Biography
Who is Frank Stapleton?
Early Career and Arsenal
Frank Stapleton started his professional career in 1972 when he joined Arsenal as an apprentice after being turned down by Manchester United. He made his first team debut for Arsenal in March 1975 in a home match against Stoke City.
During his time with Arsenal, he formed a strong striking partnership with Malcolm Macdonald. Stapleton was Arsenal's top scorer for three consecutive seasons and helped the club reach three FA Cup finals, scoring in the 1979 FA Cup Final victory over Manchester United. In total, he scored 108 goals in 300 appearances for the Gunners before leaving the club.
Manchester United and Later Clubs
Frank Stapleton moved to Manchester United in the summer of 1981 for a fee of £900,000. He helped Manchester United win the FA Cup in both 1983 and 1985, becoming the first player to score for two different clubs in FA Cup Finals when he scored against Brighton in the 1983 final.
After leaving Manchester United in 1987, he played for several other clubs including Ajax, Derby County, Le Havre, Blackburn Rovers, Aldershot, Huddersfield Town, and Bradford City. He later served as player manager at Bradford City before ending his playing career after brief spells with Brighton and Hove Albion.
International Career
Frank Stapleton represented the Republic of Ireland national team, earning 71 caps and scoring a then record 20 goals. He made his international debut in 1976 in a friendly match against Turkey in Ankara, scoring after just three minutes of play.
He served as captain of the Republic of Ireland national team during the qualifying campaign for the 1986 World Cup and captained the squad at the 1988 UEFA European Championship finals. His record as the nation's all time leading goalscorer stood until it was later broken by Niall Quinn.
Managerial Career and Height
Frank Stapleton moved into coaching and management after finishing his playing career. He became the first manager of the Major League Soccer team New England Revolution in 1996 before later working as a specialist coach at Bolton Wanderers and assistant manager for Jordan.
Standing at 183 cm tall, Frank Stapleton used his height effectively as a strong header of the ball during his playing days as a centre forward.
Birthday and age
Frank Stapleton was born on July 10, 1956, which makes Frank 70 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Frank shares the date with 64 other famous people.
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