Gary Caldwell facts for kids
Caldwell lining up for Celtic in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary Caldwell | ||
| Date of birth | 12 April 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Stirling, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Exeter City (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Celtic Boys Club | ||
| 1996–1997 | Hutchison Vale | ||
| 1997–2001 | Newcastle United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2004 | Newcastle United | 0 | (0) |
| 2001 | → Darlington (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2002 | → Hibernian (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | → Coventry City (loan) | 36 | (0) |
| 2003 | → Derby County (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Hibernian | 88 | (5) |
| 2006–2010 | Celtic | 106 | (5) |
| 2010–2015 | Wigan Athletic | 102 | (6) |
| Total | 356 | (16) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001–2003 | Scotland U21 | 19 | (2) |
| 2002–2013 | Scotland | 55 | (2) |
| 2002–2003 | Scotland B | 4 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2015–2016 | Wigan Athletic | ||
| 2017 | Chesterfield | ||
| 2018–2019 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 2022– | Exeter City | ||
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Gary Caldwell (born on 12 April 1982) is a Scottish former professional footballer and coach. He is currently the manager of Exeter City. Gary played as a defender, mostly in the centre, but he could also play as a right back or defensive midfielder.
He played for several well-known clubs like Newcastle United, Hibernian, Celtic, and Wigan Athletic. Gary also played for his country, Scotland, 55 times. This earned him a special place in the Scottish FA International Roll of Honour. His older brother, Steven, was also a footballer. They even played for Wigan at the same time!
After he stopped playing, Gary became a football manager. He has managed Wigan Athletic, Chesterfield, Partick Thistle, and now Exeter City.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out at Newcastle United
Gary Caldwell began his football journey at Celtic Boys Club. When he was 16, he moved to England with his older brother Steven to join Newcastle United. It was tough to get into the main team there. So, Gary went on loan to other clubs to get more playing time. He played for Darlington and Hibernian in 2001–02. Then, he played for Coventry City and Derby County the next season.
Time with Hibernian
In 2003–04, Newcastle let Gary leave for free. He then signed a short contract with Hibs. During this time, he played in the 2004 League Cup Final, which Hibs lost. After that, he signed a two-year contract with Hibs.
Later, it was confirmed he would join Celtic. Some Hibs fans were not happy about this at first.
Success at Celtic
Gary spent four years playing for Celtic. He helped the team win two league championships. They also won the 2006–07 Scottish Cup and the 2008–09 Scottish League Cup.
At first, some Celtic fans were critical of him. This was partly because of injuries and having to play in different positions. However, Gary worked hard and improved. He later became a favourite among the fans. They would even chant "heid" (meaning "head") when he had the ball!
In the 2008–09 season, Gary was named the Writers' Player of the Year. He felt this was because he was finally playing in his favourite position. He also said his focus and decisions had gotten better.
Towards the end of his time at Celtic, Gary had a disagreement about his contract. He then moved to Wigan Athletic.
Becoming a Leader at Wigan Athletic
Gary joined Wigan Athletic in January 2010. He quickly became an important player for the team. He made his debut just a few days later in a win against Wolves.
Early in the 2010–11 season, Gary was made captain of Wigan Athletic. He was a key player in helping the club avoid being relegated from the Premier League in the 2011–12 season. For his great performance, he won the club's Player of the Year award.
A big moment came in May 2013 when Wigan won the FA Cup. Gary, as captain, jointly lifted the trophy after they beat Manchester City 1–0 in the final. This was a huge achievement for the club!
Gary retired from playing football on 28 February 2015. He had a long-term hip injury that he couldn't recover from.
Playing for Scotland
Gary made his first appearance for the Scotland in 2002. This is called earning a "cap." He scored his first goal for Scotland in 2004 in a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago.
A memorable moment was when he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against France in a Euro 2008 qualifying match in 2006. He played alongside his brother Steven in five matches for Scotland. They were the first brothers to play together for the national team since the 1940s! Gary earned 55 caps for Scotland in total.
Coaching and Managerial Career
Starting at Wigan Athletic
After retiring as a player in February 2015, Gary joined the coaching staff at Wigan Athletic. He was then made the new manager of Wigan Athletic on 7 April 2015. The club was struggling at the time.
Even though he couldn't stop them from being relegated to League One that season, the club chairman trusted him to stay. The next season, Gary led Wigan to win the League One title! This meant they were promoted back to the Championship right away. He also won the League One Manager of the Month award in February and the LMA League One Manager of the Year award for his success.
However, on 25 October 2016, after 18 months in charge, Gary was let go by Wigan after a tough period for the team.
Managing Chesterfield and Partick Thistle
In 2017, Gary became the manager of Chesterfield. He tried his best, but the club was relegated. He was sacked in September after a difficult start to the new season.
Gary then became manager of Scottish Championship club Partick Thistle in October 2018. He helped them avoid relegation that season. But he was sacked in September 2019 when the club was near the bottom of the league table.
Recent Coaching Roles
In 2021, Gary was named interim manager for Newcastle United's Under-23s team. Later that year, he joined Manchester City to help oversee their players who were on loan to other clubs.
Gary returned to Hibernian as an assistant manager in December 2021. He worked alongside Shaun Maloney. They were both sacked in April 2022 after a Scottish Cup semi-final defeat.
Current Role at Exeter City
On 24 October 2022, Gary Caldwell was appointed manager of League One club Exeter City. Exeter finished the 2022–23 season in 14th place in League One under his leadership.
Managerial Record
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Wigan Athletic | 7 April 2015 | 25 October 2016 | 71 | 29 | 22 | 20 | 40.85 | |
| Chesterfield | 17 January 2017 | 16 September 2017 | 29 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 10.34 | |
| Partick Thistle | 15 October 2018 | 18 September 2019 | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 38.10 | |
| Exeter City | 24 October 2022 | present | 122 | 45 | 25 | 52 | 36.89 | |
| Total | 264 | 93 | 66 | 105 | 35.23 | |||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08
- Scottish Cup: 2006–07
- Scottish League Cup: 2008–09
Wigan Athletic
- FA Cup: 2012–13
Scotland U16s
- Victory Shield: 1997–98
Individual Awards
- SFWA Footballer of the Year: 2008–09
- SFWA International Player of the Year: 2008–09
- Clydesdale Bank SPL Player of the Year: 2009
- Scottish FA International Roll of Honour inductee 2012 (for earning over 50 caps for Scotland)
- Wigan Athletic Player of the Season: 2011–12
As a Manager
Wigan Athletic
- Football League One: 2015–16 (Champions)
Individual Awards
- League One Manager of the Month: February 2016
- LMA League One Manager of the Year: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Gary Caldwell para niños
- List of Scotland national football team captains
- List of Scottish football families
