Garry O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Garry Lawrence John O'Connor (born 7 May 1983 in Edinburgh
) is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Hibernian
. He has also played for the Scotland international team
.
O'Connor began his career with Hibernian, where his performances in 2002 earned him selection for Scotland as an 18-year-old, and he later earned a lucrative transfer to Lokomotiv Moscow
. He scored a winning goal in the 2007 Russian Cup Final for Lokomotiv. O'Connor struggled to settle in Russia, and he returned to the United Kingdom later that year by signing for Birmingham City
. O'Connor struggled to hold a place in the Birmingham side due to injuries, and he spent most of the 2010–11 season with Barnsley
.
in April 2001 as a substitute against Dundee
, his only appearance that season
. O'Connor made just four appearances before Christmas in the following season
. After the departure of Alex McLeish to Rangers
and the appointment of new manager Franck Sauzée
, O'Connor featured more regularly in the first team. He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw with Celtic
in February 2002. Although Sauzée was sacked later that month, O'Connor continued to feature in the first team under Sauzée's successor Bobby Williamson
. O'Connor went on to score a further seven goals that season, including goals in five consecutive games between March and April.
Following two seasons in which he struggled to fulfil his early promise, the arrival of manager Tony Mowbray
at Hibs in May 2004 led to improved form for both O'Connor and the team as a whole, as Hibs finished third in the 2004–05 Scottish Premier League. O'Connor formed a formidable partnership with Derek Riordan
, and between them they scored 42 goals that season, as Hibs earned qualification for the UEFA Cup
.
On 26 February 2006, it was reported that O'Connor was set to join Lokomotiv Moscow for approximately £1.6 million. This offer was subsequently accepted by Hibernian, with Tony Mowbray
conceding that the personal terms on offer, a reported weekly wage of £16,000, were "life-changing for Garry and his family". On 6 March, it was announced that the transfer had been agreed. O'Connor scored a total of 58 goals for Hibs in all competitions and scored in his final Hibs appearance, against Falkirk
in the Scottish Cup
.
in a Russian Cup tie. He opened the scoring for his side against Torpedo Moscow
in a 4–1 win on 14 May. In the 2006 season, he scored seven league goals and a cup goal in the 29 matches he played in (although only on the field for the full 90 minutes in five matches – he averaged 58 minutes of playing time per match), and was yellow-carded once. In Moscow he formed a partnership with Russian international Dmitry Sychev, although Dramane Traoré
, the Mali
international, threatened his position.
On 27 May 2007, O'Connor came off the bench to score the winning goal for Lokomotiv Moscow in the 2007 Russian Cup Final against city rivals FC Moscow. The extra-time goal, coming in the 109th minute, was enough to seal a 1–0 victory for the railway team, and provided a measure of redemption for O'Connor, who struggled to settle in Russia for family reasons.
O'Connor completed a £2.7m move to Birmingham City
on 28 June 2007, and scored his first goal for the club on his first appearance, on 15 August 2007 against Sunderland
in a 2–2 draw. However, he lost his place, and manager Alex McLeish
told him he needed to get fitter to return to the starting eleven. He had to wait until January 2008 for his second league goal, an equaliser against Arsenal
. He missed several games in early 2008 through illness, and McLeish told him to "write the season off and come back this season all guns blazing".
O'Connor worked with a fitness coach over the summer, lost weight, and returned to training with a positive attitude towards the coming season and towards his manager. He had a successful pre-season and started well in the Championship
with an assist for Kevin Phillips
followed by scoring three goals in three games, but then sustained a groin injury. Returning to the team a month later, he produced some good performances and scored three more goals in two games, prompting his inclusion in the Championship Team of the Week, before again injuring his groin, this time in the pre-match warm-up at Queens Park Rangers
on 29 October 2008, a match which Birmingham went on to lose. He returned to first team action against Doncaster on 14 March 2009. O'Connor's goal for 10-man Birmingham which confirmed their 2–0 win over Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers was voted as the club's Moment of the Season.
O'Connor missed most of the 2009–10 season due to undergoing two operations on a hip injury. McLeish suggested that the injury dated back to O'Connor's time with Hibernian and had been aggravated by playing on synthetic pitches in Russia while he was with Lokomotiv Moscow. A Channel 4
documentary Dispatches
, aired in September 2011, claimed that O'Connor had been sidelined due to failing a drugs test. O'Connor's contract had been due to expire at the end of the 2009–10 season, but the club extended it until the end of 2010 in order for O'Connor to prove his fitness.
club Barnsley on 10 September 2010 for one month. He scored a goal on his debut in a 5–2 win against Leeds United
. Although Birmingham were happy for the player to remain at Barnsley, whose manager wanted to extend the loan, budgetary considerations made it impossible. Though O'Connor returned to Birmingham's first team, Cameron Jerome
's recovery from injury left the player again looking for regular football, so in November he rejoined Barnsley for another month. His 89th-minute winning goal at Preston North End
on his second Barnsley debut secured the club's first away win since February. O'Connor then scored the third Barnsley goal in a 3–1 win at Ipswich Town
. O'Connor then signed on a permanent basis with Barnsley, from 1 January 2011 until the end of the 2010–11 season. He scored only once in 13 appearances, and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent in April 2011.
on a one year contract on 15 June 2011. He scored his first goal in his second spell with the club in their second match of the 2011–12 season
, a 92nd-minute winner away to Inverness
. Hibs had never previously won at the Caledonian Stadium
. O'Connor made an excellent start to the season, scoring 10 goals in his first 11 appearances.
, who gave O'Connor his international debut, against South Korea in May 2002. O'Connor was then relegated to the Scotland under-21 squad
for a few seasons as he struggled to find his best form. O'Connor's improved form in the 2004–05 season
earned him a recall to the full squad, and he scored his first Scotland goal in a 2–2 draw with Austria
in August 2005.
After featuring in the 1–0 victory against France
at Hampden Park
on 7 October 2006, O'Connor and the rest of the team were given an evening off before reconvening ahead of the trip to Ukraine
for another qualifying match. O'Connor failed to rejoin the squad and was axed from the travelling party by manager Walter Smith
. O'Connor subsequently issued an apology through his agent without revealing the exact cause of his failure to appear, while assistant manager Tommy Burns announced that O'Connor was unlikely to be frozen out of the squad permanently.
O'Connor said that his wife was unhappy with life in Moscow and he had decided to stay with her rather than return to training. It was later revealed that O'Connor left the squad as his sister Kerry, a recovering drug addict, had attempted to commit suicide.
He was recalled to the Scotland squad in May 2007 under new manager, and his former boss at Hibs, Alex McLeish. O'Connor was initially drafted in due to squad call-offs but was given a place in the starting line-up for the friendly match with Austria. O'Connor scored the only goal of the game as Scotland won 1–0.
This was followed up seven days later with a goal in the 2–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying victory over the Faroe Islands
.
O'Connor was then left out of the Scotland squad for almost two years after appearing against the Ukraine
in October 2007, but was recalled for the matches in September 2009 against Macedonia and the Netherlands
after Kevin Kyle
withdrew from the squad due to injury.
His excellent goalscoring form at the start of the 2011–12 season prompted speculation that O'Connor would be recalled to the Scotland squad. Manager Craig Levein
chose to leave O'Connor out, however, because he had been charged with alleged drugs possession and insurance fraud offences.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
) is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
. He has also played for the Scotland international 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...
.
O'Connor began his career with Hibernian, where his performances in 2002 earned him selection for Scotland as an 18-year-old, and he later earned a lucrative transfer to Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
. He scored a winning goal in the 2007 Russian Cup Final for Lokomotiv. O'Connor struggled to settle in Russia, and he returned to the United Kingdom later that year by signing for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. O'Connor struggled to hold a place in the Birmingham side due to injuries, and he spent most of the 2010–11 season with Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
.
Hibernian (first spell)
O'Connor made his Hibernian debut under manager Alex McLeishAlex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
in April 2001 as a substitute against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
, his only appearance that season
2000-01 in Scottish football
The 2000–01 season was the 104th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, 15 points clear of Rangers who finished second. Both teams earned a place in the UEFA Champions League. Hibernian and Kilmarnock...
. O'Connor made just four appearances before Christmas in the following season
2001-02 in Scottish football
The 2001–02 season was the 105th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Key events:Celtic, domestic treble winners a year earlier, retain their Premier League title....
. After the departure of Alex McLeish to 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...
and the appointment of new manager Franck Sauzée
Franck Sauzée
Franck Sauzée is a former French international footballer and manager. He played 39 times for the French national team between 1988 and 1993, scoring nine goals and captaining the team several times...
, O'Connor featured more regularly in the first team. He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw with 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...
in February 2002. Although Sauzée was sacked later that month, O'Connor continued to feature in the first team under Sauzée's successor Bobby Williamson
Bobby Williamson
Robert "Bobby" Williamson is a former association footballer who is currently manager of the Uganda national football team. He previously managed Kilmarnock and Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League and Plymouth Argyle in the Football League Championship.-Playing career:As a player, Williamson...
. O'Connor went on to score a further seven goals that season, including goals in five consecutive games between March and April.
Following two seasons in which he struggled to fulfil his early promise, the arrival of manager Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
at Hibs in May 2004 led to improved form for both O'Connor and the team as a whole, as Hibs finished third in the 2004–05 Scottish Premier League. O'Connor formed a formidable partnership with Derek Riordan
Derek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
, and between them they scored 42 goals that season, as Hibs earned qualification for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
.
On 26 February 2006, it was reported that O'Connor was set to join Lokomotiv Moscow for approximately £1.6 million. This offer was subsequently accepted by Hibernian, with Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
conceding that the personal terms on offer, a reported weekly wage of £16,000, were "life-changing for Garry and his family". On 6 March, it was announced that the transfer had been agreed. O'Connor scored a total of 58 goals for Hibs in all competitions and scored in his final Hibs appearance, against Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
.
Lokomotiv Moscow
On 22 March 2006, O'Connor scored for the first time for Lokomotiv Moscow, the opening goal in a 2–2 draw with Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
in a Russian Cup tie. He opened the scoring for his side against Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow is an association football club, based in Moscow, Russia. The club was founded in 1930. On March 19, 2009 it was denied membership of the Professional Football League and did not play in the professional competitions in 2009...
in a 4–1 win on 14 May. In the 2006 season, he scored seven league goals and a cup goal in the 29 matches he played in (although only on the field for the full 90 minutes in five matches – he averaged 58 minutes of playing time per match), and was yellow-carded once. In Moscow he formed a partnership with Russian international Dmitry Sychev, although Dramane Traoré
Dramane Traoré
Dramane Traoré is a Malian footballer player who plays as a striker for Ukrainian club FC Metalurh Donetsk.- International :...
, the Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
international, threatened his position.
On 27 May 2007, O'Connor came off the bench to score the winning goal for Lokomotiv Moscow in the 2007 Russian Cup Final against city rivals FC Moscow. The extra-time goal, coming in the 109th minute, was enough to seal a 1–0 victory for the railway team, and provided a measure of redemption for O'Connor, who struggled to settle in Russia for family reasons.
Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on 28 June 2007, and scored his first goal for the club on his first appearance, on 15 August 2007 against 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 a 2–2 draw. However, he lost his place, and manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
told him he needed to get fitter to return to the starting eleven. He had to wait until January 2008 for his second league goal, an equaliser against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He missed several games in early 2008 through illness, and McLeish told him to "write the season off and come back this season all guns blazing".
O'Connor worked with a fitness coach over the summer, lost weight, and returned to training with a positive attitude towards the coming season and towards his manager. He had a successful pre-season and started well in the 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...
with an assist for Kevin Phillips
Kevin Phillips (footballer)
Kevin Mark Phillips is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Blackpool.Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. He remains the only Englishman to win the trophy...
followed by scoring three goals in three games, but then sustained a groin injury. Returning to the team a month later, he produced some good performances and scored three more goals in two games, prompting his inclusion in the Championship Team of the Week, before again injuring his groin, this time in the pre-match warm-up at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
on 29 October 2008, a match which Birmingham went on to lose. He returned to first team action against Doncaster on 14 March 2009. O'Connor's goal for 10-man Birmingham which confirmed their 2–0 win over Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers was voted as the club's Moment of the Season.
O'Connor missed most of the 2009–10 season due to undergoing two operations on a hip injury. McLeish suggested that the injury dated back to O'Connor's time with Hibernian and had been aggravated by playing on synthetic pitches in Russia while he was with Lokomotiv Moscow. A Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary Dispatches
Dispatches (TV series)
Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987. The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.-Awards:*...
, aired in September 2011, claimed that O'Connor had been sidelined due to failing a drugs test. O'Connor's contract had been due to expire at the end of the 2009–10 season, but the club extended it until the end of 2010 in order for O'Connor to prove his fitness.
Barnsley
To regain match fitness, O'Connor signed on loan for 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...
club Barnsley on 10 September 2010 for one month. He scored a goal on his debut in a 5–2 win against 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...
. Although Birmingham were happy for the player to remain at Barnsley, whose manager wanted to extend the loan, budgetary considerations made it impossible. Though O'Connor returned to Birmingham's first team, Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
's recovery from injury left the player again looking for regular football, so in November he rejoined Barnsley for another month. His 89th-minute winning goal at 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 his second Barnsley debut secured the club's first away win since February. O'Connor then scored the third Barnsley goal in a 3–1 win at 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....
. O'Connor then signed on a permanent basis with Barnsley, from 1 January 2011 until the end of the 2010–11 season. He scored only once in 13 appearances, and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent in April 2011.
Return to Hibernian
O'Connor re-signed for HibernianHibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
on a one year contract on 15 June 2011. He scored his first goal in his second spell with the club in their second match of the 2011–12 season
2011–12 Scottish Premier League
The 2011–12 Scottish Premier League is the fourteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season started on 23 July 2011....
, a 92nd-minute winner away to Inverness
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
. Hibs had never previously won at the Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium
The Caledonian Stadium, currently known as the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium situated in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland...
. O'Connor made an excellent start to the season, scoring 10 goals in his first 11 appearances.
International career
His impressive form towards the end of the 2001–02 season was noticed by Scotland national team manager Berti VogtsBerti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
, who gave O'Connor his international debut, against South Korea in May 2002. O'Connor was then relegated to the Scotland under-21 squad
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....
for a few seasons as he struggled to find his best form. O'Connor's improved form in the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in Scottish football
The 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman...
earned him a recall to the full squad, and he scored his first Scotland goal in a 2–2 draw with Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in August 2005.
After featuring in the 1–0 victory against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
at 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...
on 7 October 2006, O'Connor and the rest of the team were given an evening off before reconvening ahead of the trip to Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
for another qualifying match. O'Connor failed to rejoin the squad and was axed from the travelling party by manager Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
. O'Connor subsequently issued an apology through his agent without revealing the exact cause of his failure to appear, while assistant manager Tommy Burns announced that O'Connor was unlikely to be frozen out of the squad permanently.
O'Connor said that his wife was unhappy with life in Moscow and he had decided to stay with her rather than return to training. It was later revealed that O'Connor left the squad as his sister Kerry, a recovering drug addict, had attempted to commit suicide.
He was recalled to the Scotland squad in May 2007 under new manager, and his former boss at Hibs, Alex McLeish. O'Connor was initially drafted in due to squad call-offs but was given a place in the starting line-up for the friendly match with Austria. O'Connor scored the only goal of the game as Scotland won 1–0.
This was followed up seven days later with a goal in the 2–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying victory over the 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...
.
O'Connor was then left out of the Scotland squad for almost two years after appearing against the Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
in October 2007, but was recalled for the matches in September 2009 against Macedonia and the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
after Kevin Kyle
Kevin Kyle
Kevin Alistair Kyle is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre forward for SPL club Hearts.- Early life :...
withdrew from the squad due to injury.
His excellent goalscoring form at the start of the 2011–12 season prompted speculation that O'Connor would be recalled to the Scotland squad. 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...
chose to leave O'Connor out, however, because he had been charged with alleged drugs possession and insurance fraud offences.
International goals
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
Num Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 17 August 2005 Graz GrazThe more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria2–0 2–2 Friendly 2 2 September 2006 Glasgow GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland6–0 6–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B-Standings:Key:*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.Notes on the qualified teams:*Italy and France secured qualification to the tournament proper on 2007-11-17 following Italy's 2-1 win against Scotland, becoming the fifth and sixth teams in the whole of the qualification stage to...3 30 May 2007 Vienna ViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria1–0 1–0 Friendly 4 6 June 2007 Toftir ToftirToftir is a village in Nes Municipality on the island of Eysturoy, in the Faroe Islands .Toftir is part of a chain of villages stretching over a distance of 10 kilometres on the east side of Skálafjørður on Eysturoy....
, Faroe IslandsFaroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B-Standings:Key:*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.Notes on the qualified teams:*Italy and France secured qualification to the tournament proper on 2007-11-17 following Italy's 2-1 win against Scotland, becoming the fifth and sixth teams in the whole of the qualification stage to...
Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
2000–01 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Peterhead Peterhead F.C. Peterhead F.C. are a football club based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. They currently play in the Scottish Football League Third Division, following promotion in the 2004–05 season.Their home ground is Balmoor in Peterhead, with a capacity of 4,000... |
2000–01 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Peterhead total | 2000 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
2001–02 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 9 |
| 2002–03 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 9 | |
| 2003–04 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 7 | |
| 2004–05 | 36 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 45 | 20 | |
| 2005–06 | 26 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 14 | |
| Hibernian total | 2000–2006 | 138 | 46 | 14 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 169 | 59 |
| Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually... |
2006 | 24 | 7 | 24 | 7 | ||||||
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||||||
| Lokomotiv total | 2006–2007 | 33 | 7 | 33 | 7 | ||||||
| Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
2007–08 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4 |
| 2008-09 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 7 | |
| 2009–10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Birmingham total | 2007–2011 | 52 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 12 |
| Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... |
2010-11 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| Barnsley total | 2010–2011 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
2011–12 2011–12 Scottish Premier League The 2011–12 Scottish Premier League is the fourteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season started on 23 July 2011.... |
10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 |
| Hibernian total | 2011– | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 |
| Total | 259 | 74 | 17 | 7 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 303 | 93 | |