Jim Magilton facts for kids
Magilton with Ipswich Town in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Magilton | ||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Cliftonville | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Distillery | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1984–1986 | Distillery | 1 | (0) |
| 1986–1990 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| 1990–1994 | Oxford United | 150 | (34) |
| 1994–1997 | Southampton | 130 | (13) |
| 1997–1999 | Sheffield Wednesday | 27 | (1) |
| 1999 | → Ipswich Town (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| 1999–2006 | Ipswich Town | 262 | (15) |
| Total | 581 | (64) | |
| National team | |||
| 1990 | Northern Ireland U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 1990 | Northern Ireland U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 1991–2002 | Northern Ireland | 52 | (5) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2006–2009 | Ipswich Town | ||
| 2009 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 2012 | Melbourne Victory | ||
| 2015–2017 | Northern Ireland U21 | ||
| 2021 | Dundalk (caretaker) | ||
| 2023– | Cliftonville | ||
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James Magilton (born on May 6, 1969) is a former professional football player from Northern Ireland. He is now the manager of NIFL Premiership team Cliftonville. As a player, he was a midfielder who played in the top-tier Premier League for teams like Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday, and Ipswich Town. He started his career in the Irish League with Distillery. He then signed for Liverpool but didn't play any first-team games.
Jim joined Oxford United in 1990 before moving to Southampton four years later. He played in 581 league games and scored 64 goals during his playing career. He also played 52 times for the Northern Ireland national team, scoring 5 goals. He also represented his country at the Under-21 and Under-23 levels. After retiring as a player, he became a manager at Ipswich, where he stayed for three years. He also managed Queens Park Rangers, Melbourne Victory, the Northern Ireland U21 team, and Dundalk.
Contents
Jim Magilton's Early Life and Career
Growing Up in Belfast
Jim Magilton was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He went to St. Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School there. He started playing football at a young age for a junior club called St Oliver Plunkett.
Starting Out at Distillery
Jim began his professional playing career with Distillery in the Irish League. He made his first senior appearance for them in March 1985 when he was just 15 years old. He was known as a very skilled midfielder who could pass the ball really well.
Time at Liverpool
After Distillery, Jim became a trainee at Liverpool. He trained alongside famous players like Steve McManaman. He turned professional in 1988 but never played a first-team game for Liverpool. However, he was a substitute in the 1988 and 1990 Charity Shields, which Liverpool won or shared.
Jim Magilton's Playing Career Highlights
Oxford United Years
In October 1990, when he was 21, Jim moved to Oxford United. He played 150 league games for them before joining Southampton in February 1994.
Southampton Success
Jim joined Southampton for £600,000. He made his first appearance for them in a 4–2 win against Liverpool in February 1994. He quickly became a strong player in the middle of the field. He played in all 42 league games in the 1994–95 season, scoring 6 goals. He played 156 games for Southampton in total.
Sheffield Wednesday Spell
In September 1997, Jim moved to Sheffield Wednesday for £1.6 million. He played his first game for them against his old club, Liverpool. He made 22 appearances in his first season, scoring one goal. He played 6 more games in the next season before moving on.
Ipswich Town Legend
In January 1999, Jim joined Ipswich Town on loan. He made his debut on January 17. He scored his first goal for Ipswich in March 1999. Later that month, he signed permanently for the club for about £750,000.
Promotion to the Premier League
Jim became a regular player for Ipswich. He helped them push for promotion to the Premier League. He scored 4 goals in 38 league games as Ipswich finished 3rd in the First Division. In May 2000, he scored his only career hat-trick in a play-off semi-final against Bolton Wanderers. This amazing performance helped Ipswich reach the play-off final. Jim played in the final at Wembley Stadium as Ipswich beat Barnsley 4–2, earning promotion to the Premier League.
Premier League and Beyond
Jim continued to be a key player for Ipswich in the Premier League. He scored his first Premier League goal in September. He played 33 league games, helping Ipswich finish 5th and qualify for the UEFA Cup. The 2001–02 season was tough, as Ipswich was relegated from the Premier League. Despite financial problems at the club, Jim chose to stay, showing his loyalty.
In 2003, after Matt Holland left, Jim was named club captain. He signed new contracts and continued to lead the team. He captained Ipswich to 5th place in the 2003–04 season and 3rd in the Championship in 2004–05. Ipswich reached the play-offs both seasons but lost to West Ham United each time. The 2005–06 season was Jim's last as an active player for Ipswich.
Jim Magilton's International Career
Jim played for Northern Ireland at Under-21 and Under-23 levels in 1990. He made his senior debut for his country in 1991. He scored his first goal for Northern Ireland in a friendly match against Poland in February 1991. He became a regular player for Northern Ireland, playing in their 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He scored two more goals in qualifiers against Albania and Latvia in 1992 and 1993. His fifth goal for his country came in a friendly against Belgium in 1997. He also played in Northern Ireland's 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Jim was named Northern Ireland captain for a match against Yugoslavia in August 2000. He played regularly in his country's 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. Overall, Jim Magilton played 52 games for Northern Ireland, scoring 5 goals.
Jim Magilton's Managerial Career
Ipswich Town Manager
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After his playing career, Jim decided to become a coach. He was appointed manager of Ipswich Town on June 5, 2006. In his first season (2006–07), he led Ipswich to 14th place in the league. In the 2007–08 season, Ipswich finished 8th, just missing out on the play-offs. Despite investing a lot in the team, they didn't make the play-offs in the 2008–09 season. Because of this, Jim was sacked as manager on April 22, 2009.
Queens Park Rangers
On June 3, 2009, Jim was appointed manager of Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He stayed there until December 2009, when he left the club by mutual agreement.
Shamrock Rovers and Melbourne Victory
In July 2011, Jim became the assistant manager for Shamrock Rovers. He helped them win their second league title in a row and reach the Europa League group stages. In January 2012, Jim was signed as the head coach of A-League club Melbourne Victory in Australia. He worked to improve the squad, signing new players. After a challenging time with two wins, five draws, and five losses in 12 games, Jim left the club in April 2012.
Irish Football Association and Northern Ireland U21
On June 21, 2013, Jim was appointed the elite performance director by the Irish Football Association. This role focused on developing top young players. In May 2015, he also became the manager of the Northern Ireland U21 national team.
Dundalk and Cliftonville
In December 2020, Jim left his role at the Irish FA to become the sporting director at Dundalk. He also served as interim manager for the first team in April 2021. His interim period ended in June 2021. In November 2021, he stepped down from his sporting director role.
On June 6, 2023, Cliftonville announced Jim Magilton as their new manager. On May 4, 2024, Jim led Cliftonville to win their first Irish Cup title since 1979, which was a huge achievement for the club.
Jim Magilton's Football Achievements
Player Honours
- Liverpool
- FA Charity Shield: 1988, 1990 (shared)
- Ipswich Town
- Football League First Division play-offs: 2000 (Promotion to Premier League)
- Individual Awards
- Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted 2023
Manager Honours
- Cliftonville
- Irish Cup: 2023-24
