinburgh particularly negatively, as he successfully provoked a red card despite only minimal contact.

Despite being heavily attacked by his opponents, he put in a good performance overall, but it wasn't enough to prevent the 0-1 defeat.

In 2000, Savage was drawn in another League Cup final with Leicester City, providing an opportunity for vengeance. There, the Foxes defeated outsiders Tranmere Rovers 2-1.

Robbie Savage club playing career

Savage began his playing career at Manchester United as a striker trainee. He was a member of the 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning squad and was awarded a professional contract, although he never appeared for the club's main team and left in 1994 to join Crewe Alexandra.

Crewe

In his first two seasons at Crewe, he played up front before switching to midfield, demonstrating his ability as a capable young player and helping the team reach the Division Two playoffs.

This was an incredible accomplishment for a newly promoted team that had only competed at this level twice in the previous 30 years.

Then, in 1997, Crewe achieved third-time good fortune by securing promotion in the playoffs. Crewe had never before made it to the second division of the English football league system, but soon after he had helped Crewe gain promotion, Savage sent manager Dario Gradi a transfer request.

Leicester City

In July 1997, Savage was traded for £400,000 to Martin O'Neill's Premier League team Leicester City. Savage played with Leicester for five years, where he established himself as a dependable, competitive, and ferocious midfielder.

Leicester faced Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final in 1999. Justin Edinburgh of Tottenham replied by flinging his arm out after Savage's ill-advised attack on him.

Savage just made little contact before falling to the ground. Even though Tottenham went on to win the championship, many Spurs supporters still harbor resentment at Savage for the incident that led to Edinburgh's dismissal for raising his arms.

Savage, though, returned to the League Cup final a year later and defeated Tranmere Rovers 2–1.

Birmingham

An important

fact about Robbie Savage

is that he moved to newly promoted

Birmingham City

for a cost of £1.25 million and signed a three-year deal after Leicester was kicked out of the Premiership at the conclusion of the 2001–02 season. In 2003, he received the club's Player of the Year honor.

He apparently requested a move at the beginning of January 2005 because he wanted to be closer to his sick parents in Wrexham. Savage scored 11 goals in 82 league appearances for Birmingham before completing a £3 million transfer to Blackburn Rovers on January 19.

Blackburn

In his first five months as a Blackburn player, Savage helped his new team finish third in the Premier League and go to the FA Cup Semifinal, where they lost to Arsenal 3–0 at the Millennium Stadium in his native country.

After being benched by new manager John Toshack for a World Cup 2006 qualifying match against Austria in March, Savage announced the end of his international career.

Savage said he ended his career in international football only after Toshack informed him he wasn't talented enough to represent Wales. His dispute with Toshack and the Welsh FA persisted far into the 2005–06 season.

Savage played regularly for Blackburn in the 2005–06 season, making 42 appearances and scoring once, against old team Birmingham.

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he scored twice in Rovers' UEFA Cup run the following season, against Salzburg (12) and Wisa Kraków (13), but his season was cut short by a fractured leg in January, keeping him out for the remainder of the year.

Savage had more knee issues during the 2007–08 campaign. He took a hit in the 2–1 victory against Spurs after being caught by Robbie Keane. He needed surgery, which prevented him from playing in the opener for six weeks.

David Dunn's recent strong play and the return of Steven Reid to the starting lineup for the Rovers made it more difficult for him to crack the starting lineup.

Savage was well-liked by the Blackburn supporters, and when he returned with Derby, the Rovers supporters applauded him in front of a nearly full stadium.

In his 2014 book, former Sunderland manager Roy Keane said that Blackburn had granted him permission to sign Savage toward the conclusion of his tenure there.

However, Keane was turned off by Savage's "wazzupp" voicemail, saying "I can't be fucking signing that" after hearing it.

Derby

Savage signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to join Derby County for a cost of £1.5 million on January 9, 2008. He subsequently said that he did so at a wage reduction in order to play for the first team and that he turned down a transfer to Sunderland because he thought Derby wanted him more.

Because the numbers sum up to 8, he chose the number 44 jersey because the number 8 shirt, which he had previously worn at other teams, was already assigned to then-captain Matthew Oakley.

After Oakley was transferred to Leicester, he was named the new captain of Derby, and he captained the team in a 1–0 home loss against Wigan Athletic in his debut.

When Savage skipped every preseason game, there were rumors that he was departing Derby in July 2008. Derby rejected Milan Mandaric's interest in Savage when he expressed it as chairman of Leicester City in August.

After Derby's dismal start to the 2008–2009 season,Paul Jewell regularly left Savage out of the squad, and Alan Stubbs took over as captain.

Injury led Stubbs to retire early in the new season, but Savage was passed over since he wasn't in the starting lineup, and Paul Connolly received the armband in his place.

Savage was sent on loan to Brighton in October for a month to stay in shape after failing to make it back into the first squad.

An important

fact about Robbie Savage

is that he would subsequently admit that he had attempted to obtain a loan transfer to the Walkers Stadium one year later, during the buildup to a game between Leicester and Derby County (Leicester had declared an interest in him months earlier).

To speak well of manager Nigel Pearson, Savage even called club ambassador Alan Birchenall and a former player, Paul Dickov.

Derby offered to pay "90 or 95 percent" of Savage's salary, but Pearson "said no." Savage was given another shot with the first team by new Derby manager Nigel Clough after Jewell's departure, and he was given preference in central midfield.

On February 27, 2009, in a 2–1 defeat to Doncaster Rovers, Savage scored the team's first goal. On August 10, 2009, Savage agreed to a one-year extension to his Derby deal, keeping him with the club until the conclusion of the 2010–11 campaign.

He was included in the Championship Team of the Week the following day for his contributions to the opening-day triumph against Peterborough United.

Paul Connolly, who manager Nigel Clough wanted to "focus on his own game," was replaced by Savage as the captain of Derby County later that month.

Savage responded by saying: "When I originally joined the club, I was not deserving of the leadership. I shouldn't have been given it on the first day, but I was. I had a nightmare because the strain was too much for me. I was affected by it. I believe I'm now prepared for it. Now I'm more at ease with it."

The season was a personal triumph for Savage as he played in all but one of Derby's 51 league and cup matches during the campaign, starting 49 of them.

Derby battled once again throughout the season, not gaining safety until the 44th match. Additionally, he scored twice, once against Sheffield United in a 1-1 tie and once at Queens Park Rangers in a 4–2 home loss.

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he also received the club's Player of the Year award, while Shaun Barker won the fan's choice award.

Although Derby started the 2010–11 season poorly, winning just one of their first seven league games, Savage once again started in the first XI, this time in a new 4–2–3–1 formation around new signing James Bailey.

Because of Derby's poor start, fans began to question Savage's place in the team and his status as captain.

Prior to being benched for a 1–1 draw at Barnsley, he made his 100th appearance for the team in a 2–2 draw against Queens Park Rangers.

This was the first game for Derby in which he did not play a part (aside from being unavailable for selection) since Nigel Clough took over as manager in January 2009.

When Stephen Bywater was replaced in goal for Derby against

Reading

on March 11, 2010, due to a back injury, Savage filled in. During his 45 minutes in the Derby goal, he allowed two goals.

In a 3–0 victory against Preston North End on October 16, 2010, Savage played his 600th career game. He sealed the victory with a late penalty.

Savage ultimately decided against the transfer since it would be too much for his family. Savage made the decision to leave the show at the conclusion of the current season on January 31, 2011, in order to focus on his developing media career.

He received a round of applause and a standing ovation from both sets of fans in his final two games, losses at home to Bristol City and away to Reading.

Stockport

An important

fact about Robbie Savage

is that he joined Stockport Town of the North West Counties League on November 24, 2019, after coming out of retirement.

The next night, in a 3–2 victory against FC Oswestry Town, he made his league debut for the team as an 80th-minute replacement. He just made that one appearance.

Robbie Savage international career

Prior to making his senior international debut in 1995 against Albania while at Crewe, Savage competed for Wales at the under-18 and under-21 levels.

Savage retired from international football in September 2005, citing a desire to focus on his club career. He had amassed 39 appearances and scored two goals, both in World Cup qualifying matches against Turkey and Norway.

However, a lot of people think that his departure was motivated by a quarrel with Wales manager John Toshack. "John Toshack stated it was my way or the highway – well, I'm on the M56," Savage did explain.

He participated in a discussion over his expulsion from the Welsh team with analyst Leighton James on Welsh radio on March 6, 2006.

When he playfully tossed a duplicate of Paolo Maldini's jersey into a trash can before a game against Italy early in his international career, he got into a fight with former Wales manager Bobby Gould. Gould originally removed Savage from the team, but the next day he was added back.

Robbie Savage managerial career

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he was instrumental in the founding of Macclesfield F.C. in October 2020 as a result of his work with Stockport Town.

Robert Smethurst, the owner of Macclesfield, appointed Savage as a board member (later the director of football), and Danny Whitaker served as manager.

On August 30, Macclesfield beat Congleton Town 1-0 in the NWCFL Premier Division. Crowd disturbances forced a lengthy stoppage in play late in the second half, during which Savage interfered to stop fighting.

Robbie Savage style of play

Savage was an all-action, high-energy midfielder who often received yellow cards. He formerly had the unfortunate distinction of receiving the most yellow cards of any Premiership player in league history—89—but Lee Bowyer, Kevin Davies, and Paul Scholes have since surpassed him.

Robbie Savage controversy

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he has been charged of simulation by supporters of Aston Villa, Tottenham, West Ham, and Arsenal, whether it be to win a set piece or send an opponent to the stands.

Referee Matt Messias unintentionally struck Savage in the face when Savage was sprinting behind him during a game against Newcastle United in August 2003.

A clearance by Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov struck Savage in the face on January 17, 2010, while he was commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live's coverage of an English Premier League game between Aston Villa and West Ham United at Villa Park. The incident resulted in some minor bleeding from the nose.

However, Savage has only received a red card twice in his career—once when playing for Wales in an international match and once while playing for Blackburn in the Premier League.

In September 2004 during Wales' World Cup qualifying match against Northern Ireland, he was given his first-ever red card after responding to a foul on him by midfielder Michael Hughes.

Both Hughes and Savage were dismissed, although upon further reflection, several felt Savage's penalty was too severe.

Savage received mockery for his intent to challenge the ruling in the European Court of Human Rights.

On March 18, 2006, against Middlesbrough, he was ejected for two bookable offenses, ending his once outstanding streak of never getting sent off in a Premiership game.

Both were contentious; the first was a challenge on George Boateng after it looked that he had the ball, and the second involved a handball that appeared to be an accident.

Savage subsequently acknowledged that since he had previously avoided penalty for engaging in improper challenges, he was likely due for a contentious dismissal.

While he was a player for Leicester City, one well-known instance of his odd behavior occurred. He used the referee's restroom before a game in what became known as "Poogate," saying he had an upset stomach from the antibiotics he was taking at the time.

He was prosecuted by the Football Association, and after receiving a £10,000 fine, he lost his appeal. For the incident, Leicester penalized him two weeks' pay.

Savage dove in the penalty area in the last seconds of a league match between Leicester and Derby at Pride Park in 2001 when he was playing for Leicester. The penalty was given to Leicester, who then successfully converted it to a 3–2 victory.

Savage received a barrage of insults from the home crowd as a consequence of his obvious dive, hopeful glance at the referee, and violent fist-pumping celebration in front of the crowd. In addition, two Derby players were cautioned for chasing Savage across the field.

Savage was often jeered, booed, and ridiculed by Derby supporters whenever he played against them. When he joined Derby in January 2008, he faced a combination of animosity and apathy due to the event and his mediocre performance.

Savage is also well-known for an incident that happened at Villa Park in a heated Second City rivalry in March 2003 when he was playing for Birmingham City.

Robbie Savage media career

Throughout his time with his team, Savage sometimes served as a pundit, and in the 2009–10 season, he began doing so more often.

Prior to joining the presenting team for BBC Radio 5 Live's 6-0-6 program, he served in a variety of punditry capacities during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he officially became a sports ambassador for William Hill bookies in September 2010. He received a prize from the Plain English Campaign in May 2011 and the Sony Radio Academy Rising Star Award in the same month.

Savage worked as an ESPN commentator from 2009 to 2013, and he now works for BT Sport. Savage has worked to establish himself as a more well-known television personality outside of punditry since his retirement from football in May 2011.

Savage began dancing with Ola Jordan in the 2011 season of Strictly Come Dancing in September of that year. Savage injured his nose in a stunning knee-slide at the camera during the episode that was aired on October 22.

On December 4, 2011, Savage and Jordan finished sixth and were eliminated from the competition.

Savage participated in BBC Radio 5 Live's effort to break the previous record for the "most participants in a continuous 5 a side exhibition match" in October 2012 together with 463 other players.

Along with comedian Lloyd Langford and BBC Radio 5 Live travel correspondent Lindsey Chapman, this was done for BBC Children in Need.

Savage participated in a podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live with former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff and The Ping Pong Guy that covered current sports news. The show was presented by former table tennis player Matthew Syed.

Some more facts about Robbie Savage:

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he had previously provided the decisive cross in Matt Elliott's 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the semi-finals, and he was one of the few key players left in a squad severely depleted by injuries during the league round.

By this point, Savage had become a cult figure in the Leicester City annex, and with the departure of Neil Lennon, his importance within the team increased, as evidenced by the fact that he could now be found in the opposing penalty area more frequently than before.

A cartilage damage caused a short break, but the break after the operation lasted only 17 days, much to everyone's surprise.

Savage's time at Leicester City ended with the club's athletic decline in the 2001/02 season. The club finished last in the Premier League, and the Welshman, who had temporarily taken over the captaincy, mostly adapted to the low level.

He signed for Birmingham City for £2.5 million in late May 2002, when the club had just been promoted to the English Premier League.

Savage was an immediate starter for the "Blues" in midfield and a role model for his teammates in terms of commitment and pace.

He was rarely unsettled by his opponents' occasionally excessive severity, led the promoted team to safe relegation in the 2002/03 season, and won the club's player of the year award.

Despite initial reservations, he was a crowd favorite in his second year as a pass and pacesetter in Birmingham's development game, though his high number of warning cards tainted the positive impression somewhat.

However, after a promising start to the 2004/05 season, Savage's working relationship with Birmingham City's management abruptly deteriorated.

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he requested a transfer in January 2005, but was left out of the squad for the following game against Bolton Wanderers and demoted to the reserves.

Regardless, Savage eventually won the power struggle and was allowed to sign a new contract with league rivals Blackburn Rovers on 19 January 2005 during the winter transfer window for a fee of £3.1 million.

However, Savage's new employer let him down in the second half of the 2004/05 season. He suffered a groin injury early on, was unable to regain his previous level of fitness, and appeared in only nine league games.

During the 2005/06 season, Blackburn were still unsure about Savage's role in the team coached by fellow coach and compatriot Mark Hughes, and after another poor performance, he was forced to sit on the bench.

His combative attitude once again aided him through this crisis, with his game characterized by the habit of stubbornly chasing down the respective opponent and, if necessary, "chasing" him across long stretches of the field.

Savage's best Blackburn performances came at the start of the 2006/07 season, when his style of play shaped his team's attacking pressing and he scored goals in the UEFA Cup against Wisa Kraków and Red Bull Salzburg.

His round was cut short when he broke his leg in a game against Watford FC in January 2007. Fears about his full recovery were heightened shortly after the start of the 2007/08 season, when he was forced off after 17 minutes after colliding with Richard Dunne.

By the end of October 2007, he had lost his regular place to South African Aaron Mokoena, and the club, believing that Savage could no longer match his fast-paced game, sold him in early January 2008 for £1.5 million to Premier League bottom club Derby County.

Coach Paul Jewell named Savage captain right away because he wanted to make a positive statement by selecting an "extroverted personality."

However, staying in the league had already become a "mission impossible," and the team's demise was sealed by the end of March 2008. Savage was so moved by his initially poor performances that he donated a portion of his salary to the club's charity.

Once in the Football League Championship, Savage, like some of his teammates, fell out of favor after a 1-0 home loss to Southampton FC, and in October 2008, he was even loaned to the third division for a month by Brighton & Hove Albion.

Savage didn't return to the team until Nigel Clough took over as coach in January 2009, building on his previous experience. When it came down to saving Derby County from relegation to the third division, Savage's renewed confidence was crucial.

In August 2009, Savage succeeded Paul Connolly as captain. He missed only one competitive game (due to a suspension) during the entire 2009/10 season, and his calm passing game ensured that the team finished in the middle of the league.

An important fact about Robbie Savage is that he also won the club's internal vote for the best player of the previous season as a result of his performances.

With only one win in the first seven league games of the 2010/11 season, the Savage, who were also in poor form, found themselves in yet another sporting crisis.

The end of his time in Derby was approaching, and after some speculation about a move to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Major League Soccer, he decided to retire completely at the end of the season.

His professional reorientation toward the media as a future radio and television expert influenced this decision. In November 2019, he returned to Stockport Town of the 10th-tier North West Counties Football League Division One South.

Robbie Savage social media

Regarding

Robbie Savage social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

@robbiesavage8

) with 133k followers. On the page, we can see various pictures of him along with his fans and family.

Robbie Savage body measurements

Speaking about

Robbie Savage body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 185cm and 74kg.

Robbie Savage net worth and salary

Robbie Savage's net worth

is estimated to be around $15 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

 

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