Liam Kearney
Encyclopedia
Liam Kearney nicknamed "Conna Maradonna", is an Irish professional footballer
who plays for Dandenong Thunder SC.
Kearney plies his trade on the left wing and has represented the Republic of Ireland U21
team on 7 occasions, scoring once.
from his youth club Valley Rangers. Whilst with Forest,Kearney won the U19 FA Premier League featuring prominently. Kearney appeared many times for several of the underage Irish national teams, from U16 to U20. He played in the U16 European championships in Israel and finished 3rd in Norway in the U19 European Championships. He also attracted interest from Cheltenham
manager Bobby Gould
.
. In 2004, Liam made his Republic of Ireland U21
debut against Italian
opposition. Liam won 7 U21 caps whilst with Cork scoring once in a 1-0 victory over Italy. 2005 saw Cork City and Kearney embark on a campaign that would ultimately see them win the league title on the final day, beating Derry City 2-0 in which Kearney scored the second goal. The club also progressed into the First Round of the UEFA Cup
, having started as an unseeded side in the first qualifying round, eliminating FK Ekranas
from Lithuania and the eventual Swedish champions Djurgårdens IF, before being knocked out by Slavia Prague
. Liam left Cork City for Shelbourne in 2006 following an offer from Dutch Premier Division side Heerenveen was denied to the disappointment of the player.
from the then league champions, Cork City, on a free transfer in January 2006. Liam was limited to few first team opportunities, making just 10 league appearances throughout the season, scoring once. Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon
agreed to a temporary freezing of Liam's contract whilst he took a few weeks away from football during the 2006 season to regain his hunger and focus. Kearney returned in time to take a left wing berth in a friendly against English Championship side Sunderland. Kearney failed to break into the first team upon his return, but was rewarded with his second league winners medal in two years, as Shelbourne clinched the title on the last day. He has described his time in Dublin as "disappointing."
, signing a 2 year contract. Later that year he criticised the club for not settling players' contracts. In August 2008 he said that, despite Cork City's poor financial position and difficulties in re-signing and paying its players, he would prefer to stay with the club. He scored the winning goal in Cork City's Setanta Sports Cup
final win over Glentoran
but because of City's failure to offer him a new contract due to financial turmoil, Kearney left for Derry City after being approached by Stephen Kenny.
signed Kearney on the first day of the 2009 January transfer window. He started off well to his career at the Brandywell
, however he sustained a broken leg during a match in May against Galway United and was out for three months. By the end of July it was still unclear as to when he would return. He also missed Derry's UEFA Europa League adventure, which saw them knock out Skonto Riga and run CSKA Sofia close. He expressed his disappointment at not being able to participate in Europe however he said once he regained fitness he was looking forward to helping the Candystripes challenge for the League of Ireland title.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who plays for Dandenong Thunder SC.
Kearney plies his trade on the left wing and has represented the Republic of Ireland U21
Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-21 Football Championship and has competed since 1978.-Competition...
team on 7 occasions, scoring once.
Nottingham Forest
Liam Kearney joined Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
from his youth club Valley Rangers. Whilst with Forest,Kearney won the U19 FA Premier League featuring prominently. Kearney appeared many times for several of the underage Irish national teams, from U16 to U20. He played in the U16 European championships in Israel and finished 3rd in Norway in the U19 European Championships. He also attracted interest from Cheltenham
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
manager Bobby Gould
Bobby Gould
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Gould is an English former footballer and manager.-Playing career:Born in Coventry, Gould started his career at Coventry City, making his debut for the club whilst still an apprentice at the age of 16. He did not sign professional until June 1964...
.
Cork City
Kearney returned to Ireland in 2003, joining Cork CityCork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
. In 2004, Liam made his Republic of Ireland U21
Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-21 Football Championship and has competed since 1978.-Competition...
debut against Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
opposition. Liam won 7 U21 caps whilst with Cork scoring once in a 1-0 victory over Italy. 2005 saw Cork City and Kearney embark on a campaign that would ultimately see them win the league title on the final day, beating Derry City 2-0 in which Kearney scored the second goal. The club also progressed into the First Round of 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...
, having started as an unseeded side in the first qualifying round, eliminating FK Ekranas
FK Ekranas
Futbolo Klubas Ekranas is a Lithuanian football club, playing in the town of Panevėžys.The club was founded in 1964.It has won Lithuanian championships in 1985 , 1993, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the Lithuanian Cup in 1985 , 1998, 2000, 2010 and 2011 and the Lithuanian Super Cup in 1998, 2006, 2010...
from Lithuania and the eventual Swedish champions Djurgårdens IF, before being knocked out by Slavia Prague
SK Slavia Praha
Sportovní Klub Slavia Praha is a Czech professional football club founded in 1892 in the city of Prague.They play in the Gambrinus liga—the highest competition in the Czech Republic. Alongside Sparta Prague, they are considered one of the top Czech clubs and the rivalry between the two clubs is...
. Liam left Cork City for Shelbourne in 2006 following an offer from Dutch Premier Division side Heerenveen was denied to the disappointment of the player.
Shelbourne
Kearney joined ShelbourneShelbourne F.C.
Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
from the then league champions, Cork City, on a free transfer in January 2006. Liam was limited to few first team opportunities, making just 10 league appearances throughout the season, scoring once. Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon
Pat Fenlon
Patrick "Pat" "Nutsy" Fenlon is an Irish former footballer and manager. He is currently in charge of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian....
agreed to a temporary freezing of Liam's contract whilst he took a few weeks away from football during the 2006 season to regain his hunger and focus. Kearney returned in time to take a left wing berth in a friendly against English Championship side Sunderland. Kearney failed to break into the first team upon his return, but was rewarded with his second league winners medal in two years, as Shelbourne clinched the title on the last day. He has described his time in Dublin as "disappointing."
Return to Cork City
Kearney departed Shelbourne on 22 January 2007 to rejoin Cork CityCork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
, signing a 2 year contract. Later that year he criticised the club for not settling players' contracts. In August 2008 he said that, despite Cork City's poor financial position and difficulties in re-signing and paying its players, he would prefer to stay with the club. He scored the winning goal in Cork City's Setanta Sports Cup
Setanta Sports Cup
The Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...
final win over Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
but because of City's failure to offer him a new contract due to financial turmoil, Kearney left for Derry City after being approached by Stephen Kenny.
Derry City
Derry CityDerry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
signed Kearney on the first day of the 2009 January transfer window. He started off well to his career at the Brandywell
Brandywell Stadium
The Brandywell Stadium is a municipal dual-use football and greyhound racing stadium located in Derry, Northern Ireland.-Location, features and history:...
, however he sustained a broken leg during a match in May against Galway United and was out for three months. By the end of July it was still unclear as to when he would return. He also missed Derry's UEFA Europa League adventure, which saw them knock out Skonto Riga and run CSKA Sofia close. He expressed his disappointment at not being able to participate in Europe however he said once he regained fitness he was looking forward to helping the Candystripes challenge for the League of Ireland title.
Waterford United
Kearney signed for Waterford United in what was a significant coup for the club. He became a fans' faourite within his first 5 games scoring the winner against his old club Derry City in his second game. Kearney was a big influence in Waterford United's push for the promotion towards the end of the season. He scored 5 league goals and played 30 league games before leaving the club.Dandenong Thunder SC
Kearney signed for Australian Victorian Premier League side Dandenong Thunder SC in January 2011.Honours
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe 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...
: 2- Cork City - 2005
- Shelbourne - 2006
- Setanta Sports CupSetanta Sports CupThe Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...
- Cork City - 2008
- FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
- Cork City - 2007