Tony Daley is an English footballer famous for his fast pace and mostly associated with Aston Villa. Daley has also played for other English teams including Wolverhampton Wanderers, Watford and Walsall. He was capped seven times for England between 1991 and 1992, and was the subject of a half-hour documentary ‘Respect’ for Carlton TV, where John Barnes, Dwight Yorke and Ron Atkinson all paid tribute to the winger.
Daley began his career at the club that would become his home for the next ten seasons, Aston Villa. Starting as an apprentice, he made his senior debut against Southampton in April 1985. Highlights of his Aston Villa career included finishing runners-up in the 1989-90 and 1992-93 league championships, and victory over Manchester United at Wembley in the 1994 League Cup final. He made 233 appearances for the club and scored 31 times, one of his most memorable goals coming against Everton in October 1988 when his flying volley hit the back of the net, later becoming known as ‘Daley’s Dazzler’ , the goal appearing in the football video series ‘Goals Galore’. In the years after leaving Villa in 1994, Daley signed to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £1.25 million, followed by spells at Watford and Walsall, before ending his playing career at Forest Green Rovers.
Daley stayed on at Forest Green Rovers after hanging up his boots in 2002, working as fitness coach at the club. He has also worked as a fitness and conditioning coach for clubs including Sheffield United and Wolves.
Daley agreed to appear in the half-hour documentary ‘Respect’ in 1995. Directed by Pogus Caesar for Carlton TV, the series focused on the impact and contribution of sportspeople of African Caribbean in sport on a worldwide scale.