David Healy (footballer)
Encyclopedia
David Jonathan Healy, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (born 5 August 1979) is a Northern Ireland international
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

 footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

 champions Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

. He is the all-time leading scorer for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

 with 35 goals, and also holds the record for the highest scoring tally during a UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...

 qualifying campaign with 13.

He began his career at 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...

 in 1999, but signed for 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...

 two years later after a short loan spell. He spent three years with Preston, maintaining a healthy goals to games ratio, before transferring to 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...

 in 2004. After three years to Leeds he moved on to 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...

 for a season, before settling at Sunderland
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 2008. He moved north to Scotland to play for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 in January 2011. In addition to these clubs he has also played for Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

, Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

, 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....

, and Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

 on loan.

Before representing his country at a senior level, he also played for both the U21 team
Northern Ireland national under-21 football team
The Northern Ireland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Northern Ireland.-Former coaches:* To 20 August 2008.-2008/09 Matches:-Current squad:Squad to play San Marino.-Other Recent Call-Ups:...

 and the B team
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...

.

Manchester United

Healy was born and raised in Killyleagh, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, and played for Crossgar, Lisburn Youth and Down Academy High School in Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...

. He signed for 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...

 in August 1999, just four days before his 20th birthday. He made his début for United in a 3-0 defeat to 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...

 in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 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...

 on 13 October 1999. In February 2000 he was loaned to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

, but could only manage three goals in sixteen games for Brian Horton
Brian Horton
Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...

's relegation side.

In the following season he made a second appearance in the League Cup (as a 90th minute substitute in a game that went into extra time, United eventually losing to Sunderland
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...

). He made his Premier League début on 28 November 2000 as a second half substitute in a 2–0 victory over 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....

. This was to be his last appearance for United; he signed for 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...

 on loan on 29 December 2000, and the deal was made permanent five days later for a £1.5 million fee.

Preston North End

In the remainder of the 2000–01 season, Healy made 26 appearances for Preston and scored 10 goals. He was a virtual ever-present in the 2001–02 season, appearing in 44 league games and scoring 10 goals.

In the 2002–03 season he was less successful after Craig Brown replaced the departed David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...

. By the end of January 2003 he had made only 23 league appearances but scored five goals. Healy joined Nigel Worthington
Nigel Worthington
Nigel Worthington is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and manager.He was manager of the Northern Ireland national team from 2007 until after their final Euro 2012 qualifying campaign match against Italy in October 2011.As a player, he was a left full back and occasional left...

's Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

 on a month's loan at the end of January. In the end he stayed for the remainder of the season, but in thirteen appearances for the Canaries he scored only scored past Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

 and Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...

. Having attempted to sign him from Man United two years previously, Norwich attempted to sign Healy permanently from Preston but were denied by Brown.

He found his scoring form again in 2003–04, and netted 15 times in 42 matches for Preston.

Leeds United

Aiming for a move away from Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...

, Healy got his wish in October 2004, as he was signed by 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...

 for a £650,000 fee. In his first season at Leeds he was the club's joint top scorer alongside Brian Deane
Brian Deane
Brian Christopher Deane is an English former footballer.Signed for £40,000 from Doncaster Rovers in the close season of 1988, Deane first played and scored for Sheffield United in an 8–1 victory against Skegness Town...

 with seven goals, despite only joining Leeds halfway through the season. During his time 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...

 he was linked with dozens of moves to other clubs, the most notable rumour reported in the press being a potential £3 million move to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

.

He again finished as joint top scorer in the 2005–06 season, both he and Rob Hulse
Rob Hulse
Robert William "Rob" Hulse is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker.He had primarily spent his career at second tier level, playing there with Crewe Alexandra. West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Derby County...

 on fourteen goals. Leeds reached the play-off finals this season but lost in the final 3–0 to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

. During the management of Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper who since retiring as a player has worked as a coach and a manager. He has an identical twin, Noel.-Early career:...

 Healy found himself regularly being played out of position at Leeds, mainly as a right winger, with Leeds rotating Hulse, Cresswell
Richard Cresswell
Richard Paul Wesley Cresswell is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield United. Cresswell is a centre-forward who has adapted to life as a left midfielder.-Early career:...

 and Blake
Robbie Blake
Robert James "Robbie" Blake is an English footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers in the Barclays Premier League...

 up front.

Healy then finished the following 2006–07 season as Leeds' top scorer with ten goals. With Leeds relegated into League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

, he left the club at the end of the campaign.

Fulham

Healy reunited with former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip "Lawrie" Sanchez is a former Northern Irish football manager, and a former player. He is currently the manager of League Two side Barnet...

 at 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...

 in July 2007 for a reported fee of around £1.5 million. He scored his first goal for Fulham in a pre-season friendly against South China in the Asia Trophy, with a low diving header.

He scored fifty seconds into his league debut for the club following a mistake from 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...

 keeper Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...

. He also found the net in his second game against 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....

, in a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....

. However he only scored two further top-flight goals in the season (past Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

 and Sunderland), as well as two cup goals past Bolton and Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....

. Following the sacking of Sanchez, new manager Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...

 preferred a strike partnership of the American pairing of Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...

 and Eddie Johnson, leaving Healy on the bench.

In July 2008, Healy caused controversy when he adopted the posture of a flute player (symbolic of the Protestant Orange Order, similar to a previous incident involving Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...

). In response to a question posed by Celtic fans chanting "Where were you on the Twelfth
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...

?" during a pre-season friendly match against 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...

 at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....

. Healy subsequently apologised profusely for any offence he may have caused and signed many autographs for Celtic fans after the game. He remained out of favour with Roy Hodgson, who regarded his signings Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora
Robert Lester "Bobby" Zamora is an English footballer who plays for Fulham and the England national football team. Zamora began his career at Football League club Bristol Rovers, but was soon signed by Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found first team success...

 ahead of Healy in the pecking order.

Sunderland

In August 2008, Healy joined Sunderland
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...

 on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be worth £1.2 million. Despite this sum he would never start a league game for the Black Cats. Healy made his début for Sunderland four days later in the League Cup and marked by scoring the winning goal in extra time against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

. Healy also scored in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

. Healy scored his first Premier League goal for the club in a 2-0 home win against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 on 7 February 2009. He managed to score in every competition that Sunderland were entered into in his first season with the club.

He was sent out on loan to 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....

 during the winter 2010 transfer window along with team-mate Daryl Murphy
Daryl Murphy
Daryl Murphy is an Irish footballer who currently plays as a striker for Ipswich Town on loan from Scottish Premier League club Celtic.-Waterford United:...

. He made his debut 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...

 on 6 February 2010, helping Ipswich to earn a point by setting up Murphy to score with a cross. He scored his first goal for Ipswich on 24 February 2010, in a 1–1 draw with Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

, salvaging a point and ending his goal drought by scoring for the first time in over a year.

Healy joined Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

 on loan in November 2010, to fill the void left by the injured Billy Sharp
Billy Sharp
William Louis "Billy" Sharp is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Doncaster Rovers. He is now widely known for playing in a game for Doncaster Rovers against Middlesbrough two days after his two-day-old son's death...

. He marked his Doncaster debut with a goal, finding the net in a 2-1 win over Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

 on 6 November. Doncaster extended Healy's loan spell into a second month.

Rangers

In January 2011, Healy signed for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 on a six month deal, with a view to signing a longer contract. Having scored in his Leeds, Fulham, Sunderland, Doncaster and Northern Ireland débuts, he also marked his first Rangers appearance with a goal, coming off the bench to add the final goal of a 6–0 win over Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...

 on 12 February. Upon the expiry of his contract he signed a new one-year deal with the club, tying him to the Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...

 outfit until the end of the 2011–12
2011–12 Rangers F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is the 115th season of competitive football by Rangers.-Overview:Rangers played a total of 44 competitive matches during the 2011-12 season...

 season.

International career

He made his début for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

 on 23 February 2000, putting a brace past Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...

. He was still only 20 years old; having made his début for Manchester United the previous October, he had just joined Port Vale on loan. His competitive international début came in September 2000, in a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

 qualifying game against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...

, and he scored his first competitive goal for his country a month later against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...

.

On 6 June 2004, in a friendly game away to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...

 (his 35th international), he scored his 13th and 14th goals for Northern Ireland, thus equalling and overtaking Colin Clarke's record for the country. In September that year, Healy was controversially sent off in Northern Ireland's 2–2 draw with Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

. After celebrating the goal he scored to put Northern Ireland 2–0 up, he made a hand gesture towards the fans. The referee sent him off but Healy later explained that he was celebrating towards his family and that was how he always celebrated when scoring for his then-club, Preston North End.

On 7 September 2005, at Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...

, Healy secured a famous victory for his country against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 in a World Cup qualifier when he scored the only goal of the game. This was his nation's first win over the English since 1972.

He achieved his 50th cap and 20th international goal against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....

 in August 2006, also playing as captain. A month later, on 6 September 2006, Healy became the first man since Colin Clarke to score a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

 for Northern Ireland and the first since George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...

 to do so in Belfast. His three goals gave Northern Ireland a historic 3–2 victory over Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

. Healy followed this feat with the winner against Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...

 on 11 October 2006. In the following international game, against Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...

, he scored a second hat-trick, thus becoming the first player ever to score two hat-tricks for Northern Ireland.

He scored both of Northern Ireland's goals in a 2–1 win against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...

 on 28 March 2007, and two more against Liechtenstein on 22 August, followed by a penalty away to Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....

 on 12 September. On 17 November 2007, when he scored against Denmark, it was his 13th goal in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group F tournament (in eleven games). This made him the highest-ever goalscorer in a UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...

 qualifying campaign, and also the first Northern Ireland football player to break a football record. The previous record, of twelve goals in ten games, had been set by Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....

 of Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

 in 1996.

In October 2008, Healy received several death threats after he welcomed an international goal he had scored by saying 'the famine is over'. The goal had come after an uncharacteristic drought at the time. Healy's comments were interpreted as a reference to Rangers fans' chant – "‘the famine is over, why don`t you go home?"
Famine song
The Famine Song is a derogatory song sung by Rangers fans, mainly to insult Celtic supporters. Set to the tune of Sloop John B by The Beach Boys, the song was first heard in 2008.-Controversy:...


Healy claimed to be oblivious to the fact that he had offended anyone saying, "I’m so disappointed and upset that anyone could even try and make this link. And when told about this I was totally bemused."

He has won a total of 89 senior caps, leaving him third in the nation's all-time appearances chart behind defender Mal Donaghy
Mal Donaghy
Malachy Martin "Mal" Donaghy is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Luton Town.-Club career:...

 (91) and goalkeeper Pat Jennings
Pat Jennings
Patrick Anthony "Pat" Jennings OBE is a Northern Ireland former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years...

 (119); his 35 international goals make him the nation's all-time leading goalscorer by a considerable distance.

Club

|-
|1999–2000||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...

||Premier League||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|1999–2000
1999–2000 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1999–2000 season was Port Vale's eighty-eighth season of football in the Football League, and sixth successive season in the First Division. Vale suffered relegation in 23rd place, some thirteen points adrift of safety. They also exited the FA Cup at the Third Round, and were knocked out of the...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 (loan)||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||16||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||16||3
|-
|2000–01||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...

||Premier League||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|2000–01||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...

 (loan)||rowspan="6"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||1
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="3"|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...

||21||8||1||0||0||0||0||0||25*||9**
|-
|2001–02||44||10||3||0||2||0||0||0||49||10
|-
|2002–03||22||5||1||0||4||0||0||0||27||5
|-
|2002–03||Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

 (loan)||14||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||14||2
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="2"|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...

||38||15||3||0||1||0||0||0||42||15
|-
|2004–05||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...

||11||5||0||0||1||0||0||0||12||5
|-
!colspan="3"|Preston North End total
!137!!44!!8!!0!!8!!0!!0!!0!!156!!45
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="3"|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="3"|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...

||28||7||1||0||0||0||0||0||29||7
|-
|2005–06||42||12||2||2||2||0||0||0||48***||14
|-
|2006–07||41||10||1||0||2||0||0||0||44||10
|-
!colspan="3"|Leeds United total
!111!!29!!4!!2!!4!!0!!0!!0!!121!!31
|-
|2007–08||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...

||Premier League||30||4||2||1||2||1||0||0||34||6
|-
!colspan="3"|Fulham total
!30!!4!!2!!1!!2!!1!!0!!0!!34!!6
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="2"|Sunderland
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...

||rowspan="2"|Premier League||10||1||2||1||2||1||0||0||14||3
|-
|2009–10||3||0||2||0||2||0||0||0||7||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Ipswich Town F.C. season
The 2009–10 football season marked the 131st year of existence of Ipswich Town Football Club. Additionally, it marked the club's 74th anniversary of turning professional and was the club's 71st consecutive season in the English football league system....

||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....

 (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...

||12||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||12||1
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Doncaster Rovers F.C. season
The 2010–11 season will be the 131st season in Doncaster Rovers Football Club's existence, and their 3rd consecutive year in the second tier of English football.-Pre-season:Doncaster's first pre-season friendly is an away game against local team Askern Villa...

||Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

 (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...

||8||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||8||2
|-
!colspan="3"|Sunderland total
!13!!1!!4!!1!!4!!1!!0!!0!!21!!3
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Rangers F.C. season
The 2010–11 season is the 114th season of competitive football by Rangers.-Overview:Rangers played a total of 55 competitive matches during the 2010-11 season. With financial problems at the club ongoing, the summer began for Rangers with several players leaving the club. With a limited transfer...

||Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

||SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

||8||1||0||0||0||0||2||0||10||1
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Rangers F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is the 115th season of competitive football by Rangers.-Overview:Rangers played a total of 44 competitive matches during the 2011-12 season...

||Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

||SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

||3||0||0||0||1||0||1||0||5||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Rangers total
!11!!1!!0!!0!!1!!0!!3!!0!!15!!1
352||87||18||4||21||2||3||0||400||94
( * ) include 3 play-off appearances.
( ** ) includes 1 play-off goal.
( *** )include 2 play-off appearances.

International

Northern Ireland's goal tally first.

Personal life

Healy is married to Emma and they have two children, Taylor and Jude. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to football.

Honours

with Rangers
  • Scottish League Cup
    Scottish League Cup
    The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...

     winner:
    2011
    2011 Scottish League Cup Final
    The 2011 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Scottish League Cup, the 64th season of the Scottish League Cup. It was played by Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the trophy after extra time 2–1.-Celtic:...

  • Scottish Premier League
    Scottish Premier League
    The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

     winner:
    2010–11
    2010–11 Scottish Premier League
    The 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK