David Connolly facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David James Connolly | ||
| Date of birth | 6 June 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Willesden, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1995 | Watford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1997 | Watford | 26 | (10) |
| 1997–2001 | Feyenoord | 25 | (7) |
| 1998–1999 | → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 32 | (6) |
| 1999–2001 | → Excelsior (loan) | 48 | (42) |
| 2001–2003 | Wimbledon | 63 | (42) |
| 2003–2004 | West Ham United | 39 | (10) |
| 2004–2005 | Leicester City | 49 | (17) |
| 2005–2006 | Wigan Athletic | 19 | (1) |
| 2006–2009 | Sunderland | 39 | (13) |
| 2009–2012 | Southampton | 61 | (14) |
| 2012–2015 | Portsmouth | 35 | (11) |
| 2014 | → Oxford United (loan) | 16 | (4) |
| 2015 | AFC Wimbledon | 8 | (1) |
| Total | 460 | (178) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–2005 | Republic of Ireland | 41 | (9) |
|
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David James Connolly (born 6 June 1977) is a former professional footballer from England. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals. David played for many different clubs, including Feyenoord in the Netherlands and Wigan Athletic and Sunderland in the top English league, the Premier League.
Even though he was born in England, David Connolly played for the Republic of Ireland on the international stage. He was part of Ireland's team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament, his team lost to Spain in a penalty shootout.
Contents
David Connolly's Football Journey
Starting at Watford and Moving Abroad
David Connolly began his football career at Watford. He was a great goal scorer there, netting 15 goals in just 34 games. His talent for scoring, both for his club and his country, caught the eye of bigger teams. He even scored three goals in one World Cup qualifying match!
Because of his impressive skills, David moved to a Dutch team called Feyenoord Rotterdam. While with Feyenoord, he also played on loan for other clubs. He spent time at Excelsior Rotterdam and Wolverhampton Wanderers. At Wolves, he once scored four goals in a single game against Bristol City! In 2001, he joined Wimbledon for free and scored an amazing 42 goals in just two seasons.
Playing for West Ham and Leicester
In August 2003, manager Glenn Roeder brought David to West Ham United. He cost £285,000, which is about $360,000 US dollars. David scored in his very first game for West Ham, helping them win 2–1 against Preston North End. He scored 14 goals in 48 games for West Ham. His last game for them was in the 2004 play-off final, where they lost to Crystal Palace.
In 2004, David signed with Leicester City for £500,000 (about $630,000 US dollars). He was their top goal scorer in his first season. He even scored three goals in one match against Stoke City in August 2005.
Time at Wigan and Sunderland
On August 31, 2005, David joined Wigan Athletic. They had just been promoted to the Premiership. The transfer cost £2 million (about $2.5 million US dollars), which could have gone up to £3 million if Wigan stayed in the Premiership, which they did. He scored in his first game for Wigan, helping them win 2–1 against West Bromwich Albion. However, he faced many injuries during the 2005–06 season.
Exactly one year later, on August 31, 2006, David joined Sunderland. There, he reunited with his former Republic of Ireland teammate, Roy Keane, who was then the manager. David scored his first goal for Sunderland against Colchester United. He came on as a substitute and hit the ball into the net from about 18 yards out. David ended up being Sunderland's top scorer that season. He played a big part in their promotion in the 2006–07 season, scoring 13 goals. He even scored the final goal of the season for Sunderland against Luton Town, which made Sunderland champions of the Championship.
In the next two seasons, David didn't play much due to injuries. He only played five games in the 2007–08 season and didn't play at all in the 2008–09 season. He left Sunderland in May 2009.
Later Career with Southampton and Portsmouth
After leaving Sunderland, David became a free agent, meaning he could join any team. On October 8, 2009, he signed with Southampton, a League One team. He scored in his first game for Southampton against Oldham Athletic. He scored again in the next game and even scored two goals in an FA Cup match. His contract was extended for the 2010–11 season.
He struggled with injuries again in the 2010–11 season but still scored important goals. He helped Southampton get promoted to the Championship. He then signed another one-year deal with the team. In the 2011–12 season, David continued his goal-scoring form. He scored in Southampton's first game of the season against Leeds United. He also scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Barnsley a week later. However, after new players joined in January 2012, David lost his starting spot and left the club at the end of the season.
On December 31, 2012, David signed a one-month contract with Portsmouth. He made his debut the very next day. He scored his first goal for Portsmouth in February 2013 and then scored twice in a 2–0 win against Bury. He left Portsmouth in January 2014.
David then joined Oxford United on loan until the summer. He scored in his first game for them against AFC Wimbledon. His goal against Hartlepool in March 2014 made him the club's oldest goal scorer at 36 years old.
On January 15, 2015, David joined AFC Wimbledon. This was special because he became one of the few players to play for both the original Wimbledon club and the new AFC Wimbledon. In February 2015, he scored a late winning goal against local rivals Luton Town, making the score 3–2. David Connolly retired from playing football on March 7, 2015.
Playing for His Country: Republic of Ireland
David Connolly was a regular player for the Republic of Ireland. He scored nine goals in 41 games for his country.
He played his first international game on May 29, 1996, against Portugal. In 1997, he was sent off (given a red card) during a play-off game against Belgium for a spot in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Ireland lost that match.
David was part of the Ireland squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the knockout stage, Ireland played against Spain. The game went to a penalty shootout, and David's penalty kick was saved by the Spanish goalkeeper, Iker Casillas.
He also scored in a special benefit match for Niall Quinn in 2002 and in a testimonial match for Mick McCarthy in 1996. Even though he was Sunderland's top scorer in the 2007–08 season, he wasn't called up for the national team much during that time. However, he was included in Giovanni Trapattoni's first squad in 2008, even though he was injured.
Awards and Achievements
David Connolly achieved some notable successes with his clubs:
Sunderland
- Football League Championship: 2006–07 (This means they won the league title in the second tier of English football.)
Southampton
- Football League Trophy: 2009–10 (This is a cup competition for teams in the lower divisions of English football.)
See also
In Spanish: David Connolly para niños
- List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland
