Michael Stowell (born 19 April 1965) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and is now first team coach and goalkeeping coach at Leicester City. As a player, he spent twenty years as a professional, eleven of which were with Wolverhampton Wanderers. He is married to former England women's international footballer Rachel Stowell. Gaining his chance in the professional game at Preston North End in 1985, he impressed enough to receive a contract with top-flight Everton later in the year. In his five years at the club he was loaned out to Chester City, York City, Manchester City, Port Vale, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Preston North End. He signed permanently with Wolves in 1990, and was their goalkeeper of choice throughout the decade, making 441 league and cup appearances. He was named as the club's Player of the Year in 1991. In July 2001, he signed with Bristol City, before retiring in May 2005. He then became a coach at Leicester City and has had five separate spells as caretaker manager in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2019. Playing career Preston and Everton Having played junior football for Kirkham Juniors, as a centre half, Stowell gained his first experience of professional football with a trial for Preston North End, where he played in their reserves and was offered a one-year contract. He turned this down though as the club were then sat bottom of the Third Division and he was entering his final year's apprenticeship with BT in Preston, the town in which he was raised. While playing for North West Counties League side Leyland Motors, he was offered a trial at First Division side Everton and subsequently offered a two and a half-year contract by manager Howard Kendall. He signed in December 1985 for what turned out to be a five-year stay at Goodison Park. However, he was unable to force his way past Neville Southall into the first team and never made a league appearance, instead playing in the Central Reserve league. His sole outing for the "Toffees" came under the stewardship of Colin Harvey in a Full Members Cup tie against Millwall on 20 December 1988, in which he kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory. The lack of first-team opportunities at Everton saw Stowell experiencing a string of loan moves to lower league sides. In September 1987 he was loaned to Third