Ian Harte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ian Harte

Harte playing for Reading in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Ian Patrick Harte
Date of birth	(1977-08-31) 31 August 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Drogheda, Ireland
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Left back, midfielder
Youth career
	Drogheda United
	Home Farm
	Leeds United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2004	Leeds United	213	(28)
2004–2007	Levante	66	(10)
2007–2008	Sunderland	8	(0)
2008–2009	Blackpool	4	(0)
2009–2010	Carlisle United	52	(19)
2010–2013	Reading	88	(15)
2013–2015	AFC Bournemouth	28	(1)
Total		459	(73)
International career
1996–2007	Republic of Ireland	64	(12)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ian Patrick Harte (born on August 31, 1977) is an Irish football agent and a former professional footballer. He played as a left back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field. Ian was well-known for his powerful long-range shots and for being a great free kick specialist.

He started his football journey at Leeds United, playing in 288 official games over nine seasons. After Leeds faced financial problems in 2004, he moved to the Spanish team Levante. Ian returned to England in 2007 and played for several clubs. He helped Reading win the Championship title in 2012 and AFC Bournemouth win it three years later.

Ian Harte also played for the Republic of Ireland 64 times between 1996 and 2007, scoring 12 goals. He was part of the Irish squad that played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Leeds United

Ian Harte was born in Drogheda, Ireland. He went to St Oliver's Community College and won many sports awards there. He began playing football at St. Kevin's Boys F.C. in Dublin when he was 12. His older brother, Michael, also played there.

Ian joined Leeds United in 1995 from Home Farm. He played for Leeds for nine seasons and was a very important player for the team. Fans loved him, and he played alongside his uncle, Gary Kelly. Even when Leeds bought another player, Dominic Matteo, Ian kept his spot as the main left-back.

In the 1999–2000 season, Ian helped Leeds reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. He played 12 games and scored one goal in that competition. The next season, 2000–01, he helped them reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, playing 17 games and scoring three goals.

Ian was also very good at taking free kicks and penalties with his left foot. A great example was in a crucial game against Arsenal in the 2002–03 season. He scored Leeds' second goal from a free kick about 25 yards away. Leeds won that game 3–2, which helped them avoid being moved down to a lower league.

He scored at Highbury, Arsenal's old stadium, for three seasons in a row. One of his most memorable goals for Leeds was a free kick against Deportivo La Coruña in a Champions League quarter-final game. Later in his career at Leeds, his performance wasn't as strong, and his goals became less frequent. In his last season, Leeds was moved down to the Championship league.

Moving to Spain with Levante

Even though there were rumors that big clubs like Barcelona wanted to sign him, Ian Harte joined the Spanish team Levante on July 9, 2004. This happened after Leeds United faced financial difficulties.

Ian scored Levante's first goal in the top Spanish league, La Liga, in 41 years. It was a free-kick in a 1–1 draw against Real Sociedad at the start of the 2004-05 season. He got a groin injury in January, which kept him out for most of that season. Levante was doing well, even reaching 5th place when Ian was healthy. However, they were moved down to a lower league on the last day of the season.

The next season, in the Segunda División, was good for both Ian and Levante. He was the main left-back and scored nine goals. Levante was promoted back to La Liga right away. In the following season, Ian got injured again and struggled to get his place back in the team. Levante managed to avoid being moved down that year. Before the 2007–08 season, Ian left Levante by agreement with the club.

Playing for Sunderland and Blackpool

On August 29, 2007, Ian Harte joined Sunderland, where his former international teammate Roy Keane was the manager. He signed a one-year contract. Ian played his first game for Sunderland as a late substitute in a 3–2 loss to Arsenal. However, he was released by Sunderland in June 2008 after only one year.

After leaving Sunderland, Ian tried out for other clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United. He also had a trial with a Norwegian club, Vålerenga, and Charlton Athletic.

On December 11, 2008, Ian signed a short-term contract with Championship club Blackpool. He played his first game for Blackpool on December 29, 2008, in a 2–2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His contract with Blackpool ended in February 2009.

Time at Carlisle United

On March 26, 2009, Ian Harte signed with Carlisle United until the end of the season. He played his first game a few days later and was named man of the match. However, he broke two fingers during that game and couldn't play for a month. He returned on April 25, 2009, scoring a free kick in a 1–1 draw. He also played in the last match of the season, which Carlisle won to stay in League 1.

Ian signed a two-year contract with Carlisle United in May 2009. He helped the team reach the Football League Trophy final at Wembley Stadium in March 2010, but Carlisle lost the game. He finished that season as Carlisle's top goalscorer, scoring 18 goals from his defensive position. In May 2010, he was chosen for the League One PFA Team of the Year, which is a team of the best players in the league. He started the 2010–11 season well, scoring penalties in the first two league games.

Success with Reading

Harte playing for Reading in 2011

On August 31, 2010, Ian Harte joined Reading, a Championship club, on a two-year deal. He scored on his debut from a penalty kick against Crystal Palace. In his fourth game, he scored a fantastic free kick against Barnsley. He continued to score many goals for a defender, helping Reading compete for promotion to the Premier League.

In April, he was again named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. Ian also scored amazing free kicks against Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town. He was named the Championship player of the month in March 2011. Ian was part of a strong defense that kept his old team, Leeds United, from scoring in two games. Leeds fans applauded him during these matches.

In the 2011–12 season, Ian was one of the five key players who helped Reading get promoted back to the Premier League. For the third year in a row, he was chosen for the PFA Team of the Year, being the only Reading player on the list.

On May 23, 2012, Ian signed a new one-year contract with Reading. He said he turned down an offer to return to Leeds because he was happy at Reading. On May 15, 2013, Ian announced he would be leaving Reading at the end of the season.

Final Years at AFC Bournemouth

On June 27, 2013, Ian Harte signed a one-year contract with AFC Bournemouth, another Championship team. He scored his only goal for the team on March 29, 2014. It was a long-range shot in Bournemouth's 4–2 win against Birmingham City.

Ian signed another one-year deal with Bournemouth on April 18, 2014. On May 6, 2015, after the team earned their first-ever promotion to the Premier League, he was one of seven players who were released. He then announced his retirement from football on August 27, 2015.

Life After Football

After retiring from playing football, Ian Harte became a football agent. A football agent helps players with their careers, like finding them new clubs. One of his clients is former Leeds United player Tyler Denton.

Playing for Ireland

Ian Harte played for the Ireland under-19 team in 1996. He also played for the senior national team 64 times and scored 12 goals. He made his first international appearance on June 2, 1996, against Croatia. His first goal for Ireland came 13 days later in a 2–0 win against Bolivia. Ian became a regular starter for Ireland during the qualifying games for the 1998 World Cup.

He returned to the team for the 2002 World Cup qualifiers and was the only player to play every minute as Ireland made it to the finals. Ian scored four goals during the qualifying campaign, even though he was a defender. This included a penalty against Iran in the play-off game. At the World Cup, Ian had a toe injury, which made it difficult for him to play his best. Ireland reached the round of 16, where they played against Spain. When Ireland was losing 1-0, they were given a penalty. Ian took it, but the Spanish goalkeeper saved it. Later, Ireland got another penalty, which Robbie Keane scored. The game ended 1-1, and Ireland lost in a penalty shootout.

After the World Cup, another player, John O'Shea, started playing more, which meant Ian played less for the national team. He was called back to the team for a match against Israel on June 4, 2005, where he scored a free kick in a 2–2 draw. Four days later, he scored a penalty in a 2–0 win against the Faroe Islands. His last game for Ireland was in May 2007, a 2–1 win against San Marino.

In May 2011, Ian Harte shared his surprise that the national team manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, didn't even know he was Irish and available to play, especially since he was playing very well for Reading at the time.

Achievements

Leeds United

• FA Youth Cup: 1996–97

Levante

• Segunda División (promoted to La Liga): 2005–06

Carlisle United

• Football League Trophy runner-up: 2009–10

Reading

• Football League Championship: 2011–12

AFC Bournemouth

• Football League Championship: 2014–15

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 1999–2000 Premier League, 2009–10 League One, 2010–11 Championship, 2011–12 Championship

See also

In Spanish: Ian Harte para niños