David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. He is currently without a job, after leaving his position as manager of Aston Villa in July 2006. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. The majority of his playing career (19 years) was spent as a defender at Arsenal. Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of an athletic team or of individual athletes. ... Aston Villa Football Club are an English football (soccer) club. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Leeds United Association Football Club are the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds. ... Aston Villa Football Club are an English football (soccer) club. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ...

His brother Pierce O'Leary played for Shamrock Rovers and Celtic and was capped 7 times for Ireland. Shamrock Rovers FC is a Irish football club playing in the Football League of Ireland. ... Celtic Football Club (pronounced seltik in IPA; AIM: CCP) is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ...

Playing career

O'Leary was born in Stoke Newington, London on May 2, 1958 and moved to live in Dublin at the age of three. His father was born in Ireland and O'Leary later decided to play for the Republic of Ireland. The Castle Climbing Centre, once the main Water Board pumping station. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the city in Ireland. ...

Arsenal

O'Leary signed for Arsenal as an apprentice in 1973. He soon progressed through the ranks at Highbury, playing in the reserves at the age of 16. He made his debut for Arsenal against Burnley on August 16, 1975, and despite being only 17, went on to make 30 appearances that season. For the next ten years he was ever-present in the Arsenal side, playing more than 40 matches a season (except for 1980-81, where he was injured and only played 27). 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Burnley Football Club are a professional football club based in Burnley, in north-east Lancashire, England. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it more accessible to a general audience, this article may require cleanup. ...

A calm and collected centre half, O'Leary was noted for his good positioning and elegant style of play. He won his first major honour with Arsenal when he played in their 3-2 win over Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup final. He also played in the 1978 and 1980 Cup finals, and the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup final, all of which Arsenal lost. In 1982 O'Leary became club captain, but reliniquished it to Graham Rix eighteen months later. In the sport of football (soccer), each of the eleven players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... // First Division Bob Paisley won his third league title in Liverpool and his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph. ... Note: for the full results of all FA Cup finals, see FA Cup Final The FA Cup - this is the fourth trophy, in use since 1992, and identical in design to the third trophy introduced in 1911. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The Cup Winners Cup was a football club competition between the winners of the European domestic cup competitions. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Graham Rix (born October 23, 1957) is an English former football player and coach. ...

O'Leary broke numerous appearance records at Arsenal; he was the youngest person to reach the 100 and 200 match milestones, and he made his 400th appearance while still only 26. He passed George Armstrong's all-time record of 621 first-team games in November 1989. By this time, O'Leary was no longer automatic first choice (with the partnership of Tony Adams and Steve Bould at the centre of George Graham's defence), but he still turned in over 20 appearances as Arsenal won the 1988-89 First Division title. George Geordie Armstrong (August 9, 1944 – November 1, 2000) was an English football player and coach, primarily associated with Arsenal. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthony Alexander Adams MBE (born 10 October 1966) is an English former football player who is currently assistant manager of Portsmouth. ... Stephen Andrew Bould (born November 16, 1962) is an English former football player. ... George Graham (born November 30, 1944 in Bargeddie, Lanarkshire) is a Scottish football player and manager. ... // First Division Arsenal won the league title on goal difference with the last kick of the season, as they beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield to claim the championship trophy and deny Kenny Dalglishs men a unique second double. ... From 1889 until 1992, this was the highest division overall of organized football in England. ...

O'Leary won another League title in 1991 and an FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993, though by this time he was mainly used as a sub. He holds Arsenal's all-time record for appearances, with 722 first-team games, and over 1000 games at all levels, in a twenty-year long association with the club. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... A substitute is a player in football who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. ...

Leeds United

He joined Leeds on a free transfer in 1993 after 19 years at Highbury. Throughout 1993-94, O'Leary was a regular player in the Leeds side until he suffered an achilles injury, which ruled him out for the whole of the following season. He was still on the club's payroll at the beginning of the 1995-96 season but that September he gave in to his injury and announced his retirement from football at the age of 37. In football (soccer), a free transfer involves a team releasing a player once their contract has expired or made available just before the end of the contract. ... Posterior view of the foot and leg, showing the Achilles tendon (tendo calcaneus). ...

Internationals

O'Leary's international debut with the Republic of Ireland came as a teenager in a 1-1 draw with England in 1976, but the highlight of his 68-cap international career came in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. With Ireland in a penalty shootout with Romania, Packie Bonner saved Daniel Timofte's last penalty. It was O'Leary who then stepped up to take the decisive final penalty to win the shootout 5-4. First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup was designated by FIFA in 1984 to be held in Italy, making it the second country to host the event twice. ... Penalty shootouts (officially referred to as kicks from the penalty mark) are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament) following a draw in a game of association football. ... Patrick Joseph (Packie) Bonner (born May 24, 1960 in Donegal, Republic of Ireland) is a former football goalkeeper for the Republic of Ireland, who earned 80 caps after making his debut on his 21st birthday. ... Daniel Timofte (born 1 October 1967) is a retired Romanian football striker. ...

Managerial career

Assistant Manager

When the former Arsenal manager George Graham was put in charge at Leeds United in September 1996, O'Leary was installed as his assistant. He remained in this position for two years until Graham moved to Tottenham. George Graham (born November 30, 1944 in Bargeddie, Lanarkshire) is a Scottish football player and manager. ... Leeds United Association Football Club are the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds. ... Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club, who play in the FA Premier League. ...

Manager of Leeds United

The Leeds directors made an offer for Martin O'Neill to take charge at Elland Road but the deal fell through and O'Leary was promoted to the hot seat. At the end of 1998-99 Leeds finished fourth in the Premiership and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Their 1999-2000 campaign ended in the semifinals with defeat to the Turkish side Galatasaray, and it was after the game in Turkey that two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by Turkish hooligans. But on the domestic front, Leeds finished third in the Premiership and qualified for the Champions League - it would be their first campaign at this level since the 1992-1993 season. Martin Hugh Michael ONeill, OBE, (born March 1, 1952 in Kilrea, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Ireland national football team captain who has previously managed Leicester City and Celtic and is currently manager of Aston Villa. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... For other uses of Galatasaray, see Galatasaray (disambiguation) Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (in English: Galatasaray Sports Club) or Galatasaray SK is a Turkish sports club based in İstanbul which is famous for its football section. ... The UEFA Champions League (formerly named but still often called the European Cup) is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ...

Leeds reached the semifinals of the Champions League, where they lost to eventual runners-up Valencia. Their Premiership form also dipped slightly and David O'Leary's men had to settle for a UEFA Cup place. Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia CF or Valencia) is a Spanish professional football team based in Valencia, Spain. ...

2001-02 began well for Leeds. They constantly topped the table during the first half of the season and come the new year of 2002 they were Premiership leaders. But a loss of form in the second half of the season saw them slump into sixth place - the last automatic UEFA Cup place. They had secured their place in Europe much earlier because seventh-placed West Ham had collected 12 less points. West Ham United Football Club are a football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London and play their home matches at The Boleyn Ground or formally known as Upton Park. ...

The season was thrown into turmoil by the involvement of four players, including first-teamers Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer, in an incident in Leeds city centre that ended in the assault and injury of an Asian student. Jonathan Simon Woodgate (born January 22, 1980 in Middlesbrough) is an English footballer, who plays as a defender for Premier League side Middlesbrough after signing from Real Madrid. ... Lee David Bowyer (born January 3, 1977 in Newham, London) is a professional football player who currently plays for FA Premier League side West Ham United. ...

By June 2002 David O'Leary had spent £100 million on new players in less than four years for relatively little reward. The club was in serious financial trouble and had relied on qualifying for the Champions League. Chairman Peter Ridsdale sacked O'Leary. O'Leary had to some extent alienated the fans, and importantly Ridsdale, by writing a book, Leeds United On Trial, that some saw as cashing in on the troubles the club had suffered. O'Leary had never finished outside the top five as a manager. Peter Ridsdale is a former chairman of Leeds United AFC, and now currently Cardiff City F.C. chairman. ...

His departure signalled a downhill spiral for the club which would see three more managers (Terry Venables, Peter Reid and Eddie Gray) come and go before it was finally relegated at the end of 2003-04 with £80 million debts. Terence Frederick Venables (born January 6, 1943 in Dagenham, London) is the Assistant England national football team manager and a former English international footballer. ... Peter Reid (Born June 20, 1956 in Huyton, Knowsley, Lancashire) is an English former professional football player and manager. ... Edwin Gray (born January 17, 1948 in Glasgow, Scotland) was a cultured winger who was an integral member of the legendary Leeds United football team of the 1960s and 1970s, later twice becoming the clubs manager. ...

O'Leary's fame at Leeds rests upon his promotion of a series of younger players, Woodgate, Bowyer, Smith, Kewell, McPhail, Bakke, Ian Harte and Danny Mills. He promoted several members of the youth team into an exciting Leeds side that played a pressing game relying on youthful enthusiasm, Alan Smith in particular exemplified this attitude and O'Leary's arrival seemed to many fans like the arrival of a new attitude at Leeds, bold, innovative and attacking. However as time went on more and more players were signed and not played- particularly strikers, whereas gaps in the team were neglected- Ian Harte was left as the only left back at the club for a while. O'Leary could not be blamed for the financial crisis that overtook Leeds- but could be blamed for not turning his signings into a coherent team, some players were unaccountably left out, and gradually the flow of young talent into the team stopped. Even so his dismissal came as a surprise and was the first indication of the growing crisis at Leeds United.

Manager of Aston Villa

O'Leary, meanwhile, was linked with various other vacant manager's jobs throughout the 2002-03 season. He was hot favourite to become manager of Sunderland when Peter Reid was sacked in October and again when Howard Wilkinson was sacked in March. But O'Leary remained out of work until June 2003 when he was appointed manager of Aston Villa. Sunderland Association Football Club is professional football club, based at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in North-East England. ... Howard Wilkinson (born 13 November 1943 in Sheffield) is a former English football manager. ... Aston Villa Football Club are an English football (soccer) club. ...

Aston Villa are one of England's most historic clubs, but in comparison to their early years they have under-achieved, although they were European Champions in 1982 and during the 1990s finished runners-up of the first Premiership in 1993 and won the League Cup in 1994 and 1996. In 2002-03 they had endured their worst season since relegation from the old First Division in 1987. They had finished 16th in the Premiership and manager Graham Taylor's second spell as manager had come to an end after just over a year. So Villa chairman Doug Ellis turned to David O'Leary in a bid to see the club's fortunes turn around. Graham Taylor OBE (born September 15, 1944, Worksop, Nottinghamshire) is a football manager and a former player. ... Herbert Douglas Ellis, OBE (born January 3, 1924 in Chester, Cheshire) is an entrepreneur, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club. ...

By the beginning of November 2003, Aston Villa were hovering just above the relegation zone and it looked as though O'Leary would be another of the club's unsuccessful managers. O'Leary remained at Villa and managed to get an already good squad to perform successfully so that by the final weeks of the season they were pushing hard for at least a UEFA Cup place and possibly even a Champions League place. But in the end their early season form had caught up with them and they had to settle for sixth place - this season one place too low for European qualification.

2004-05

During the 2004-05 season, Aston Villa hovered just below the European qualification places, ending the season in 10th. Despite a bright start to the season, they lacked the consistency that was attributed to his first season in charge. O'Leary occasionally made complaints towards aspects of his position which earned him the nickname 'Dreary O'Leary' to some fans, who felt uneasy at his continual downplaying of the team, describing them as his "Honest Bunch of Lads". His transfer activity in this season included injury prone (Martin Laursen), the homesick (Mathieu Berson), and the Chelsea youngster (Carlton Cole). He attempted to peddle the myth that he liked his teams to play neat football, but his seemingly woeful man-management skills and appaling public relations (as well as some dreadful football) caused increasing disquiet among supporters, many of whom began to express dismay at his apparent inability to take responsibility or show leadership in public fora. Martin Laursen (born July 26, 1977 in FÃ¥rvang, Denmark) is a Danish professional football player who plays as a defender for Aston Villa F.C.. Laursen has been capped 41 times for the Denmark national football team, scoring a single goal in the process. ... Mathieu Berson (born February 23, 1980 in Vannes, France) is a French football player who currently plays for Auxerre on loan from Aston Villa F.C. as a midfielder In somewhat of a battle to sign the former Nantes star, a fee of 1. ... Carlton Cole (born November 12, 1983 in Croydon, London, England) is a football player who currently plays for West Ham United. ...

2005-06

Despite six summer acquisitions including internationals Milan Baroš and Kevin Phillips who added more quality to the squad, the 2005-06 season brought a disappointing turn for the worse for O'Leary. Injuries and suspensions decimated the squad, with only one fit centre back (Liam Ridgewell) available for selection at one point. Increasingly under-fire from fans and media alike for a lack of tactical awareness, man management skills and enthusiasm for the success of the club, the season saw a highly embarrassing League Cup exit via a 0-3 defeat to League One side Doncaster Rovers. A series of poor results saw Villa hovering dangerously above the relegation zone going into December, with just 17 points from 17 games. However an improved winter period saw them move slightly up the league, with encouraging victories over Everton (4-0), Middlesbrough (4-0) and a well-earned point against runaway leaders Chelsea. Milan BaroÅ¡ (born 28 October 1981 in Vigantice, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic) is a Czech international footballer. ... Kevin Mark Phillips (born July 25, 1973 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire) is an English footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. ... Doncaster Rovers Football Club (or Donny as they are more commonly known) are an English professional football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. ... Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ... Middlesbrough Football Club are an English football club, commonly known as The Boro, that currently plays in the FA Premier League. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ...

This brief period of positive results was short-lived, and again O’Leary began to turn on the Villa fans. The response would be spectacular, as during the goalless bore-draw against Fulham at Villa Park in March, two banners were unfurled over the balcony of the Holte End- one simply stating “O’Leary Out” and the second more visible fluorescent orange banner declaring “We’re not fickle, we just don’t like you” this was a response to a statement publicly aired by O’Leary about the Villa faithful.

In the end, Villa finished 16th - just two places above the relegation zone, and following the relegation of local rivals Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, Villa will be the only Midlands side playing Premiership football in 2006-07.

A storm broke surrounding David O'Leary and Aston Villa when on the 14 July 2006 a statement was released to the local press purporting to be from the Aston Villa players, criticising the Chairman Doug Ellis. It was later rumoured to have been orchestrated by O'Leary to put pressure on Ellis to release more transfer funds. The media storm finally came to a head when on 19 July 2006 O'Leary's contract as Aston Villa manager was terminated by mutual consent. Despite many managerial positions becoming available so far in the 2006/2007 season, O'Leary is still looking for a return to football management[1] July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Aston Villa Football Club play at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. ... Herbert Douglas Ellis, OBE (born January 3, 1924 in Chester, Cheshire) is an entrepreneur, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Aston Villa Football Club play at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. ...

Trivia

• He endorsed a Game Boy Color game entitled O'Leary Manager 2000, which was released by Ubi Soft in 2000.

• He currently resides in the small village of Sicklinghall, near Harrogate in Leeds.

• His nephew Ryan O'Leary of Kilmarnock F.C. declined to play for the Republic of Ireland U-21s, choosing to concentrate on playing for Scotland, the country of his birth.

The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ... OLeary Manager 2000 is a football player-manager game released in 2000 for the Game Boy Color. ... Ubisoft Entertainment (formerly Ubi Soft) is a computer and video game publisher and developer headquarted in Montreuil-sous-Bois, France. ... see also: 1999 in games, 2001 in games Games Released or Invented in 2000 Amber Sparks:Ultimate Destruction Magi-Nation Duel Game awards given in 2000 Spiel des Jahres: Torres - Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling, Ravensburger Categories: Game stubs | 2000 ... Ryan OLeary (born August 24, 1987 in Glasgow) is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock. ... Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. ...

External links

• David O'Leary management career stats at Soccerbase