David Healy (footballer)

David Healy

Healy as a Fulham player (December 2007).
Personal information
Full name David Jonathan Healy
Date of birth (1979-08-05) 5 August 1979
Place of birth Killyleagh, County Down, Northern Ireland
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Linfield (manager)
Youth career
1995–1999 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Manchester United 1 (0)
2000 → Port Vale (loan) 16 (3)
2000–2001 → Preston North End (loan) 2 (1)
2001–2004 Preston North End 137 (44)
2003 → Norwich City (loan) 5 (1)
2003 → Norwich City (loan) 8 (1)
2004–2007 Leeds United 111 (29)
2007–2008 Fulham 30 (4)
2008–2011 Sunderland 13 (1)
2010 → Ipswich Town (loan) 12 (1)
2010–2011 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 8 (2)
2011–2012 Rangers 19 (4)
2012–2013 Bury 16 (1)
Total 378 (92)
National team
1993–1994 Northern Ireland U15 10 (6)
1994–1995 Northern Ireland U16 2 (1)
1995–1997 Northern Ireland U18 5 (2)
1998–1999 Northern Ireland U21 8 (4)
1999 Northern Ireland B 1 (0)
2000–2013 Northern Ireland 95 (36)
Teams managed
2015– Linfield

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


David Jonathan Healy, MBE (born 5 August 1979) is a Northern Irish former footballer and now football manager who is in charge at NIFL Premiership club Linfield.

A striker, he is the all-time leading scorer for Northern Ireland with 36 goals, and also shares the record for the highest scoring tally during a UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign of 13 goals, shared with Robert Lewandowski. He began his career as a youth player at Manchester United in 1995, turning professional in 1999, but signed for Preston North End two years later after a short loan spell. He spent three years with Preston, maintaining a healthy goals to games ratio, before transferring to Leeds United in 2004. After three years to Leeds he moved on to Fulham for a season, before settling at Sunderland in 2008. He moved north to Scotland to play for Rangers in January 2011. He helped the club to the SPL title in 2010–11 and also played in the 2011 League Cup final victory, before departing at the end of the 2011–12 season, when his contract expired. He joined Bury for a one-season spell in August 2012. In addition to these clubs he has also played for Port Vale, Norwich City, Ipswich Town, and Doncaster Rovers on loan. He was released by Bury in May 2013, and chose to retire in November 2013 after failing to find a club. Before representing his country at a senior level, he also played for both the under-21 team and the B team.

He began his management career with Linfield in October 2015.

Club career

Manchester United

Healy was born and raised in Killyleagh, Northern Ireland, and played for Crossgar, Lisburn Youth and Down Academy High School in Downpatrick. He signed for Manchester United in August 1999, just four days before his 20th birthday. He made his debut for United in a 3–0 defeat to Aston Villa in the League Cup at Villa Park on 13 October 1999. In February 2000 he was loaned to Port Vale, but could only manage three goals in sixteen games for Brian Horton's side who were relegated to Division Two.

In the following season he made a second appearance in the League Cup (as a 90th-minute substitute for Luke Chadwick in a game that went into extra time, United eventually losing to Sunderland). He made his Premier League debut on 28 November 2000 as a second-half substitute for Ryan Giggs in a 2–0 victory over Ipswich Town. This was to be his last appearance for United; he signed for Preston North End on loan on 29 December 2000, and the deal was made permanent five days later for a £1.5 million fee.

Preston North End

In the remainder of the 2000–01 season, Healy made 26 appearances for Preston and scored 10 goals. He was a virtual ever-present in the 2001–02 season, appearing in 44 league games and scoring 10 goals.

In the 2002–03 season he was less successful after Craig Brown replaced the departed David Moyes.[1] By the end of January 2003 he had made only 23 league appearances but scored five goals. Healy joined Nigel Worthington's Norwich City on a month's loan at the end of January. In the end he stayed for the remainder of the season, but in thirteen appearances for the "Canaries" he scored only scored past Sheffield Wednesday[2] and Wimbledon.[3] Having attempted to sign him from Man United two years previously, Norwich attempted to sign Healy permanently from Preston but were denied by Brown.[1]

He found his scoring form again in 2003–04, and netted 15 times in 42 matches for Preston. For this feat he was given the club's Player of the Year award.

Leeds United

Aiming for a move away from Deepdale, Healy got his wish in October 2004, as he was signed by Leeds United for a £650,000 fee.[1] In his first season at Leeds he was the club's joint top scorer alongside Brian Deane with seven goals, despite only joining Leeds halfway through the season.[4] During his time at Elland Road he was linked with dozens of moves to other clubs, the most notable rumour reported in the press being a potential £3 million move to Manchester City.[1]

He again finished as joint top scorer in the 2005–06 season, both he and Rob Hulse on fourteen goals. Leeds reached the play-off finals this season but lost in the final 3–0 to Watford. During the management of Kevin Blackwell Healy found himself regularly being played out of position at Leeds, mainly as a right winger, with Leeds rotating Hulse, Cresswell and Blake up front.

Healy then finished the following 2006–07 season as Leeds' top scorer with ten goals. With Leeds relegated into League One, he left the club at the end of the campaign.

Fulham

Healy reunited with former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez at Fulham in July 2007 for a reported fee of around £1.5 million.[5] He scored his first goal for Fulham in a pre-season friendly against South China in the Asia Trophy, with a low diving header.

He scored fifty seconds into his league debut for the club following a mistake from Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann. He also found the net in his second game against Bolton Wanderers, in a 2–1 win at Craven Cottage. However he only scored two further top-flight goals in the season (past Reading and Sunderland), as well as two cup goals past Bolton and Bristol Rovers. Following the sacking of Sanchez, new manager Roy Hodgson preferred a strike partnership of the American pairing of Brian McBride and Eddie Johnson, leaving Healy on the bench.[6]

In July 2008, Healy caused controversy when he adopted the posture of a flute player (symbolic of the Protestant Orange Order, very offensive to the Irish Catholics in reference to The Troubles, similar to a previous incident involving Paul Gascoigne), in response to a question posed by Celtic fans chanting "Where were you on the Twelfth?" during a pre-season friendly match against Celtic at Craven Cottage. Healy subsequently apologised profusely for any offence he may have caused and signed many autographs for Celtic fans after the game.[7] He remained out of favour with Roy Hodgson, who regarded his signings Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora ahead of Healy in the pecking order.[1]

Sunderland

In August 2008, Healy joined Sunderland on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be worth £1.2 million.[8] Despite this sum he would never start a league game for the "Black Cats". Healy made his debut for Sunderland four days later in the League Cup and marked by scoring the winning goal in extra time against Nottingham Forest.[9] Healy also scored in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers.[10] Healy scored his first Premier League goal for the club in a 2–0 home win against Stoke City on 7 February 2009.[11] He managed to score in every competition that Sunderland were entered into in his first season with the club.

He was sent out on loan to Ipswich Town during the winter 2010 transfer window along with team-mate Daryl Murphy.[12] He made his debut against Middlesbrough on 6 February 2010, helping Ipswich to earn a point by setting up Murphy to score with a cross.[13] He scored his first goal for Ipswich on 24 February 2010, in a 1–1 draw with Scunthorpe United, salvaging a point and ending his goal drought by scoring for the first time in over a year.[14]

Healy joined Doncaster Rovers on loan in November 2010, to fill the void left by the injured Billy Sharp.[15] He marked his Doncaster debut with a goal, finding the net in a 2–1 win over Millwall on 6 November.[16] Doncaster extended Healy's loan spell into a second month.[17]

Rangers

In January 2011, Healy signed for Rangers on a six-month deal, with a view to signing a longer contract.[18] Having scored in his Leeds, Fulham, Sunderland, Doncaster and Northern Ireland debuts, he also marked his first Rangers appearance with a goal, coming off the bench to add the final goal of a 6–0 win over Motherwell on 12 February.[19] Upon the expiry of his contract he signed a new one-year deal with the club, tying him to the Ibrox club until the end of the 2011–12 season.[20] On 2 January 2012, Healy scored his second goal for the club, again against Motherwell, with the opener of a 3–0 win.[21] His third goal for the club came the following week, when he scored the first of a 4–0 victory over Arbroath in the Scottish Cup.[22] He netted his third league goal of the season for the "Gers" in a 4–0 win over Hibernian on 28 January,[23] and got his fourth goal in a 4–1 victory over Dunfermline Athletic on 11 February.[24] He left Ibrox at the end of the 2011–12 season following the expiration of his contract.

Bury

He signed a one-year deal with League One outfit Bury in August 2012.[25] He had previously been linked with a return to Preston North End,[26] but manager Graham Westley rejected the chance to re-sign the striker after finding that Preston fans still resented Healy for the manner of his departure eight years ago.[27] He made a scoring debut for the "Shakers" on 25 August, converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena.[28] He was limited to one goal in his 19 games in the 2012–13 campaign as Bury were relegated into League Two. He was one of 16 players released at the end of the season.[29] Unable to find a club after his release and struggling with persistent ankle injuries, Healy announced his retirement from football on 3 December 2013.[30][31]

On 31 July 2014, Healy played for Glenavon in a 5–0 loss in a pre-season friendly against his former club Leeds United.[32] The match was part of Glenavon's 125th anniversary celebrations.[33]

International career

He made his début for Northern Ireland on 23 February 2000, putting a brace past Luxembourg. He was still only 20 years old; having made his début for Manchester United the previous October, he had just joined Port Vale on loan. His competitive international début came in September 2000, in a World Cup qualifying game against Malta, and he scored his first competitive goal for his country a month later against Denmark.

On 6 June 2004, in a friendly game away to Trinidad and Tobago (his 35th international), he scored his 13th and 14th goals for Northern Ireland, thus equalling and overtaking Colin Clarke's record for the country. In September that year, Healy was controversially sent off in Northern Ireland's 2–2 draw with Wales. After celebrating the goal he scored to put Northern Ireland 2–0 up, he made a hand gesture towards the fans. The referee sent him off but Healy later explained that he was celebrating towards his family and that was how he always celebrated when scoring for his then-club, Preston North End.

On 7 September 2005, at Windsor Park, Healy secured a famous victory for his country against England in a World Cup qualifier when he scored the only goal of the game. This was his nation's first win over the English since 1972.[1]

He achieved his 50th cap and 20th international goal against Finland in August 2006, also playing as captain.[1] A month later, on 6 September 2006, Healy became the first man since Colin Clarke to score a hat-trick for Northern Ireland and the first since George Best to do so in Belfast. His three goals gave Northern Ireland a historic 3–2 victory over Spain.[1] Healy followed this feat with the winner against Latvia on 11 October 2006.[34] In the following international game, against Liechtenstein, he scored a second hat-trick, thus becoming the first player ever to score two hat-tricks for Northern Ireland.[35]

He scored both of Northern Ireland's goals in a 2–1 win against Sweden on 28 March 2007,[36] and two more against Liechtenstein on 22 August, followed by a penalty away to Iceland on 12 September. On 17 November 2007, when he scored against Denmark, it was his 13th goal in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group F tournament (in eleven games). This made him the highest-ever goalscorer in a UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign. The previous record, of twelve goals in ten games, had been set by Davor Šuker of Croatia in 1996. As a result, Healy was presented with the award by Michel Platini, who quoted: "David Healy’s record goes down in history and he beat a world-class striker in Davor Suker to do so. The outstanding performance of David in the qualifying competition of the European Championship and his goal tally of 13 goals is a new record and deserves to be recognised. I am sure that this record will last for some time to come and will be hard to beat. This is why I will be presenting him with a special award to celebrate his fantastic achievement."[37]

In October 2008, Healy received several death threats after he welcomed an international goal he had scored by saying 'the famine is over'. The goal had come after an uncharacteristic drought at the time. Healy's comments were interpreted as a reference to Rangers fans' chant – "‘the famine is over, why don't you go home?" Healy claimed to be oblivious to the fact that he had offended anyone saying, "I’m so disappointed and upset that anyone could even try and make this link. And when told about this I was totally bemused."[38] Despite finding a new club, Healy was left out of the Northern Ireland squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 2012 by new manager Michael O'Neill.[39] On 14 November 2012, he marked his return to international duty with an equalising goal from the bench against Azerbaijan – it was his first international goal in four years.[40]

He won a total of 95 senior caps, making him Northern Ireland's second most capped outfield player [41] and third overall in the nation's all-time appearances chart behind goalkeeper Pat Jennings (119) and Aaron Hughes (100). His 36 international goals make him the nation's all-time leading goalscorer by a considerable distance.

Management career

Healy was appointed manager of NIFL Premiership side Linfield in October 2015, the club he had supported all his life.[42][43]

Career statistics

Club

Club performance[44] League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Club Season League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
Port Vale (loan)1999–2000[45]First Division163000000163
Manchester United1999–2000[45]Premier League0000100010
2000–01[46]Premier League1000100020
Total 1000200030
Norwich City (loan)2002–03[47]First Division142000000142
Preston North End2000–01[46]First Division1100000011
2000–01[46]First Division21810000025*9**
2001–02[48]First Division44103020004910
2002–03[47]First Division225104000275
2003–04[49]First Division38153010004215
2004–05[50]Championship115001000125
Total 1374480800015645
Leeds United2004–05[50]Championship287100000297
2005–06[51]Championship421222200048***14
2006–07[52]Championship41101020004410
Total 1112942400012131
Fulham2007–08[53]Premier League304212100346
Ipswich Town (loan)2009–10[54]Championship121000000121
Doncaster Rovers (loan)2010–11[55]Championship8200000082
Sunderland2008–09[56]Premier League101212100143
2009–10[54]Premier League3020200070
Total 131414100213
Rangers2010–11[55]SPL81000020101
2011–12[57]SPL113211010154
Total 194211030255
Bury2012–13[58]League One16110000019****1
Career total 377912152122042899

( * ) include 3 play-off appearances. ( ** ) includes 1 play-off goal. ( *** ) includes 2 play-off appearances. ( **** ) includes 2 Football League Trophy appearances.

International

Northern Ireland national team[59]
YearAppsGoals
200075
200183
200260
200380
2004108
200593
200665
200789
200882
200990
201050
201170
201231
201310
Total9536

Managerial statistics

As of 7 May 2016
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
Linfield 14 October 2015 Present 47 28 7 12 59.57
Total 47 28 7 12 59.57

Personal life

Healy is married to Emma and they have three children, Taylor, Jude and Taluulah.[60] He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to football.[61]

Honours

Individual
Rangers

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Flown from the Nest". ex-canaries.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "Sheff Weds 2–2 Norwich". BBC Sport. 13 February 2003. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  3. ↑ "Norwich 1–0 Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  4. ↑ "Healy completes transfer to Leeds". BBC Sport. 29 October 2004.
  5. ↑ "Striker Healy agrees Fulham move". BBC Sport. 13 July 2007.
  6. ↑ "Cottagers aim to keep Healy". 4thegame.com. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  7. ↑ John Laverty: Sectarianism has no sense of humour, David, "The Belfast Telegraph, 22 July 2008
  8. ↑ "Healy seals Sunderland transfer". BBC Sport. 21 August 2008.
  9. ↑ McKenzie, Andrew (28 August 2008). "Nottm Forest 1–2 Sunderland (aet)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  10. ↑ "Blackburn 2–1 Sunderland (aet)". BBC Sport. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  11. ↑ Dawkes, Phil (7 February 2009). "Sunderland 2–0 Stoke". BBC Sport.
  12. ↑ "Sunderland's David Healy and Daryl Murphy join Ipswich". BBC Sport. 1 February 2010.
  13. ↑ "Ipswich 1–1 Middlesbrough". BBC Sport. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  14. ↑ Gibson, Richard (24 February 2010). "Scunthorpe United 1–1 Ipswich". London: The Mail Online. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  15. ↑ "David Healy to join Doncaster on loan from Sunderland". BBC Sport. 4 November 2010.
  16. ↑ "Doncaster 2–1 Millwall". BBC Sport. 6 November 2010.
  17. ↑ "David Healy extends Doncaster Rovers loan deal". BBC Sport. 7 December 2010.
  18. ↑ "Striker David Healy joins Rangers from Sunderland". BBC Sport. 30 January 2011.
  19. ↑ "Rangers manager Walter Smith boosted by new players". BBC Sport. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  20. ↑ "Healy Signs Up". Rangers F.C. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  21. ↑ Smith, Neil (2 January 2012). "RANGERS started 2012 in the perfect way with a comprehensive 3–0 victory over third placed Motherwell at Ibrox". rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  22. ↑ Lindsay, Clive (10 January 2012). "Arbroath 0 – 4 Rangers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  23. ↑ "Rangers 4 – 0 Hibernian". BBC Sport. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  24. ↑ Lindsay, Clive (11 February 2012). "Reborn striker Lee McCulloch inspired Rangers as they came from behind to ease aside basement side Dunfermline.". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  25. ↑ "Bury sign Northern Ireland striker David Healy on one-year deal". BBC Sport. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  26. ↑ "Preston North End may offer David Healy a return to Deepdale". BBC Sport. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  27. ↑ "Preston North End decide against David Healy return". BBC Sport. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  28. ↑ Nelson, Craig (25 August 2012). "Coventry 2 Bury 2". Bury Times. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  29. ↑ "Shakers retain eight players; all remaining players are released and are free to sign for other clubs". buryfc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  30. ↑ Edwards, John (3 December 2013). "Northern Ireland record-breaker Healy retires at 34 after troublesome ankle injury". Mail Online. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  31. ↑ "Northern Ireland striker David Healy announces retirement". BBC Sport. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  32. ↑ "Ruthless Leeds put Glenavon festivities in the shade". Belfast Telegraph. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  33. ↑ McKinley, Stuart (23 July 2014). "Healy joins Lurgan Blues for one-off against Leeds". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  34. ↑ "NI team spirit is key, says Healy". BBC Sport. 13 October 2006.
  35. ↑ "Liechtenstein 1–4 N Ireland". BBC Sport. 24 March 2007.
  36. ↑ "N Ireland 2–1 Sweden". BBC Sport. 28 March 2007.
  37. ↑ "Healy wins award". Fulham Official Website. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  38. ↑ "David Healy furious at death threats". Belfast Telegraph. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  39. ↑ "David Healy left out of Northern Ireland squad for qualifiers". BBC Sport. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  40. ↑ McCaig, Alvin (14 November 2012). "Northern Ireland 1 – 1 Azerbaijan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  41. ↑ "Most Capped Players". Irishfa.com. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  42. ↑ "Irish Premiership: Blues boss Healy starts against Town". BBC Sport. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  43. ↑ "David Healy: My Linfield team is going to reflect my personality". Belfast Telegraph. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  44. ↑ "David Healy Career Stats". Soccerbase.
  45. 1 2 "Games played by David Healy in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  46. 1 2 3 "Games played by David Healy in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  47. 1 2 "Games played by David Healy in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  48. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  49. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  50. 1 2 "Games played by David Healy in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  51. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  52. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  53. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  54. 1 2 "Games played by David Healy in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  55. 1 2 "Games played by David Healy in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  56. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  57. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  58. ↑ "Games played by David Healy in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  59. ↑ "David Healy". National Football Teams. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  60. ↑ Healy, David (27 March 2009). "David Healy: It's Windsor, of course we can do it". belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Independent News and Media. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  61. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58729. p. 18. 14 June 2008.
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