# Chris Turner (footballer, born 1958)
**Chris Turner** (Christopher Robert Turner, born 1958 in [Sheffield](https://www.edgepedia.org/sheffield)) is an English former footballer and manager who played as a goalkeeper, most prominently for [Sunderland](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunderland), Manchester United, and Sheffield Wednesday, and later managed Hartlepool United and Sheffield Wednesday.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) Over a 19-year professional career in the [English Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/english-football-league) he made 589 league and cup appearances, and he later took charge of a further 469 matches as a manager.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Christopher Robert Turner, born 1958, Sheffield, England; height 1.80 m[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) • [2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/chris-turner/profil/spieler/176513) |
| Position | Goalkeeper[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/chris-turner/profil/spieler/176513) |
| Clubs | Sheffield Wednesday (1976–79), Sunderland (1979–85), Manchester United (1985–88), Sheffield Wednesday again (1988–91), a brief Leeds United loan (1989), Leyton Orient (1991–94)[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) • [3](https://www.sheridan-dictates.com/database-turner-chris.php) |
| Career totals | 589 league and cup appearances as a player; 469 matches as a manager[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) |
| Major honors | League Cup winner with Sheffield Wednesday, 1991; promotions with Sunderland (1979–80) and Wednesday (1990–91)[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) |
| Individual awards | Sheffield Wednesday Player of the Year 1977–78; Sunderland Player of the Year 1985; PFA Team of the Year 1978–79 and 1991–92[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) |
| Management | Leyton Orient (1994–95, with John Sitton), Hartlepool United (February 1999 to November 2002), Sheffield Wednesday (November 2002)[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) |
## Playing career
**Sheffield Wednesday.** Turner joined his hometown club, the team he supported as a youngster, in 1976, turning professional in August of that year.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) In his first season he appeared in every league match but one, and he won the club's Player of the Year award in his debut season, 1977–78.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) • [1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) In three years with the Owls he made 91 appearances, including a five-game loan spell with Lincoln City in October 1978.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
**Sunderland.** In July 1979 he moved to Sunderland for £80,000 and spent six years at Roker Park.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) Sunderland won promotion out of the Second Division in 1979–80, finishing runners-up a point behind champions Leicester City, with Turner playing 30 of the club's 42 league games.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) He remained first choice through much of the First Division years; in 1982–83 he played 41 matches and kept six clean sheets in a row.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) Sunderland reached the 1985 League Cup final at Wembley, losing 1–0 to Norwich City after Gordon Chisholm deflected Asa Hartford's shot past Turner just after half-time.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) The club was relegated in 21st place that season, but supporters voted Turner their Player of the Year.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) Sources differ on his Sunderland appearance count: the Guardian's career factfile records 195 appearances, while the SAFC Stats match-by-match database records 164.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) • [1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner)
**Manchester United.** After Sunderland's relegation at the end of 1984–85, Manchester United signed him for £275,000 in the close season.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) • [5](https://www.footballpresse.com/story/exclusive-chris-turner-reflects-on-manchester-united-move-modern-football-and-sunderland-surprise-success) Initially held in reserve behind Gary Bailey, his opportunity came in mid-season and he kept Bailey out of the side for the final two months of the campaign.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) When Bailey's career ended prematurely through injury, Turner began 1986–87 as first choice but lost the place to youth-team goalkeeper Gary Walsh before the season's close, finishing with 29 appearances that year.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) In a later interview he recalled the club's expectations: United had not won the league championship for about 20 years while he was there, and in his three seasons the team finished fourth, then sixth, then runners-up to Liverpool.[5](https://www.footballpresse.com/story/exclusive-chris-turner-reflects-on-manchester-united-move-modern-football-and-sunderland-surprise-success)
**Return to Sheffield Wednesday.** The arrival of [Jim Leighton](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-leighton) at [Old Trafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-trafford) in 1988 effectively ended his United career, and in September 1988 he returned to Sheffield Wednesday for £175,000.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) • [1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) In November 1989 he had a brief loan at Leeds United, making two Division Two starts, a 2–1 home win over Watford on 18 November and a 1–2 defeat at West Bromwich Albion a week later.[3](https://www.sheridan-dictates.com/database-turner-chris.php) Back at Hillsborough he helped Wednesday win promotion out of the Second Division in 1990–91, and in 1991 he was a League Cup winner against his former club Manchester United, keeping a clean sheet in the final.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
**Leyton Orient.** Later in 1991 he moved to Leyton Orient for £75,000, was named on the PFA Team of the Year for 1991–92, and retired in 1995 after 58 appearances for the Os.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
## Management
Turner began his managerial career at Leyton Orient in August 1994, working alongside John Sitton; the pair were sacked in April 1995.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) He then coached at Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, including a successful spell managing Wolves' youth team under Mark McGhee.[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
**Hartlepool United.** In February 1999 he was appointed manager at [Hartlepool](https://www.edgepedia.org/hartlepool), his first solo league post, and preserved the club's league status in his first season.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) His side then finished seventh in 2000, losing the play-off semi-finals to [Darlington](https://www.edgepedia.org/darlington); in 2001 they finished three points off automatic promotion and lost the semi-finals to [Blackpool](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackpool); and in 2002, after another seventh-place finish, they lost the semi-finals to Cheltenham on penalties.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5) After 17 games of 2002–03 Hartlepool sat four points clear at the top of the table.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
**Sheffield Wednesday.** On 6 November 2002 Hartlepool gave Sheffield Wednesday permission to speak to Turner about the vacant job at Hillsborough, and on 7 November he was named as [Terry Yorath](https://www.edgepedia.org/terry-yorath)'s replacement as Wednesday manager.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
**Later roles.** He later served as director of football at [Wakefield](https://www.edgepedia.org/wakefield).[1](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner)
## Distinction from other players of the same name
Two other footballers named Chris Turner are frequently confused with him. A Canadian international goalkeeper of the same name made eight appearances for Canada between 1978 and 1984 and played at the 1979 FIFA U-19 tournament in Japan.[6](https://canadasoccer.com/profile/3205/chris-turner/) A different Chris Turner, born in St Neots in 1951, was a central defender and manager at Peterborough United who died in 2015.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/chris-turner-muscular-defender-who-became-an-inspirational-manager-and-coowner-of-peterborough-united-10415294.html) Neither is the Sheffield-born goalkeeper covered here.
## References
1. [Chris Turner, SAFC Stats](https://safcstats.co.uk/players/661/chris-turner)
2. [Chris Turner, player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/chris-turner/profil/spieler/176513)
3. [Chris Turner player record, Sheridan Dictates](https://www.sheridan-dictates.com/database-turner-chris.php)
4. [Chris Turner factfile, The Guardian, 7 November 2002](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/nov/07/newsstory.sport5)
5. [Exclusive: Chris Turner reflects on Manchester United move, modern football and Sunderland surprise success, Football Presse](https://www.footballpresse.com/story/exclusive-chris-turner-reflects-on-manchester-united-move-modern-football-and-sunderland-surprise-success)
6. [Chris Turner, Canada Soccer profile](https://canadasoccer.com/profile/3205/chris-turner/)
7. [Chris Turner obituary (Peterborough United defender, 1951–2015), The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/chris-turner-muscular-defender-who-became-an-inspirational-manager-and-coowner-of-peterborough-united-10415294.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 1970–1989*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license