Fans give verdict with Premier League winner, 36, seen training with Macclesfield

Fans give their verdict as Premier League winner Danny Simpson, 36, links up with Macclesfield by training with them in recent weeks.

The experienced defender was seen keeping fit with the the 8th tier outfit in recent weeks having been a free agent since parting company with Bristol City in March last year, and since weighing up his options.

The Silkmen’s social media page shows the right-back, an experienced player, has linked up with the current leaders of the Northern Premier League.

Hold on a second…??? 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/1bwJbRympf

— Silkmen Army (@silkmenarmy) February 23, 2023

Simpson was a Manchester United academy product, going on to play loan football for Sunderland and Ipswich Town during his professional development.

In January 2010, he left to join Newcastle, where he stayed until June 2013, when he transferred to Queens Park Rangers.

Simpson was signed by Leicester City in 2014. He was then promoted to the Premier League. In his first season with Leicester, he was part of the squad that avoided relegation and won the Premier League title in 2015-16. In 2019, he moved to Huddersfield Town, but was released one year later.

Simpson signed a contract with Bristol City on the 26th of March 2021, reuniting with Nigel Pearson.

It was announced that Simpson had signed a one-year extension to his contract with the club on the 23rd of June 2021. This was brought to an end early on 7 March 2022, when Simpson’s contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

Simpson started appearing on TV as a pundit during the 2022-23 season. In a December 2022 interview, Simpson confirmed that he wasn’t yet retired and was still training to find a new club.

But it seems his conviction of assaulting Stephanie Ward, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child on 20 May 2015 has caught the attention of Macclesfield fans, the club of which he’s training with.

He was sentenced for 300 hours of community work. His sentence was reexamined on the 12th of May 2016 due to press intrusion in his community service. It was replaced by a 21-day curfew from 22:00 to 06:00.

DANNY SIMPSON’S CAREER:

Youth career
2003–2006 – Manchester United

Senior career
2006–2010 – Manchester United – 8 games (0 goals)
2006 → Royal Antwerp (loan) – 30 games (1 goal)
2007 → Sunderland (loan) – 14 games ( 0goals)
2008 → Ipswich Town (loan) – 8 games (0 goals)
2008–2009 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) – 20 games (0 goals)
2009–2010 → Newcastle United (loan) – 22 games (1 goal)
2010–2013 – Newcastle United – 138 games (2 goals)
2013–2014 – Queens Park Rangers – 44 games (1 goals)
2014–2019 – Leicester City – 133 games (0 goals)
2019–2020 – Huddersfield Town – 25 games (0 goals)
2021–2022 – Bristol City – 8 games (0 goals)

As mentioned, fans give their verdict with the Premier League winner, 36, seen training with Macclesfield…

Michael Sherratt: Top bloke

Neil Sutherland: Convicted of beating his girlfriend do we want that type at our club Google him

Andrew Poynton: Neil Sutherland it’s a big no from me

Dave Henshaw: Neil Sutherland Absolutely not Neil.

Michael Sherratt: Neil Sutherland done the crime, served his time

Lynn Phillips: Michael Sherratt would you say that if it had been your daughter ?

Michael Sherratt: Neil Sutherland top bloke as a player.!!!!!!!Get real

Neil Sutherland: Lynn Phillips Michael Sherratt seems to think he is a top bloke could think of a better word to describe him

Neil Sutherland: Michael Sherratt don’t think he will be thought of as a top bloke as a player at macc and hope it never happens

Tom Stanwix: Fits with the policy of singing players who haven’t played much football in the last few years

Richard Taylor: Be a good player if we get him.

James Walker: Don’t want to see him sign under any circumstances. We should not be employing convicted abusers. How on earth does that possibly align with the values of the club.

Tom Read: Paul Simon Bailey The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 gives a legal basis to support what you are saying. Danny Simpson’s conviction is spent, and therefore should not count against him with regards to finding employment. However, although that might be the case, we have to remember that we are an inclusive club with female and youth fans and players. When Raith Rovers signed a convicted rapist (whose conviction was spent, so he was legally entitled to seek work), it split the club in half and led to the walkout of all the ladies teams, who went on to form their own breakaway club. The offence in question here is not of that magnitude, but sufficient to cause feelings to run high, and there’s signs of that already happening. It would be, at best, unwise to sign him, in my opinion. The discussion is essential though – I mean, we’ve still got lads who sing a song about “drinking ten pints and beating the wife” at our games and thinking it’s hilarious.