George O'Callaghan

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George O'Callaghan
Image:George O'Callaghan.png
Personal information
Full name George Paul O'Callaghan, Jr.
Date of birth September 5, 1979 (1979-09-05) (age 28)
Place of birth    Cork, Ireland
Playing position Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current club Cork City FC
Number 10
Youth clubs
Rockmount
Leeds (Cork)
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1998–2002
2002–2007
2007–
2007
2008–		 Port Vale
Cork City
Ipswich Town
→ Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
Cork City		 034 0(4)
150 (23)
011 0(1)
014 0(0)   
National team
Ireland Under-18
Ireland Under-20

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

George Paul O'Callaghan, Jr., (born 5 September 1979) is an Irish football player currently in his second stint at Irish eircom League side Cork City FC. O'Callaghan's former clubs include Port Vale and Ipswich Town. O'Callaghan is an attacking midfielder who can also play as a striker.

Contents

[edit] Early life

O'Callaghan was born on September 5, 1979 in Cork, Ireland. He played schoolboys football with Rockmount, before moving to rival team Leeds AFC.

[edit] Port Vale

O'Callaghan went on trial with Port Vale at the age of 16 and was signed up almost immediately. After two years, the Corkman was offered a professional contract. O'Callaghan was a regular in the side in the 1998–99 season, until John Rudge was sacked. Brian Horton took over as manager and O'Callaghan was put back into the youth squad. 13 months later, he made a return to the senior squad, scoring in a draw with Crewe Alexandra. He stayed in the side for the rest of the season and signed a new two year deal with the club despite an offer from Tottenham Hotspur.[citation needed] Port Vale were relegated to League 1 that year. O'Callaghan was top scorer 7 games into the 2000–01 season but was suddenly dropped after a 3–0 loss to Cardiff City. It would be his last game for Port Vale.

[edit] Cork City 2002–2006

He returned home to Cork in 2002 after his contract ended at Port Vale. Shortly after, he signed for his hometown club Cork City FC making his debut in the opening game of the 20002–03 season against Shelbourne in 3–0 home win in which he scored. Together with new signing John O'Flynn, they formed a notable striking partnership. Following the arrival of Neale Fenn in 2004, O'Callaghan was moved to midfield by then manager Pat Dolan, to accommodate the new player.

In 2005, Cork City picked up their first League title in 12 years and O'Callaghan picked up a winners medal. He scored 11 goals in all competitions and was also announced as the eircom League Player of the Year for 2005.

[edit] Ipswich Town

In October 2006, O'Callaghan joined English club Ipswich Town on trial with a view to a permanent deal. He remained training at Ipswich for the following two months, unable to formally sign because of UEFA's transfer window system. In mid-January 2007, the clubs finally negotiated a deal despite strong words on both sides, concluding in an undisclosed fee (speculated to be around £60,000) which saw him sign an 18-month contract with Ipswich. On his full Ipswich debut he was sent off playing in the FA Cup against Watford F.C., after an alleged stamp on Watford defender Danny Shittu, but Ipswich Town viewed the red card as harsh, and O'Callaghan's club announced that they would contest referee Steve Bennett's decision to show the red card. The case was heard at an appeals panel and the decision reached was to allow O'Callaghan to escape a further three match ban. On May 7, 2007 O'Callaghan scored his first goal for Ipswich in the 5-1 win over Barnsley.

In August 2007, Ipswich agreed terms with Brighton & Hove Albion to sell O'Callaghan for around £60,000, rising to £75,000 based on appearances, although this transfer fell through as the club and player were unable to reach an agreement on personal terms, but the player did move to the Withdean on loan until the end of December 2007.[citation needed] He rejected the chance to sign permamently at Brighton stating that chairman Dick Knight was being unrealistic with the wages he was offering O'Callaghan and fellow striker Bas Savage. Both players left the club at the end of December 2007. On 21 January 2008 after only playing 12 games for Ipswich, he was released.[1]

[edit] Return to Cork

On 31 January 2008 George O'Callaghan returned home to Cork City FC signing a three year deal under new manager Alan Mathews. O'Callaghan made his debut in a friendly against Shelbourne FC on 7 February.

He made his competitive debut against Dungannon Swifts in the Setanta Cup on February 26th, scoring two goals.

[edit] Club honours summary

[edit] Awards

  • Port Vale FC Young Player Of The Year (1997)
  • eircom League Player Of The Year (2005)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ipswich to let O'Callaghan leave. BBC Sport (21 January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-21.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Cork City F.C. – current squad

1 Devine • 2 Horgan • 3 Ryan • 4 Farrelly • 5 Mulcahy • 6 Murray • 7 O'Brien • 8 Gamble • 9 O'Flynn • 10 O'Callaghan • 11 Woods • 14 Cillian Lordan • 15 Healy • 16 McNulty • 17 Carroll • 18 Softić • 19 Murphy • 20 Kiely • 21 Behan • 22 Duggan • 23 Sullivan • 24 Kelly • 25 Meyler • 27 O Connor • 30 Kearney • 33 Murphy • 39 Mooney •  Tierney •

Manager: Mathews