Ritchie Humphreys - Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday

In 1995, after leaving Newfield Secondary School, Humphreys became part of Sheffield Wednesday’s youth squad. For the youth squad Humphreys played as a left winger and was offered a professional contract. Due to the injuries of strikers David Hirst and Mark Bright, Wednesday manager David Pleat gave Humphreys the opportunity to go on Wednesday’s pre-season tour of the Netherlands.

Humphreys played the first game and scored twice. He then played in the second game against FC Utrecht and scored again. Johan Cruyff was the guest of honour for that game and he praised Humphreys and said he was the next Marco van Basten. It was during this pre season tour that he was taken under the wing and guidance of Wednesday legend Chris Waddle. After scoring 4 goals in his first 5 premier league games lifting Wednesday to the top of the league, David Pleat decided to release his mentor Waddle. Humphreys did not score another league goal all season (only notching a hat-trick in a League Cup game against Grimsby Town in a 7–1 win). Humphreys pre-season form earned him a full league debut in Wednesday’s opening match against Aston Villa. In this match Humphreys scored a goal that was recorded at 95.9 mph, one of the hardest-hit goals in the history of football. Humphreys also scored in the following match against Leeds United. Two games later, Humphreys scored a much talked about goal when he went on a 50 yard run and scored a spectacular chipped goal against Leicester City . Humphreys was seen as the driving force behind Sheffield Wednesday's shock early lead at the top of The Premiership.

His form linked him to a £4 million transfer to Leeds United. However Humphreys remained at Sheffield Wednesday and played 34 games for them in the 1996–97 season. His performances earned him a place in the England team for the 1997 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Malaysia. Humphreys wore the much coveted number 9 shirt for that tournament.

For the next two seasons, after Sheffield Wednesday signed an influx of foreign players such as Paolo Di Canio and Benito Carbone, Humphreys failed to hold down a regular place and he only played a total of 31 games in those two seasons. Humphreys was sent on loan to Scunthorpe United on 13 August 1999, where he played six matches and again scored twice. He was then sent on loan to Cardiff City where he played 11 matches, scoring twice. After a brief return to the Wednesday side for the 2000–01 season, Humphreys decided to leave Wednesday in order to play more first team football was allowed to join Cambridge United on trial. Humphreys impressed on trial scoring 3 goals in 7 games and it looked likely that Cambridge manager Roy McFarland was going to offer him a contract. However, Humphreys' trial was cut abruptly after he broke his foot. After the sacking of Roy McFarland, new Cambridge manager John Beck was reluctant to offer Humphreys a new contract until he had seen him play.