David Weir

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David Weir
Personal information
Full name	David Gillespie Weir
Date of birth	May 10, 1970 (age 36)
Place of birth	Falkirk, Scotland
Height	188cm
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Rangers
Number	3
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1992-1996 1996-1999 1999-2007 2007-	Falkirk Hearts Everton Rangers	133 0(8) 076 0(6) 235 (10) 009 0(0)
National team2
1997-	Scotland	052 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:14, 8 April 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of October 11, 2006. * Appearances (Goals)

This article is about the footballer, for the journalist, see David Weir (journalist).

David Gillespie Weir (born May 10, 1970 in Falkirk, Scotland) is a Scottish football player, who currently plays for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League.

As a teenager, Weir trained with the Celtic youth sides. Unlike the vast majority of European players, however, Weir took a detour from his professional career, choosing to play college soccer at the University of Evansville from 1988 to 1991. Weir excelled at Evansville, and was named an NCAA All-American in 1990.

Upon returning from college in 1992, Weir signed with Scottish First Division side Falkirk, for whom he played more than 150 games. In 1996, he moved to Scottish Premier League side Hearts, where he won his only major honour to date, the Scottish Cup in 1998. He left Tynecastle in 1999, when he was purchased by Everton.

Weir had a very successful time with the Merseyside club playing regularly for 8 years, making well over 200 appearances, playing in European competition, becoming club captain under two different managers- Walter Smith and David Moyes and winning the bulk of his Scotland caps on the strength of his performances for the Toffees.

On January 16, 2007, Weir signed for Rangers on an initial six month deal after Everton released him from his contract early, teaming up again with former manager Walter Smith.^[1] After his man of the match performance against St. Mirren on 8 April 2007, he revealed that he may remain at Rangers for the 2007/2008 season after discussing the issue with his family.

[edit] International career

Weir earned his first cap for the Scotland national football team in 1997. He later retired from international football after he was criticised by the then Scotland manager Berti Vogts. However he returned to international football after Walter Smith, his former manager at Everton, was appointed as Scotland's new manager in December 2004.

Weir is a member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame having won his 50th Scotland cap against Lithuania on 6 September 2006 where he captained his country to a 2-1 win.

Weir is also on the management committee of the Professional Footballers Association.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• David Weir career stats at Soccerbase
• Photos & stats at sporting-heroes.net

	Scotland squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 Leighton | 2 McNamara | 3 Boyd | 4 Calderwood | 5 Hendry | 6 T. McKinlay | 7 Gallacher | 8 Burley | 9 Durie | 10 Jackson | 11 Collins | 12 Sullivan | 13 Donnelly | 14 Lambert | 15 Gemmill | 16 Weir | 17 B. McKinlay | 18 Elliott | 19 Whyte | 20 Booth | 21 Gould | 22 Dailly | Coach: Brown

Rangers F.C. - Current Squad
1 Klos | 2 Webster | 3 Weir | 4 Buffel | 5 Papac | 6 Ferguson | 7 Hemdani | 8 Thomson | 9 Pršo | 10 Novo | 11 Rae | 12 Ehiogu | 14 Sionko | 15 Boyd | 17 Burke | 18 Murray | 19 Svensson | 20 Hutton | 22 McGregor | 23 Šebo | 25 Adam | 26 Smith | 28 Ponroy | 30 N'Diaye | 34 Robinson | 41 Lowing | 42 Lennon | 45 Loy | 47 Furman | 49 McMillan | 59 Shinnie | 63 Perry | Manager: Smith