Clubs: Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Cardiff City (L), Coventry City, Reading (L), Grimsby Town, Apoel Nicosia, Crook Town, Blackpool, Auckland City

Modest, athletic, softly spoken Dean is a local boy whose pacy contribution on Palace's left side during the mid 1990s really caught the nation's attention in 1993/94 as wing-back. Dean also his some spectacular goals and was rewarded, not only with championship medal, but also an England Under 21 call-up.

Palace were deprived of Dean's talents for the run-in to 1995/96 by an Achilles tendon injury but this was after he had notched a very rare defender's hat-trick at West Bromwich Albion just before Christmas 1995. He returned to the Palace side in November 1996 when it was clear that the club could again challenge seriously for promotion to the top-flight. Dean was largely an unsung hero in that season's play-off triumph but he played every game after his comeback from injury and discerning fans were aware that he had played a key role.

Disappointing as Palace's Premiership campaign of 1997/98 proved to be, it merely confirmed Dean's quality as he missed just one game all season. As such, few Palace fans were surprised when he was snapped up by Middlesbrough to continue his career at the highest level.

Statsistics

Young Player of the Year: 1991

	Games	Goals
1991/1992	5	0
1992/1993	12	0
1993/1994	49	6
1994/1995	54	4
1995/1996	41	8
1996/1997	35	3
1997/1998	44	2
Total	241	23

Source: The Men Who Made Crystal Palace, Rev. Nigel Sands (Tempus, 2004)