Shaun Maloney

For the workers' rights activist, see Shaun Maloney (labor activist). For others with a similar name, see Sean Maloney.
Shaun Maloney

Maloney playing for Celtic in November 2010
Personal information
Full name Shaun Richard Maloney
Date of birth (1983-01-24) 24 January 1983
Place of birth Miri, Malaysia
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position Attacking Midfielder / Winger
Club information
Current team
 Hull City
Number 15
Youth career
1996–1999 Albion Boys Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2007 Celtic 104 (26)
2007–2008 Aston Villa 30 (5)
2008–2011 Celtic 54 (13)
2011–2015 Wigan Athletic 79 (14)
2015 Chicago Fire 14 (3)
2015– Hull City 25 (2)
National team‡
2002–2005 Scotland U21 20 (6)
2007 Scotland B 1 (1)
2005– Scotland 47 (7)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:49, 15 October 2016 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:06, 4 June 2016 (UTC)

Shaun Richard Maloney (born 24 January 1983) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Hull City and the Scotland national team.

He started his career at Celtic, playing 215 matches across all competitions and winning honours including five Scottish Premier League titles and five Scottish Cups, spending time in England with Aston Villa between two spells at Celtic Park. He is the first player to claim both the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and the SPFA Young Player of the Year awards in the same season, doing so in 2006 during his first spell with Celtic. In 2011 he returned to England with Wigan Athletic, winning the 2013 FA Cup Final before leaving for Chicago in January 2015.

Maloney made his senior international debut for Scotland in 2005, and has since earned 46 caps, scoring seven goals.

Early life

Maloney was born to an English father and Scottish mother in Miri, a coastal city in north-eastern Sarawak, Malaysia, on 24 January 1983.[2] He spent his infancy in Malaysia while his father, a helicopter pilot and armed forces veteran, worked there as a flying instructor. The family returned to Britain when Maloney was five years old, after his father accepted a job in Aberdeen, Scotland.[2] In a 2014 interview, Maloney said: "Although I am Scottish and play for Scotland, Malaysia will always be a special part of me."[2]

Maloney found a love for sport from a young age, particularly football and tennis. By the age of 10, he had joined his first football club, Kincorth Boys' Club. He played regularly for his Primary School Team, St Joseph's. At 12, he moved to Culter Boys' Club then at 14, to Albion Boys' Club.[3] He played a number of games for Cults Academy, where he was a student.

Club career

Celtic

After joining Celtic as a trainee in 1999,[4] Maloney made his first team debut on 29 April 2001 against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium, in a 3–0 win for Celtic.[5] He spent the next few years trying to break into the first team, spending most of his time as a substitute. Despite not playing regularly, Maloney acquired a reputation for being a free kick specialist.[6][7] Maloney did appear several times for Celtic during their run to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, and scored in a 3–1 win over VfB Stuttgart at Parkhead in the quarter-finals.[8][9]

In February 2004, Maloney picked up a cruciate ligament injury.[10] He returned from the injury late in season 2004–05,[11] starting only one game in that season.[12]

Maloney was in lethal form for Celtic in the 2005–06 season, his annus mirabilis, after being moved from a striking position to the left of midfield by manager Gordon Strachan.[13][14] His displays received praise from players, fans and the media throughout the year,[15][16][17][18] and in recognition of his excellent season he was awarded both the SPFA Player of the Year[19] and Young Player of the Year awards,[4] the first time a player has won both plaudits in the same season.[4] He also won Celtic Fans' Player of the Year, and Players Player of the Year in a season which saw him score 16 goals and contribute 28 assists from midfield.

With his contract expiring at the end of the 2006–07 season, Celtic moved to offer Maloney a new deal.[20] However, contract negotiations continued for months, constantly breaking down due to differences between the two parties.[20] Chief Executive Peter Lawwell asserted that Celtic "cannot keep players at any cost"[21] while Maloney warned that "In situations like this one, both parties have to be completely happy with the outcome." He also promised that the prolonged contract talks would not affect his football and that he hoped he would not have to consider leaving the club in the future.[22] With the realisation that Maloney would be able to leave for free by signing a pre-contract with another club in January 2007, the Celtic support feared the worst, recalling Jackie McNamara's departure.[23]

No new contract was agreed with Celtic and eventually a £1 million transfer to Aston Villa was agreed, where Maloney would play under his old boss Martin O'Neill.[24]

In his first tenure, Maloney made a total of 139 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions, scoring 37 times.[25]

Aston Villa

Just before the transfer window closed on 31 January 2007, Maloney signed a pre-contract agreement with Aston Villa. Villa manager Martin O'Neill, who managed him at Celtic, was keen to bring Maloney to Villa for the second half of the season however and moments before the deadline he signed for the Midlands club for a reported fee of £1 million.[26] He made his debut in the 2–0 defeat at Reading on 10 February 2007[27] On 28 April 2007, Maloney scored his first Villa goal in a victory against Man City at the City of Manchester Stadium from a free kick which was curled around the wall into the bottom right of the goal.[28]

Maloney before an Aston Villa game in 2007

Maloney had trouble settling into the club but after a somewhat lacklustre start to his Villa career, he began to show his best form. Maloney has acknowledged that his football had been suffering but remained optimistic about his future at the club: "Homesickness has affected my form. I haven't played well enough to play in the team and I think that has shown, so hopefully now things can change."[29] Both O'Neill and teammate Stiliyan Petrov, who were both at Celtic during Maloney's time there, had expressed their desire for Maloney to stay at the club despite reports linking him with a move back to Scotland.[30][31]

Maloney scored a brace for Aston Villa in a 4–4 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day 2007.[32] However, after that Maloney did not play a lot of games as half of his last season appearances were substitutions, and he also said that he would like to one day go back and play in Scotland.[33]

Return to Celtic

Maloney playing for Celtic in 2009

On 22 August 2008, Celtic announced the signing of Maloney on a four-year deal[34] for a fee of £3 million.[35] Maloney marked his return with a Man of the Match performance and two assists in his first match, after coming off the bench for Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink in a 3–0 victory over Falkirk at Celtic Park.[36] Maloney scored his first goal after his return to Celtic in a 4–2 away win over Motherwell[37] and managed his second the following week in a 3–1 away win at Kilmarnock.[38] He finished the season with five goals, taking his total Celtic goals tally to 42.[39]

Under new manager Tony Mowbray, Maloney played in 17 of Celtic's first 18 fixtures of season 2009–10.[40][41] However he began having trouble with his Achilles tendon after the 2–1 defeat against Rangers on 4 October 2009.[42] Maloney played a further four games after that, but was substituted at half-time in Celtic's League Cup defeat against Hearts. It was revealed he was suffering from Achilles tendinitis,[43] and he did not player another game that season.[41]

Maloney started the 2010–11 season in good form with goals against St Mirren,[44] Hearts[45] and a brace against Hamilton.[46] After this run of form, Maloney was given the short-term captaincy of Celtic in the absence of Scott Brown through injury.[47] However, fitness problems flared up again for Maloney in November 2010 when he injured his ankle during a league match against Inverness CT.[48] He required to undergo ankle surgery in December,[48] and didn't return to the first team until April 2011.[49] Maloney featured in eight of Celtic's remaining matches; scoring against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final and then against Motherwell in the last league fixture of the season.[50]

Wigan Athletic

Maloney playing for Wigan in May 2013, in the match which saw them relegated from the Premier League

Maloney joined Wigan Athletic in the Premier League on 31 August 2011 for a fee of £850,000, signing a three-year deal.[51] He made his debut on 13 September 2011 in a 2–1 defeat against Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup.[52] He struggled to break into the first team, appearing three times as a substitute during the first half of the 2011–12 season.[53] Maloney admitted his fitness "was lacking a little bit" when he joined the club,[54] and manager Roberto Martínez felt that Maloney needed more time to settle-in.[53] On 11 March 2012, he made his first Premier League appearance in almost five months, coming on as a substitute against Norwich City.[55] His performance was described as "outstanding",[56] and he was rewarded with his first league start for the club in the following game against West Bromwich Albion.[57] On 24 March 2012, he scored a penalty against Liverpool at Anfield in a 1–2 win for Wigan – his first goal for the club.[58] Maloney topped this effort with a wonderful curling goal against Manchester United on 11 April, lifting his side out of the relegation zone for the first time since October with a 1–0 win.[59] Then, on 28 April 2012, Maloney scored Wigan's third goal in an emphatic 4–0 home win over fourth placed Newcastle.[60]

On 17 January 2013, it was announced that Maloney signed a new contract with Wigan Athletic, keeping him at the club until 2015.[61]

On 7 April 2013, Maloney scored a 94th minute free kick goal, seconds from the end of the QPR match at Loftus Road which earned Wigan Athletic a valuable point in their race to once again escape from Premier League relegation. Six days later, on 13 April 2013, Maloney scored Wigan Athletic's first goal in the FA Cup semi final at Wembley against Millwall, with a volley on the 25th minute and was voted man of the match, guiding Wigan Athletic to their first ever FA Cup Final. On 11 May 2013 Maloney won the FA Cup with Wigan, playing the whole game and assisting the only goal of the match in a 1–0 upset win against Manchester City.[62] However, only three days later, Wigan were relegated from the Premier League following a 4–1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.[63]

Chicago Fire

On 25 January 2015, Maloney signed for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire for an undisclosed fee.[64] He was signed as one of the team's Designated Players.[65] On 4 April 2015, Maloney scored his first goal for Fire in a 3–2 win over Toronto at Toyota Park,[66] and went on to win MLS player of the week honours.[67]

Hull City

After only eight months in Chicago, Maloney signed a two-year contract with Hull City on 27 August 2015.[68] Maloney was transferred for an undisclosed fee.[69]

He made his debut on 29 August 2015 in the home match against Preston North End which City won 2–0.[70] Maloney came off the bench to score his first goal, on 21 November 2015, in a 1–1 draw away to Bristol City.[71]

International career

Maloney made 20 appearances and netted six times for Scotland Under 21s.[4]

Maloney made his full international debut as a half-time substitute in Scotland's 1–0 defeat to Belarus at Hampden Park on 8 October 2005.[4] By 20 June 2014, he has gained 32 caps for Scotland[4][72] and scored his first goal for Scotland, a free-kick in the Svangaskard Stadium in a 2–0 victory over the Faroe Islands in June 2007.[73]

Maloney has scored four goals in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D, including the winner in Scotland's home tie against the Republic of Ireland.[74]

Career statistics

Club

As of 15 October 2016[75]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Celtic 2000–01 Scottish Premier League40------40
2001–02 1652114102010
2002–03 203303141305
2003–04 175102031236
2004–05 2010000030
2005–06 36131043204316
2006–07 90001050150
Total 104268111815213837
Aston Villa 2006–07 Premier League81------81
2007–08 2241022--256
Total 3051022--337
Celtic 2008–09 Scottish Premier League214102061305
2009–10 94001070174
2010–11 215111030266
2011–12 3000001040
Total 541321401717715
Wigan Athletic 2011–12 Premier League1331010--153
2012–13 3664110--417
2013–14 Championship103000030133
2014–15 202101000222
Total 79145130309115
Chicago Fire 2015 Major League Soccer14330----173
Total 143300000173
Hull City 2015–16 Championship2011020--231
2016–17 Premier League610020--71
Total 252104000302
Career total 30663213241035338679

International

Scotland national team
YearAppsGoals
2005 2 0
2006 4 1
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Total

International goals

Honours

Club

Celtic
Wigan Athletic

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Player Profile". Wigan Athletic. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Maloney: I play for Scotland but Malaysia will always be a special part of me". FourFourTwo.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Scott McDermott (27 December 2009). "Grassroots 2010: Albion Boys Club boss Brian Winton determined to find more stars of the future". Daily Record (Scotland).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shaun Maloney – A Squad Scottish FA
  5. ↑ Celtic crush Rangers BBC Sport, 29 April 2001
  6. ↑ Spiers, Graham (10 February 2003). "Maloney can be silver lining as Larsson cloud falls on Celtic Stand-in shows he is ready to take over". Herald Scotland. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "Lubomir the master is key to Maloney's free-kick sorcery". Liverpool Echo. 12 February 2003. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Petrov sinks Stuttgart". BBC Sport. 21 February 2003. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Shaun Maloney – 2002/03". Fitba Stats. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  10. ↑ O'Neill promises Czechs payback Irish Examiner, 26 February 2004
  11. ↑ Celtic 1–3 Hibernian BBC Sport, 30 April 2005
  12. ↑ Shaun Maloney ESPN Soccernet
  13. ↑ Celtic 2 Falkirk 1 (AET) Sporting Life, 21 September 2005
  14. ↑ Livingston 0 Celtic 5 Sporting Life, 1 October 2005
  15. ↑ Strachan hails Celtic work ethic BBC Sport, 9 November 2005
  16. ↑ Zurawski pounds Dunfermline with pieces of eight The Guardian, 20 February 2008
  17. ↑ Maloney's trickery completes fitting tribute to Johnstone The Guardian, 20 March 2006
  18. ↑ Strachan feels strain as he nears first league title as manager The Guardian, 27 March 2006
  19. ↑ Scottish football briefing – 28 April The Scotsman, 28 April 2006
  20. 1 2 Maloney handed contract warning Football.co.uk, 26 October 2006
  21. ↑ "Celtic warning over Maloney deal". BBC Sport. 26 October 2006. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  22. ↑ "Maloney contract talks in limbo". BBC Sport. 15 October 2006. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  23. ↑ Celtic debt up by £4m after title 'surrender' The Scotsman, 20 August 2005
  24. ↑ Wee man Maloney has some big boots to fill Herald Scotland, 8 September 2009
  25. ↑ "Shaun Maloney profile". Aston Villa.
  26. ↑ "Villa beat clock to sign Maloney". BBC Sport. 31 January 2006. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  27. ↑ "Reading v Aston Villa – Tactical formation". Football-Lineups.com. Retrieved 28 February 2007.
  28. ↑ "Man City 0–2 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  29. ↑ Maloney wants future sorted Sky Sports, 26 August 2007
  30. ↑ "O'Neill cools Maloney Celtic link". BBC Sport. 27 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  31. ↑ "Maloney gets Petrov backing". Sky Sports. 6 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
  32. ↑ Chelsea 4–4 Aston Villa BBC Sport, 26 December 2007
  33. ↑ "Maloney admits Villa frustration". BBC Sport. 29 May 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  34. ↑ Ewan Murray (21 August 2008). "Shaun Maloney makes Celtic return". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  35. ↑ "Maloney Completes Return". Aston Villa FC. 22 August 2008.
  36. ↑ Ronnie Esplin (25 August 2008). "Celtic 3 Falkirk 0: Maloney makes hero's return to Parkhead". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  37. ↑ David McDaid (13 September 2008). "Motherwell 2–4 Celtic". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  38. ↑ "Kilmarnock 1–3 Celtic". The Scotsman. 21 September 2008. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  39. ↑ "Shaun Maloney career stats". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  40. ↑ "Results for season 2009/10 in all competitions". FibaStats. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  41. 1 2 "Maloney, Shaun – season 2009/10". Fitbastats. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  42. ↑ "Mowbray rues injury woes". Sky Sports. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  43. ↑ "Tony Mowbray loses Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney for another two months". The Scotsman. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  44. ↑ "Celtic 4 – 0 St Mirren". BBC Sport. 22 August 2010. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  45. ↑ "Celtic 3 – 0 Hearts". BBC Sport. 11 September 2010. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  46. ↑ "Celtic 3 – 1 Hamilton". BBC Sport. 2 October 2010. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  47. ↑ Angus Wright (20 October 2010). "Shaun Maloney will stay captain, says Neil Lennon". The Scotsman. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  48. 1 2 "New injury blow for Celtic as Shaun Maloney is ruled out until March". Daily Record. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  49. ↑ MacFarlane, Iain (9 April 2011). "Shaun Maloney Celts' jokers". Scottish Express. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  50. ↑ "Maloney, Shaun – season 2010/11". Fitbastats. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  51. ↑ "Shaun Maloney completes Wigan Athletic move". STV Sport. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  52. ↑ Arindam Rej (13 September 2011). "Crystal Palace 2–1 Wigan". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  53. 1 2 "Wigan-Fulham preview: Ruiz ready to justify £10m fee says Jol". Mirror Football. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  54. ↑ "Maloney eyes regular role". Sky Sports. 3 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  55. ↑ "Maloney glad to be back". Sky Sports. 13 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  56. ↑ "Caldwell – Maloney's our secret weapon". Wigan Today. Johnston Publishing. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  57. ↑ "Wigan Athletic 1 West Bromwich Albion 1". MEN Media. 17 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  58. ↑ Sam Sheringham (24 March 2012). "Liverpool 1–2 Wigan Athletic". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  59. ↑ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=318286&cc=5901
  60. ↑ David Ornstein (28 April 2012). "Wigan 4–0 Newcastle". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  61. ↑ "Scotland international commits future to Latics". Wigan Athletic Official Website. 17 January 2013. Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  62. ↑ Phil McNulty (11 May 2013). "Man City 0 – 1 Wigan". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  63. ↑ Chris McKenna (14 May 2013). "Arsenal 4 – 1 Wigan". BBC. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  64. ↑ "Shaun Maloney: Wigan winger joins MLS side Chicago Fire". BBC Sport. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  65. ↑ "Chicago Fire Sign Shaun Maloney as a Designated Player". Chicago Fire Soccer Club. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  66. ↑ "Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC". US Soccerway. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  67. ↑ "Shaun Maloney Voted MLS Player of the Week". Chicago Fire. 7 April 2015.
  68. ↑ "Shaun Maloney: Scots midfielder joins Hull from Chicago Fire". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  69. ↑ "Chicago Fire Transfer Midfielder Shaun Maloney to Hull City A.F.C.". Chicago Fire. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  70. ↑ "Hull Preston". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  71. ↑ "Bristol City 1–1 Hull". BBC Sport. BBC. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  72. ↑ Matthew Lindsay (1 October 2010). "Craig: On-fire Miller can fill the Boyd void". Evening Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  73. ↑ "Maloney sets Scotland Euro target". BBC Sport. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  74. 1 2 Lamont, Alasdair (14 November 2014). "Scotland 1–0 R. of Ireland". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  75. ↑ "S. MALONEY". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  76. ↑ Taylor, Julian (6 June 2007). "Faroe Islands 0-2 Scotland". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  77. ↑ "Macedonia 1–2 Scotland". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  78. ↑ Lamont, Alasdair (14 October 2014). "Poland 2–2 Scotland". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  79. ↑ Lamont, Alasdair (29 March 2015). "Scotland 6–1 Gibraltar". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  80. ↑ "Scotland ease past Gibraltar to end on a high". UEFA. UEFA. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  81. ↑ McNulty, Phil (11 May 2013). "Man City 0–1 Wigan". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 11 May 2013.
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