Graham Kavanagh facts for kids

Graham Anthony Kavanagh, born on December 2, 1973, is an Irish football manager and a former professional player. He had a long career playing for several well-known clubs. These included Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Cardiff City, Wigan Athletic, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, and Carlisle United. Graham also proudly played 16 games for the Republic of Ireland national football team, scoring one goal for his country.

Playing Career Highlights

Graham Kavanagh's football journey began at Home Farm. He then joined Middlesbrough in 1991. After a few years, he moved to Stoke City in 1996 for £250,000.

Time at Stoke City

At Stoke City, Graham quickly became an important player. In the 1996–97 season, he played 41 games and scored four goals. He even scored the very last goal at Stoke's old stadium, the Victoria Ground. He also scored Stoke's first goal at their new stadium, the Britannia Stadium.

In the 1997–98 season, he scored 10 goals. Stoke City was relegated that year, meaning they moved down to a lower league. The next season, 1998–99, he was the top scorer with 13 goals. In 1999–2000, Graham scored 10 goals and helped Stoke reach the play-offs. He also played in the 2000 Football League Trophy Final, where Stoke won 2–1 against Bristol City. He left Stoke in 2001, having played 244 games and scored 45 goals.

Moving to Cardiff City

In July 2001, Graham joined Cardiff City for £1 million. He scored 15 goals in his first season. The next year, he helped Cardiff get promoted to a higher league by winning the play-off final. He scored a goal when Cardiff famously beat Leeds United in the FA Cup in 2002. He also scored the winning goal in the FAW Premier Cup final against their rivals, Swansea.

Later Club Years

In 2005, Graham moved to Wigan Athletic. He played in the 2006 Football League Cup Final for Wigan. In 2006, he signed with Sunderland. He played 14 games for them, scoring one goal.

Later, he joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan in 2007 to get back to full fitness. He played seven games and scored one goal. He returned to Sheffield Wednesday for another loan spell in 2008. Graham then joined Carlisle United on loan in October 2008.

Managerial Career

On January 9, 2009, Graham Kavanagh left Sunderland and joined Carlisle United permanently as a player-coach. This meant he would play for the team and also help coach them.

In April 2013, he became the Assistant Manager. In September 2013, he took over as caretaker manager after the previous manager left. He was then officially appointed as manager on September 30, 2013. Carlisle United was in 22nd place when he took over. They finished the 2013–14 season in the same spot, which meant they were relegated to League Two. Graham left Carlisle on September 1, 2014, after a difficult start to the new season.

International Appearances

Graham Kavanagh played 16 times for the Republic of Ireland national football team. His last game for Ireland was on August 16, 2006, against the Netherlands.

Family Life

Graham's son, Calum, is also a professional footballer. Calum plays for Bradford City and started his career at Middlesbrough, just like his dad.

Career Achievements

Graham Kavanagh achieved several honors during his playing career:

Team Honors

• Stoke City
  • Football League Trophy: 1999–2000 (Winners)
• Wigan Athletic
  • Football League Cup runner-up: 2005–06 (Second place)
• Carlisle United
  • Football League Trophy runner-up: 2009–10 (Second place)

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: He was chosen for the best team in his league multiple times:
  • 1998–99 Second Division
  • 1999–2000 Second Division
  • 2000–01 Second Division
  • 2001–02 Second Division
  • 2002–03 Second Division

See also

In Spanish: Graham Kavanagh para niños