Fred Barber made almost 400 league appearances as keeper, and then embarked on a distinguished coaching career.

 

Hailing from County Durham, Barber started out with Darlington before being snapped up by Everton in 1986, where he was understudy to the legendary Neville Southall.

 

Barber went on to play for a dozen clubs, including Walsall and Peterborough United, where he helped both clubs to promotions.

 

In 1996, he joined the coaching staff at Bolton Wanderers and went on to enjoy 16 successful years with the club. Under Sam Allardyce in the Premier League, he was vital in developing the likes of Jussi Jaaskelainen and Ali Al-Habsi.

 

Barber, who also counts Aaron Ramsdale and Tomasz Kuszczak among his former students, has also worked for Northern Ireland, West Brom, Bury, and York, among others.

 

He joined Crewe in 2015 and has been a respected member of the backroom team since, working with keepers including Ben Garratt, Will Jaaskelainen, Dave Richards, Arthur Okonkwo, and James Beadle.