Leon Osman facts for kids
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Osman playing for Everton in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 May 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Wigan, England | ||
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2000 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2016 | Everton | 352 | (43) |
| 2002–2003 | → Carlisle United (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2004 | → Derby County (loan) | 17 | (3) |
| Total | 381 | (47) | |
| National team | |||
| 1997–1998 | England U16 | 5 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | England | 2 | (0) |
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Leon Osman, born on May 17, 1981, is a former English footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defend. Osman spent almost his entire career playing for Everton. He played in 433 games for them and scored 57 goals.
Earlier in his career, he also played for Carlisle United and Derby County. These were short periods where he was on loan from Everton. Osman also played for the England national team twice. He made his first appearance for England when he was 31 years old.
Contents
Early Life and School
Leon Osman was born in Wigan, which is in Greater Manchester, England. His father was from Turkish Cyprus, and his mother was British. He grew up in a town called Skelmersdale in Lancashire.
For his education, Osman went to Up Holland High School. After that, he attended Winstanley College.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Everton Academy
Osman joined the Everton Academy when he was a young boy. This is where young players train to become professional footballers. He was part of the Everton youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1998. This was a big achievement for the team.
After winning the cup, Osman had a tough time. He got a knee injury that stopped him from playing for a whole year.
Loan Spells and First Team Debut
In October 2002, Osman was loaned to Carlisle United. This team was in the Third Division at the time. He played his first senior game for Carlisle on October 5, 2002. He played the whole game, but Carlisle lost 2–1 to Torquay United.
Osman scored his first goal for Carlisle on October 19. This goal helped his team get a 2–2 draw against Macclesfield Town. A few days later, he scored two more goals in a different cup game.
When he returned to Everton in January 2003, he made his Premier League debut. This was on January 12, 2003, in a game against Tottenham Hotspur. He came on as a substitute right at the end of the game. Later that season, he played his first game at Everton's home stadium, Goodison Park.
In the summer of 2003, Everton gave Osman a one-year extension to his contract. However, he found it hard to get into the main team. So, he was loaned out again, this time to Derby County. Derby County was in the First Division.
Osman played a key role in helping Derby County avoid being moved down to a lower league. The manager of Derby County, George Burley, even tried to buy him. But Osman went back to Everton with three games left in their season. Everton's manager, David Moyes, gave Osman his first start on May 1, 2004. In that game, he scored a goal within three minutes, but Everton still lost 2–1.
Becoming a Regular Player
Osman became a regular player for Everton in the 2004–05 season. He often played on the right side of the midfield. He had a great season, scoring seven goals, including two in one game against Aston Villa.
In the 2005–06 season, a new player, Simon Davies, joined Everton. This made it harder for Osman to keep his spot in the team. But by the 2006–07 season, he had firmly established himself. That season, he played in 37 games and scored three goals.
His good form continued into the 2007–08 season. He scored two goals in a row in wins against Wigan Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur. He also scored his first goal in a European competition. This was in a UEFA Cup game against the Greek team Larissa. His powerful shot from far away was even voted Everton's Goal of the Season.
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On the last day of the 2007–08 season, Osman scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Fulham. This win helped Everton finish in 5th place in the Premier League. At the end of the 2008–09 season, he played in the 2009 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. Everton lost that final 2–1 to Chelsea.
Later Career and Retirement
In the next season, Osman was captain of Everton for the first time. This was in a League Cup match against Hull City. He scored one goal in that game, which Everton won 4–0. In April 2010, he was named "man of the match" in two games in a row. He finished the 2010–11 season with four goals in the Premier League.
In March 2013, Osman played his 300th game for Everton as a starter. This was against the champions, Manchester City. He scored a long-range goal in that game, which was his eighth goal of the season. This was a personal best for him. It was also his 50th goal for the club.
In December 2013, Osman scored in his 300th Premier League game. This was in a 4–1 win against Fulham. Later that month, he broke a club record. He made his 303rd Premier League appearance for Everton, which was more than any other Everton player at that time.
During the 2013–14 season, Osman played in every single league game. He was the only Everton player to do so that season. To celebrate his many years of service to the club, Everton held a special game for him. This was a testimonial match against FC Porto before the 2014–15 season.
On November 6, 2014, Osman signed a new contract to stay at Everton until 2016. On the same day, he scored the first goal in Everton's 3–0 win against Lille in the UEFA Europa League. He also scored a winning goal in his 400th game for the club. This was a 2–1 victory over West Ham United.
His contract with Everton ended in the summer of 2016. After that, Leon Osman left Everton and soon retired from playing football.
International Career for England
Leon Osman played for England's Under-16 team in the 1997–98 season. On November 14, 2012, when he was 31 years old, Osman was called up to the senior England squad for the first time. This was for a friendly game against Sweden.
Osman started the game in central midfield and played for the full 90 minutes. England lost the game 4–2. On January 31, 2013, he was called up to the England squad again. This was for a friendly match against Brazil, but he stayed on the substitutes' bench.
Osman received his first call-up for a competitive international game on March 14, 2013. This was for World Cup qualifying matches against San Marino and Montenegro. He made his competitive debut for England against San Marino.
Life After Football
Since retiring from playing football, Leon Osman has become a football expert. He works as a pundit, which means he shares his opinions and analysis about football. You can see him on TV channels like Sky Sports News, BT Sport, and Amazon Prime. He also talks about football on BBC Radio Five Live.
Honours and Awards
Everton Youth
- FA Youth Cup: 1997–98
Everton
- FA Cup runner-up: 2008–09
Individual
- Everton Goal of the Season: 2007–08
See also
In Spanish: Leon Osman para niños
