Teddy Sheringham
A cerebral striker whose impeccable timing and clever link-up play were central to Manchester United's historic 1999 treble triumph.
Born 1966 (age 60)·English football player and manager·Birthday: April 2·Generation X
Biography
Teddy Sheringham played football with the mind of a chess master in a striker's body. Never blessed with blistering pace, his game was built on anticipation, spatial awareness, and a feather-soft touch that could kill a ball dead in a hurricane. After prolific spells at Millwall and Nottingham Forest, he became Tottenham Hotspur's talisman, forming a devastating partnership with Jurgen Klinsmann. But his career reached its zenith when he signed for Manchester United at age 31. There, his intelligence perfectly complemented the explosive youth around him. His defining moment came in the 1999 Champions League final: coming on as a substitute, he scored the injury-time equalizer and then assisted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's winner, sealing an unprecedented treble. Sheringham’s longevity was remarkable, playing top-flight football until he was 40 and winning the Premier League Golden Boot at 34, a testament to a player who thought his way to the top.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Teddy was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Teddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Teddy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the historic continental treble (Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League) with Manchester United in 1999.
- Scored the equalizing goal and assisted the winner in the dramatic 1999 UEFA Champions League final victory.
- Won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 1992-93 season while playing for Tottenham Hotspur.
- Earned 51 caps for the England national team and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1996.
Did You Know?
He is one of the oldest players to score in the Premier League, netting for West Ham at age 40 years and 268 days.
He had a well-known rivalry and tense relationship with fellow striker Andy Cole at Manchester United.
His father, Bill, was a professional darts player who competed in the World Championship.
He played for eight different clubs in his 24-year professional career, including a return to Tottenham.
“I wasn't the quickest, so I had to be clever. I had to think two steps ahead of the defender.”
