For the former Louisiana politician, see Michael Franklin "Mike" Branch.

Paul Michael Branch (born 18 October 1978) is an unattached English professional footballer. His position is striker and his most recent club was Halifax Town.

[edit] Playing career

Born in Liverpool, Branch started his career with the Everton academy, before making his senior debut on 22 February 1996 as a substitute at Manchester United. He featured regularly in the first team during the 1996–97 season, scoring his only goals for the club.

He was unable to live up to early promise and was loaned to Manchester City, where he reunited with his former Everton manager Joe Royle. He made his Manchester City debut on 31 October 1998 in a 2–1 win against Colchester United. He started a further three games, but returned to Everton having failed to score a single goal.^[1]

After failing to break back into contention at Goodison Park, he was loaned to First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers in late 1999. He scored four times during his loan spell here, and the deal was made permanent for £500,000. He played regularly over the remainder of the 1999–2000 season and the following campaign, but added just six further goals. During the 1999/2000 season Branch scored a controversial goal during Wolves home fixture with Nottingham Forrest, after he picked up what he thought was a loose ball played by the Forrest keeper Beasant who intended to put the ball out of play so Lee Naylor could receive treatment, in which he scored. But Beasant and other Forrest players confronted him for what he had done and fellow players and officials had to split apart the two parties. He was then forced to be substituted shortly after for his own safety. Following the arrival of Dave Jones as Wolves manager, Branch fell out of favour and had loan spells while transfer-listed with Reading and then Hull City over the next two years. He finally left Molineux to join Bradford City in July 2003 after not being offered a new contract.

His stay with Bradford City lasted just a solitary season before he joined newly-promoted Chester City. He endured a turbulent spell with the League Two club, where he was taken off the transfer list in July 2006 after appearing to patch up his differences with manager Mark Wright. But after failing to regain his place in the team, he left the club in October 2006.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Michael Branch career stats at Soccerbase