Barry Bannan
Encyclopedia
Barry Bannan is a Scottish
professional footballer who plays for English Premier League club Aston Villa
. He plays as a midfielder
and is a Scotland full international, and also represented under-21
and B
levels. During his time at Villa Park
, Bannan has also spent loan spells in the Football League Championship
at Derby County
, Blackpool
and Leeds United
.
, Bannan began his career at local youth team Lenzie Youth Club managed by Sir Ian Stevenson and soon played for the under-14's at Celtic
. As a 14-year-old, Bannan was offered the chance to join Celtic's youth academy, but instead chose to accept a trial offer from Aston Villa
. Whilst on trial at the Academy of the English
club, he took part in the 2008 Ergenzingen Tournament in Germany
. The Villa youth outfit won the tournament courtesy of a 1–0 final victory over FSV Mainz, with Bannan being named player of the tournament. Shortly after, the young Scot was offered a two-year contract with the club.
In the 2007–08 season, he scored 13 goals in 32 matches for Villa's' academy team as they won the Premier Academy league title, as well as playing for the reserve team
as they won the Premier Reserve League South. Following the season's end he signed a two-year professional contract with the club. In November he was named "Young Player of the Month" by local radio station BBC WM
, the first Villa player to win the award twice. His first team début came on 17 December, as a substitute in a 1–3 UEFA Cup group stage defeat to German
side Hamburger SV
at the Volksparkstadion, and made his full début in the same competition's Round of 32, a 0–2 defeat away to Russian Premier League
side CSKA Moscow on 26 February 2009.
side Derby County
on loan for one month in March 2009. He scored on his Rams début, his first competitive league goal, in a 2–4 defeat to Sheffield United
at Bramall Lane
and his loan was extended to the end of the season, making a total of ten appearances and scoring once. Bannan was able to return to the Aston Villa reserve side that were champions of the Premier Reserve League South, and played in their 3–1 win over Premier Reserve League North winners Sunderland reserves
in the play-off final.
side Blackpool
on loan, making his début as an 87th-minute substitute in the 1–1 West Lancashire derby
with Preston North End
at Bloomfield Road
. His full début came in a 3–0 win away to Middlesbrough
on 8 December. In January 2010 the loan was extended to the end of the season, and two days later Bannan scored his first goal for the club, with a 30-yard lob, in a 1–1 draw away to Coventry City
. In February 2010, Bannan was one of three players, along with Ishmel Demontagnac
and Neal Eardley
, disciplined by Ian Holloway, when they were seen out at a nightclub two days previously in Blackpool
following the home defeat to Leicester City
. Bannan came on for the final two minutes at Wembley
as Blackpool won the Championship play-off final against Cardiff City and secured promotion to the Premier League.
. He scored his first goal for Villa in a Europa league qualifying match
against Rapid Vienna
. On 6 November, Bannan was handed his first start of the season against Fulham
and started the following two games against Blackpool
and Manchester United
. He was given a run of games in the first team by manager Gérard Houllier
due to the absence of many first-team players through injury. Bannan scored his first goal in the Premier League for Villa with a 57th minute penalty against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on the 25 September 2011.
. He made his home debut at Elland Road
on 12 March as a second half substitute against Ipswich Town
. Bannan was recalled from his loan spell at Leeds on Thursday 28th April 2011.
in their first five games of the 2011 UEFA Under-21 qualification campaign
. He made his début in a 1–0 victory over Albania
on 28 March 2009. On 15 November 2009 he helped the under-21s beat Azerbaijan
4–0 at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium
, Baku
. Bannan scored his first goal for the under 21s in a win against Austria
that earned qualification for the play-offs.
He also has one B
cap, earned in a 3–0 win over Northern Ireland B
on 6 May 2009. On 11 November 2010, Bannan received his first call up to the senior squad for the friendly against Faroe Islands
.
Bannan made his debut for the Scotland national team
against Faroe Islands
on 16 November 2010. Bannan's performance prompted manager Craig Levein
to call him a future star of Scottish football. 21 March Bannan was called up to the Scotland squad to face Brazil
. Bannan made his first competitive start for Scotland in a 1–0 win in the Euro 2012 qualifier at home to Lithuania
. Bannan was named man-of-the-match and got a standing ovation from the Hampden Park
crowd after setting up the winning goal.
Bannan has skill, vision and good passing ability. It is these attributes that led to Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier
likening him to Barcelona midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta
. Houllier had only been in charge of Villa for a few weeks before saying "He is an intelligent player, he can read the game well and adapt well. I don’t think Xavi and Iniesta, who are outstanding players, are of huge size. They are intelligent, they have the skill, they have the desire – young Barry has all of that." Ian Holloway
, who Bannan played under during his time at Blackpool, described him as "a beautiful footballer, absolutely lovely to watch".
Bannan's height and playing style have also led to Scotland
team-mate Darren Fletcher
comparing him to the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Paul Scholes
. The Manchester United midfielder stated that Bannan "is in the mould of the best midfielders in the world", and said "I'm talking about Xavi, Iniesta and Paul Scholes". John Mullen, a football coach that taught Bannan as a youngster at St. Margaret's High School, said in 2010 that he was unsurprised at the success of the midfielder. He claimed that Bannan "had all the attributes you could ask for in a player", was "always motivated" and "gave a lot to the team”.
In December 2010, Houllier was again full of praise for him. He said "Xavi, Iniesta, Messi
, Pedro
. You can watch and wonder if they are playing in the youth team sometimes. They have fast technique and young Barry has all of that." Houllier then defended Bannan's size, and insisted it won't hold him back. Houllier said "The Premier League has got more physical but it is not about a matter of size. Obviously you need size in some positions but it's also a matter of commitment and physical commitment. Barry is competitive."
Bannan, however, claimed that former Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill
had doubts over his ability due to his size.
, to James and Kathleen, who now live in Coatbridge
.
By the time he had reached the age of seven, Bannan had undergone four operations. The first was for a hernia
; two more followed for a blocked tube into his kidney
; and the fourth was for the removal of his appendix
.
Bannan is a big Celtic
supporter. His boyhood hero is midfielder Stiliyan Petrov
, who he now teams up with at Aston Villa.
On 24 October 2011, Bannan and Shrewsbury Town
striker James Collins
were arrested on suspicion of drink-driving
and failing to stop at the scene of an accident
after a crash on the M1 motorway
. It was later confirmed on 16 November that Bannan had been charged with a number of driving offenses for the incident, including driving while intoxicated and not stopping at the scene of an accident. as well as not having a licence.
Former Aston Villa
player Pat Heard
, coincidentally, was Bannan's driving instructor.
|2008–09||Aston Villa
||Premier League||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||2||0||2||0
|-
|2008–09||Derby County
(loan)||Championship
||10||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||10||1
|-
|2009–10
||Blackpool
(loan)||Championship
||20||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||20||1
|-
|2010–11||Aston Villa
||Premier League||12||0||1||0||3||0||3||1||19||1
|-
|2010–11
||Leeds United
(loan)||Championship
||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
|-
|2011–12
||Aston Villa
||Premier League||8||1||0||0||2||0||0||0||10||1
|-
50||3||1||0||5||0||5||1||61||4
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional footballer who plays for English Premier League club Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. He plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and is a Scotland full international, and also represented under-21
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
and B
Scotland B national football team
The Scotland B national football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is a secondary football team of Scotland, run occasionally as support for the Scotland national football team as a second string side to the first team....
levels. During his time at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
, Bannan has also spent loan spells in the Football League 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...
at Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and 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...
.
Aston Villa
Born in AirdrieAirdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
, Bannan began his career at local youth team Lenzie Youth Club managed by Sir Ian Stevenson and soon played for the under-14's at Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. As a 14-year-old, Bannan was offered the chance to join Celtic's youth academy, but instead chose to accept a trial offer from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Whilst on trial at the Academy of the English
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...
club, he took part in the 2008 Ergenzingen Tournament in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The Villa youth outfit won the tournament courtesy of a 1–0 final victory over FSV Mainz, with Bannan being named player of the tournament. Shortly after, the young Scot was offered a two-year contract with the club.
In the 2007–08 season, he scored 13 goals in 32 matches for Villa's
Aston Villa F.C. Reserves and Academy
Aston Villa Reserves are the reserve team of Aston Villa, they have been part of the FA Premier Reserve League since its foundation in 1999 and are current holders of the Premier Reserve League South title. The team plays its home games at Villa Park - during the months of Autumn and Spring - and...
as they won the Premier Reserve League South. Following the season's end he signed a two-year professional contract with the club. In November he was named "Young Player of the Month" by local radio station BBC WM
BBC WM
BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Launched on 9 November 1970 as BBC Radio Birmingham, it broadcasts from central Birmingham on 95.6 FM, DAB and on the internet...
, the first Villa player to win the award twice. His first team début came on 17 December, as a substitute in a 1–3 UEFA Cup group stage defeat to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
side Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
at the Volksparkstadion, and made his full début in the same competition's Round of 32, a 0–2 defeat away to Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
side CSKA Moscow on 26 February 2009.
Derby County (loan)
Bannan joined ChampionshipFootball 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...
side Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on loan for one month in March 2009. He scored on his Rams début, his first competitive league goal, in a 2–4 defeat to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
and his loan was extended to the end of the season, making a total of ten appearances and scoring once. Bannan was able to return to the Aston Villa reserve side that were champions of the Premier Reserve League South, and played in their 3–1 win over Premier Reserve League North winners Sunderland reserves
Sunderland 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...
in the play-off final.
Blackpool (loan)
In November 2009 Bannan joined ChampionshipFootball 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...
side Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on loan, making his début as an 87th-minute substitute in the 1–1 West Lancashire derby
West Lancashire derby
The West Lancashire derby is a local derby in English football, between Lancashire neighbours Blackpool F.C. and Preston North End F.C. The derby has taken place across all four tiers of the Football League, but not yet in the Premier League...
with Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
. His full début came in a 3–0 win away to 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...
on 8 December. In January 2010 the loan was extended to the end of the season, and two days later Bannan scored his first goal for the club, with a 30-yard lob, in a 1–1 draw away to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. In February 2010, Bannan was one of three players, along with Ishmel Demontagnac
Ishmel Demontagnac
Ishmel Abendigo Demontagnac is an English footballer who plays for Notts County as a winger. Only his first name is displayed on the back of his shirt.Demontagnac previously played for Walsall...
and Neal Eardley
Neal Eardley
Neal James Eardley is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Blackpool. His predominant position is as a right back...
, disciplined by Ian Holloway, when they were seen out at a nightclub two days previously in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
following the home defeat to 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...
. Bannan came on for the final two minutes at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
as Blackpool won the Championship play-off final against Cardiff City and secured promotion to the Premier League.
First-team breakthrough at Aston Villa
Bannan returned to Villa for the 2010–11 season, and made his Premier League debut on the opening day of the season, coming on as an 89th minute substitute against West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. He scored his first goal for Villa in a Europa league qualifying match
2010–11 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round
This article details the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round.Each tie is played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that has the higher aggregate score over the two legs progresses to the next round...
against Rapid Vienna
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
. On 6 November, Bannan was handed his first start of the season against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and started the following two games against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He was given a run of games in the first team by manager Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
due to the absence of many first-team players through injury. Bannan scored his first goal in the Premier League for Villa with a 57th minute penalty against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on the 25 September 2011.
Leeds United (loan)
On 7 March 2011, Bannan joined Leeds United on loan until the end of the 2010-11 season. Bannan made his Leeds debut as a second half substitute against Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. He made his home debut at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
on 12 March as a second half substitute against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. Bannan was recalled from his loan spell at Leeds on Thursday 28th April 2011.
International career
Bannan played for the Scotland under-21 teamScotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
in their first five games of the 2011 UEFA Under-21 qualification campaign
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 10
The teams competing in Group 10 of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championships qualifying competition were Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Scotland.-Standings:Qualification...
. He made his début in a 1–0 victory over Albania
Albania national under-21 football team
The Albania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
on 28 March 2009. On 15 November 2009 he helped the under-21s beat Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national under-21 football team
The Azerbaijan national under-21 football team are a feeder team to the Azerbaijan Senior team.- UEFA U-21 Championship Record:* 2002: Did not qualify. Finished 5th of 6 in qualification group....
4–0 at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium
Tofik Bakhramov Stadium
Tofiq Bahramov Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It serves as the home ground of FK Baku and the Azerbaijan national football team and holds 30,000, making it the largest stadium in the country.- History :The Tofiq Bahramov...
, Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
. Bannan scored his first goal for the under 21s in a win against Austria
Austria national under-21 football team
The Austria national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association....
that earned qualification for the play-offs.
He also has one B
Scotland B national football team
The Scotland B national football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is a secondary football team of Scotland, run occasionally as support for the Scotland national football team as a second string side to the first team....
cap, earned in a 3–0 win over Northern Ireland B
Northern Ireland B national football team
Northern Ireland B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the Northern Ireland national football team. Primarily seen as a stepping-stone between the Under-21 and Full international teams, the matches are also used to give a run-out for fringe players and to honour Irish...
on 6 May 2009. On 11 November 2010, Bannan received his first call up to the senior squad for the friendly against Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
.
Bannan made his debut for the Scotland national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
against Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
on 16 November 2010. Bannan's performance prompted manager Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
to call him a future star of Scottish football. 21 March Bannan was called up to the Scotland squad to face Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Bannan made his first competitive start for Scotland in a 1–0 win in the Euro 2012 qualifier at home to Lithuania
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
. Bannan was named man-of-the-match and got a standing ovation from the Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
crowd after setting up the winning goal.
Playing style
Bannan is primarily a central midfielder but also can play as a winger. He is particularly useful with his left foot.Bannan has skill, vision and good passing ability. It is these attributes that led to Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
likening him to Barcelona midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
. Houllier had only been in charge of Villa for a few weeks before saying "He is an intelligent player, he can read the game well and adapt well. I don’t think Xavi and Iniesta, who are outstanding players, are of huge size. They are intelligent, they have the skill, they have the desire – young Barry has all of that." Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...
, who Bannan played under during his time at Blackpool, described him as "a beautiful footballer, absolutely lovely to watch".
Bannan's height and playing style have also led to Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
team-mate Darren Fletcher
Darren Fletcher
Darren Barr Fletcher is a Scottish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester United. He is the current captain of Scottish national team...
comparing him to the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
. The Manchester United midfielder stated that Bannan "is in the mould of the best midfielders in the world", and said "I'm talking about Xavi, Iniesta and Paul Scholes". John Mullen, a football coach that taught Bannan as a youngster at St. Margaret's High School, said in 2010 that he was unsurprised at the success of the midfielder. He claimed that Bannan "had all the attributes you could ask for in a player", was "always motivated" and "gave a lot to the team”.
In December 2010, Houllier was again full of praise for him. He said "Xavi, Iniesta, Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
, Pedro
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma , commonly known as Pedro or Pedrito, is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, as a forward or winger....
. You can watch and wonder if they are playing in the youth team sometimes. They have fast technique and young Barry has all of that." Houllier then defended Bannan's size, and insisted it won't hold him back. Houllier said "The Premier League has got more physical but it is not about a matter of size. Obviously you need size in some positions but it's also a matter of commitment and physical commitment. Barry is competitive."
Bannan, however, claimed that former Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
had doubts over his ability due to his size.
Personal life
Bannan was born in AirdrieAirdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
, to James and Kathleen, who now live in Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
.
By the time he had reached the age of seven, Bannan had undergone four operations. The first was for a hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
; two more followed for a blocked tube into his kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
; and the fourth was for the removal of his appendix
Vermiform appendix
The appendix is a blind-ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouchlike structure of the colon...
.
Bannan is a big Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
supporter. His boyhood hero is midfielder Stiliyan Petrov
Stiliyan Petrov
Stiliyan Alyoshev Petrov is a Bulgarian footballer who captains Aston Villa in the Premier League and the Bulgarian national team. He won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 2003 when he was playing for Celtic...
, who he now teams up with at Aston Villa.
On 24 October 2011, Bannan and Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
striker James Collins
James Collins (footballer born 1990)
James Steven Collins, also known as Jim Collins and James Collins Jnr is an English-born Irish footballer who plays for League Two side Shrewsbury Town. A young striker, Collins has played a number of games for Aston Villa Reserves and spent loan spells at Darlington and Burton Albion...
were arrested on suspicion of drink-driving
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
and failing to stop at the scene of an accident
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
after a crash on the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
. It was later confirmed on 16 November that Bannan had been charged with a number of driving offenses for the incident, including driving while intoxicated and not stopping at the scene of an accident. as well as not having a licence.
Former Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
player Pat Heard
Pat Heard
Pat Heard is a retired English football defender or midfielder.A product of the youth system at Everton, Heard made only a handful of appearances for the club before moving on to Aston Villa...
, coincidentally, was Bannan's driving instructor.
Club career statistics
|-|2008–09||Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||Premier League||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||2||0||2||0
|-
|2008–09||Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
(loan)||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...
||10||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||10||1
|-
|2009–10
Blackpool F.C. season 2009–10
The 2009–10 season was Blackpool F.C.s 103rd season in the Football League. It was also their third consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. The club won promotion, via the play-offs, to the Premier League for the first time, their 28th overall season in the top...
||Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
(loan)||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...
||20||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||20||1
|-
|2010–11||Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||Premier League||12||0||1||0||3||0||3||1||19||1
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Leeds United A.F.C. season
This article details Leeds United A.F.C.'s 2010–11 season in The Championship. The season saw Leeds return to the second tier of English football for the first time in four years with them finishing in a respectable 7th position, just missing out on the play-offs...
||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...
(loan)||Championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 2011–12 Aston Villa F.C. season will be Aston Villa's 137th professional season; their 101st season in the top-flight; and their 24th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League...
||Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||Premier League||8||1||0||0||2||0||0||0||10||1
|-
50||3||1||0||5||0||5||1||61||4
Aston Villa
- Premier Academy LeaguePremier Academy LeagueThe Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...
: 2007–08 - Premier Reserve League: 2008–09, 2009–102009–10 Premier Reserve LeagueThe 2009–10 Premier Reserve League was the eleventh season since the establishment of the Premier Reserve League...
- Peace CupPeace Cupthumb|right|400px|The opening ceremony of 2003 competitionThe Peace Cup is an invitational pre-season friendly football tournament for club teams, currently held every two years by the Sunmoon Peace Football Foundation. It is contested by the eight clubs from several continents, though 12 teams...
: 20092009 Peace CupThe 2009 Peace Cup Andalucia was an invitational friendly football tournament. It was the 4th edition of Peace Cup and was held in Spain from 24 July to 2 August in the cities of Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Jerez and Huelva. It was the first time that the tournament has been hosted by a nation other...
Blackpool
- Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe 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...
Play-off: 2009-102010 Football League Championship play-off FinalThe 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 2010 to decide the third team to be promoted from The Championship to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season....
External links
- Barry Bannan profile Aston Villa FC