Chris Beardsley

Chris Beardsley
Beardsley playing for Mansfield Town in 2015
Personal information
Full name Christopher Kellan Beardsley
Date of birth (1984-02-28) 28 February 1984
Place of birth Derby, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position Striker
Youth career
Mickleover Sports
1995–2000 Derby County
2000–2002 Mansfield Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 Mansfield Town 20 (1)
2004Worksop Town (loan) 3 (1)
2004 Doncaster Rovers 4 (0)
2004–2005 Kidderminster Harriers 25 (5)
2005–2007 Mansfield Town 13 (0)
2007Rushden & Diamonds (loan) 3 (2)
2007 Rushden & Diamonds 9 (0)
2007–2008 York City 8 (0)
2007–2008Kettering Town (loan) 5 (5)
2008–2009 Kettering Town 54 (10)
2008–2009Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 3 (0)
2009–2012 Stevenage 92 (14)
2012–2014 Preston North End 19 (2)
2013–2014Bristol Rovers (loan) 24 (1)
2014–2015 Stevenage 29 (4)
2015–2016 Mansfield Town 14 (1)
2018–2020 Burton Albion 1 (0)
Total 326 (46)
Managerial career
2021 Burton Albion (caretaker)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christopher Kellan Beardsley (born 28 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is a talent coach for FIFA.

Beardsley played youth football with Mickleover Sports and Derby County before starting his senior career with Mansfield Town, breaking into the first team in December 2002. After a loan spell at Worksop Town, he joined Doncaster Rovers in July 2004, then moved to Kidderminster Harriers later that year. Beardsley rejoined Mansfield in July 2005 but struggled for first-team opportunities and was loaned, then permanently transferred, to Conference National club Rushden & Diamonds in January 2007. Later that year, he joined York City but failed to establish himself in the team. He joined Kettering Town in December 2007, initially on loan, helping them secure promotion to the Conference Premier, and had a brief loan spell back at Kidderminster in November 2008.

He signed for Stevenage Borough in May 2009 and scored 22 goals in 117 appearances as the club earned back-to-back promotions from the Conference Premier to League One during his three years there. He left Stevenage to rejoin manager Graham Westley at Preston North End in August 2012. He struggled for appearances after a change in management, and spent much of the 2013–14 season on loan at Bristol Rovers. Beardsley returned to Stevenage in July 2014 and helped them to the 2014–15 League Two play-offs, before spending the following season at Mansfield. He retired in 2016, becoming a fitness coach at Burton Albion and briefly serving as caretaker manager in January 2021. He departed Burton in August 2023 to take up a role as a talent scout for FIFA in the Caribbean.