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) | ||
| Position(s) | 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) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2005 | Republic of Ireland | 41 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David James Connolly (born 6 June 1977) is a former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a 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 Premier League. Even though he was born in England, Connolly played for the Republic of Ireland on the international stage. He was part of Ireland's team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
David Connolly started his football journey at Watford. He was a great goal scorer there, netting 15 goals in just 34 games. His impressive scoring record, including a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifying match, helped him move to the Dutch team Feyenoord Rotterdam.
Loan Spells and Wimbledon
While at Feyenoord, David also played on loan for other teams. He spent time at Excelsior Rotterdam and Wolverhampton Wanderers. At Wolves, he famously scored four goals in one game against Bristol City! In 2001, he joined Wimbledon for free. He had two amazing seasons there, scoring 42 goals.
West Ham United and Leicester City
In August 2003, David joined West Ham United. He scored in his very first game for them, helping West Ham 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, Connolly moved to Leicester City. He was their top scorer in his first season. He even scored another hat-trick against Stoke City in August 2005.
Wigan Athletic and Sunderland
On 31 August 2005, David joined Wigan Athletic, a team that had just been promoted to the Premier League. He scored on his debut for Wigan in a 2–1 win against West Bromwich Albion. However, he faced many injuries during that season.
A year later, on 31 August 2006, Connolly joined Sunderland. He played under his former Republic of Ireland teammate, Roy Keane, who was the manager. David scored his first goal for Sunderland against Colchester United. He became Sunderland's top scorer in the 2006–07 season, helping them win the Championship and get promoted. He scored 13 goals that season, including the final goal of the season against Luton Town.
After that successful season, David played fewer games for Sunderland due to injuries. He left the club in May 2009.
Southampton and Portsmouth
In October 2009, David signed with Southampton. He scored in his first game for them against Oldham Athletic. He continued to score important goals, including two in an FA Cup match. He struggled with injuries in the 2010–11 season but still scored crucial goals that helped Southampton get promoted. He signed a new contract with them.
In the 2011–12 season, David continued his good form, scoring in Southampton's first game against Leeds United. He also scored against Barnsley and Ipswich Town. However, after new players joined, he lost his regular spot and left Southampton at the end of the season.
On 31 December 2012, Connolly joined Portsmouth. He scored his first goal for them in February 2013 and even scored twice in a game against Bury. He left Portsmouth in January 2014.
Oxford United and AFC Wimbledon
David joined Oxford United on loan in January 2014. He scored on his debut against AFC Wimbledon. At 36 years old, he became Oxford United's oldest goal scorer at the time.
On 15 January 2015, Connolly 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 Luton Town. David Connolly officially retired from playing football on 7 March 2015.
Playing for His Country
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 29 May 1996 against Portugal. In 1997, he was sent off in a play-off game against Belgium for a spot in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Connolly was part of the Ireland squad for 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.
Awards and Achievements
David Connolly won some important awards during his career:
- Sunderland
- Football League Championship: 2006–07 (This means Sunderland won the league title that season!)
- Southampton
- Football League Trophy: 2009–10 (This is a cup competition for teams in the lower leagues.)
See also
In Spanish: David Connolly para niños
