Graham Coughlan
Encyclopedia
Graham Coughlan is an Irish
footballer who plays as a centre back for Southend United
.
He began his career in his native Ireland with Bray Wanderers before being signed by Blackburn Rovers
. He joined Livingston
in 1999 and his performances for the Scottish club led to a transfer to Plymouth Argyle
two years later. He was an integral member of the squad that won two Football League championships between 2002 and 2004, and was a favourite among supporters for his uncompromising style of play at the heart of their defence. Coughlan joined Sheffield Wednesday
in 2005 before dropping down to League Two
to play for Rotherham United
. He moved on to Shrewsbury Town
a year later and combined playing duties with coaching their young players. He signed for Southend United in July 2010.
, he then briefly moved to League of Ireland
club Bray Wanderers
. At 21 he was brought to England
by then Blackburn Rovers
manager
Ray Harford
but struggled to earn a place in the Premier League Champions' first team. Loan spells at Swindon Town
and Livingston
followed before he made a permanent move to the Scottish
club in the Summer of 1999 having impressed whilst on loan there. Coughlan spent two successful seasons at Livingston
before moving back to England to Devon
club Plymouth Argyle.
He played a key role in Plymouth's Championship-winning teams for Division Three, where he was top goalscorer, and Division Two where he was named as Division Two's Player of the year. Coughlan was voted the club's player of the year in 2002 and was also named in the greatest Plymouth Team by fans to mark the club's first 100 years as a professional club. Coughlan was also Vice-Captain of Plymouth and his influence and stature was missed for nearly two seasons in their defence after he was sold to Sheffield Wednesday
which they then managed to fill with Krisztián Timár
.
when he moved back north to newly-promoted Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee. During his first season at the club Graham proved to be a hit with the fans and management alike, earning a regular place in the team and also taking over the role of captain from Lee Bullen
whilst the Scot's injury problems regularly kept him out of the team.
On 12 April 2006 Coughlan was named Sheffield Wednesday Player of the Year 2005-06. It was the fifth time Graham has won such an award, having previously being named Player of the Year twice at Livingston and twice at Plymouth.
In March 2007, Coughlan was allowed compassionate leave following the death of his brother.
He missed 5 games, and on his return he asked to be sent on loan after failing to feature for the first team under new boss Brian Laws
. He immediately managed to agree a deal to stay at Burnley
until the end of the season. However, he only started one game, the 0-0 draw with Luton Town
, before returning to Sheffield Wednesday, where he was told by manager Brian Laws that he had no future at the club, and made available for transfer.
on 13 July . He made his debut on 11 August in a 0–0 draw with Hereford United
, and was almost ever-present throughout the 2007-08
season.
on 9 August. In his two years at the club won the captaincy and performed some coaching duties, such as being in charge of Shrewsbury's reserve side which beat Sheffield United 5-0. He was released from his contract on 14 May 2010.
in the League Cup, and his league debut against Port Vale
on 21 August 2010. On 13 June 2011, Coughlan signed a twop-year contract extension as player/coach
Plymouth Argyle
Individual
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
footballer who plays as a centre back for Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
.
He began his career in his native Ireland with Bray Wanderers before being signed by 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....
. He joined Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
in 1999 and his performances for the Scottish club led to a transfer to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
two years later. He was an integral member of the squad that won two Football League championships between 2002 and 2004, and was a favourite among supporters for his uncompromising style of play at the heart of their defence. Coughlan joined 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...
in 2005 before dropping down to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
to play for Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
. He moved on to Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
a year later and combined playing duties with coaching their young players. He signed for Southend United in July 2010.
Playing career
Coughlan started his playing career at Leinster Senior League side Cherry OrchardCherry Orchard F.C.
Cherry Orchard Football Club is an Irish football club founded in 1957 known locally as "the Orchard." The club is one of the biggest producers of talent in Ireland. They are linked with Manchester City. Their main rival is Crumlin United, for whom Robbie Keane played at schoolboy level. The club...
, he then briefly moved to League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
club Bray Wanderers
Bray Wanderers A.F.C.
Bray Wanderers A.F.C. are an Irish football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club, founded in 1942 and elected to the League in 1985, hails from Bray and play their home matches at the Carlisle Grounds. Club colours are Green and White, and it goes by the nickname...
. At 21 he was brought to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by then 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....
manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
Ray Harford
Ray Harford
Raymond Thomas Harford was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.-Playing career:...
but struggled to earn a place in the Premier League Champions' first team. Loan spells at Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
followed before he made a permanent move to the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
club in the Summer of 1999 having impressed whilst on loan there. Coughlan spent two successful seasons at Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
before moving back to England to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
club Plymouth Argyle.
Plymouth Argyle
A highly successful four year spell at the club followed, with Coughlan a permanent fixture, earning his name in the PFA Division Three team of the year for 2001–02.He played a key role in Plymouth's Championship-winning teams for Division Three, where he was top goalscorer, and Division Two where he was named as Division Two's Player of the year. Coughlan was voted the club's player of the year in 2002 and was also named in the greatest Plymouth Team by fans to mark the club's first 100 years as a professional club. Coughlan was also Vice-Captain of Plymouth and his influence and stature was missed for nearly two seasons in their defence after he was sold to 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...
which they then managed to fill with Krisztián Timár
Krisztián Timár
Krisztián Tímár is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a centre back. He has represented Hungary at international level, gaining four caps.-Playing career:...
.
Sheffield Wednesday
In the summer of 2005 he was reunited with former manager Paul SturrockPaul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
when he moved back north to newly-promoted Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee. During his first season at the club Graham proved to be a hit with the fans and management alike, earning a regular place in the team and also taking over the role of captain from Lee Bullen
Lee Bullen
Lee Bullen is a Scottish football player and coach. In a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Bullen has played football professionally in Scotland, England, Australia, Greece and Hong Kong...
whilst the Scot's injury problems regularly kept him out of the team.
On 12 April 2006 Coughlan was named Sheffield Wednesday Player of the Year 2005-06. It was the fifth time Graham has won such an award, having previously being named Player of the Year twice at Livingston and twice at Plymouth.
In March 2007, Coughlan was allowed compassionate leave following the death of his brother.
He missed 5 games, and on his return he asked to be sent on loan after failing to feature for the first team under new boss Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
. He immediately managed to agree a deal to stay at Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
until the end of the season. However, he only started one game, the 0-0 draw with Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, before returning to Sheffield Wednesday, where he was told by manager Brian Laws that he had no future at the club, and made available for transfer.
Rotherham United
On 4 July 2007, Coughlan was released by Sheffield Wednesday after being deemed surplus to requirements.Coughlan then signed for Rotherham UnitedRotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
on 13 July . He made his debut on 11 August in a 0–0 draw with Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
, and was almost ever-present throughout the 2007-08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season.
Shrewsbury Town
On 30 July 2008, Coughlan signed a two-year contract with Shrewsbury for an undisclosed fee. He scored a goal on his debut, in the 4–0 win over Macclesfield TownMacclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
on 9 August. In his two years at the club won the captaincy and performed some coaching duties, such as being in charge of Shrewsbury's reserve side which beat Sheffield United 5-0. He was released from his contract on 14 May 2010.
Southend United
On 6 August 2010, Coughlan signed a one year deal with Southend United, he will also take on the role of reserve team manager. Coughlan made his debut on 10 August 2010 against Bristol CityBristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
in the League Cup, and his league debut against 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...
on 21 August 2010. On 13 June 2011, Coughlan signed a twop-year contract extension as player/coach
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bray Wanderers Bray Wanderers A.F.C. Bray Wanderers A.F.C. are an Irish football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club, founded in 1942 and elected to the League in 1985, hails from Bray and play their home matches at the Carlisle Grounds. Club colours are Green and White, and it goes by the nickname... |
|||||||||||
| 1994–95 1994-95 in English football -Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw... |
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| 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.... |
|||||||||||
| 1995–96 1995-96 in English football - Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 1996-97 in English football The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
|||||||||||
| 1997–98 1997-98 in English football The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Livingston Livingston F.C. Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team... |
|||||||||||
| 1998–99 1998-99 in English football -Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1999–00 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 2000-01 in English football The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons... |
21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 2 | |
| Total | 56 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 67 | 2 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | |||||||||||
| 2001–02 2001-02 in English football The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the... |
46 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 11 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in English football The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable... |
42 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 5 | |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
46 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 49 | 8 | |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
43 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| Total | 177 | 25 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 193 | 26 | |
| 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... |
|||||||||||
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 51 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 6 | |
| Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
|||||||||||
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
|||||||||||
| 2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
45 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| Total | 45 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town F.C. Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football... |
|||||||||||
| 2008–09 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 50 | 5 | |
| 2009–10 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
| Total | 78 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 89 | 7 | |
| Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... |
|||||||||||
| 2010–11 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 459 | 39 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 510 | 42 | |
Honours
Livingston- Scottish First Division: 2000–01
Plymouth Argyle
- Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
: 2001–02 - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
: 2003–04
Individual
- PFA Third Division Team of the Year: 2001–02
- Plymouth Argyle Player of the YearPlymouth Argyle F.C. Player of the YearPlymouth Argyle Football Club is an English association football club based in Plymouth, Devon. Founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, they became a professional club in January 1903, and were elected to the Southern League ahead of the 1903–04 season...
: 2001–02 - PFA Second Division Player of the Year: 2003–04
- PFA Second Division Team of the Year: 2003–04
- Sheffield Wednesday Player of the YearSheffield 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...
: 2005–06