Gary O'Neil
O'Neil in October 2012
Gary Paul O'Neil ( born May 18, 1983 in Bromley ) is an English footballer. He currently plays for Queens Park Rangers in the Football League Championship.
Club career
On January 29, 2000 Gary O'Neil made his debut at the age of 16 years in the jersey of the then second division club Portsmouth as a professional. In the home game against Barnsley FC he came on, but had no contact with the ball and denied during the rest of the season no longer a game. Nevertheless, he was the youngest player in the jersey of Portsmouth who has ever been run. Only under coach Graham Rix got the midfielder back some inserts. As at the end of the 2001/02 season, Harry Redknapp took over as coach at Portsmouth, O'Neil was one of the few players who did not have to leave the club in the squad restructuring. All the more surprising, therefore, was that it was still used in only 11 games.
At the end of the season 2002/ 03 he managed with his team to promotion to the Premier League. In order to gain match practice, he was awarded at the beginning of the next season to the Walsall FC. Due to its good performance and the injury problems at Portsmouth but was brought back in November 2003. 6-1 victory over Leeds United O'Neil completed his Premier League debut, scoring two goals. A few days later he had to leave to Dubai for Junior World Cup in 2003. Back in Portsmouth, all injury problems had resolved in the team and O'Neil could not reach a more regular place until the end of the season. At the beginning of the season 2004/ 05 he was therefore loaned to Cardiff City. Again he was brought back after a short time, because Portsmouth had again to complain many injured regulars. After Redknapp was released to O'Neil developed under new coach Velimir Zajec and later under Alain Perrin first-team regular in the middle of Portsmouth. Only a few months later, Perrin was made redundant again and again Harry Redknapp committed as head coach. This the good performances of O'Neil were not escaped this time, and therefore he held firmly to the midfield and let him later even play his favorite position in central midfield. In the home game against Everton in January 2006, he ran the first time as team captain and was selected at the end of season Player of the Year of Portsmouth. The following season he reached the ninth place in the table with his team.
On 31 August 2007 he took for the equivalent of 7.5 million euros to league rivals FC Middlesbrough. 2008 O'Neil suffered a cruciate ligament injury. Until the winter break 2010/11 he played for Boro before he signed a contract for two and a half years at West Ham United.
For the 2013/14 season O'Neil moved to Erstligaabsteiger Queens Park Rangers. He signed a contract until the end of the season.
National
Gary O'Neil has played in each of England's national youth team and was the team captain of the U-21 national team. O'Neil is also entitled to play for the Irish national football team.
Others
Gary O'Neil is married to his wife Donna Guerin since 2006 and was established in May 2007 Father of their daughter.