Personal

Fullname: Shaun Richard Maloney
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 20 [to be completed at end of career]
International Goals: 1 [to be completed at end of career]

Biog

A product of the Celtic youth system Shaun Maloney burst onto the scene during the Hoops memorable treble-winning season of 2000/01.

The diminutive striker made his first-team début with an impressive cameo performance as a second half substitute in a 3 - 0 demolition of Rangers at Ibrox in April 2001.

His appearances may have been fleeting but the teenage Maloney had showed more than enough to suggest that here was a star in the making. With blistering pace, an excellent touch and a dead ball specialist Maloney was one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Celtic youth ranks in years, overshadowing the more lauded Aiden McGeady.

He even grabbed a breath place in the UEFA Cup Final, coming on late in Extra Time. He could have become a hero with a free-kick opportunity to bring us back into the game but alas it wasn't to be. However, it showed faith in him by the management to play him in such a game and at such a point.

Problem was thought that Celtic was blessed with the fine striking triumvirate of Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson, so Maloney’s opportunities would be limited and the excitement of his immediate impact waned just a little.

By February 2004 he had made 77 appearances and scored 21 goals but was still very much regarded as a promising fringe player rather than an automatic first team choice – even though the great Larsson had now moved on. Disaster then struck when in a Celtic Under-21 game against Partick Thistle he suffered cruciate ligament damage. It was a bitter blow – but one which was softened when Celtic rewarded him with a new 3-year contract.

That knee injury sidelined Maloney for a year and even when he returned to full fitness the striker found himself well out of the first team picture. That was clearly illustrated when Martin O’Neill left Maloney out of the squad for the 2005 Scottish Cup final - his last game in charge of the Hoops.

So by the start of the 2005-06 season Shaun’s Celtic career looked in serious threat of ending before it really had a chance to begin. A loan move north to Aberdeen seemed a real possibility at one stage while Livingston also expressed an interest in the player.

However, Maloney impressed new Parkhead boss Gordon Strachan with his attitude and application on the training ground and he forced himself back into contention for a first team starting spot.

Under the new regime Maloney was quickly established as a first team regular. For so long regarded as a forward, Maloney was now turning in fine performances in the left of midfield. He relished the opportunity of regular first team football. His energetic and skilful displays gave Celtic a real cutting edge.

Within a matter of weeks the Malaysian-born player had gone from the fringes on the first team to being the club’s – and indeed the SPL’s – stand-out performer. His stunning strike against Rangers in the CIS Cup tie at Celtic Park in November underlined that Maloney now had the confidence to deliver the goods on the big stage. He was no longer a promising youth, but a match-winner.

As the season progressed Maloney remained consistently excellent. Small in stature, big in heart Maloney was at last fulfilling the potential everyone knew he possessed. By the end of the campaign Celtic had claimed the CIS Cup and the league championship. Maloney enjoyed personal triumphs as well and was voted both Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

The Celtic support now regarded Maloney as a talisman - a far cry from 12 months previous - and expectations were high that the youngster would continue to improve and become even more important to the Hoops. But injuries and a dip in form saw the double player of the year once more scraping for a starting spot with the in form Aiden McGeady, now seemingly the preferred choice for left midfield slot.

Uncertainty also surrounded Maloney's future as he entered the last year of his contract. Maloney appeared reluctant to commit himself to Celtic and many in the support believed that reluctance contributed to the dip in form. As the season moved into 2007 speculation began to grow that Maloney's time in Glasgow was nearing an end. The player had been offered a reported £18,000 a week contract but was allegedly holding out for more, even though the deal offered would have made him one of Parkhead's very top earners.

His future was finally resolved on January 31st when, with just minutes to go before the closing of the transfer window, Maloney agreed a £25,000 a week, three and a half year deal with Aston Villa. The English club - now managed by Martin O'Neill - paying Celtic £1 million to secure his services immediately rather than wait six months to take him on a Bosman free transfer.

The move was a major disappointment to the Celtic fans, many who believed Maloney had let them down by leaving in the manner he did. An undoubted talent, the Hoops faithful thought Maloney had a lot more to offer and that he hadn't yet reached his full potential. Furthermore given the club's commitment to the player when he was injured their was a sense that Maloney owed Celtic more than one good season.

His decision to turn his back on a deal which the vast majority of Celtic fans thought generous left a bad taste in the mouth of some. But that was not to be the last the Hoops support would see of Maloney.

Within months of his move to Villa Park the player was being linked with a return to the Bhoys. It was clear that the player could not settle down south and regular rumours would circulate about an imminent return to Parkhead. Clearly unhappy in Birmingham, Maloney saw his chances at Villa restricted. In the summer of 2008 Rangers were even linked with a move for the Scotland international but the talk of a return to Celtic would not go away.

On 22nd Aug 2008, Maloney finally ended the speculation when he completed a reported £2.5 million deal to Celtic (Link). If some supporters were sceptical about the move the player quickly won them over on his second début when he came off the bench to produce a superb performance in Celtic's 3-0 home win over Falkirk on August 23rd.

It was not however going to be a fairytale season for the prodigal son. Plagued by injuries Maloney would be sidelined for much of the campaign and apart from a few fleeting cameos he remained largely a spectator as Celtic's bid for a fourth successive championship ended in failure.

With the arrival of Tony Mowbray as Celtic boss in the summer of 2009 Sean quickly established himself as a regular starter and his early performances in the 2009-10 season suggested he was back to top form and fitness. However, again injuries destroyed his season and he missed out again on most of the season in what was a disastrous year. Question was whether some of the problems with his injuries was really just psychological (as some were to wonder).

The following season under new manager, Neil Lennon, would follow a depressingly familiar template. As in previous seasons, Maloney would be in excellent form in the early part of the season, being a key component of Lennon's attacking formation wide on the left and being selected as stand-in captain when Scott Brown succumbed to injury. Unfortunately injury would yet again strike and decimate the remainder of Maloney's season, and with the signing of Kris Commons to play in a similar position to Maloney, the writing was on the wall. He needed a fresh start.

On transfer deadline day, 31st August 2011, Shaun signed for English Premier League team Wigan Athletic on a 3 year deal with a transfer fee of around £850,000. It was sad to see him go but we wished him all the best for the future.

Playing Career

CLUB	FROM	TO	FEE	LEAGUE		FA CUP		LGE CUP		OTHER
				APPS	GLS	APPS	GLS	APPS	GLS	APPS	GLS
Wigan	31-Aug-11		£1,000,000	No appearance data available
Celtic	22-Aug-08	31-Aug-11	Signed	38 (16)	13	1 (1)	1	2 (2)	0	13 (3)	1
Aston Villa	31-Jan-07	22-Aug-08	£1,000,000	16 (14)	5	0 (1)	0	2 (0)	2	0 (0)	0
Celtic	07-Jul-99	31-Jan-07	Trainee	51 (53)	26	4 (4)	1	9 (2)	8	5 (10)	2

APPEARANCES	LEAGUE	SCOTTISH CUP	LEAGUE CUP	EUROPE	TOTAL
2000/2001	4	0	0	0	4
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
2001/2002	16	2	1	1	20
Goals	5	1	4	0	10
2002/2003	20	3	3	4	30
Goals	3	0	1	1	5
2003/2004	17	1	2	3	23
Goals	5	0	0	1	6
2004/2005	2	1	0	0	3
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
2005/2006	36	1	4	2	43
Goals	13	0	3	0	16
2006/2007	9	0	1	5	15
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
2008/2009	21	1	2	6	30
Goals	10	0	0	1	11
2009/2010	10	4	1	6	21
Goals	4	0	0	0	4
2010/2011	21	1	1	3	26
Goals	5	1	0	0	6
2011/2012	3	0	0	1	4
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
TOTAL APPEARANCES	159	10	15	31	215
TOTAL GOALS	39	2	8	3	52

Honours with Celtic

Scottish Premier League

• 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006

Scottish Cup

• 2001, 2004, 2005, 2011
  

League Cup

• 2001, 2006, 2009
  

Scottish PFA

• Player's Player of the year 2006

Scottish PFA

• Young footballer of the year 2006

KDS Honours
MOTM Winners 2008-09
23-Aug-08	Celtic 3-0 Falkirk	SPL
MOTM Winners 2009-10
22-Aug-09	Celtic 5-2 St Johnstone	SPL
MOTM Winners 2010-11
14-Aug-10	ICT 0-1 Celtic	SPL
29-Aug-10	Motherwell 0-1 Celtic	SPL
11-Sep-10	Celtic 3-0 Heart of Midlothian	SPL

Pictures

• Player Pics

Below article sums up feelings of many Celtic fans on his departure in 2007
(even though it has been written by Darryl Broadfoot!)

Maloney will have plenty to prove in reunion with O’Neill

SHAUN Maloney last night swopped the thrilling prospect of a Champions League tie against AC Milan for the monotonous mediocrity of mid-table Premiership football at Aston Villa. The SPFA footballer of year cannot be accused of lacking in conviction or self-belief but the wisdom of his reunion with Martin O'Neill is questionable.

It seems the 22-year-old will end a year of unsuccessful renegotiation with Celtic and join O'Neill's rebuilding project in Birmingham. Gordon Strachan and Peter Lawwell can be excused a feeling of betrayal but for the sake of a few dollars more, Maloney has adopted a high-risk strategy in career development and reputation.

Frankly, any footballer fortunate enough to fulfil his childhood ambitions would consider the dilemma a no-brainer: a visit to the San Siro is a far more appealing proposition than a scrap against Reading at the Madejski Stadium. On many levels, Maloney's departure is curious.

His Celtic career only took off when O'Neill, well, took off and while he has cut a frustrated and, at times, forlorn figure on the substitutes' bench this season, injury has often been the cause of his inactivity. There is no doubt his contractual impasse affected his infrequent performances this season - just two 90-minute outings among them - but Strachan has declared himself a man devoid of squad favourites. Aiden McGeady started the season as the man in form but has since been usurped by Derek Riordan, whose belated impact has spared him a short-lived Celtic career.

The arrival of the gargantuan John Carew at Aston Villa has re-emphasised O'Neill's vision at Villa and while Maloney's game has evolved under Strachan, there are no guarantees he would be a first pick for his former manager. O'Neill, in fact, found many and varied ways of keeping Maloney out of the Celtic team; Alan Thompson and Steve Guppy dominating the left side of midfield and, justifiably, Chris Sutton, Henrik Larsson and John Hartson diminishing his prospects as a striker.

Celtic are understood to have been willing to pay Maloney £16,000-per-week to stay and reclaim his place. Instead, he has accepted a Premiership premium rate of around £20,000-per-week. For a youngster who has still in the process of fashioning a reputation in the game, earning capacity should be secondary to professional ambition. Which is why Celtic have continually expressed concern over the influence exerted by his agent, John Halliwell.

The upshot is that Maloney will be a richer man playing in a more prestigious league. Yet he only has to look at Stiliyan Petrov's situation to learn that the grass is rarely greener outside Paradise.
Ask Thompson, Hartson and Sutton where they would rather be and the response would be unanimous. Celtic have ample cover in his position but Maloney may have misread the situation.

Rumours persist that Strachan and McGeady have a fractious relationship that shows no sign of easing, confirmed by the manager's inclination to continually laud Maloney as the model of the modern professional until recent developments. Loyalty is a scarce commodity in football. While Maloney has privately bemoaned the £40,000-per-week wages enjoyed by the unfathomable Thomas Gravesen, the Dane is a senior player with a CV including Real Madrid and Everton. Maloney was offered a generous contract for a player with only one full season as a first-team regular and a medical history that includes cruciate ligament damage and, more recently, ankle and groin problems.

Celtic stood by him through his various ailments, as is the employers' moral and contractual obligation, but the lack of reciprocation must rankle. Maloney still has it all to prove.

01 Feb 2007 The Herald

Maloney up for the challenges ahead
(22 August 2008)

Gregor Kyle
THE bright lights of the English Premiership draw players from every continent, all desperate to make their name on the world’s most publicised stage.

But having started life at Celtic Park, for Shaun Maloney there was something missing, the constant pressure and strain that had punctuated every day his day in Glasgow.

For some that weight of expectation is too much to bear, but as the midfielder spoke about his return home after penning a four-year contract, he explained that he had a ‘green’ eye trained on Glasgow during his time at Aston Villa.

“I was envious,” said Maloney, “particularly watching the Champions League run that we had and the way that the league was won last year.

“I was just envious and wanted to be a part of it. I don’t think that’s a bad thing and I was happy at the same time, because I still know quite a few people here.

“One of the things that I really missed was the pressure,” he continued, “the tension that is there every week and the knowledge that you need to win, otherwise your rivals across the city will benefit.

“Not having that pressure is something that I wasn’t used to and there were others things I missed, like the support on European nights.

“I just think that because I came through the ranks at the club, it meant so much more for me to play here.

“The only thing that I can say to justify it, without being disrespectful to Aston Villa, is that they have players who have come through the ranks, like Gabi Agbonlahor and I know what the fans feel about them and I know how they feel about the club. I can only say that it’s the same for me at Celtic.”

The midfielder spoke candidly about the past year and a half at Villa Park and about his decision to leave Glasgow at a time when, for many, he was beginning to fulfil his undoubted potential.

“Leaving Celtic was a mistake and I shouldn’t have come to the decision that I had to leave,” he commented, admitting that he now faces a fight to re-establish himself in the side.

“The squad is a lot stronger now,” he said. “I will have a right hard battle trying to get in this team and I know that, but it’s a battle I am looking forward to.

“I have learned a lot in the past year and a half, about how to deal with different situations. It will take me a while to get my match fitness back, but I am looking forward to it.

“I am not sure what reception to expect and I know there were a lot of people unhappy with me leaving and I can understand that.

“Hopefully it’s a good reception and if it’s mixed, then hopefully my performances will show that I am committed and happy to be here.

“I know it’s going to be difficult and I know that winning round the fans is one of the main things I’ll have to do.

“I have to produce the right performances and get them back round. Leaving was a decision that I might have got wrong and hopefully they won’t hold it against me too much.

“That mistake was made by myself and I didn’t handle the whole contract situation too well. Villa was a great club, the fans were brilliant, but I shouldn’t have come to that decision in the first place.

Thankfully the transfer has gone through now and I have a fresh start.”

Maloney leaves Celtic for Wigan

August 31, 2011

By ESPNsoccernet staff

Shaun Maloney will attempt to prove he can cut it in the Premier League after sealing a £1 million move from Celtic to Wigan.

Shaun Maloney's last stint in English football was a frustrating season with Aston Villa in 2007-08

Maloney's last foray into English football ended after just one full season at Aston Villa, as his failure to become a first-team regular in the Midlands saw him return to Celtic in 2008.

But after three years back at Parkhead, Maloney has decided to test himself south of the border once again, following the likes of Gary Caldwell, James McCarthy and James McArthur from the SPL to the DW Stadium.

Manager Roberto Martinez said Maloney's season-long spell at Aston Villa in 2007-08 before returning to Celtic for a second time would help him settle in quickly.

''His previous experience in the Premier League will be a great platform to start his Wigan Athletic career,'' he added. ''Now we want to make sure he enjoys that homely feeling at our football club to be able to bring his magic to our strong group of players.''

Maloney will link up with former Celtic team-mate Gary Caldwell at the DW Stadium and is relishing the prospect.

''As soon as I found out about the move I got excited,'' he said. ''The gaffer likes to play the right way and there's a tremendous squad here full of great potential.

''I need to focus on winning a place in the team and doing the best I can for the team. I want to thank everyone at Celtic which has been my life for so long now, and especially all the fans. But I've got an exciting challenge now and I can't wait to get started.''

Maloney has scored 52 goals in 215 games across two spells with Celtic and has been capped 20 times by Scotland.