# Keith Gillespie
**Keith Gillespie** (born 1975 in Larne, Northern Ireland) is a retired Northern Irish footballer who played as a winger, chiefly for Manchester United, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City, and Sheffield United, and won 86 caps for [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland).[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) • [2](https://fbref.com/en/players/012f440e/Keith-Gillespie) He is remembered both for his role in the 1995 transfer that took [Andy Cole](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-cole) to [Old Trafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-trafford) and for his 2013 autobiography *How Not to Be a Football Millionaire*, an account of the gambling addiction that cost him more than £7 million and led to his bankruptcy in 2010.[3](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975, Larne, Northern Ireland; height 178 cm; position winger/midfielder[2](https://fbref.com/en/players/012f440e/Keith-Gillespie) • [4](https://www.premierleague.com/players/329/player/stats) |
| Youth career | Member of Manchester United's FA Youth Cup-winning side of 1992[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) |
| Newcastle United | 143 appearances and 13 goals between 1995 and 1998, including UEFA Champions League football[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) |
| Blackburn Rovers | Eight goals in 138 appearances; won the League Cup in 2002[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) • [5](https://www.experienceepic.co.uk/epic-talent/keith-gillespie/) |
| Northern Ireland | 86 caps and 2 goals; debut September 1994; final appearance November 2008[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) |
| Premier League totals | 238 appearances, 17 goals, 25 assists, 3 red cards[4](https://www.premierleague.com/players/329/player/stats) |
| Gambling losses | More than £7 million lost during his playing career; declared bankrupt in 2010[3](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/) |
## Early career at Manchester United
Gillespie joined Manchester United as a schoolboy, was part of the side that won the [FA Youth Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-youth-cup) in 1992, and signed his first professional contract with the club.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) He spent over two years in the United first-team squad without establishing himself as a regular, spending part of the autumn of 1993 on loan at Wigan Athletic.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/) In October 1994, coming on as a late substitute against Newcastle United, he scored a solo goal that drew [Kevin Keegan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-keegan)'s attention.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-gillespie-holds-the-balance-1610760.html)
While still a teenager, Gillespie was compared to [George Best](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-best), another skillful young winger from Northern Ireland.[3](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/) He made his senior international debut in September 1994, at [Windsor Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/windsor-park) in a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in a Euro 1996 qualifier, while still on Manchester United's books. A month later he scored his first international goal, a powerful volley past the Austrian keeper Franz Wohlfahrt in a 2-1 Northern Ireland win in Vienna.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie)
## Newcastle United and the Andy Cole transfer
In January 1995 Manchester United signed Andy Cole from Newcastle United for a British record fee of £7 million, with Gillespie moving to Tyneside as a £1 million makeweight (player added to balance a transfer deal's value) in the deal.[8](https://thesetpieces.com/latest-posts/keith-gillespie-ex-man-utd-newcastle-winger-working-games-greats/) • [15](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/andrew-cole) Gillespie said at the time that he had asked for the move because he wanted regular first-team football, which Newcastle offered immediately.[9](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53395349) He later credited Ferguson with a "white lie" told during the negotiations that helped him secure a higher salary at Newcastle, a five-fold increase.[9](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53395349)
He became a regular in the Kevin Keegan team of 1995-96, admired for its attacking football, and produced several standout wing performances that season.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/) Between 1995 and 1998 he made 143 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 13 goals, played in the [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league), and was part of the squad as the club finished second in the Premier League in both 1995-96 and 1996-97, behind his former club.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) • [10](https://the-score-board.com/2020/07/08/what-happened-to-the-other-members-of-the-class-of-92/) In the 1995-96 season Newcastle at one stage led Manchester United by 12 points before five defeats in their final 8 matches allowed United to overtake them.[10](https://the-score-board.com/2020/07/08/what-happened-to-the-other-members-of-the-class-of-92/)
## Blackburn, Leicester, and Sheffield United
In December 1998 Gillespie moved to Blackburn Rovers, where he spent five seasons, from December 1998 to June 2003.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/) He scored eight goals in 138 appearances for the club and won the League Cup in 2002, a competition final in which he provided one of the assists in Blackburn's surprise 2-1 victory over [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham) at the [Millennium Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/millennium-stadium) in Cardiff.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) • [11](https://www.united.no/spillere/keith-gillespie/206098) A loan back to Wigan Athletic came in late 2000.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/)
He joined Leicester City in July 2003 and stayed two seasons, and was made available for transfer by the club in May 2004.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/) In August 2005 he signed for Sheffield United on a one-year contract that was extended to June 2007 a month later, and again to June 2009 in July 2007; he played Premier League football for the Blades in their 2006-07 season.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/) Late in his English career came brief spells with Charlton Athletic (loan), Bradford City, and a trial at Leeds United.[6](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/)
He finished his playing days in Ireland: with Glentoran, where he won the Irish League Cup in 2010, and then with Longford Town in the [League of Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/league-of-ireland) from 2011.[11](https://www.united.no/spillere/keith-gillespie/206098) • [5](https://www.experienceepic.co.uk/epic-talent/keith-gillespie/)
## Northern Ireland
Gillespie won 86 caps and scored 2 goals for Northern Ireland between 1994 and 2008.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) Within a two-year span in the 2000s he played the full 90 minutes in two of the most famous matches in the country's history, both at Windsor Park: the 1-0 victory over England in a 2006 World Cup qualifier in 2005, and the 3-2 win over Spain in a Euro 2008 qualifier a year later.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie)
His final international appearance came in November 2008, a 2-0 friendly defeat to Hungary at Windsor Park.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie) Eight years later he had a widely shared moment off the pitch, seen on television celebrating among the Northern Ireland supporters in Lyon after the team's 2-0 victory over Ukraine at Euro 2016.[1](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie)
## Gambling and bankruptcy
Gillespie's gambling started, in his own words, "when I was an apprentice" and continued throughout his career.[12](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/24492163) In his account of his worst periods, losses ran to £100,000 a day; on 29 October 1995, a day he calls "Black Friday" in his book, he lost £47,000 in one afternoon betting on horse racing.[13](https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-was-staking-100000-in-a-day-it-had-to-stop-keith-gillespie/29639493.html) • [14](https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/amp/sports/article/2000094180/ex-manchester-united-player-keith-gillespie-riches-to-rags) He later said he was "blissfully in denial" about the problem, and that no one around him treated his constant gambling as an issue.[3](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/) • [13](https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-was-staking-100000-in-a-day-it-had-to-stop-keith-gillespie/29639493.html)
In 2010, largely owing to the addiction, he was declared bankrupt.[3](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/) His autobiography, *How Not to Be a Football Millionaire*, written with the Irish Independent's soccer correspondent Daniel McDonnell, appeared in 2013 and set out the losses in detail.[13](https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-was-staking-100000-in-a-day-it-had-to-stop-keith-gillespie/29639493.html) After undergoing therapy, he has spoken publicly about gambling addiction, arguing that education is the way to prevent others from following the same path.[3](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/) • [13](https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-was-staking-100000-in-a-day-it-had-to-stop-keith-gillespie/29639493.html) He now works as a guest speaker, talking candidly about his life during and after football.[5](https://www.experienceepic.co.uk/epic-talent/keith-gillespie/)
## References
1. [Born to Play: Keith Gillespie, Irish FA](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/february/born-to-play-keith-gillespie)
2. [Keith Gillespie, FBref](https://fbref.com/en/players/012f440e/Keith-Gillespie)
3. [Keith Gillespie: How I lost £8million, The 42](https://www.the42.ie/keith-gillespie-interview-how-i-lost-8million-1179089-Nov2013/)
4. [Keith Gillespie Statistics, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/players/329/player/stats)
5. [Keith Gillespie, Experience Epic](https://www.experienceepic.co.uk/epic-talent/keith-gillespie/)
6. [Keith Gillespie Football Player Statistics, 11v11](https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-gillespie-1320/)
7. [Football: Gillespie holds the balance, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-gillespie-holds-the-balance-1610760.html)
8. [Keith Gillespie: The ex-Man Utd and Newcastle winger on working with the game's greats, The Set Pieces](https://thesetpieces.com/latest-posts/keith-gillespie-ex-man-utd-newcastle-winger-working-games-greats/)
9. [Sir Alex Ferguson: Keith Gillespie says former boss told 'white lie' to get him a pay rise with Newcastle, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53395349)
10. [What Happened To The Other Members of the 'Class of '92'?, The Score Board](https://the-score-board.com/2020/07/08/what-happened-to-the-other-members-of-the-class-of-92/)
11. [Keith Gillespie, united.no](https://www.united.no/spillere/keith-gillespie/206098)
12. [Keith Gillespie explains his gambling addiction, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/24492163)
13. ['I was staking £100,000 in a day – it had to stop' – Keith Gillespie, Irish Independent](https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-was-staking-100000-in-a-day-it-had-to-stop-keith-gillespie/29639493.html)
14. [Ex-Manchester United player Gillespie's transition from riches to rags, The Standard](https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/amp/sports/article/2000094180/ex-manchester-united-player-keith-gillespie-riches-to-rags)
15. [Andrew Cole, NUFC](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/andrew-cole)
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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) › Northern Irish footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license