Leon Osman

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Leon Osman
Personal information
Full name	Leon Osman
Date of birth	May 17, 1981 (age 25)
Place of birth	Wigan, England
Nickname	Ossie
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Everton
Number	21
Youth clubs
1997-2002	Everton F.C. Academy
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2000- 2002-03 2004	Everton → Carlisle United (loan) → Derby County (loan)	96 (13) 10 0(1) 17 0(3)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Leon Osman (born May 17, 1981 in Wigan, England) is a professional football player currently playing for Everton. He grew up in Skelmersdale and Huyton.

His younger brother, Carl Osman, also a former Everton Youth, currently plays for his home town team, Northern Premier League team, Skelmersdale United F.C..

[edit] Early career

Leon Osman is undoubtedly one of the most talented midfielders to come through the Everton Academy. As part of Everton's youth team Osman won the 1998 FA Youth Cup alongside Richard Dunne, Francis Jeffers and current Everton player Tony Hibbert. Osman sustained a bad knee injury which kept him out of action for a whole year following the Youth cup victory and many believed he would never be the same player again.

Osman was loaned to Carlisle United in October 2002 where he became an instant hit, winning their "Player of the month" award in his first season. He returned back to Everton in January 2003 and scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over the reserve side of Manchester United.

He was granted a one year extension to his contract in the summer of 2003, yet he failed to break into the first team until the back end of the 2003/04 season. Many believe it was his loan spell at Derby County (where he impressed then manager George Burley who subsequently tried to buy him from Everton,) that put him in David Moyes' plans.

Leon Osman is half Turkish-Cypriot with his dad residing in Northern Cyprus.

[edit] Premiership career

After returning from Derby with three games remaining in Everton's season, Moyes gave Osman his first start, aged 23, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Osman took his chance and scored within 3 minutes of his debut.

Leon was raring to go for Everton in the 2004/05 season and became a first team regular playing on the right wing. In that season Moyes usually played a 4-1-4-1 system where the wingers (usually himself and Kevin Kilbane) could effectively work as two extra strikers when needed. Kilbane only scored one goal in this season whereas Leon scored seven including a brace against Aston Villa

In the 2005/06 season Moyes at first preferred his new signing Simon Davies to Leon but in time he re-established himself in the team and put Davies down the pecking order. Osman scored a late equalising goal against Millwall in the FA Cup to force a replay which Everton won. His goal tally isn't as clear cut as the previous season. It was initially down as six but the dubious goals committee took two goals off him (now own goals) but Everton rightly recognise both as Leon Osman goals. Also this season Leon played in a wider variety of positions. He played on both wings, in the centre and also played off James Beattie after the sale of Marcus Bent.

Osman started the 2006/07 season in brilliant form. This prompted manager David Moyes to back the midfielder for a call up to Steve McClaren's England squad. McClaren was present at the Blackburn vs Everton match in which Osman put in a man of the match performance. Many believe Leon Osman has the skill, vision and intelligence to cope at international level.

[edit] External links

• Leon Osman career stats at Soccerbase

Everton F.C. - Current Squad
1 Wright | 2 Hibbert | 3 Naysmith | 4 Yobo | 6 Arteta | 7 Van der Meyde | 8 Johnson | 9 Beattie | 11 McFadden | 15 Stubbs | 16 Lescott | 17 Cahill | 18 Neville | 19 Valente | 21 Osman | 22 Vaughan | 23 Pistone | 24 Howard | 26 Carsley | 28 Anichebe | 30 Ruddy | 36 Boyle | 37 Fernandes | 38 Anderson | 41 Viðarsson | Manager: Moyes