Ian Ashbee

On 20 September 2016 Ian Ashbee was announced as the assistant manager to Curtis Woodhouse at Bridlington Town.

On 13 January 2015, he came out of retirement by signing for a short time with Humber Premier League side Hull United.

Ashbee was one of Cambridge United's longest-serving players at the time. He made his debut in a 1–0 win at Torquay. It was here that Ashbee made his name as he scored 11 goals in over 200 games for The U's.

In 2013 Ian Ashbee began working for Blowers Jewellers as Director of Sports Clients.

On 2 February 2012, Preston and Ashbee agreed to end his contract. During that season, at the age of 35, he had struggled through a knee injury that restricted him to only seven starts and four substitute appearances.

Ashbee stated on his Twitter page later in 2012 that he had retired from professional football at the age of 36.

In January 2011, Ashbee signed for Preston North End, managed by former Hull manager Phil Brown, after handing in a transfer request to then Hull City manager Nigel Pearson. Ashbee was offered a 1-year contract extension at Hull, but wanted to sign a 2-year contract, which Preston offered him. He went on to make 19 appearances for Preston during the season, but could not prevent his club from being relegated. Ashbee was named club captain of Preston in June 2011.

Upon his return on the first game of the 2010–11 season, Ashbee scored the second goal in Hull 's 2–0 victory over Swansea City.

Towards the end of the 2008–09 season, in a fixture against Aston Villa on 4 May 2009, Ashbee suffered another career-threatening injury, rupturing a posterior cruciate ligament in his knee. It was initially thought that he would return to action in the Autumn, however on 18 August it was reported that Ashbee required further surgery on the knee and would likely miss the entire 2009–10 season.

The 2007–08 season saw vastly improved performances from the team as a whole, culminating in the club reaching its first ever Wembley Stadium final, taking on Bristol City for a place in the Premier League, a game which they won 1–0. This meant that Ashbee captained Hull to promotion from the bottom division of the Football League to the top. Andy Dawson, Boaz Myhill and Ryan France are the other players to have helped take Hull up through the four divisions. On 16 August 2008 Ashbee was captain of the Hull side that won its first ever top-flight game 2–1 against Fulham, completing an achievement thought to be unique in English football: captaining the same team in all four divisions of the Football League, bottom to top.

Ashbee was, however, cursed by an old injury in the subsequent Championship campaign, being diagnosed with an osteochondral defect, a degenerative bone condition in his femur. He underwent surgery that involved drilling fourteen holes in the bone to stimulate re-growth. He was warned by his doctor that this injury threatened not just his career, but his ability to even walk. Ashbee was on crutches for four months and was ruled out for the majority of the 2005–06 season, nevertheless he remained a favourite amongst many Tigers fans, receiving a standing ovation at the last game of the season against Watford despite being sidelined.

Purchased by manager Jan Mølby in June 2002 in the Third Division he suffered a nightmare start to his Hull career as he was sent off on his debut. This was, however, due to his no-nonsense approach on the pitch and he soon became a firm favourite with Tigers fans and management alike, with both Mølby and Peter Taylor making him captain.

Ashbee began his career at Derby County in 1994. He stayed at the Rams for two seasons, but struggled to make an impact and after a loan spell, he was eventually sold to Cambridge United in 1996.

Ian Ashbee (born 6 September 1976) is an English former footballer who retired in 2012 having previously played for Preston North End, Derby County, Cambridge United and Hull City, and in Iceland, on loan to Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur. He is currently Assistant Manager at Bridlington Town.