Gary O'Neil facts for kids
O'Neil warming-up for West Ham United in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary Paul O'Neil | ||
| Date of birth | 18 May 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Beckenham, England | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Portsmouth | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2007 | Portsmouth | 174 | (16) |
| 2003 | → Walsall (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2007–2011 | Middlesbrough | 109 | (10) |
| 2011–2013 | West Ham United | 48 | (3) |
| 2013–2014 | Queens Park Rangers | 29 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Norwich City | 51 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Bristol City | 33 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Bolton Wanderers | 29 | (3) |
| Total | 489 | (35) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2002 | England U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | England U20 | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | England U21 | 9 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2023 | AFC Bournemouth | ||
| 2023–2024 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gary Paul O'Neil (born 18 May 1983) is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the head coach for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As a midfielder, Gary O'Neil played in 214 Premier League games. He scored 16 goals between 2003 and 2016. He played for teams like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham United, and Norwich City. He also played in the Football League First Division or EFL Championship for many clubs. These included Walsall, Cardiff City, Queens Park Rangers, Bristol City, and Bolton Wanderers.
Gary O'Neil started his managing career with AFC Bournemouth. He helped them finish 15th in the 2022–23 Premier League season. Later, he became the head coach for Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2023. He left this role in December 2024.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Playing for Portsmouth
Gary O'Neil was born in Beckenham, London. He grew up in Downham. He made his first team debut for Portsmouth at just 16 years old. This was on 29 January 2000. In his first professional goal, he helped Portsmouth avoid relegation. This happened in a crucial 3–0 win against Barnsley.
In the 2001–02 season, O'Neil scored a great goal against Millwall. When Harry Redknapp became manager, O'Neil was one of the few players kept in the team. Portsmouth won the First Division title in 2002–03. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League.
O'Neil was loaned to Walsall in 2003 to get more playing time. He then returned to Portsmouth and made his Premier League debut. He scored two goals in a big 6–1 win against Leeds United. He also captained the England Under 20s.
In 2004, he was loaned to Cardiff City. He scored one goal there. He returned to Portsmouth again due to injuries. He scored against Manchester United and Liverpool. Liverpool even offered £5 million for him, but Portsmouth said no.
O'Neil became a regular player for Portsmouth in the 2005–06 season. He even captained the team for the first time in January 2006. Portsmouth managed to avoid relegation that season. In the 2006–07 season, Portsmouth finished 9th in the Premier League. This was their best finish at that time.
Time at Middlesbrough
Gary O'Neil joined Middlesbrough on 31 August 2007. The fee was around £5 million. He scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in October 2008. This was in a 2–0 win against Manchester City.
He was a key central midfielder for Middlesbrough. He played 119 games and scored seven goals for the club.
Playing for West Ham United
On 25 January 2011, O'Neil moved to West Ham United. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. He made his debut in the League Cup semi-final. His first Premier League game for West Ham was on 6 February 2011.
His 2010–11 season ended early due to an ankle injury. He had surgery and was out for several months. He scored his first goal for West Ham in February 2012. This was in a 4–1 win against Blackpool. He helped West Ham get promoted back to the Premier League. He left the club in June 2013.
Joining Queens Park Rangers
On 7 August 2013, O'Neil signed a one-year deal with Queens Park Rangers. He reunited with his former manager, Harry Redknapp. He scored his first goal for QPR in January 2014. This was in a 3–1 win over Ipswich Town.
O'Neil helped Queens Park Rangers win the 2014 Football League Championship play-off final. They beat Derby County 1–0 at Wembley. He was sent off in that game.
At Norwich City
On 5 August 2014, O'Neil joined Norwich City on a two-year deal. He played in the Championship for them. He left the club when his contract ended.
With Bristol City
On 9 June 2016, O'Neil signed a two-year contract with Bristol City. He scored his first goal for them in November 2016. This was in a 2–1 loss to Reading. He was released by Bristol City at the end of the 2017–18 season.
Playing for Bolton Wanderers
On 3 August 2018, O'Neil joined Bolton Wanderers. He made his debut the next day. He played over thirty games for Bolton in the 2018–19 season. He scored against Rotherham United, Millwall, and Wigan Athletic. He won the Player of the Year award from the club's supporters.
International Football
Gary O'Neil played for England at every youth level. He captained England at the 2003 FIFA Under-20 World Youth Championship. He also played nine games for the England Under-21 team.
Becoming a Manager
Coaching at Liverpool and Bournemouth
In August 2020, O'Neil became an assistant manager for Liverpool's under-23 team. In February 2021, he joined AFC Bournemouth as a senior first team coach. He stayed with the club when they were promoted to the Premier League in 2021–22.
Leading AFC Bournemouth
On 30 August 2022, O'Neil became the caretaker manager for Bournemouth. His first game was a 0–0 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He got his first win on 3 September, a 3–2 victory against Nottingham Forest. Bournemouth remained unbeaten for four more games. O'Neil was nominated for Premier League Manager of the Month in September.
On 27 November, O'Neil was appointed as Bournemouth's permanent head coach. He signed an 18-month contract. In April 2023, his team secured their place in the top league. They won five out of seven matches. This included wins over Leicester City, Southampton, and Leeds United. Despite this success, Bournemouth dismissed O'Neil on 19 June 2023.
Managing Wolverhampton Wanderers
On 9 August 2023, O'Neil was appointed head coach of Wolverhampton Wanderers. He signed a three-year deal. His first game was a loss to Manchester United. The referees' manager later apologized to O'Neil for a wrong call in that match. On 30 September, Wolves beat reigning champions Manchester City 2–1.
O'Neil led Wolves to a 2–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup. This was Wolves' first win against West Brom since 2011. In his first season, O'Neil led Wolves to a 14th place finish in the league. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. He signed a new four-year contract on 9 August 2024.
His second season with Wolves started with a tough period. They did not win any of their first ten league games. However, they bounced back with wins against Southampton and Fulham. On 15 December 2024, O'Neil was sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers. At that time, Wolves were 19th in the league.
Personal Life
Gary O'Neil married Donna Guerin in 2006. They have two daughters and a son. Their son has acted on TV shows like Grantchester. He also joined AFC Wimbledon's football academy in 2023.
Career Numbers
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Portsmouth | 1999–2000 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | First Division | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | ||
| 2001–02 | First Division | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | ||
| 2002–03 | First Division | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 3 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 36 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 39 | 7 | ||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 174 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 17 | ||
| Walsall (loan) | 2003–04 | First Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| Cardiff City (loan) | 2004–05 | Championship | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | |
| Middlesbrough | 2007–08 | Premier League | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 3 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 36 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 5 | ||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 1 | ||
| Total | 109 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 12 | ||
| West Ham United | 2010–11 | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | Championship | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| Total | 48 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 56 | 3 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2013–14 | Championship | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| Norwich City | 2014–15 | Championship | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| Total | 51 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 0 | ||
| Bristol City | 2016–17 | Championship | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | |
| 2017–18 | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2018–19 | Championship | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 31 | 3 | |
| Career total | 489 | 35 | 24 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 542 | 38 | ||
Managerial Numbers
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| AFC Bournemouth | 30 August 2022 | 19 June 2023 | 37 | 11 | 6 | 20 | 29.73 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 9 August 2023 | 15 December 2024 | 63 | 20 | 11 | 32 | 31.75 | |
| Total | 100 | 31 | 17 | 52 | 31.00 | |||
Achievements
Portsmouth
- Football League First Division: 2002–03
West Ham United
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2012
Queens Park Rangers
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2014
Norwich City
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Gary O'Neil para niños
