Date / Year of birth: 28th September 1974

Position: Midfielder / Left-back

Season of first appearance: 2002/03

Season of last appearance: 2004/05

Also played for: Arsenal (5+4,0), Rotherham United (1+1,0), Southend United (75+18,9), Carlisle United (7,0), Stevenage Borough, Hendon and Welling United

5' 10" tall skilful left-sided player born in Haverhill, Suffolk who began his career as a trainee with Arsenal after one of the clubs scouts spotted him playing for junior side Haverhill Echo aged ten. After training with the Gunners for several years Adrian signed schoolboy forms aged 14 and featured in the England schoolboys team. When he left school aged 16 he became a full-time Arsenal player.

In his early days as a professional Adrian played for England's Under-18's team alongside David Beckham and during the 1993/94 season Adrian was part of the Gunners side that won the FA Youth Cup. Future Margate player Gavin McGowan was also in the Arsenal team.

On 31.12.94 Adrian made his first team debut for the Gunners when he came on as a substitute in a Premier League match against Queens Park Rangers at Highbury but it was his only senior outing during 1994/95.

Adrian made his first Premier League start on 26.12.95 as Arsenal beat QPR 3-0 at Highbury and he went on to make seven further first team appearances (three as sub). His last senior outing came in a 1-1 draw with Coventry at Highbury on 3.2.96. Adrian also scored five goals in 27 reserve team games (five as sub) during the 1995/96 campaign.

He couldn't break into the Gunners first team during 1996/97 and in December 1996 Adrian was loaned to Rotherham. He made two Football League appearances there (one as sub) before returning to Highbury at the end of December.

In March 1997 Adrian was loaned out again, this time to Southend, and made seven first team appearances before making a brief return to Arsenal.

At the end of the season he was released by the Gunners after over 12 years on the clubs books and in July 1997 Adrian joined Southend on a permanent basis.

He made over 50 first team appearances for Southend during 1997/98 and scored five times. Adrian's first senior goal came in a 3-1 win over Brentford on 5.9.97. He played 28 more first team games during the 1998/99 campaign but after making a handful of appearances early in 1999/00 Adrian was loaned to Carlisle in September 1999.

He stayed with the Cumbrian club for around two months and played seven senior games without scoring. Adrian was also sent off in a 4-1 defeat at Shrewsbury on 18.9.99.

Towards the end of 1999 Adrian returned to Roots Hall but only made one more first team appearance - as a substitute in a 2-1 home win over Cheltenham on 6.5.00 - before being released by Southend at the end of the season.

Adrian signed for Conference outfit Stevenage ahead of the 2000/01 campaign and after a good first season with the club he had a trial at Leyton Orient in July 2001. He ended up staying with Stevenage for 2001/02 and the Nationwide football website said Adrian "caused mayhem" as they lost 2-1 in a Conference game at Margate on 18.9.01. On 12.5.02 he was part of the Borough side that lost 2-0 to Yeovil in the FA Trophy Final at Villa Park. A crowd of 18,809 watched the game and the Stevenage team also included future Margate players Robin Trott and Jean-Michel Sigere.

In September 2002 Adrian was transfer-listed by Stevenage at his own request and he told the Non-League Paper "I'll be sad to leave, because I've really enjoyed my time here. But I've only played one full 90 minutes since we returned for pre-season and that's far from ideal." In October 2002 he joined Hendon on loan for a month and after scoring twice in five appearances Adrian went back to Stevenage before signing for Margate. He'd scored 19 goals in 85 appearances for Borough.

Adrian made his debut as a substitute as Margate lost 2-1 at Yeovil in the Conference on 30.11.02 and the Thanet Times said he "looked comfortable on the ball". A week later he made another sub appearance as Margate lost 3-0 to Cardiff in an FA Cup tie played at the clubs temporary Dover home. Adrian made his first start for Margate in a 3-1 win over his old club Stevenage on 14.12.02 and the Thanet Times report was headlined "Clarke Stars As Blues Sink Boro". The paper said he turned in a "man-of-the-match performance" and was "ever-willing to get forward" from left wing-back. Adrian was a regular in the side after that, initially playing as an attacking defender but later moving into his favoured midfield role.

The KM Extra newspaper praised his "powering left wing-back runs and precision corners and dead ball kicks" in its report on a 4-2 win over Gravesend & Northfleet at Hartsdown Park on 1.1.03 whilst the Thanet Times said Adrian "had another fine game" in an epic 4-4 draw with Northwich at Hartsdown on 18.1.03. He played on the left-hand side of midfield and the paper said "it was no surprise that he created the first two Margate goals". The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Adrian "impressed" in midfield during a 3-0 win at Erith & Belvedere in the Kent Senior Cup on 1.4.03 and on 5.4.03 he played as a striker in a 2-1 win over Halifax at Dover. On 30.4.03 Adrian scored his first goal for the club in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Welling. He curled a free-kick from the edge of the box into the top corner to level the scores at 1-1 and Margate eventually won 2-1 after extra time. Adrian ended the season having scored once in a total of 28 appearances (four as sub).

At the start of the 2003/04 campaign he had to content himself with a place on the bench and Adrian came on as a substitute in each of Margate's first three matches. On 23.8.03 Adrian made his first start of the season when he played at left wing-back in a 1-1 draw at Tamworth in the Conference and on 25.8.03 he again lined up in defence as Margate lost 4-1 to Stevenage at Dover. The KM Extra newspaper said he "showed why his non-inclusion in previous starting line-ups has been a mystery to many supporters" and in its report on a 2-1 win at Forest Green on 30.8.03 the Thanet Times said "the former Arsenal man's set-pieces were another of the highlights for Margate". Adrian then played once more before missing two matches through injury.

After returning as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat against Barnet at Dover on 23.9.03 he enjoyed another run in the side and started playing more often in his favoured midfield role. The Thanet Times felt Adrian "put in his best performance of the season" in a 1-1 draw at Telford on 4.10.03 and said that he was "probably the most impressive player on the pitch". On 11.10.03 he scored his first goal of the campaign from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win over Leigh at Dover and the Thanet Times said Adrian "pulled the strings in midfield". His next goal, also from the spot, came in a 3-3 draw at Grays in the FA Cup on 25.10.03 but in the replay at Ashford on 28.10.03 Adrian went off with damaged ankle ligaments and missed two games due to the injury.

He made his comeback as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat at Hereford on 15.11.03 but Adrian then found it hard to gain a place in the side as Danny Murphy had established himself at left wing-back and loanee Lenny Piper had slotted into midfield. As a result Adrian only made one start and four more sub appearances in Margate's next six matches as 2003 drew to a close.

On 1.1.04 he returned to the starting line-up for the first time in over a month as Margate lost 2-1 at Gravesend & Northfleet and from then on Adrian was a regular in the side, usually playing in midfield. He scored with a clever curling effort from the edge of the penalty area in a 2-0 win over Dorchester in the FA Trophy at Ashford on 20.1.04 and the Thanet Times said Adrian "had an excellent game in midfield" as Margate beat Halifax 2-0 at Dover on 8.2.04. His good form resulted in three more goals before the end of February, starting with what the Isle of Thanet Gazette called a "stunner" in a 2-0 win over Worksop in an FA Trophy tie at Ashford on 11.2.04. Adrian curled a fantastic effort home when nothing seemed on and then made it back-to-back goals with a strike in a 3-0 win against Northwich at Witton Albion on 14.2.04 before adding his third of the month in a 4-2 defeat at Leigh on 28.2.04.

Adrian's next goal was a penalty in a 3-3 draw with Dagenham & Redbridge at Dover on 6.3.04 and after that he had to play a few games at left wing-back again. He got his eighth goal of the season in a 3-0 win over Farnborough at Dover on 3.4.04. The Thanet Times said Adrian was "again the source of Margate's most productive attacks" when he moved back into midfield for a 3-2 win over Tamworth at Dover on 10.4.04 but the paper said he was "unusually subdued" in a 2-0 defeat against Scarborough at Dover on 24.4.04. It was Margate's last game in the Conference before being demoted. On 28.4.04 Adrian slotted home a penalty as Margate won 2-1 at Folkestone to secure the Kent Senior Cup and the spot-kick was enough to make him the clubs top scorer for the season with nine goals. He'd made 44 appearances (nine as sub). In its end of season round-up the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Adrian had "a deadly left foot" and that "his Premiership class showed at times". The paper also added that he'd "created most goals".

In May 2004 Adrian spoke to 442 magazine and said "It has been a difficult time, only a few hundred supporters travel down from Margate (to Dover) and despite their best efforts, it can be demoralizing to see the away fans often outnumbering them. The uncertainty of not knowing if the club would survive, or if we'd ever go back to Hartsdown Park, had a big effect on team morale. We were hearing rumours that the club was about to fold and our wages were being kept back so it was a pretty worrying time. But we really can't wait to play in Margate next season. I'm told our crowds could treble to around 1,500 when we return and that will be fantastic. Half of our team has never even been to Margate because we train in north Kent, so it will be great to see how the town gets behind us. I don't think that anyone connected with Margate will be shedding any tears when we play our final game at Dover."

Adrian was a fixture in Margate's midfield at the start of the 2004/05 season and always wore the number 11 shirt. On 16.8.04 his strike in a game at Carshalton was enough to earn Margate their first Conference South points and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Adrian "got the goal he deserved" for his performance. It was a low effort from just outside penalty area. The Thanet Times said he was "man-of-the-match" in a 3-1 win over Hayes at Margate's new adopted home in Ashford on 4.9.04 and the paper then described Adrian as "rejuvenated" in its report on a 2-1 defeat at Redbridge on 25.9.04.

On 29.11.04 he had to go off with a gashed ankle in a 2-1 win at Thurrock in the Conference Cup and Adrian missed the next two matches due to the injury before returning to the side as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Hayes on 11.12.04. From then on he was ever-present and captained Margate through to the end of the campaign in the wake of Darren Annon's season-ending injury.

On 18.12.04 Adrian got his second goal of the season with what the Thanet Times said was an "unstoppable curling effort" from 25 yards in a 2-2 draw at Weymouth and towards the end of January 2005 he enjoyed a three match scoring run. Adrian began by slotting home a last-minute penalty in a 3-1 win over Dagenham & Redbridge in the Conference Cup at Ashford on 25.1.05 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he "reminded strikers Moses Jjunju and Rocky Baptiste who was the regular penalty taker". The paper also felt Adrian's "experience provided a calming influence" in midfield. He then scored again in a 2-1 win at Thurrock on 29.1.05 and the Thanet Times said Adrian put in a "series of accurate crosses" during the game. Adrian finished his spree with a match-winning penalty that secured a 2-1 victory over Basingstoke at Ashford on 5.2.05 and again had an on-field dispute with Rocky Baptiste about who should take the spot-kick.

The Thanet Times said Adrian was "stylish in midfield" in a 2-2 draw at Weston-Super-Mare on 26.2.05 but on 19.3.05 he had a tame second half penalty saved as Margate lost 1-0 to Carshalton at Ashford. He got his sixth goal of the season with a deflected free-kick in a 2-2 draw at Bognor on 2.4.05 and that turned out to be Adrian's last one for Margate. A few games later relegation from the Conference South was confirmed and after rounding off the campaign by lifting the Kent Senior Cup following a 2-1 win over Dover at Folkestone on 2.5.05 Adrian left the club. He'd made 48 appearances during the season (one as sub) and 120 in all for Margate.

In June 2005 Adrian joined Conference South outfit Welling on a one-year deal and Margate manager Chris Kinnear told the KM Extra "I know Adrian had several offers and felt he had to move on. These things happen and he did well for Margate." Welling manager Adrian Pennock said "It's a great signing for us. He is a good footballer and will give us balance on the left-hand side. I met Adrian once and he wanted to come and play for Welling."

Unfortunately Adrian picked up a bad pelvic injury during the 2005/06 campaign and had to have surgery. Some 18 months afterwards he officially retired without playing again.

Adrian worked as a journalist whilst pursuing his non-league career and after starting out as a trainee news reporter for the Southend Evening Echo he went on to write a book about David Beckham who he'd played with during his England youth days. Adrian later worked on the personal websites of various players such as Ryan Giggs, Paolo di Canio and Jaap Stam and ran his own company called Sport Media Solutions who provided material for newspapers, magazines, websites and books as well as setting up various commercial deals.

In September 2008 Adrian also became co-commentator on Arsenal matches for the club's official website and he told www.arsenal.com "I have nothing but fond memories of my time as an Arsenal player stretching over the 11 years I was associated with the club. I was a full-time player for six of those years, and they were great days. The highlight was unquestionably making my full debut against QPR at Highbury in 1995 and playing well in a 3-0 win at Highbury. I'll never forget that day. It was the best moment of my entire career." Adrian added "I had three excellent seasons with Stevenage and then good times with Margate and Welling United too, while working as a journalist. Semi-pro football can be very rewarding."

In 2012 Adrian was still working for Arsenal Broadband Limited - contributing to the Gunners' website and match broadcasts - and he continued to run Sport Media Solutions. On 12.5.12 he played for a Margate Legends side in Bill Edwards' testimonial at Hartsdown Park.