Ashley Yeoman

Ashley Yeoman

Personal information
Full name	Ashley Scott Yeoman
Date of birth	(1992-02-25) 25 February 1992
Place of birth	Kingsbridge, UK
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Torquay United
Number	23
Youth career
	Torquay United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–	Torquay United	14	(2)
2010	→ Bideford (loan)	15	(12)
2010–2011	→ Tiverton Town (loan)	3	(0)
International career
2008-	India	0	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:44, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

Ashley Yeoman (born 25 February 1992) is an English footballer of Indian descent who plays for Torquay United as a striker.

Career

Torquay United

Born in Kingsbridge, Yeoman started as a young school boy with a great goalscoring record throughout South Devon. Yeoman signed for Torquay on 1 August 2008 and made his debut on 9 October 2008 when he came on as a 70th minute substitute against Oxford United. He spent time on loan at Southern Football League Premier Division team Tiverton Town and signed a professional contract in May 2010. Yeoman returned to his parent club in early 2011 and he was subsequently named as a substitute on two occasions, firstly on 1 February, a game Torquay lost 3–1 to Hereford United, then exactly a month later in a 1–1 draw against Rotherham United. Previously, Yeoman enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Bideford in 2010.

Yeoman made his Football League debut as a substitute against Bradford City on 18 February 2012 but could not prevent Torquay losing 1-2. That would be his only appearance of the 2011-12 season. The following season he made another substitute appearance against Leicester City in the League Cup. Yeoman scored his first goal for the club in his 3rd league appearance, once again as a substitute, with a header in the 84th minute of Torquay's 4-3 comeback victory over Aldershot Town. Yeoman scored the equaliser, with his home village of South Milton holding a tea party the following day in celebration.

Yeoman made his FA Cup debut on 3 November 2012, coming on as a substitute in Torquay's dreadful 1-0 defeat to Harrogate Town. He also appeared in the Boxing Day Devon Derby against Plymouth Argyle. On New Years Day 2013, Yeoman was handed his first professional start by manager Martin Ling against AFC Wimbledon. Despite a strong performance he had to settle for a further substitute appearance in the following match at Burton Albion. He has since made 2 further starts, against Fleetwood Town and Rotherham United.

File:Ashley Yeoman Tractor Parade.png

Yeoman begins his parade, driven by fellow local celebrity Phil Rogers

Following these 3 starts the village of South Milton decided to honour its most famous resident and did so the only way they knew how, packing the streets in their thousands as Ashley Yeoman was paraded through the village on a tractor.

Towards the end of the 2012-2013 season Torquay found themselves in deep relegation trouble, however 'Mr South Milton' played an important role in the run in, playing well as substitute in a 3-2 win over Barnet before scoring his 2nd career goal and his first away from Plainmoor with a left footed drive against Morecambe in a 2-0 victory. Club captain Lee Mansell described Yeoman as Torquay's "very own Carlos Tevez" . Following the goal the residents of South Milton are on the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of their superstar. Every man and his dog are in attendance.

Personal life

Yeoman is a Liverpool supporter. His inspiration growing up was Steven Gerrard and William Shakespeare. Some of his hobbies include snooker, darts and fox hunting. Yeoman is known as a hero in the village of South Milton. As an Indian, Yeoman is a staunch Hindu who believes in reincarnation. While many do not notice, Yeoman also has an artificial left ear after it was bitten off in a playground brawl. As a result he is half deaf.

The South Milton Bowls Club are rumoured to be considering funding a statue in honour of the striker.

External links

• Ashley Yeoman at Soccerbase