Andrew O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Andrew James "Andy" O'Brien (born 29 June 1979) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Leeds United.
Born in Harrogate
, England
, O'Brien won 26 caps
for Republic of Ireland
between 2001 and 2006 and was a member of Ireland's 2002 World Cup
squad. He retired from international duty in 2006.
, England
, O'Brien began his footballing career at St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, under the stewardship of his manager, Max Mills. He joined Leeds United's academy and played in the same youth side as Harry Kewell
and Jonathan Woodgate
, however O'Brien was released by Leeds at the age of 14. His talent as a defender was spotted by Bradford City
and joined their junior ranks in 1994. He made his senior debut in October 1996 against Queens Park Rangers
. He soon became a regular in the Bradford City first team, and helped the Bantams to promotion to the FA Premier League
during the 1998–99
season.
He was a regular in the Bradford City side during its two years in the Premier League, forming a partnership with club captain David Wetherall
in central defence. In 2000–01
, City were in financial difficulties and facing relegation when Newcastle United
bid for O'Brien. After 133 league appearances he moved to St James' Park
in March 2001 for a club record £2 million fee, equalling the same fee Des Hamilton
had also left Bradford City to Newcastle.
. One of his first games saw him score an equaliser in a north-east derby with Sunderland, while in his first full season the club secured a place in the Champions League
qualifiers. The following season the club bought defenders Titus Bramble
during the summer and Jonathan Woodgate
in the January transfer window and it looked like O'Brien would be third choice but over the following year manager Bobby Robson
settled on O'Brien and Woodgate as his central defence partnership.
Despite several years as a solid defender at Newcastle, Andy suffered from poor form in the latter part of the 2004–05
campaign, as Newcastle finished a disappointing 14th in the Premiership. However, his reputation was such that Portsmouth
paid £2 million to bring him to Fratton Park
.
and the good form of club captain Linvoy Primus
.
's Irish boss Roy Keane
would sign the centre back. This came after Keane signed many Irish players to represent Sunderland. Instead he signed for Bolton
on 13 August 2007.
O'Brien quickly settled at the Reebok Stadium and impressed the fans in his first few appearances as part of the Wanderers squad including a dominating performance in the UEFA Cup tie against FK Rabotnicki and in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.
O'Brien after captaining the team in a Uefa Cup
game against Sporting Lisbon he said that he is having the time of his life at Bolton.
In May 2008, his efforts were recognised by Wanderers supporters when he was named as The Bolton News
Player of the Season following a poll held by the newspaper.
On 7 October 2008, O'Brien signed an extension to his contract at Bolton until 2011 and once again reaffirmed his happiness at the Reebok Stadium.
On 11 April 2009, O'Brien scored his first goal in four and a half years, and his first goal for Bolton, against Chelsea
at Stamford Bridge
. After being a regular starter under Gary Megson
, O'Brien found himself on the substitutes bench when Owen Coyle
took over, with Gary Cahill
and Zat Knight
the preferred central defender partnership. After Middlesbrough offered to loan O'Brien from Bolton, Owen Coyle
rejected the loan move preferring to keep O'Brien as backup
said of the move Andy has had a fantastic career, and has great experience. He's a leader and will be a valuable member of the squad for the next month The move saw O'Brien re-join the club he started his career at, he was released by Leeds 17 years earlier as a 14 year old. O'Brien was given squad number 40 and made his debut for Leeds against Scunthorpe United. In November 2010, O'Brien revealed that he would be interested in possibly making his loan move to Leeds permanent O'Brien scored his first goal for Leeds with a jumping header against Hull City
. On 24 November, the loan was extended until 4 January 2011.
After a two game spell on the sidelines with injury, O'Brien returned to Leeds' starting lineup against Leicester City. O'Brien scored an own goal against his former club Portsmouth. On 30 December, manager Simon Grayson
confirmed he wanted to sign O'Brien permanently. O'Brien was also subject of interest from Cardiff City
.
On 1 January 2011 O'Brien signed a permanent deal with Leeds United on a two and a half year contract, which took effect after his current loan deal comes to an end on 4 January 2011. He turned down a lucrative offer from Cardiff City
, opting to move permanently to Leeds. 8 January O'Brien put in an impressive performance to help earn Leeds a 1-1 draw against Arsenal
, Leeds were 1-0 up when Robert Snodgrass
scored a second half penalty, Arsenal
equalised in the 90th minute when Cesc Fabregas
scored a penalty. O'Brien picked up an injury in the FA Cup replay against Arsenal and subsequently missed the game against his former club Portsmouth O'Brien scored his second goal for Leeds in the 3–2 loss against Millwall.
. Then stepped up his recovery against Leicester City
in a behind closed doors friendly. The summer also saw O'Brien take the number 5 shirt after previously occupying the number 40 shirt. O'Brien started for Leeds the opening day of the season as they crashed to a 3–1 defeat against Southampton
, with O'Brien at fault for the second goal when his backwards header was converted by Adam Lallana
. He was given a torrid time against his former club Bradford City and was substituted to loud jeers in the second half with Leeds 2–1 down. Leeds went onto win the game 3–2. O'Brien dropped out of the Leeds squad for the following game on 13 August against Middlesbrough
in a match Leeds lost 1–0.
After nearly three months out of the side, O'Brien returned to the Leeds team due to the suspension and injury of Tom Lees
and Darren O'Dea
and helped Leeds keep a clean sheet against Leicester City on 6 November. O'Brien was linked with a loan move to West Ham
during November, however manager Simon Grayson
revealed he wasn't looking to send O'Brien out on loan.
After Leeds 2-1 win against Burnley on Saturday 19th November, Manager Simon Grayson revealed post match, that Andy O'Brien
had come to him the day before the game and refused to play for Leeds ever again, Grayson subsequently stated that O'Brien's career at Leeds was now over due to his refusal to play.
, earning his first cap against Estonia
in Tallinn
in 2001. He later become a regular in the Irish squad, and was included as part of their 2002 World Cup squad. He scored his first, and ultimately only, goal for Ireland to give his country a 1–0 win against Portugal
on 9 February 2005.
After being picked for the squad to face Brazil
on 6 February 2008, he did not report for training on 3 February 2008 and Ireland caretaker manager Don Givens
received a message from O'Brien announcing his retirement from international football. He played 26 games for Ireland, with his last coming against Cyprus
on 7 October 2006.
|1996–97||rowspan="5"|Bradford City
||rowspan="3"|First Division
||22||2||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||25||2
|-
|1997–98||26||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||27||0
|-
|1998–99||30||0||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||34||0
|-
|1999–2000
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||36||1||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||40||1
|-
|2000–01
||18||0||1||0||0||0||4||0||23||0
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="5"|Newcastle United
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||9||1||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||9||1
|-
|2001–02||34||2||5||1||4||0||1||0||44||3
|-
|2002–03||26||0||1||0||0||0||12||0||39||0
|-
|2003–04||28||1||1||0||13||0||colspan="2"|-||32||1
|-
|2004–05||23||2||3||0||1||0||11||0||38||2
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="2"|Portsmouth
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||29||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||32||0
|-
|2006–07||3||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="4"|Bolton Wanderers
||rowspan="4"|Premier League||32||0||1||0||1||0||8||0||42||0
|-
|2008–09||34||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||36||1
|-
|2009–10||6||0||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2010–11||2||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0
|-
|2010–11||rowspan="1"|Leeds United
||rowspan="1"|Championship
||30||1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||18||1
359||10||25||1||29||0||36||0||449||11
359||10||25||1||29||0||36||0||449||11
|}
|-
|2001||3||0
|-
|2002||2||0
|-
|2003||3||0
|-
|2004||9||0
|-
|2005||5||1
|-
|2006||4||0
|-
!Total||26||1
|}
Born in Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, O'Brien won 26 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
between 2001 and 2006 and was a member of Ireland's 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
squad. He retired from international duty in 2006.
Bradford City
Born in HarrogateHarrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, O'Brien began his footballing career at St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, under the stewardship of his manager, Max Mills. He joined Leeds United's academy and played in the same youth side as Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...
and Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...
, however O'Brien was released by Leeds at the age of 14. His talent as a defender was spotted by Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
and joined their junior ranks in 1994. He made his senior debut in October 1996 against Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
. He soon became a regular in the Bradford City first team, and helped the Bantams to promotion to the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
during the 1998–99
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
season.
He was a regular in the Bradford City side during its two years in the Premier League, forming a partnership with club captain David Wetherall
David Wetherall
David Wetherall is an English former footballer who played as a central defender, finishing his playing career with Bradford City at the end of the 2007–08 season. Born in Sheffield, he supported Sheffield Wednesday as a child, and started his playing career there...
in central defence. In 2000–01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
, City were in financial difficulties and facing relegation when Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
bid for O'Brien. After 133 league appearances he moved to St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
in March 2001 for a club record £2 million fee, equalling the same fee Des Hamilton
Des Hamilton
Derrick Vivian "Des" Hamilton is an English retired professional footballer. He was a midfielder, who played most notably for Bradford City which counted for nearly half his career appearances and in the Premier League with Newcastle United...
had also left Bradford City to Newcastle.
Newcastle United
He quickly became a central figure in the Magpies defence, making more than 170 league and cup appearances in the ensuing four years. His performances also earned O'Brien a call-up to the Republic of Ireland national football teamRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. One of his first games saw him score an equaliser in a north-east derby with Sunderland, while in his first full season the club secured a place in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifiers. The following season the club bought defenders Titus Bramble
Titus Bramble
Titus Malachi Bramble is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a defender. He is currently suspended by Sunderland after bring arrested for possession of a class A drug and sexual assault.-Ipswich Town:...
during the summer and Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...
in the January transfer window and it looked like O'Brien would be third choice but over the following year manager Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
settled on O'Brien and Woodgate as his central defence partnership.
Despite several years as a solid defender at Newcastle, Andy suffered from poor form in the latter part of the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
campaign, as Newcastle finished a disappointing 14th in the Premiership. However, his reputation was such that Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
paid £2 million to bring him to Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
.
Portsmouth
O'Brien was Alain Perrin's first signing for Portsmouth. Although he started the season poorly, his form improved as the campaign wore on. However injury forced him to miss the conclusion of his first season. He fell down the Portsmouth first-team list with the arrival of Sol CampbellSol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
and the good form of club captain Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Primus
Linvoy Stephen Primus is an English former footballer.Born in Forest Gate, England, to Caribbean-born parents, Primus began his professional career at Charlton Athletic; where he made four league appearances...
.
Bolton Wanderers
There were rumours that SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
's Irish boss Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
would sign the centre back. This came after Keane signed many Irish players to represent Sunderland. Instead he signed for Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 13 August 2007.
O'Brien quickly settled at the Reebok Stadium and impressed the fans in his first few appearances as part of the Wanderers squad including a dominating performance in the UEFA Cup tie against FK Rabotnicki and in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.
O'Brien after captaining the team in a Uefa Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
game against Sporting Lisbon he said that he is having the time of his life at Bolton.
In May 2008, his efforts were recognised by Wanderers supporters when he was named as The Bolton News
The Bolton News
The Bolton News - formerly the Bolton Evening News - is a daily newspaper covering the towns of Bolton and Bury in north-western England...
Player of the Season following a poll held by the newspaper.
On 7 October 2008, O'Brien signed an extension to his contract at Bolton until 2011 and once again reaffirmed his happiness at the Reebok Stadium.
On 11 April 2009, O'Brien scored his first goal in four and a half years, and his first goal for Bolton, against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
. After being a regular starter under Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
, O'Brien found himself on the substitutes bench when Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....
took over, with Gary Cahill
Gary Cahill
Gary James Cahill is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Bolton Wanderers and the England national football team.-Club career:...
and Zat Knight
Zat Knight
Zatyiah "Zat" Knight is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. Knight has two caps for England.-Club career:-Fulham:Fulham signed Knight from Rushall Olympic on a free transfer in 1999...
the preferred central defender partnership. After Middlesbrough offered to loan O'Brien from Bolton, Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....
rejected the loan move preferring to keep O'Brien as backup
Leeds United
During the 2010–11 season, O'Brien picked up a hamstring injury for Bolton in the Premier League game against Aston Villa. In October 2010 O'Brien was linked with a loan move to Leeds United to help re-gain match fitness O'Brien joined Leeds United on an initial 1 month's loan on 29 October 2010. Manager Simon GraysonSimon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
said of the move Andy has had a fantastic career, and has great experience. He's a leader and will be a valuable member of the squad for the next month The move saw O'Brien re-join the club he started his career at, he was released by Leeds 17 years earlier as a 14 year old. O'Brien was given squad number 40 and made his debut for Leeds against Scunthorpe United. In November 2010, O'Brien revealed that he would be interested in possibly making his loan move to Leeds permanent O'Brien scored his first goal for Leeds with a jumping header against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. On 24 November, the loan was extended until 4 January 2011.
After a two game spell on the sidelines with injury, O'Brien returned to Leeds' starting lineup against Leicester City. O'Brien scored an own goal against his former club Portsmouth. On 30 December, manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
confirmed he wanted to sign O'Brien permanently. O'Brien was also subject of interest from Cardiff City
Cardiff city
Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...
.
On 1 January 2011 O'Brien signed a permanent deal with Leeds United on a two and a half year contract, which took effect after his current loan deal comes to an end on 4 January 2011. He turned down a lucrative offer from Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, opting to move permanently to Leeds. 8 January O'Brien put in an impressive performance to help earn Leeds a 1-1 draw against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Leeds were 1-0 up when Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass is a Scottish footballer who plays for Leeds United as a winger comfortable playing on either side of the pitch. He can also play as a forward...
scored a second half penalty, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
equalised in the 90th minute when Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
scored a penalty. O'Brien picked up an injury in the FA Cup replay against Arsenal and subsequently missed the game against his former club Portsmouth O'Brien scored his second goal for Leeds in the 3–2 loss against Millwall.
2011–12 season
After picking up a hip injury during the 2011–12 pre-season he missed all the pre-season games, to return against his former club Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. Then stepped up his recovery against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
in a behind closed doors friendly. The summer also saw O'Brien take the number 5 shirt after previously occupying the number 40 shirt. O'Brien started for Leeds the opening day of the season as they crashed to a 3–1 defeat against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, with O'Brien at fault for the second goal when his backwards header was converted by Adam Lallana
Adam Lallana
Adam David Lallana is an English footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Championship club Southampton. Born in St Albans, Lallana began his career with Southampton as a youth player in 2000...
. He was given a torrid time against his former club Bradford City and was substituted to loud jeers in the second half with Leeds 2–1 down. Leeds went onto win the game 3–2. O'Brien dropped out of the Leeds squad for the following game on 13 August against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in a match Leeds lost 1–0.
After nearly three months out of the side, O'Brien returned to the Leeds team due to the suspension and injury of Tom Lees
Tom Lees
Thomas James "Tom" Lees is an English professional footballer, who plays as a defender for Leeds United. Lees has undertaken two season-long loan spells at Bury and Accrington Stanley...
and Darren O'Dea
Darren O'Dea
Darren O'Dea [pronounced dah-renh-oh-dee] is an Irish footballer who currently plays as a centre back for English Football League Championship club Leeds United after joining on a loan deal from Celtic. O'Dea has represented his country at under-21 level and at senior level...
and helped Leeds keep a clean sheet against Leicester City on 6 November. O'Brien was linked with a loan move to West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
during November, however manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
revealed he wasn't looking to send O'Brien out on loan.
After Leeds 2-1 win against Burnley on Saturday 19th November, Manager Simon Grayson revealed post match, that Andy O'Brien
Andy O'Brien
Andrew "Andy" O'Brien is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Ross Davidson. One of the original characters created for the series, Andy made his appearance one month after the show first broadcast in March 1985. Portrayed as altruistic and middle-classed,...
had come to him the day before the game and refused to play for Leeds ever again, Grayson subsequently stated that O'Brien's career at Leeds was now over due to his refusal to play.
International career
O'Brien has dual British-Irish citizenship, and despite representing England at under 18 and under 21 level, he elected to represent the Republic of Ireland at under 21 and senior level. O'Brien's performances for Newcastle led to him being called up to the Republic of Ireland national football teamRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, earning his first cap against Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
in 2001. He later become a regular in the Irish squad, and was included as part of their 2002 World Cup squad. He scored his first, and ultimately only, goal for Ireland to give his country a 1–0 win against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
on 9 February 2005.
After being picked for the squad to face Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
on 6 February 2008, he did not report for training on 3 February 2008 and Ireland caretaker manager Don Givens
Don Givens
Daniel Joseph "Don" Givens is a football player and coach, and former Republic of Ireland U21 team manager...
received a message from O'Brien announcing his retirement from international football. He played 26 games for Ireland, with his last coming against Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
on 7 October 2006.
Statistics
|-|1996–97||rowspan="5"|Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
||rowspan="3"|First Division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||22||2||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||25||2
|-
|1997–98||26||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||27||0
|-
|1998–99||30||0||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||34||0
|-
|1999–2000
1999–2000 Bradford City A.F.C. season
During the 1999–2000 English football season, Bradford City A.F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.-Season summary:David Wetherall's goal on the final day of the season gave Bradford City a surprise 1-0 victory over Liverpool, which secured the top division place that the Bantams had spent 77...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||36||1||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||40||1
|-
|2000–01
2000–01 Bradford City A.F.C. season
During the 2000–01 English football season, Bradford City A.F.C. competed in the FA Premier League. It was their second consectutive season in England's top flight, having retained their Premiership status on the last day of the previous season.-Season summary:...
||18||0||1||0||0||0||4||0||23||0
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="5"|Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||9||1||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||9||1
|-
|2001–02||34||2||5||1||4||0||1||0||44||3
|-
|2002–03||26||0||1||0||0||0||12||0||39||0
|-
|2003–04||28||1||1||0||13||0||colspan="2"|-||32||1
|-
|2004–05||23||2||3||0||1||0||11||0||38||2
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="2"|Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||29||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||32||0
|-
|2006–07||3||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="4"|Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
||rowspan="4"|Premier League||32||0||1||0||1||0||8||0||42||0
|-
|2008–09||34||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||36||1
|-
|2009–10||6||0||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2010–11||2||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0
|-
|2010–11||rowspan="1"|Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
||rowspan="1"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||30||1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||18||1
359||10||25||1||29||0||36||0||449||11
359||10||25||1||29||0||36||0||449||11
|}
|-
|2001||3||0
|-
|2002||2||0
|-
|2003||3||0
|-
|2004||9||0
|-
|2005||5||1
|-
|2006||4||0
|-
!Total||26||1
|}
Honours
Bolton Wanderers- The Bolton NewsThe Bolton NewsThe Bolton News - formerly the Bolton Evening News - is a daily newspaper covering the towns of Bolton and Bury in north-western England...
Readers' player of the season 2007–08