Profile: Richard Naylor

• Date Of Birth: 28/02/77
• Position:  Defender/Striker
• Transfer Fee: From YTS
• Contract Ends: 31/06/06
• Previous Clubs: Millwall (loan), Barnsley (loan)

The longest serving player at Portman road having been with the club 10 years this year and has seen a lot in that time, promotion via the play-offs in may 2000, a 5th placed premier league finish followed by relegation and that’s only three off the ten you could also include four failed attempts in the play-offs, UEFA cup football while playing in the first division and a recurring knee problem and being moved from defence to forward and back again.

Joined the Ipswich youth scheme as a 15 year old school boy in 1995 and made his debut in the 1996/1997 season and scored his first goal for the club in 1997 in the league cup win over Gillingham but yet has never really been a regular player in the Ipswich Town squad, due to injuries and other players being above him in the pecking order, but with a slim line squad “bam bam” can hope to right that by holding down a place in the centre of defence along side Jason De Vos.

In May 2000 he scored Town’s important second goal in the play-off final against Barnsley at Wembley as town went on to win 4-2 but soon after that game he under went operations on both his knees which ruled him out for 6 months, speaking about his knee problems Naylor has said: “The problems I have had with my knees have been the biggest downside of my career, they have really left me dejected on occasions and there have certainly been times when I thought my career might be over.

“Every time I have surgery I think the problems might be solved for good but I'm still suffering now.

“If the specialists were going to find the cure for my knee problem they would have done it by now, so I'm stuck with it and have to accept it.

“There are a number of reasons why I have had so many problems, some of it is to do with my posture and physique and I have to be very careful to stretch adequately and prepare properly for training and games, otherwise I can be in trouble.

“The knees can end up sore so the exercises must be done but like I say, I have just got to live with it now.”.

Last summer Naylor was offered and signed a new two year contract keeping at Portman road until summer 2006.

Source: Ipswich Town Official Site.

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