Michael O'Neill

Date of birth05 July 1969
Place of birthPortadown
NationalityNorthern Irish
Weight72 kg
Height1.80 m
PositionMidfielder

Signed for a record fee from a Northern Ireland club as a teenager, Michael was almost inevitably dubbed the new George Best. His tricky play brought an initial favourable response but was soon hit by injury and illness.

Club history

Team Joined Left Loan / Trialist
Coleraine 01 Jul 1984 23 Oct 1987
Newcastle United 23 Oct 1987 15 Aug 1989
Dundee United 15 Aug 1989 20 Aug 1993
Hibernian 20 Aug 1993 26 Jul 1996
Coventry City 26 Jul 1996 18 Sep 1998
Aberdeen 04 Jan 1998 26 Feb 1998 L
Reading 02 Mar 1998 04 May 1998 L
Wigan Athletic 18 Sep 1998 17 Aug 2000
St Johnstone 17 Aug 2000 01 May 2001
St Johnstone 18 Aug 2000 16 Sep 2000 T
Portland Timbers 02 May 2001 04 Oct 2001
Clydebank 16 Nov 2001 31 May 2002
Glentoran 01 Jul 2002 30 Jun 2004
Ayr United 01 Jul 2004 31 May 2005

Club stats

Season Team Competition Apps Subs Goals Y R
1987-88 Newcastle United FA Cup 2
1
1
1987-88 Newcastle United League Division One 19
2
12
1988-89 Newcastle United FA Cup 1
1
1988-89 Newcastle United League Cup 2
1988-89 Newcastle United League Division One 17
10
3
1996-97 Coventry City Premier League 1
1997-98 Coventry City League Cup 1
1997-98 Coventry City Premier League 2
2
1998-99 Wigan Athletic League Cup 1
1999-00 Wigan Athletic League Cup 4
1
2000-01 St Johnstone Scottish FA Cup 1
2000-01 St Johnstone Scottish League Cup 1
2000-01 St Johnstone Scottish Premier League 7
3
1
2001-02 Clydebank Scottish Division 2 13
3
1


Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

Club matches

Date Match Result Competition Round
07 Nov 1987 Luton Town v Newcastle United L 4-0 League Division One
14 Nov 1987 Newcastle United v Derby County D 0-0 League Division One
28 Nov 1987 Newcastle United v Charlton Athletic W 2-1 League Division One
05 Dec 1987 Oxford United v Newcastle United W 1-3 League Division One
09 Jan 1988 Newcastle United v Crystal Palace W 1-0 FA Cup 3rd round
23 Jan 1988 Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur W 2-0 League Division One
30 Jan 1988 Newcastle United v Swindon Town W 5-0 FA Cup 4th round
06 Feb 1988 Wimbledon v Newcastle United D 0-0 League Division One
13 Feb 1988 Newcastle United v Norwich City L 1-3 League Division One
20 Feb 1988 Newcastle United v Wimbledon L 1-3 FA Cup 5th round
27 Feb 1988 Newcastle United v Chelsea W 3-1 League Division One
01 Mar 1988 Southampton v Newcastle United D 1-1 League Division One
05 Mar 1988 Everton v Newcastle United L 1-0 League Division One
19 Mar 1988 Arsenal v Newcastle United D 1-1 League Division One
26 Mar 1988 Newcastle United v Coventry City D 2-2 League Division One
02 Apr 1988 Newcastle United v Luton Town W 4-0 League Division One
04 Apr 1988 Derby County v Newcastle United L 2-1 League Division One
09 Apr 1988 Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers D 1-1 League Division One
12 Apr 1988 Newcastle United v Watford W 3-0 League Division One
19 Apr 1988 Watford v Newcastle United D 1-1 League Division One
23 Apr 1988 Charlton Athletic v Newcastle United L 2-0 League Division One
30 Apr 1988 Newcastle United v Oxford United W 3-1 League Division One
02 May 1988 Portsmouth v Newcastle United W 1-2 League Division One
07 May 1988 Newcastle United v West Ham United W 2-1 League Division One
27 Aug 1988 Everton v Newcastle United L 4-0 League Division One
03 Sep 1988 Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur D 2-2 League Division One
10 Sep 1988 Derby County v Newcastle United L 2-0 League Division One
17 Sep 1988 Newcastle United v Norwich City L 0-2 League Division One
27 Sep 1988 Sheffield United v Newcastle United L 3-0 League Cup 2nd round 1st leg
01 Oct 1988 Liverpool v Newcastle United W 1-2 League Division One
08 Oct 1988 Newcastle United v Coventry City L 0-3 League Division One
12 Oct 1988 Newcastle United v Sheffield United W 2-0
Agg: 2-3
League Cup 2nd round 2nd leg
22 Oct 1988 West Ham United v Newcastle United L 2-0 League Division One
26 Oct 1988 Newcastle United v Middlesbrough W 3-0 League Division One
29 Oct 1988 Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest L 0-1 League Division One
05 Nov 1988 Queens Park Rangers v Newcastle United L 3-0 League Division One
17 Dec 1988 Newcastle United v Southampton D 3-3 League Division One
26 Dec 1988 Sheffield Wednesday v Newcastle United W 1-2 League Division One
31 Dec 1988 Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United L 2-0 League Division One
02 Jan 1989 Newcastle United v Derby County L 0-1 League Division One
07 Jan 1989 Newcastle United v Watford D 0-0 FA Cup 3rd round
16 Jan 1989 Newcastle United v Watford D 0-0 FA Cup 3rd round 2nd replay
21 Jan 1989 Newcastle United v Charlton Athletic L 0-2 League Division One
11 Feb 1989 Coventry City v Newcastle United W 1-2 League Division One
11 Mar 1989 Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers L 1-2 League Division One
15 Mar 1989 Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United D 1-1 League Division One
22 Mar 1989 Newcastle United v Everton W 2-0 League Division One
25 Mar 1989 Norwich City v Newcastle United W 0-2 League Division One
27 Mar 1989 Newcastle United v Sheffield Wednesday L 1-3 League Division One
01 Apr 1989 Southampton v Newcastle United L 1-0 League Division One
15 Apr 1989 Arsenal v Newcastle United L 1-0 League Division One
22 Apr 1989 Newcastle United v Luton Town D 0-0 League Division One
29 Apr 1989 Wimbledon v Newcastle United L 4-0 League Division One
06 May 1989 Newcastle United v Millwall D 1-1 League Division One
13 May 1989 Manchester United v Newcastle United L 2-0 League Division One


Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

International stats

Season Team Competition Apps Subs Goals Y R
1987-88 Northern Ireland FIFA World Cup 1
1987-88 Northern Ireland International Friendly 3
1988-89 Northern Ireland FIFA World Cup 2
3
1
1988-89 Northern Ireland International Friendly 1
1988-89 Northern Ireland Under-23 1
1989-90 Northern Ireland FIFA World Cup 1
1
1990-91 Northern Ireland International Friendly 1
1991-92 Northern Ireland International Friendly
2
1991-92 Northern Ireland UEFA European Championship
1
1992-93 Northern Ireland FIFA World Cup 5
1
1993-94 Northern Ireland B International 1
1993-94 Northern Ireland UEFA European Championship
1
1993-94 Northern Ireland Under-21 1
1994-95 Northern Ireland UEFA European Championship 1
1
1995-96 Northern Ireland International Friendly 2
1995-96 Northern Ireland UEFA European Championship 2
3
1996-97 Northern Ireland FIFA World Cup
2


Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

International matches

Date Match Result Competition Round
17 Feb 1988 Greece v Northern Ireland L 3-2 International Friendly
23 Mar 1988 Northern Ireland v Poland D 1-1 International Friendly
27 Apr 1988 Northern Ireland v France D 0-0 International Friendly
21 May 1988 Northern Ireland v Malta W 3-0 FIFA World Cup Group 6
14 Sep 1988 Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland D 0-0 FIFA World Cup Group 6
19 Oct 1988 Hungary v Northern Ireland L 1-0 FIFA World Cup Group 6
21 Dec 1988 Spain v Northern Ireland L 4-0 FIFA World Cup Group 6
08 Feb 1989 Northern Ireland v Spain L 0-2 FIFA World Cup Group 6
11 Apr 1989 Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland L 3-0 U23
26 Apr 1989 Malta v Northern Ireland W 0-2 FIFA World Cup Group 6
26 May 1989 Northern Ireland v Chile L 0-1 International Friendly
06 Sep 1989 Northern Ireland v Hungary L 1-2 FIFA World Cup Group 6
11 Oct 1989 Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland L 3-0 FIFA World Cup Group 6
05 Feb 1991 Northern Ireland v Poland W 3-1 International Friendly
11 Sep 1991 Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland W 0-5 UEFA European Championship Group 4
19 Feb 1992 Scotland v Northern Ireland L 1-0 International Friendly
02 Jun 1992 Germany v Northern Ireland D 1-1 International Friendly
09 Sep 1992 Northern Ireland v Albania W 3-0 FIFA World Cup Group 3
17 Feb 1993 Albania v Northern Ireland W 1-2 FIFA World Cup Group 3
31 Mar 1993 Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland L 3-0 FIFA World Cup Group 3
28 Apr 1993 Spain v Northern Ireland L 3-1 FIFA World Cup Group 3
25 May 1993 Lithuania v Northern Ireland W 0-1 FIFA World Cup Group 3
02 Jun 1993 Latvia v Northern Ireland W 1-2 FIFA World Cup Group 3
22 Mar 1994 Northern Ireland v Romania D 0-0 U21
20 Apr 1994 Northern Ireland v Liechtenstein W 4-1 UEFA European Championship Group 6
10 May 1994 England v Northern Ireland L 4-2 B International
12 Oct 1994 Austria v Northern Ireland W 1-2 UEFA European Championship Group 6
16 Nov 1994 Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland L 0-4 UEFA European Championship Group 6
11 Oct 1995 Liechtenstein v Northern Ireland W 0-4 UEFA European Championship Group 6
15 Nov 1995 Northern Ireland v Austria W 5-3 UEFA European Championship Group 6
27 Mar 1996 Northern Ireland v Norway L 0-2 International Friendly
24 Apr 1996 Northern Ireland v Sweden L 1-2 International Friendly
31 Aug 1996 Northern Ireland v Ukraine L 0-1 FIFA World Cup Group 9
05 Oct 1996 Northern Ireland v Armenia D 1-1 FIFA World Cup Group 9


Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.