Ryan Gilligan
Encyclopedia
Ryan James Gilligan is an English
footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Conference National
team Newport County
on loan from Northampton Town
.
, was also a professional footballer. He started his career at Watford
just like Ryan and played most notably for the Welsh clubs Cardiff City
and Swansea City.
Academy at the age of 16 before Northampton Town
took over the third year of his scholarship
in August 2005 after being tracked by then manager Colin Calderwood
. In his first professional season, Gilligan was used mostly as a striker from the bench. He did however score four goals in part of the promotion side that finished second in League Two
. The next season was a poor one as he couldn't score in twenty-five appearances.
For the 2007–08 season, Gilligan moved into midfield
where he has looked to have found his natural position, here he played regularly in the first-team scoring four goals in 28 starts. At the end of the season, he signed a new contract keeping him at Northampton until the end of the 2009–10
season. Things went well for Gilligan in the 2008–09
season even though he only had a return of three goals in 31 games, he was described as an "integrial part of the team".
Gillgan was later involved in Northampton Town
's relegation to League Two. He then had much more productive season during 2009–10
, scoring 11 goals and eight assists from midfield as Northampton narrowly missed a spot in the League Two playoffs, he was made captain for the last five games of the season and signed a new two-year contract in May 2010.
On 10 February 2010, Gilligan was loaned out to Torquay United
, on a one-month loan as they chased promotion from League Two. He spent a month at the club, making six appearances and had an impact with back to back wins later leading to Torquay finishing seventh ensuring their place in the League Two Playoffs
Gillingan signed on loan for Newport County
on 18 August 2011, with a view to a permanent move. His father also had a brief spell on loan at Newport County.
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...
footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
team Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
on loan from Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
.
Personal life
Ryan Gilligan's father, Jimmy GilliganJimmy Gilligan
James Martin "Jimmy" Gilligan is a former English professional footballer of Irish ancestry. He is currently head coach of the Nike Football Academy.His son Ryan Gilligan is also a professional footballer....
, was also a professional footballer. He started his career at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
just like Ryan and played most notably for the Welsh clubs Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Swansea City.
Career
Gilligan joined the WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
Academy at the age of 16 before Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
took over the third year of his scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
in August 2005 after being tracked by then manager Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood is a Scottish football player and coach. In November 2011 he was appointed as Chris Hughton's assistant manager at Birmingham City....
. In his first professional season, Gilligan was used mostly as a striker from the bench. He did however score four goals in part of the promotion side that finished second in 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....
. The next season was a poor one as he couldn't score in twenty-five appearances.
For the 2007–08 season, Gilligan moved into midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
where he has looked to have found his natural position, here he played regularly in the first-team scoring four goals in 28 starts. At the end of the season, he signed a new contract keeping him at Northampton until the end of the 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season. Things went well for Gilligan in the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season even though he only had a return of three goals in 31 games, he was described as an "integrial part of the team".
Gillgan was later involved in Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
's relegation to League Two. He then had much more productive season during 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
, scoring 11 goals and eight assists from midfield as Northampton narrowly missed a spot in the League Two playoffs, he was made captain for the last five games of the season and signed a new two-year contract in May 2010.
On 10 February 2010, Gilligan was loaned out to Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
, on a one-month loan as they chased promotion from League Two. He spent a month at the club, making six appearances and had an impact with back to back wins later leading to Torquay finishing seventh ensuring their place in the League Two Playoffs
Gillingan signed on loan for Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
on 18 August 2011, with a view to a permanent move. His father also had a brief spell on loan at Newport County.
Career statistics
Statistics correct as of 23:10, 26 January 2010 (UTC)| Club | Division | Season | League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Northampton Town Northampton Town F.C. Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season... |
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.... |
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... |
23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 4 |
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
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... |
23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
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... |
38 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
2008–09 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| 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.... |
2009–10 | 42 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 48 | 11 | |
| 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.... |
2010–11 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| Career totals | 203 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 203 | 23 | ||
External links
- Ryan Gilligan player profile at ntfc.co.uk