Shaun Maloney facts for kids
Maloney with Celtic in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shaun Richard Maloney | ||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Miri, Malaysia | ||
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Wigan Athletic (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Albion Boys Club | ||
| 1999–2001 | Celtic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2007 | Celtic | 104 | (26) |
| 2007–2008 | Aston Villa | 30 | (5) |
| 2008–2011 | Celtic | 54 | (13) |
| 2011–2015 | Wigan Athletic | 79 | (14) |
| 2015 | Chicago Fire | 14 | (3) |
| 2015–2017 | Hull City | 28 | (2) |
| Total | 309 | (63) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2005 | Scotland U21 | 20 | (6) |
| 2007 | Scotland B | 1 | (1) |
| 2005–2016 | Scotland | 47 | (7) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2021–2022 | Hibernian | ||
| 2023– | Wigan Athletic | ||
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Shaun Richard Maloney (born January 24, 1983) is a Scottish football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of Wigan Athletic. Maloney played as an attacking midfielder or winger.
He started his playing career at Celtic, where he played over 200 matches. He won many awards, including five Scottish Premier League titles. In 2005–06, he was the first player to win both the best player and best young player awards in the same season.
Maloney also played for Aston Villa, Wigan Athletic, Chicago Fire, and Hull City. He helped Wigan Athletic win the 2013 FA Cup final, a very important football trophy. He also played 47 times for the Scotland national team, scoring seven goals.
After he stopped playing due to an injury in 2017, Maloney became a coach. He worked for Celtic and the Belgium national team. In 2021, he became the manager of Hibernian in Scotland. He then became the manager of Wigan Athletic in January 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Shaun Maloney was born in Miri, Malaysia, on January 24, 1983. His father was a helicopter pilot. Shaun lived in Malaysia until he was five years old. Then, his family moved to Aberdeen, Scotland.
Even though he played for Scotland, Maloney said that Malaysia would always be a special part of him. He went to school in Aberdeen and started playing football at age 10 for Kincorth Boys' Club. He later played for Culter Boys' Club and Albion Boys' Club.
Interestingly, when he was younger, Maloney often played tennis against Andy Murray. Murray later became a world-famous tennis player!
Shaun's Playing Career
Celtic: First Time Around
Shaun joined Celtic as a young player in 1999. He played his first game for the main team on April 29, 2001, against Rangers. Celtic won that game 3–0. For a few years, he was often a substitute player, meaning he started games on the bench.
Even when he wasn't playing much, Maloney became known for being great at taking free kicks. He also played in some games when Celtic reached the UEFA Cup final in 2003. He even scored a goal in a 3–1 win against VfB Stuttgart.
In 2004, Shaun got a serious knee injury called a cruciate ligament injury. This kept him out of the game for a long time. He only played one game in the 2004–05 season.
However, Maloney played amazingly well in the 2005–06 season. His manager, Gordon Strachan, moved him to play on the left side of the midfield. Everyone praised his performances. He won both the best player and best young player awards that season. He was the first player ever to win both awards in the same year! He scored 16 goals and helped set up 28 goals for his teammates.
Celtic wanted to keep him, but they couldn't agree on a new contract. So, in 2007, Maloney moved to Aston Villa for about £1 million. In his first time at Celtic, he played 139 games and scored 37 goals.
Aston Villa: A New Challenge
Maloney joined Aston Villa on January 31, 2007. The manager, Martin O'Neill, knew Maloney from their time at Celtic. Shaun played his first game for Villa on February 10, 2007.
He scored his first goal for Aston Villa on April 28, 2007, against Manchester City. It was a fantastic free kick that curled into the goal.
Shaun found it a bit hard to settle in at first. He even said he felt a bit homesick. But he kept working hard and started to play better. He scored two goals for Aston Villa in a thrilling 4–4 draw against Chelsea in December 2007. After this, he didn't play as much and thought about returning to Scotland.
Celtic: Coming Home
On August 22, 2008, Maloney returned to Celtic! He signed a four-year deal for £3 million. In his first game back, he played brilliantly, helping Celtic win 3–0 against Falkirk. He scored his first goal back at Celtic in a 4–2 win against Motherwell. He ended that season with five goals.
In the 2009–10 season, Maloney started well but then had problems with his Achilles tendon. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of that season.
He started the 2010–11 season in good form, scoring goals against St Mirren and Hearts. He even became the temporary captain of Celtic when Scott Brown was injured. However, he got another injury, this time to his ankle, in November 2010. He needed surgery and didn't return until April 2011.
Wigan Athletic: FA Cup Glory
Maloney joined Wigan Athletic in the Premier League on August 31, 2011. He signed a three-year deal. He found it tough to get into the team at first. His manager, Roberto Martínez, said Maloney needed more time to get fit and settle in.
On March 11, 2012, he played his first Premier League game in almost five months. He played so well that he started the next game. On March 24, 2012, he scored his first goal for Wigan from a penalty kick against Liverpool. Wigan won that game 2–1 at Anfield! He then scored a fantastic curling goal against Manchester United on April 11, helping Wigan win 1–0. This win moved Wigan out of the relegation zone.
In January 2013, Maloney signed a new contract with Wigan. On April 7, 2013, he scored a free kick goal in the 94th minute against QPR. This last-minute goal earned Wigan a valuable point. Six days later, on April 13, 2013, Maloney scored Wigan's first goal in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. He was named man of the match, helping Wigan reach their first ever FA Cup final!
On May 11, 2013, Maloney and Wigan won the FA Cup! They beat Manchester City 1–0 in a big upset. Maloney played the whole game and set up the winning goal. However, just three days later, Wigan was relegated from the Premier League after losing to Arsenal.
Chicago Fire: A Short Stay
On January 25, 2015, Maloney moved to the United States to play for Major League Soccer team Chicago Fire. He was one of their special "Designated Players." On April 4, 2015, he scored his first goal for Chicago in a 3–2 win against Toronto. He even won the "MLS player of the week" award!
Hull City: Final Playing Years
After only eight months in Chicago, Maloney returned to England. He signed a two-year contract with Hull City on August 27, 2015. He made his debut a few days later. On November 21, 2015, he scored his first goal for Hull in a 1–1 draw against Bristol City.
His contract with Hull ended after the 2016–17 season. He had a hernia injury, which stopped him from signing with another club. He then decided to retire from playing football and become a coach.
Playing for Scotland
Maloney played 20 games for the Scotland Under 21s and scored six goals.
He played his first game for the main Scotland team on October 8, 2005. He scored his first international goal from a free-kick in June 2007 against the Faroe Islands.
Maloney scored five goals during the qualifying games for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. This included the winning goal in Scotland's home game against the Republic of Ireland.
Shaun's Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Maloney started coaching. In August 2017, Celtic hired him to coach their under-20 development team. In September 2018, he joined the coaching staff for the Belgium national team. He left Celtic to focus full-time on coaching Belgium. He worked with Belgium during the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, where they reached the quarter-finals.
Hibernian Manager
Maloney became the manager of Scottish club Hibernian in December 2021. His team won his first two matches. However, they then had a tough time, winning only one game out of 13 in the league. Maloney was sacked by Hibs on April 19, 2022, after only four months.
Wigan Athletic Manager
Shaun Maloney returned to Wigan Athletic on January 28, 2023, this time as their manager.
Honours and Awards
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League titles: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07
- Scottish League Cup wins: 2000–01, 2005–06, 2008–09
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2002–03
Wigan Athletic
- FA Cup winner: 2012–13
Hull City
- Football League Championship play-offs winner: 2016
Individual Awards
- PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year: 2005–06 (Best Player)
- PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year: 2005–06 (Best Young Player)
Images for kids
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Maloney with Celtic in 2010
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Maloney before an Aston Villa game in 2007
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Maloney playing for Celtic in 2009
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Maloney playing for Wigan in May 2013
See also
In Spanish: Shaun Maloney para niños
- List of Scotland international footballers born outside Scotland
