 O'Shea lining up for theRepublic of Ireland in 2013 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Francis O'Shea[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1981-04-30)30 April 1981 (age 44) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Waterford, Ireland | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2][3] | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender,defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Republic of Ireland (assistant manager) | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| 1989–1995 | Ferrybank AFC | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Waterford Bohemians | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Manchester United | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1999–2011 | Manchester United | 256 | (10) | |||||||||||
| 2000 | →AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | →Royal Antwerp (loan) | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2011–2018 | Sunderland | 226 | (4) | |||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Reading | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Total | 515 | (15) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Republic of Ireland U16 | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2001–2018 | Republic of Ireland | 118 | (3) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Republic of Ireland U21 (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Republic of Ireland (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Republic of Ireland (interim) | |||||||||||||
| 2024– | Republic of Ireland (assistant) | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
John Francis O'Shea (/oʊˈʃeɪ/; born 30 April 1981) is an Irish professionalfootball coach and former player who is currently assistant manager of theRepublic of Ireland men's national team. He was known for his versatility in playing severaldefensive andmidfield positions on eitherside of the pitch or thecentre.[4] With 14 winners' medals, he is one of the most decorated Irish footballers of all time; onlyDenis Irwin,Roy Keane,Steve Heighway andRonnie Whelan have accrued more honours.[5]
Born inWaterford and growing up in Ferrybank, O'Shea joinedManchester United when he was 17. He spent loan spells atAFC Bournemouth andRoyal Antwerp before establishing himself in the Manchester United first team, going on to make 393 appearances and scoring 15 times in all competitions across 12 seasons. He won fivePremier League titles, oneFA Cup, twoFootball League Cups, fourFA Community Shields, theFIFA Club World Cup and theUEFA Champions League with the club. He joinedSunderland in July 2011. Having played 256 times for the Wearside club and scoring four goals, he signed forChampionship sideReading in July 2018. Retiring in May 2019, he joined that club's coaching staff that summer, before leaving in the summer of 2021. He then coached atStoke City andBirmingham City.
O'Shea made his Republic of Ireland debut in 2001 againstCroatia and made118 appearances for his national team over the next 17 years, scoring three goals, his first in 2003 againstAustralia. He was part of the team thatcontroversially lost to France in a play-off for the2010 FIFA World Cup and went on to play inUEFA Euro 2012 andUEFA Euro 2016. He then served as assistant manager on the under-21 and senior teams, as well as interim manager of the latter in 2024.
Before joining theManchester United academy, O'Shea played for Ferrybank AFC and Waterford Bohemians.[6] He signed professional forms at the age of 17 and made his professional debut on 13 October 1999 againstAston Villa atVilla Park in a 3–0Football League Cup defeat.[7]
In January 2000, O'Shea was loaned toAFC Bournemouth in theFootball League Second Division. He played 11 total games for the Cherries and scored once in the third minute of a 3–1 loss atMillwall on 19 February.[8][9] After a loan to Belgian sideRoyal Antwerp, he returned to Manchester and began to feature in the United first team in the2002–03 season, demonstrating versatility by playing at left-back, right-back, centre-back and central midfield during the successful2002–03 Premier League campaign.[7]
In2003–04, United were withoutRio Ferdinand after he began a suspension for missing a drugs test in January, and O'Shea took over from Ferdinand in central defence, helping United reach theFA Cup final where they triumphed 3–0 over Millwall.[7]
He displayed indifferent form in the2004–05 season and was linked with a move away from Manchester, withNewcastle United andLiverpool being linked with the Irishman.[10] One of the highlights of Manchester United's otherwise slightly disappointing season was the 4–2 away victory againstArsenal, in which O'Shea scored the fourth goal by chipping Arsenal goalkeeperManuel Almunia from the edge of the 18-yard box.[11]
An injury toGary Neville in the2005–06 season also gave O'Shea more first-team opportunities.[10] He was criticised for his lacklustre performances that season, and was reportedly one of the players lambasted by United veteranRoy Keane in a controversial interview on the club'sMUTV channel.[10]
On 4 February 2007, during a league game againstTottenham Hotspur, O'Shea deputised forEdwin van der Sar in goal after Van der Sar was taken off the pitch for a broken nose, while Manchester United had already used all three substitutes. During this time, he denied his Republic of Ireland teammateRobbie Keane a goal with a save a few minutes before full-time. Following this incident, United fans chanted"Ireland's number one" in O'Shea's honour.[12]
A month later, he won over many United fans by scoring a stoppage-time winner against Liverpool atAnfield for United in the league, having come on as a substitute forWayne Rooney.[13] This goal was important in United going on to regain the Premier League trophy for the2006–07 season.[7] He also rescued his team against Everton in one of the final games of the season, when he bundled the ball into the net afterEverton goalkeeperIain Turner fumbled aRyan Giggs corner. United went on to win 4–2.[14] This was perhaps an even more decisive goal, asBolton Wanderers were drawing withChelsea at the same time and defeat would have let Chelsea back into the title race. He scored another goal from close range, in a 2–1 defeat away toPortsmouth that season, this goal came during an injury-hit part of the season, where O'Shea, as a versatile player, was required to play at full-back. O'Shea had a shooting accuracy of 100% and scored with 80% of his shots in the2006–07 season.[15]
During the2007–08 season, Manchester United used O'Shea as an emergency striker due to injury problems. His use as a striker gave him the distinction of having played in every position for Manchester United.[10] In November 2007, O'Shea extended his contract at Manchester United, to keep him at the club until 2012. Throughout the 2007–08 season, O'Shea came off the bench several times as United won aPremier League and Champions League double. O'Sheacaptained his club for the first time during a 2–0 home defeat toCoventry City in theLeague Cup Fourth Round.[16]
Throughout the2008–09 season, O'Shea became a regular within the team, deputising at right-back because of injuries toGary Neville andWes Brown. On 20 January 2009, O'Shea scored his first goal of the season againstDerby County in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final.[17] O'Shea then started the2009 Football League Cup final, before being replaced byNemanja Vidić on 76 minutes, United won the game 4–1 onpenalties.[18] On 29 April 2009, O'Shea scored the only goal of the game in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final againstArsenal, this set United up to go on and win in the second leg by 4–1 onaggregate.[19] O'Shea started and played the full 90 minutes in the2009 Champions League final 2–0 loss toBarcelona, and by many accounts was one of United's better performers on the night.[20][21][22]Sir Alex Ferguson had promised O'Shea, who was an unused substitute in the2008 Champions League final, a starting place in the 2009 final for his contribution to the team that season.[23]
O'Shea captained United for the second time againstBirmingham City in their first game of the2009–10 Premier League season.[24] On his 350th appearance he scored his first league goal in over two years againstStoke City on 29 September 2009, a header in a 2–0 win.[25] He captained the team for the third time in the second leg of United's2010–11 UEFA Champions League semi-final victory overSchalke 04,[26] but was not named in the squad forthe final.[27] O'Shea made 393 total appearances for Manchester United.[28]
On 7 July 2011, O'Shea signed a four-year contract withSunderland, managed by former Manchester United captainSteve Bruce, who paid Manchester United an undisclosed fee for O'Shea.[29] In his first appearance for Sunderland, a friendly againstArminia Bielefeld, O'Shea picked up a hamstring injury, ruling him out for the rest of pre-season and the start of the 2011–12 campaign. O'Shea made his first competitive appearance for Sunderland on 27 August 2011 in a goalless draw against Swansea.[30]
O'Shea scored his first Sunderland goal at theStadium of Light in the2012–13 season in a 2–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.[31]
At the end of the2016–17 season, which ended in Sunderland's relegation, O'Shea's contract had initially expired. However, the Irishman agreed to sign a one-year contract lasting until July 2018.[32]
O'Shea scored his first club goal for more than four years to help Sunderland clinch a 4–1 away win over Derby County to move off the bottom of theChampionship table on 30 March 2018.[33] At the end of the season, O'Shea suffered a second consecutive relegation with Sunderland as the team finished in last place.[34]
On 6 June 2018, O'Shea agreed terms on a one-year deal withChampionship clubReading. He would link up with his compatriotDavid Meyler who had signed for theBerkshire club a day earlier.[35][36]
O'Shea made his Reading debut on 14 August 2018, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute forYakou Méïté in a 2–0 home win againstBirmingham City in theEFL Cup.[37] He made his league debut for the club on 22 September in a 3–0 home victory overHull City in a match which he received a straightred card for a foul onChris Martin.[38][39]
O'Shea announced his retirement from football on 30 April 2019,[40] his 38th birthday, and made his final career appearance five days later in a goalless draw at home to Birmingham City where he received a guard of honour from both sets of players.[41]
O'Shea earned his first seniorcap for theRepublic of Ireland on 15 August 2001, when managerMick McCarthy sent him on as an 84th-minute substitute forGary Kelly in a friendly againstCroatia atLansdowne Road. He gave away a penalty for handball in injury time, which was scored byDavor Šuker for a 2–2 draw.[42] He was not included in the Irish squad for the2002 FIFA World Cup. On 19 August 2003, O'Shea scored his first international goal as he headed in Ireland's first in a 2–1 home friendly victory overAustralia.[43]
During the2010 World Cup qualifying, O'Shea was ever present in the starting line-up for eight of the 10 games. On 1 April 2009, in the game againstItaly, he was elbowed in the forehead byGiampaolo Pazzini, who earned the record for the fastest sending off in Italian football history. After receiving treatment for the bleeding, O'Shea continued playing all 90 minutes.[44]
Including the second leg of their play-off victory overEstonia, made nine appearances inUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying, as Ireland reached the continental tournament for the first time since1988. He played every minute oftheir finals campaign, agroup stage elimination after three defeats. On 15 August 2012, his 80th cap, O'Sheacaptained Ireland for the first time, in a goalless friendly draw againstSerbia at theRed Star Stadium inBelgrade.[45] On 15 October 2013, he opened a 3–1World Cup qualifying victory overKazakhstan at theAviva Stadium, his second international goal and the first in over a decade.[46]
O'Shea was scheduled to faceSpain on 11 June 2013 atYankee Stadium in New York, but was ruled out of the game over the sudden death of his uncle Jimmy O'Leary.[47] On 14 October 2014, on his100th cap, O'Shea scored the equalising goal with the last kick of the match, in a 1–1 draw againstGermany atGelsenkirchen, in aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match.[48] In the final qualifier, a 2–1 defeat away toPoland on 11 October 2015, he was sent off for a foul onRobert Lewandowski and thus missed the first leg of the Republic's play-off.[49]
O'Shea was selected in managerMartin O'Neill's 23-man squad forUEFA Euro 2016 in France.[50] In the absence ofRobbie Keane, he captained the Irish in their first two group matches, a 1–1 draw withSweden and a 3–0 loss toBelgium.[51][52] He was one of several players who lost their starting place for the decisive final game against Italy, as he and defensive partnerCiaran Clark made way forShane Duffy andRichard Keogh; the game ended with a 1–0 victory.[53][54] In the last 16, as Ireland lost 2–1 to the hosts atParc Olympique Lyonnais, O'Shea entered as a 68th-minute substitute forJames McClean.[55]
Over a year after his penultimate game for Ireland, O'Shea played his final of 118 matches on 2 June 2018, a 2–1 friendly win over theUnited States at the Aviva Stadium. After 34 minutes, he was substituted to widespread applause as debutantDarragh Lenihan came onto the pitch.[56] Before the game, he was congratulated by thePresident of Ireland,Michael D. Higgins, who called him "one of the most inspirational, committed and admired members of our national teams".[57]
In April 2020, O'Shea was named as assistant manager of theRepublic of Ireland under-21 team under managerJim Crawford.[58]
On 22 July 2022, O'Shea joinedStoke City as first-team coach.[59] He was one of 20 coaches who successfully completed theirUEFA Pro Licence course with theFootball Association of Ireland (FAI) in December 2022.[60][61] O'Shea left his role at Stoke on 12 May 2023.[62]
On 22 February 2023, O'Shea was named assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland senior team, under managerStephen Kenny.[63] He left in November after Kenny's contract ended.[64]
WhenWayne Rooney was appointed manager ofEFL Championship clubBirmingham City in October 2023, O'Shea joined his staff as a first-team coach.[65] He left by mutual consent at his own request a few days after Rooney's sacking in January 2024.[66]
On 28 February 2024, O'Shea was named as interim manager of the senior Republic of Ireland team for the March friendlies againstBelgium andSwitzerland, while theFootball Association of Ireland continued their search for a permanent manager. He continued as interim manager for the friendlies againstHungary andPortugal in June.[67] His debut on 23 March was a goalless draw at home to Belgium, withEvan Ferguson missing a penalty.[68]
In August 2024, O'Shea returned to his role as assistant coach of the Republic of Ireland team under new managerHeimir Hallgrímsson.[69]
O'Shea married his long-term partner, Yvonne Manning, in the Lady Chapel inMaynooth, County Kildare, Ireland on 8 June 2010.[70] They have a son and a daughter.[57]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other[a] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 23 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 32 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| Total | 256 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 76 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 393 | 15 | ||
| AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 1999–2000 | Second Division | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | |||
| Royal Antwerp (loan) | 2000–01 | Belgian First Division | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Sunderland | 2011–12 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 43 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | Championship | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 1 | |||
| Total | 226 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 0 | — | — | 256 | 4 | ||||
| Reading | 2018–19 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 515 | 15 | 42 | 1 | 44 | 2 | 76 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 684 | 20 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2001 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 118 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 August 2003 | Lansdowne Road,Dublin, Republic of Ireland | 8 |  Australia | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | [75] |
| 2 | 15 October 2013 | Aviva Stadium,Dublin, Republic of Ireland | 93 |  Kazakhstan | 2–1 | 3–1 | FIFA World Cup Qualification | [76] |
| 3 | 14 October 2014 | Veltins-Arena,Gelsenkirchen, Germany | 100 |  Germany | 1–1 | 1–1 | Euro 2016 qualifying | [77] |
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Republic of Ireland (Interim) | 28 February 2024 | 11 June 2024 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 025.00 | [78] |
Manchester United[79]
Sunderland
Republic of Ireland U16
Individual
Giampaolo Pazzini and John O'Shea: the aftermath. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Republic of Ireland squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
