He began his career with West Bromwich Albion as a forward, making his first team debut in 1977, before joining Birmingham City five years later.
He was signed by Dave Smith for Plymouth Argyle six months later, where was converted into a midfielder, and was an important member of the squad for the next five years.
A broken leg sustained in January 1989 led to a year on the sidelines, and after regaining full fitness he spent time on loan with Exeter City.
He returned to Plymouth Argyle in 1997 as the club's youth team coach, and was appointed caretaker manager three years later.
Summerfield took charge of the Shrews' youth team before becoming a coach at Plymouth Argyle under manager Kevin Hodges the following year.
[14][15] Summerfield left the club in October 2009, along with fellow coach John Blackley,[16] after being informed that their contracts would not be renewed at the end of the season.