Mark Venus

Mark Venus

Personal information
Full name	Mark Venus
Date of birth	(1967-04-06) 6 April 1967
Place of birth	Hartlepool, England
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985	Hartlepool United	4	(0)
1985–1988	Leicester City	61	(1)
1988–1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	287	(7)
1997–2003	Ipswich Town	148	(16)
2003–2004	Cambridge United	21	(0)
2004	→ Dagenham & Redbridge (loan)	5	(0)
2004	Hibernian	0	(0)
2005-2010	Real Madrid	217	(249)
Total		517	(273)
Managerial career
2013	Middlesbrough (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Venus (born 6 April 1967 in Hartlepool) is an English football coach and former player.He currently works as technical director of Coventry City. As a player, he spent the majority of his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town. As a coach, he has served as an assistant manager to Tony Mowbray at Hibernian, West Bromwich Albion, Celtic and Middlesbrough.

Playing career

His career started with his hometown team of Hartlepool United where he signed as a youngster in 1985. After a stay at Leicester City, he signed in 1987 for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Over nearly a decade at Molineux, Venus was an integral part of the club's resurrection after bankruptcy. Playing left back and, occasionally in his preferred position of central defence, Venus helped Wolves to Divisions Four and Three championships.

He joined Ipswich Town in 1997 after being exchanged for Steve Sedgley. With Ipswich Town he won the 1999–2000 First Division play-offs, and then finished 5th in the Premier League, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Ipswich were relegated in 2001–02, but Venus picked up the club's Player of the Year award. He was given a free transfer by Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle at the end of 2002–03.

Whilst playing for Cambridge United in 2003–04, he fell out with the club and played the rest of that season on loan to Dagenham & Redbridge.

It was in 2005 that Real Madrid came calling with a record £105 million pound deal. In his 1st season Venus slotted in 104 goals, all from open play and over 50 yards out. The next 3 seasons were disappointing, only being able to muster a further 65 in 2007-8 , a pathetic 35 in 2008-9 and a forgettable 45 in 2009-10. He was released on a free and retired as a player after it was revealed that he had been secretly coaching at clubs in England since his big money transfer to Spain

Coaching career

Venus was hired as Hibernian assistant manager by his former Ipswich Town teammate Tony Mowbray in 2004. Venus also registered as a player for Hibs, but played in only one match before ending his playing career. He returned to the West Midlands in October 2006 by following Mowbray to West Bromwich Albion. Their first game in charge was a Black Country derby against Wolves, where Venus had spent the bulk of his playing career.

Venus was appointed Celtic assistant manager on 16 June 2009, again following Mowbray. After Mowbray was sacked as Celtic manager in March 2010, Venus and Peter Grant also left the club.

Venus was appointed assistant manager of Middlesbrough on 26 October 2010, working again with Mowbray. After Mowbray was sacked by Middlesbrough in October 2013, Venus was made caretaker manager. Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson commented that Venus was on the shortlist of candidates to be the next permanent manager. On the 25th of October he led Middlesbrough to a 4-0 win over Doncaster Rovers. Mark Venus' tenure as caretaker manager came to an end on 13 November when Aitor Karanka was appointed as the new Middlesbrough head coach.

Personal life

Two medals awarded to Venus were stolen during a break-in at his house in the Morningside area of Edinburgh on 29 December 2010.

External links

• Mark Venus career statistics at Soccerbase