{{Short description|English footballer}} {{Distinguish|Paul Reese}} {{Use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Paul Reece | image = Thumbnail IMG 6342.jpg | caption = Reece playing for Oxford United in 1992 | full_name = Paul John Reece | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|7|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Nottingham, England | height = 5 ft 11 in<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=348 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref> | position = Goalkeeper | years1 = 1986–1987 | clubs1 = Stoke City | caps1 = 2 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1987–1988 | clubs2 = Kettering Town | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1988–1992 | clubs3 = Grimsby Town | caps3 = 54 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1992 | clubs4 = Doncaster Rovers | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1992–1994 | clubs5 = Oxford United | caps5 = 39 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1994–1995 | clubs6 = Notts County | caps6 = 11 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 1995–1996 | clubs7 = West Bromwich Albion | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 1995 | clubs8 = → Ilkeston Town (loan) | caps8 = | goals8 = | years9 = 1997–2003 | clubs9 = Cliftonville | caps9 = | goals9 = | years10 = 2003 | clubs10 = Ilkeston Town | caps10 = | goals10 = | totalcaps = 108 | totalgoals = 0 }}
'''Paul John Reece''' (born 16 July 1968) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town, Notts County, Oxford United, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion.<ref>*Lowe, Simon: "Stoke City The Modern Era – A Complete Record" (Desert Island Books, {{ISBN|1-874287-39-2}}).</ref> He is a goalkeeping coach for Select Soccer Center in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Training Staff |url=https://selectsoccer.org/about/training-staff/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=Select Soccer Center |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career== Reece was born in Nottingham and started his footballing career at Staffordshire side Stoke City.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City">{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}</ref> He played just twice for Stoke both came towards the end of the 1986–87 where he deputised for the injured Peter Fox.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> He conceded six goals in his two matches 4–1 to Shrewsbury Town and 2–1 to Barnsley and was released at the end of the season.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City"/> He joined Kettering Town for one season and won Player of the Year Award before signing for Grimsby Town for £10,000, where he played regular football.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paul Reece|url=http://thefishy.co.uk/story.php?id=8153553|work=The Fishy|accessdate=4 March 2012}}</ref> He left for Doncaster Rovers in 1992 and made just one appearance for Doncaster.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paul Reece|url=http://www.doncasterrovers.co.uk/players/NtoR/Reece,Paul.htm|work=doncasterrovers.co.uk|accessdate=4 March 2012|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200955/http://www.doncasterrovers.co.uk/players/NtoR/Reece,Paul.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> He joined Oxford United and later played for Notts County, West Bromwich Albion, Ilkeston Town and Northern Irish club Cliftonville.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paul Reece stats|url=http://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage.php?type=player&player_id=190|work=RAGE online|accessdate=4 March 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051231113749/http://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage.php?type=player&player_id=190|archivedate=31 December 2005|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Reece arrived at Solitude on a free transfer after being recommended to the club by former player Keith Alexander, who had been his manager at Ilkeston<ref>[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/1998/0425/98042500172.html A Strange Season in Solitude]</ref> and former teammate at Grimsby. He made his debut for the Belfast club in the final of the 1996–97 County Antrim Shield and he saved a penalty in the penalty shootout, ensuring Cliftonville won the trophy for the first time since 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/history_chapter3.html |title=The History of Cliftonville Football Club |access-date=17 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129102503/http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/history_chapter3.html |archive-date=29 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He subsequently wore the number one shirt during the club's Irish League title winning season the following year<ref>[http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/news_theredeye_090911.html Jeepers Keepers!]</ref> and became established as a club legend in the eyes of the supporters.<ref>[http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/archivenews_aug08.html News: August 2008]</ref> Reece would also appear for the Reds in the UEFA Champions League qualifier against MFK Košice the following season.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}
Reece subsequently returned to Ilkeston Town, remaining on the club's books until his retirement from playing in 2003. He worked as a goalkeeping coach for Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town and the Derby County youth team before fulfilling the same role at football training camps.<ref>[http://www.where-are-they-now.co.uk/footballer/REECE+Paul/3978 Reece, Paul]</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{ENFA}}</ref> |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Stoke City |1986–87 |Second Division |2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0 |- |rowspan="5"|Grimsby Town |1988–89 |Fourth Division |14||0||3||0||2||0||2{{efn|name=FLT|Appearances in Football League Trophy}}||0||21||0 |- |1989–90 |Fourth Division |15||0||2||0||1||0||2{{efn|name=FLT}}||0||20||0 |- |1990–91 |Third Division |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |1991–92 |Second Division |25||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !54!!0!!5!!0!!3!!0!!4!!0!!56!!0 |- |Doncaster Rovers |1992–93 |Third Division |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |rowspan="3"|Oxford United |1992–93 |First Division |35||0||2||0||1||0||0||0||38||0 |- |1993–94 |First Division |4||0||0||0||2||0||1{{efn|name=AIC|Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup}}||0||7||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !39!!0!!2!!0!!3!!0!!1!!0!!45!!0 |- |Notts County |1994–95 |First Division |11||0||0||0||1||0||3{{efn|name=AIC}}||0||15||0 |- |West Bromwich Albion |1995–96 |First Division |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !108!!0!!7!!0!!7!!0!!8!!0!!130!!0 |} {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reece, Paul}} Category:English men's footballers Category:Stoke City F.C. players Category:Kettering Town F.C. players Category:Grimsby Town F.C. players Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players Category:Oxford United F.C. players Category:Notts County F.C. players Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. players Category:Cliftonville F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Ilkeston Town F.C. (1945) players Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:Footballers from Nottingham Category:NIFL Premiership players Category:20th-century English sportsmen