Gary Paul O'Neil (born May 18, 1983 in Bromley, England) is an English football player at Portsmouth F.C. in the English Premier League. is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Bromley is the principal town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... Portsmouth Football Club are an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ... The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays English Premier League for sponsorship reasons) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. ...

O'Neil became Portsmouth F.C.'s youngest ever player as a 16 year old on the 29th of January 2000. Manager Tony Pulis handed him his debut as a substitute at home to Barnsley in the First Division but kept him out of the spotlight for the rest of the season. The following year both Pulis and his successor Steve Claridge used O'Neil sparingly but Pompey's third manager of a disastrous season, Graham Rix, made O'Neil a starter for final 5 matches of the season. Pompey went into the final game needing to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation to what was then the Second Division. Pompey won the match 3-0 and survived, with O'Neil scoring the third goal, his first in professional football. Portsmouth Football Club are an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ... Tony Pulis (born January 16, 1958 in Newport) is a Welsh football manager. ... Barnsley Football Club are an English football league team, based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire and nicknamed the Tykes (a Tyke is a traditional Yorkshire character rugged, hardworking and with great pride in their roots). ... In sport, the First Division is usually the highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions below. ... Steve Claridge (born 10 April 1966) is an English football player, pundit and coach. ... From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. ...

In the 2001/2002 season, still a teenager, O'Neil became a key player in a young Pompey team managed by Graham Rix. Despite another disappointing campaign for the club, Gary's own reputation continued to increase and he memorably scored a superb volley against Millwall, whom he supports. Graham Rix (born October 23, 1957) is an English former football player and coach. ... Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at the New Den Stadium in Bermondsey, South East London. ...

When Harry Redknapp took over as Pompey manager at the end of the 2001/2002 season, O'Neil was one of the few players not to be moved on in the rebuilding of the squad. In Redknapp's first full season O'Neil only started 11 league matches (scoring 3 goals), the manager's huge praise of the midfielder upon his arrival made this all the more surprising. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The 2002/2003 campaign may have been disappointing personally for O'Neil but it was a great one for the club as they convincingly won the First Division title, thereby gaining promotion to the Premiership. He was loaned to Walsall at the beginning of the 2003/04 season in order to gain first team experience. His impressive performances for the Midlands side and Pompey's increasing injury problems led to a recall in November 2003. He went straight into the starting XI for his Premiership debut against bottom of the table Leeds United. at Fratton Park and scored two goals in a 6-1 win. This performance meant that he maintained his place for the next match, away at Fulham but then had to travel to Dubai to captain England Under 20s in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Upon his return Gary found that Pompey's injury problems had cleared up and he could not break back into the team for the remainder of the season. 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... Walsall Football Club are an English football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, currently reigning champions in the 2006-07 season in Football League Two. ... “Leeds United Football Club” redirects here. ... Fratton Park is the home stadium of Portsmouth F.C., and is situated in the English city-port of Portsmouth. ... The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. ...

At the beginning of the 2004/05 season he was loaned to Cardiff City to gain further first team experience. After excelling in the Welsh capital he was recalled to Portsmouth in November who yet again were experiencing an injury crisis. He made his return to the side in one of the biggest matches of the season, a 2-1 defeat at Southampton. He was picked again for the next match, at home to Manchester City, and scored in a 3-1 loss. This match proved to be a turning point in both the history of Portsmouth F.C. and the career of Gary O'Neil as it proved to be the last match of Harry Redknapp's reign. Technical director Velimir Zajec took over a temporary manager and made O'Neil a regular in the Pompey midfield. During Zajec's 5 month reign Pompey fell from midtable to relegation candidates and Alain Perrin was appointed to keep the club in the Premiership. O'Neil remained a crucial part of the Frenchman's plans and was one of the main reasons why Portsmouth were not relegated back to the First Division after only two seasons. His outstanding performances at right midfield and centre midfield and his stunning goal away at Manchester United were enough to convince European champions Liverpool to bid £5million for him, a bid which was rejected by Portsmouth. Cardiff City Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) are a football team based in Cardiff, and are one of the three Welsh clubs competing in the Football League, currently playing in the Football League Championship. ... Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ... Manchester City Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Manchester. ... Portsmouth Football Club are an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. ... Velimir Zajec (born February 12, 1956 in Zagreb, Croatia) is a former football player. ... Alain Perrin, (born October 7, 1956 in Lure, Haute-Saône), is a French association football coach and the manager of Olympique Lyonnais since May 30 2007. ... 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. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ...

Gary O'Neil went into the 2005/2006 season as a regular for Alain Perrin's new-look team and, like in the 2002/2003 campaign, he was one of the few players to survive from the previous year. Despite being seen by most of the Pompey fans as the best central midfielder at the club, he was mainly utilised on the right by 'Reggie'. By November Pompey were in severve trouble at the bottom of the Premiership and Perrin was sacked only 7 months after being appointed. The shock return of Redknapp was seen by some to signal the end of O'Neil's Pompey career. Many people believed that Redknapp did not rate O'Neil and this view seemed to be confirmed in 2004 during the feud between Redknapp and the Pompey chairman Milan Mandaric when the latter claimed he has vetoed an attempt to sell Gary to Cardiff. Just before leaving Southampton though Redknapp said "Gary O'Neil is proving a real find for Portsmouth. It's good to see him coming along well. His passing is tip-top, he's strong and quick. He will definitely go on to play for England one day." In Harry's first match back in charge at Tottenham, O'Neil retained his place in the team and was picked on the right of midfield. O'Neil's late handball conceded the penalty for Spurs' winner. O'Neil was moved into his preferred position of central midfield a few games later and Pompey went on their best run of the season with O'Neil scoring in successive home games. For the home game with Everton in January 2006 O'Neil captained Pompey for the first time but disappointingly for him this was also the game where he was moved back to the right to allow new signings Pedro Mendes and Sean Davis to form a partnership in the middle. Pompey lost the game 1-0 and went on a horrendous run of form that left them near certainties for relegation in mid-March but O'Neil's inspirational performance in a crucial 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers saw him keep his place in the starting XI. Two weeks after this draw, Pedro Mendes' last minute winner against Manchester City sparked a magnificent comeback. Pompey gained 14 points out of the next 7 games and secured survival at Wigan's JJB Stadium on April 29th with a 2-1 victory, O'Neil setting up Matthew Taylor for Portsmouth's winning goal. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club which plays in the Premier League. ... Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ... Pedro Miguel da Silva Mendes (pron. ... Sean Davis is an English midfielder who signed for Tottenham Hotspur from Fulham. ... Bolton Wanderers F.C. is an English professional football club. ... Manchester City Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Manchester. ... Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... The JJB Stadium is a sports stadium located within the Robin Park Complex in Newtown, Wigan, Greater Manchester. ... Matthew Taylor is the name of several people, including: Matthew Taylor (politician), English Liberal Democrat MP. Matthew Taylor (footballer), English football player. ...

Trivia

• He has earned caps for England at every youth level, and he has captained the Under-21 side, having held that position at each youth level. Because of his age he is no longer eligible for Under-21 matches.
• O'Neil wore the number 33 shirt in 1999/2000 and 21 in 2000/2001. He was first handed the #26 for the 2001/2002 season and has worn it ever since.
• O'Neil spent the entire 2000/2001 season with his name misspelt 'O'Neill' on the back of his shirt.
• O'Neil is married to Donna who he married in 2006

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... First International England U-21 0-0 Wales U-21 (Molineux, Wolverhampton; December 15, 1976) Largest win England U-21 8-1 Finland U-21 (Boothferry Park, Hull; October 12, 1977) Worst defeat Romania U-21 4-0 England U-21 (PloieÅŸti, Romania; October 14, 1980) & England U-21...

Club Appearances

• 1999/2000 - 1 appearance, 0 goals
• 2000/2001 - 13 appearances, 1 goal
• 2001/2002 - 35 appearances, 1 goal
• 2002/2003 - 15 appearances, 3 goals
• 2003/2004 - 5 appearances, 2 goals
• 2004/2005 - 28 appearances, 2 goals
• 2005/2006 - 38 appearances, 7 goals
• League - 119 appearances, 6 goals
• Premiership - 62 appearances, 10 goals
• Overall - 135 appearances, 16 goals

External links

• Gary O'Neil Official Website at Icons.com
• BBC profile
• Gary O'Neil career stats at Soccerbase