Leon Osman (born May 17, 1981 in Billinge Higher End, in the Wigan, England) is a professional football player currently playing for Everton. He grew up in Skelmersdale and Huyton.He also went to Upholland High School is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Higher End (or Billinge Higher End) is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan Borough of Greater Manchester, in the North West of 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) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ... Skelmersdale is a town within West Lancashire, in North West England. ... Huyton is a suburban town on the eastern outskirts of Liverpool in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. ...

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.. skemersdale f c ...

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. The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. ... Richard Dunne (born September 21, 1979 in Dublin) is an Irish footballer, who currently plays in the English Premier League as a defender for Manchester City. ... Francis Franny Jeffers (born January 25, 1981 in Liverpool) is an English football player currently playing for English Premiership club Blackburn Rovers. ... Tony Hibbert (born February 20, 1981 in Liverpool, brought up in Huyton, Merseyside ) is an English footballer who currently plays as a defender for Everton. ...

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. Carlisle United F.C. are an English football team currently playing in Conference National. ... Manchester Uniteds emblem Manchester United F.C. (often abbreviated to Man United or just Man U, pronounced man-yoo) is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ...

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. Derby County Football Club are an English football club based in Derby, who play in the Premier League. ... George Elder Burley (born June 3, 1956 in Cumnock, Kyle, East Ayrshire) is an ex-footballer. ...

Derby fans still hold Leon in high regard despite only being with the club for 3 months.

Leon Osman is half Turkish-Cypriot with his dad residing in Northern Cyprus. Identification: Turkish,English

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. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. is a Wolverhampton-based football club playing at Molineux. ...

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 Kevin Kilbane (born February 1, 1977 in Preston, England) is an Irish footballer who plays a left-sided midfielder for Wigan Athletic in the FA Premier League. ... Aston Villa Football Club play at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. ...

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. Simon Davies, (born October 23, 1979), is a Welsh football player who currently plays for Fulham. ... Marcus Bent (born 19 May 1978 in Hammersmith, London) is a journeyman English footballer, who in a short career has managed to play for several different professional sides. ...

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. The 2006-07 FA Premier League season, the fifteenth since its establishment, started on August 19, 2006. ... David William Moyes (b. ... Steven Aaron McClaren (born 3 May 1961 in Fulford, York) is an English former professional footballer and the current manager of the England national football team, having succeeded Sven-Göran Eriksson on 1 August 2006. ...

Trivia

• He attended the same High School as Rock Band The Verve.

This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

External links

• Leon Osman career stats at Soccerbase