Christopher Alan Shuker (born 9 May 1982) is an English football coach and former player who made 402 appearances in a 14-year career as a midfielder in the English Football League. He began his career at Manchester City, making his Premier League debut in 2002. He enjoyed loan spells out at Macclesfield Town, Walsall, Rochdale, and Hartlepool United, before signing a contract with Barnsley in March 2004. A key player at the club, he helped the "Tykes" to promotion out of the League One play-offs in 2006. He left the club after Barnsley withdrew their offer of a contract, and subsequently signed with Tranmere Rovers. He played 144 games for Rovers in league and cup competitions, before transferring to Morecambe for the 2010–11 season. He joined Port Vale on non-contract terms in February 2012, and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. He retired in May 2014 due to a chronic knee injury, but, having rejoined Tranmere Rovers as a coach in October 2014, returned to playing two months later. Career Manchester City A right-sided midfielder from Huyton, Liverpool, Shuker left the Everton academy at age 16 to begin his career in the Premier League with Manchester City, signing professional forms at the age of 17. He was loaned out to Third Division club Macclesfield Town in March 2001, where he made his competitive debut under Gil Prescott on 24 March, in a 2–1 win over Blackpool at Moss Rose, after replacing Richard Tracey on 79 minutes. Prescott handed Shuker first start seven days later, in a 1–0 defeat at Carlisle United. He scored his first senior goal in his third appearance for the club, his header was the only goal of a 1–0 home win, and "capped off a fine all-round performance" against Kidderminster Harriers. He returned to Maine Road at the end of the 2000–01 season having made eight appearances for Macclesfield; during his absence Manchester City had lost their top-flight status. He marked his "Blues" debut with a goal five minutes after coming onto the pitch, as Kevin Keegan put him on for Eyal Berkovic 59 minutes into a 4–2 win over Notts County in the League Cup on 11 September 2001. He played cameo roles in 3–0 wins over Walsall and Barnsley, but played a total of just three games in 2001–02, as City won promotion out of the First Division.