 O'Dea playing forIreland in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Darren O'Dea[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-02-04)4 February 1987 (age 38)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Home Farm | |||
| 2005–2006 | Celtic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2012 | Celtic | 49 | (4) |
| 2009 | →Reading (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | →Ipswich Town (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | →Leeds United (loan) | 35 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Toronto FC | 26 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Metalurh Donetsk | 16 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | Blackpool | 19 | (0) |
| 2015 | Mumbai City F.C. | 9 | (0) |
| 2016–2019 | Dundee | 88 | (4) |
| 2019 | East Kilbride | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 270 | (13) | |
| International career | |||
| Republic of Ireland U19 | |||
| 2007–2008 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 10 | (1) |
| 2009–2013 | Republic of Ireland | 20 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2019 | Motherwell U18 | ||
| 2019–2021 | Celtic U18 | ||
| 2021–2025 | Celtic B | ||
| 2025 | Swansea City (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:39, 18 June 2019 (UTC) | |||
Darren O'Dea (born 4 February 1987) is an Irish professionalfootball coach and former player. He played as acentre back for clubs in Scotland, England, Canada, Ukraine and India, and represented theRepublic of Ireland internationally.
O'Dea began his career at the youth team ofCeltic, with whom he played from 2006 to 2012. During his time at Celtic, he was loaned toReading,Ipswich Town andLeeds United. While playing for Leeds, O'Dea won the Ireland Young International Player of the Year Award. For more first-team opportunities he switched clubs and countries, joiningToronto FC ofMajor League Soccer for a year until 2013.
The following season, he representedFC Metalurh Donetsk inUkraine. O'Dea's stint was cut short due to the Ukrainianpolitical situation, and he returned to England withBlackpool. In July 2015, he signed withIndian Super League clubMumbai City FC. After three years withDundee, O'Dea retired from playing professionally in 2019. He then became a coach atMotherwell, while playing semi-professionally forEast Kilbride.
After beingcapped by the youth national teams of the Republic of Ireland, O'Dea made his senior-team debut in 2009 and was capped 20 times up to 2013. He represented Ireland at the2012 UEFA European Championship.
Born inDublin, O'Dea played forHome Farm before he was signed by Celtic as a teenager.[1] After making his way through the reserves andacademy side, he made his first-team debut for Celtic in theScottish League Cup againstSt Mirren in September 2006.[2] A month later, O'Dea made his league debut againstInverness Caledonian Thistle, where he played the last thirty minutes after substituting forGary Caldwell.[3] HisUEFA Champions League debut was on 6 December against Danish clubF.C. Copenhagen as a substitute for the injuredStephen McManus.[4][5] O'Dea made his first league starting appearance againstDunfermline Athletic four days after his Champions League debut. Later that month he scored his first goal in a match againstDundee United, with his rebound of a 78th-minute free kick byShunsuke Nakamura tying the match 2–2.[6] O'Dea's first season saw him also score againstLivingston in the run to the2006–07 Scottish Cup.[5]
After playing 16 times for Celtic, O'Dea signed a three-year contract in March 2007 and considered it a "reward for the hard work" he had done.[7] In hissecond season he contributed to Celtic winning the league championship, although he did not feature in the title winning match against Dundee United.[8] After O'Dea did not play for two months (since his last Champions League match againstFC Spartak Moscow), theBBC reported in October that he would be recalled to the injury-plagued team as a replacement forGary Caldwell,[9] and he played the entire league match againstRangers on 20 October 2007.[10] That season, he primarily played centre-back.[11]
During the2008–09 season O'Dea made a total of sixteen appearances, scoring twice.[12] His extra-time goal in the2009 Scottish League Cup Final gave Celtic the trophy.[13] After playing fifty times for the club, O'Dea was loaned tochampionship clubReading in September 2009 for more first-team experience and he called it a "massive chance" to represent Celtic.[14] He made his debut in a 0–0 draw againstDoncaster Rovers, with his second-half shot saved by Doncaster goalkeeperNeil Sullivan.[15] In a September interview, O'Dea was reluctant to return to Celtic for rare match opportunities.[16]
Returning from Reading in January 2010, he started all five games that month. O'Dea was appointed stand-in captain afterStephen McManus went on loan toMiddlesbrough andGary Caldwell left forWigan.[17] At the start of the following season, again finding himself superfluous at Celtic, he was loaned toIpswich Town on 18 August 2010 until January 2011[18] and made his Ipswich debut againstCrystal Palace on 21 August.[19] In January O'Dea said he was uncertain if his loan would be extended because of the sacking of Ipswich managerRoy Keane, expressing his desire to stay.[20] New managerPaul Jewell unexpectedly extended his loan to the end of the season.[21]Vital Football praised O'Dea's performance in a league cup match againstArsenal, with Jewell calling it "tremendous and crucial in the result".[22] Two months later, he expressed a desire to return to Celtic instead of signing permanently with Ipswich.[23] O'Dea said he would play for another club if he did not have first-team opportunities at Celtic, since he felt that playing was "not about sitting on a bench".[24]
In May 2011, he said he "may quit Celtic" to play regularly and represent the national team at the2012 UEFA Euro qualifiers.[25] The following monthLeeds United signed him on loan until the end of the season, and he said his objective on his new club was to win promotion toPremier League.[26] O'Dea made his Leeds debut in a 3–1 loss toSouthampton.[27] He scored his first goal for the club againstCoventry City,[28] an "angled shot" for a 1–1 draw.[29] O'Dea again found the net in the next game, againstPeterborough United, in the 95th minute for a 3–2 win.[30] AgainstCardiff City, according to the BBC Leeds conceded a goal due to O'Dea's "indecision" which "opened the door forJoe Mason".[31] In a January 2012 interview he expressed his desire to sign permanently with Leeds,[32] although he received a red card in a loss toBlackpool.[33] O'Dea played 38 times for Leeds, scoring twice.[34] Due to his form with Leeds and Ireland, O'Dea and teammateAidy White were nominated for the Young International Player of the Year at theFootball Association of Ireland International Football Awards.[35] He won the award in a ceremony held in February 2012.[36]
After spending the previous two seasons out on loan, O'Dea was released by Celtic at the end of his contract on 1 June 2012 despite a one-year contract-extension option. He said he "had a great time at Celtic and have a lot of friends there so it was important for me that I left properly".[37]
O'Dea signed withMajor League Soccer clubToronto FC on 3 August 2012,[38] and made his club debut on 18 August in a 1–0 home loss toSporting Kansas City. According toCBC News, he looked "lively" in his first match with the team.[39] In a match againstHouston Dynamo he passed toTerry Dunfield, who scored, and at the end of the game said he was "delighted" with the result.[40] ManagerPaul Mariner named O'Dea team captain in September, succeeding the injuredTorsten Frings.[41] The following month, he was unable to play a match againstMontreal Impact due to a thigh injury sustained during World Cup qualifying play for Ireland.[42] In O'Dea's first season for Toronto, he played nine times[43] as Toronto finished tenth in theEastern Conference.[44] O'Dea was employed at left back for the2013 season after the regular player at that position was injured. According to him, it had been two years since he had previously played left back.[45] O'Dea scored his first goal for Toronto on 3 July 2013 in a 3–3 home draw with Canadian rivalsMontreal Impact.[46] Because of his "keen sense of positioning and timing" against Sporting Kansas City, he was named to the Team of the Week for 12 March.[47] Originally part of a transfer (a "win-win for both parties", according to head coachRyan Nelsen, since O'Dea was the highest-paid player in the league), he was released by Toronto on 18 July 2013 to sign withFC Metalurh Donetsk.[48] Club presidentKevin Payne wished him luck and hoped he would return in the future. O'Dea played a total of 26 times for Toronto, scoring one goal and setting up three,[49] and was succeeded as team captain bySteven Caldwell.[50]
After his release from Toronto O'Dea signed a three-year contract withUkraine'sFC Metalurh Donetsk.[51] He debuted for the team in a 20 July 2013 1–1 draw withFC Karpaty Lviv, playing 46 minutes before being substituted.[52] O'Dea scored his first goal for Metalurh in his second game, a 2–1 away win overVorskla Poltava.[53] He left the club in August 2014, terminating his contract two years early due to the unrest in Ukraine. O'Dea described the situation in the country as "hostile and intense, but also surreal".[54]
O'Dea then signed withchampionship clubBlackpool in December 2014,[55] making his debut in a 6–1 loss toBournemouth. Bournemouth's fourth goal was scored byBrett Pitman, converting a penalty shot incurred by O'Dea (who fouledCallum Wilson in thepenalty area).[56] AgainstWolverhampton Wanderers, the BBC reported that he "got into a terrible muddle trying to cut out a pass fromKevin McDonald" and allowedBenik Afobe (in his first game for Wolverhampton) to score the second goal.[57] O'Dea was injured in a match againstNottingham Forest in February 2015, forcing him to miss the game withBlackburn Rovers.[58] Released when his contract expired in May, he said the club had a "disastrous season".[59] O'Dea played 20 times for Blackpool.[43]
Although theToronto Sun reported in May 2015 that O'Dea might re-sign with the city's MLS club,[60] he signed a contract until 22 December withIndian Super League clubMumbai City FC, managed byNicolas Anelka. Calling his signing "a new experience, a new chapter", he said he knew little about the quality of football in the league.[61] O'Dea made his ISL debut on 10 October, starting in a goalless draw atKerala Blasters.[62] He left the club after making nine appearances.
O'Dea signed a short-term contract withDundee in January 2016.[63] On 22 March 2016, he signed a new three-year contract.[64] In June 2017, O'Dea was named as permanent club captain by Dundee, having performed the role during the previous season in place of the injuredJames McPake.[65]
On 7 May 2019, O'Dea announced in a long-form announcement on his Twitter account that he would be leaving Dundee at the end of the season, and that this would mark the conclusion of his last season as a full-time professional footballer.[66][67][68]
O'Dea signed for his local sideEast Kilbride in May 2019 but left in August without making a singleLowland League appearance for the club.[69] O'Dea left to focus on his coaching commitments withMotherwell full time.[70]
After playing for the Irish under-19 andunder-21 teams, O'Dea was called up to theinternational squad within a year.[71] Promoted to the Irish under-21 international squad by managerDon Givens on 3 March 2007,[72] he was the team captain. Less than a week later, O'Dea was named to the international squad for Ireland'sUEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group D matches on 24 and 28 March.[73][74]
On 13 May 2008, he was listed onGiovanni Trapattoni's first squad as Ireland's manager for the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 8 matches againstBulgaria andItaly.[75] O'Dea made his senior-team debut on 8 September 2009 in a 1–0friendly win overSouth Africa atThomond Park inLimerick as a 60th-minute substitute forPaul McShane.[76]
After a match against theCzech Republic, O'Dea said he dreamed of being named to the Irish squad forUEFA Euro 2012.[77] Although he was on the roster for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine,[78] he did not appear; the Irish were eliminated from the group stage.[79] O'Dea scored his first senior goal for Ireland, an 88th-minute header, in aWorld Cup qualifying match against theFaroe Islands on 16 October 2012 which Ireland won 4–1.[80]
O'Dea's manager atToronto FC,Paul Mariner, described him as a "different specimen" with "fantastic habits" and a good leader.[81] According toMiloš Kocić, he is a good defender ofset pieces.[82]
O'Dea was appointed to a coaching position withMotherwell in May 2019.[83] In September 2019 he left Motherwell and returned to Celtic to become manager of their under-18s.[84] In October 2021 he was promoted to coach Celtic's B team and later became head coach in June 2022.[85] In April 2024,Celtic announced a new role for O'Dea as the professional player pathway manager for the club with the aim of developing and progressing academy players into the first team.[86]
In June 2025, O'Dea joinedSwansea City as assistant to compatriotAlan Sheehan.[87] On 22 November, between Sheehan's dismissal and the appointment ofVítor Matos, O'Dea was caretaker manager as Swansea lost 3–0 away toBristol City in theEFL Championship.[88]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental[a] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celtic | 2006–07[89] | Scottish Premier League | 14 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 3 |
| 2007–08[90] | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09[91] | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10[92] | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| Total | 49 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 70 | 6 | ||
| Reading (loan) | 2009–10[92] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Ipswich Town (loan) | 2010–11[93] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |
| Leeds United (loan) | 2011–12[94] | Championship | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 2 | |
| Toronto FC | 2012[43] | Major League Soccer | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2013[43] | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |||
| Metalurh Donetsk | 2013–14[43] | Ukrainian Premier League | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | |
| Blackpool | 2014–15[43] | Championship | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |
| Mumbai City FC | 2015[43] | Indian Super League | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Dundee | 2015–16[95] | Scottish Premiership | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | |
| 2016–17[96] | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 39 | 5 | |||
| 2017–18[97] | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19[98] | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 | 0 | |||
| Total | 88 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 270 | 13 | 20 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 317 | 16 | ||
Celtic
International
