Born on this day is former Sunderland and Newcastle United midfielder Paul Bracewell. After retirement, Bracewell returned to Sunderland as assistant manager.
The Heswall-born midfielder had three spells on Wearside, initially signing from Stoke City. However, manager Alan Durban was sacked after Bracewell’s first season, and following manager Len Ashurst got rid of Paul. He was sold to Everton where he enjoyed success next to Peter Reid in midfield. Bracewell earned three England call-ups during his time at Everton but missed out on the 1986 World Cup with a broken leg.
Sunderland re-signed Bracewell in 1989 after his injury struggles on Merseyside. He became a key player under Denis Smith and won promotion to the top flight through the play-offs. In 1992, Bracewell was Sunderland’s captain in an FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool. However, he then left to join rivals Newcastle United on a free transfer. He made 73 appearances in black and white over 3 years before returning to Sunderland.
Despite persistent injury troubles, Bracewell went on to make another 77 appearances in his third stint at Sunderland, winning promotion again in 1996 under former teammate Peter Reid. The classy midfielder joined Fulham under his ex-Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan, where he eventually retired and became manager. In 2013 Bracewell returned to Sunderland in the role of a development coach, helping youngsters transition between under-18s and under-23s. He was promoted to first team coach in 2015 and quickly became assistant manager.
