Kyle Lafferty

Personal information
Full name	Kyle Lafferty
Date of birth	(1987-09-16) 16 September 1987 (age 24)
Place of birth	Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Rangers
Number	11
Youth career
0000–2004	N.F.C. Kesh
2004–2005	Burnley
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	Burnley	83	(10)
2006	→ Darlington (loan)	9	(3)
2008–	Rangers	104	(31)
National team‡
	Northern Ireland U17	5	(0)
	Northern Ireland U19	5	(1)
2006	Northern Ireland U21	2	(0)
2006–	Northern Ireland	31	(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 April 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 February 2012

Kyle Lafferty (born 16 September 1987) is an Northern Irish association footballer who currently plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League side Rangers and the Northern Ireland national team. He made his first international appearance for Northern Ireland in 2006 and has received 29 caps, scoring eight goals.

Lafferty began his professional career with English side Burnley where he made 89 appearances. He signed for Rangers in 2008 for £3.25m, winning the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup in his first season with the club.

Personal life[link]

Lafferty is currently engaged to former Miss Scotland Nicola Mimnagh, who is mother to the couple's son^[1]

Club career[link]

Burnley[link]

In 2004 he signed a youth team apprenticeship with English Championship team Burnley. The following season saw him begin to make an impression upon the Burnley first team. He made his debut during a 2–1 away league defeat to Crewe Alexandra on 6 August 2005, coming on as a 89th minute substitute for Garreth O'Connor.^[2]

In January 2006, Lafferty joined Darlington on loan. He went on to make nine appearances and net three goals for the club, including a scoring debut against Notts County on 7 January.^[3] He returned to Burnley in January 2007.

He scored his first senior goal against Luton Town, netting the equaliser for Burnley during a 1–1 draw on 30 April 2006.^[4] Lafferty played 89 times and scored 10 goals during his time at Burnley.

Rangers[link]

On 16 June 2008, Burnley accepted a bid from Rangers of £3m plus Alan Gow but talks with Gow over his move to Turf Moor broke down. Lafferty moved to Rangers on 19 June after the transfer offer was readjusted to write Gow out of the deal.^[5] He made his Rangers debut as an 89th minute substitute during a UEFA Champions League qualifier on 5 August 2008 against FBK Kaunas.^[6] His first goal came in his second appearance during a Scottish Premier League match against Heart of Midlothian on 16 August 2008.^[7]

On 16 May 2009, during the penultimate league match of the 2008–09 season at home to Aberdeen, Lafferty was involved in an altercation with Aberdeen player Charlie Mulgrew. Both players were involved in an off the ball incident which resulted in Lafferty reacting as if he had been headbutted. The referee, Stuart Dougal, sent Mulgrew off for violent conduct; however, television pictures showed that no contact had been made between the two players. Rangers went on to win the match 2–1.^[8] Upon reviewing the incident Rangers manager Walter Smith expressed his disappointment at Lafferty's conduct.^[9] Two days later it was reported that Rangers had fined Lafferty for his reactions in relation to the incident.^[10] The case was also referred to the Scottish Football Association review panel with a view to rescinding Mulgrew's red card, with possible action taken against Lafferty for his simulation.^[11] On 7 August 2009 Lafferty was given a two match suspension for simulation, this was the first time such action was taken by the SFA.^[12]

On 25 April 2010, Lafferty scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road, securing the league title for Rangers with three left to play. On 22 August, Lafferty was sent off, along with opponent Kevin McBride, in a match at the same venue.^[13] On 25 September 2010, Lafferty scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 7–2 victory over Dunfermline Athletic.^[14] Lafferty scored in Rangers 4-0 win over Dundee United in 19 April 2011,^[15] before being criticised for missing an opportunity in the final Old Firm game of the 2010–11 season at Ibrox in a 0–0 draw.^[16] Lafferty then went on to score in three consecutive games in the title run in against Motherwell,^[17] Hearts^[18] and Dundee United.^[19] Lafferty then scored a hat-trick in the final SPL game of the season as Rangers beat Kilmarnock 5–1 and won their third consecutive SPL championship.^[20] On 18 September 2011, Lafferty scored his first Old Firm goal in a 4–2 win against Celtic. On 17 December, Lafferty scored an 83rd minute winner for Rangers against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the game ending 2–1. On 24 April 2012, Ally McCoist announced that Lafferty had been banned for two weeks following a training ground bust up.

International career[link]

In early 2006, Lafferty represented Northern Ireland under 19s at the internationally respected youth tournament Milk Cup.^{[citation needed]} Lafferty impressed during the tournament scoring in his first game against Paraguay under 19s; however Northern Ireland lost the match 3-1.^{[citation needed]}

Later in 2006, he received his first senior Northern Ireland call-up on a post-season trip to the United States to play friendly games against Romania and Uruguay.^{[citation needed]} Lafferty scored his first Northern Ireland goal in an away friendly against Finland the following year.^{[citation needed]} He featured predominantly as the second striker alongside David Healy during Northern Ireland's Euro 2008 qualification group, and he scored his first competitive international goal in a 4–1 victory over group minnows Liechtenstein. He then secured a 1–1 draw away to Sweden, scoring Northern Ireland's equaliser in the second half.

On 26 March 2008, he bagged his first international brace, scoring two goals in a friendly against Georgia which Northern Ireland won 4–1.^{[citation needed]}

International goals[link]

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 August 2006	Olympiastadion, Helsinki	Finland	2–0	2–1	Friendly match
2	22 August 2007	Windsor Park, Belfast	Liechtenstein	3–0	3–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
3	17 October 2007	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Sweden	1–1	1–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
4	26 March 2008	Windsor Park, Belfast	Georgia	1–0	4–1	Friendly match
5	26 March 2008	Windsor Park, Belfast	Georgia	3–0	4–1	Friendly match
6	15 October 2008	Windsor Park, Belfast	San Marino	3–0	4–0	2010 World Cup qualifying
7	5 September 2009	Silesian Stadium, Chorzow	Poland	1–0	1–1	2010 World Cup qualifying
8	12 October 2010	Svangaskarð, Toftir	Faroe Islands	1–1	1–1	Euro 2012 qualifying

Career statistics[link]

As of 7 April 2012

Honours[link]

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League (3): 2009, 2010, 2011
• Scottish Cup (1): 2009
• Scottish League Cup (2): 2010, 2011

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kyle Lafferty career stats at Soccerbase
• Kyle Lafferty profile Irish FA
• NIFG profile

Steven Davis

Davis playing for Rangers
Personal information
Full name	Steven Davis
Date of birth	(1985-01-01) 1 January 1985 (age 27)
Place of birth	Ballymena, Northern Ireland
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Centre midfielder
Club information
Current club	Rangers
Number	8
Youth career
	St Andrews Boys Club
2002–2004	Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2007	Aston Villa	91	(5)
2007–2008	Fulham	22	(0)
2008	→ Rangers (loan)	12	(0)
2008–	Rangers	140	(17)
National team‡
2003–2004	Northern Ireland U21	3	(0)
2005–	Northern Ireland	51	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 April 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 October 2011

Steven Davis (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers, where he is captain, and the Northern Ireland national team. Davis made his full international debut in 2005 and has since been capped 51 times at senior level, scoring four goals.

Davis began his career with Premier League side Aston Villa and made his first appearance for the club in 2004 against Norwich City. Davis was named "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for the 2005-06 season after making 42 appearances during the season. Davis was sold to Fulham for £4 million in the summer of 2007. He fell out of favour after then manager Lawrie Sanchez left the club and was loaned to Scottish side Rangers in January 2008 for an initial six months. He was part of the side that reached the 2008 UEFA Cup final and that won the League Cup and Scottish Cup. The move was made permanent in the summer of 2008 for £3 million. As of the end of the 2010-11 season, Davis has made over 160 appearances for the Glasgow club, winning three consecutive league titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups.

Club career[link]

Aston Villa[link]

Davis as an Aston Villa player.

Davis, who was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, started his career at St Andrews Boys Club before transferring to Aston Villa in 2002.^[1][2] He was a member of the 2002 FA Youth Cup winning team that beat Everton 4–2 in the final.^[3][4] His first professional appearance was on 18 September 2004, he was a 57 minute replacement for Nolberto Solano in a Premier League match against Norwich City.^[5]

By October 2005, he was a regular for the club and missed only one game for Villa in the 2005–06 season.^[3] Davis was named Villa's "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for the 2005–06 season.^[3][6] His form prompted the Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez, to state that Davis could be "another Frank Lampard".^[7] Davis made 102 appearances for Villa and scored nine times.^[8]

Fulham[link]

In the summer of 2007, Davis followed team-mate Aaron Hughes to Fulham on 5 July 2007 to team up with international manager Lawrie Sanchez, for a fee of around £4 million.^[1] He made his Fulham debut against Arsenal on 12 August 2007 and made 22 appearances for Fulham before his dream move to Rangers.^[9][10]

Rangers[link]

On 31 January 2008, Davis was signed on a six-month loan deal by Rangers, the club he supported as a boy.^[10] Davis made his Rangers debut against Panathinaikos in the UEFA Cup on 13 February.^[11] He scored his first goal, again in European competition, against German side Werder Bremen.^[12] Davis scored for Rangers in the penalty shootout against Dundee United that won Rangers the League Cup.^[13] He also helped the team reach the 2008 UEFA Cup Final,^[14] and won the Scottish Cup in May.^[15]

Davis made his move from Fulham permanent on 21 August 2008, in a deal worth £3 million, signing a four-year contract.^[16] He made his first appearance of the season for Rangers against Aberdeen, during a 1–1 draw the day after he permanently signed.^[17] Davis scored his first goal for Rangers, since his move became permanent, against Motherwell.^[18] He scored the only goal in the final Old Firm derby of the season on 9 May 2009, to take Rangers to the top of the SPL by two points.^[19] Davis won the SPL title and Scottish Cup with Rangers in the 2008–09 season.^[20]

Davis began his goalscoring in the 2009–10 season against St. Mirren on 27 January.^[21] He continued his goalscoring form against Falkirk in the next game, curling a free kick into Robert Olejnik's top right hand corner.^[22] Davis's performances in January 2010, earned him the SPL Player of the Month award.^[23] He was also named SPFA Players' Player of the Year on 2 May 2010. and won the SPL and Scottish League Cup each for the second time.^[24]

Davis scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season against Motherwell at Ibrox in October 2010, when he collected the ball 30 yards from goal before striking it into the top corner.^[25] The goal drew comparisons to former Rangers favourite Ian Durrant.^[25] Davis followed this up by scoring the winning goal in the match against Inverness at Ibrox in January 2011.^[26] In the 2011 Scottish League Cup Final against Celtic, Davis opened the scoring in a match, which Rangers won 2–1 after extra time.^[27] This was the third time he had won the Scottish League Cup.^[27] Davis scored in back-to-back games in the 2011 title run in against Motherwell,^[28] and then Hearts,^[29] before playing his 54th, and final game of the season in a 5–1 win over Kilmarnock, as Rangers won their 3rd consecutive SPL championship.^[30]

On 19 July 2011, Davis signed a new five-year contract with Rangers.^[31] He was made Rangers temporary captain, with the absence of formal club captain David Weir for the first part of the 2011–12 season.^[32] Davis scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in a 2–0 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox in August.^[33] In the first Old Firm match of the 2011–12 season, Davis provided two assists in the game, as Rangers beat Celtic 4–2.^[34] After Rangers beat Dunfermline 4–0 at East End Park, Rangers manager Ally McCoist praised Davis's performance by saying "It was a captain's performance from the best player on the park."^[35] For his performances during September 2011, he received the SPL Player of the Month award.^[36]

International career[link]

Davis made his full international debut on 9 February 2005 in a 1–0 loss to Canada, and made the assist in Northern Ireland's famous 1–0 victory over England in a 2006 World Cup qualification match.^[37] Davis' first goal came against Wales in a 3–2 defeat.^[38] He was also part of the side who beat Spain 3–2 at Windsor Park in September 2006.^[39]

On 21 May 2006, he became Northern Ireland's youngest modern day captain against Uruguay in the United States, unfortunately, his tenure as captain got off to a losing start, as the team lost 1–0.^[3][40]

International goals[link]

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	8 October 2005	Windsor Park, Belfast	Wales	2–2	2–3	2006 World Cup qualifying
2	15 October 2008	Windsor Park, Belfast	San Marino	4–0	4–0	2010 World Cup qualifying
3	10 August 2011	Windsor Park, Belfast	Faroe Islands	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
4	7 October 2011	Windsor Park, Belfast	Estonia	1–0	1–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

Career statistics[link]

As of 7 April 2012^[41]

Honours[link]

Aston Villa

• FA Youth Cup: 2002

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League (3): 2009, 2010, 2011

• Scottish Cup (2): 2008, 2009

• Scottish League Cup (3): 2008, 2010, 2011

Personal awards

• SPFA Players' Player of the Year (1) : 2010^[42]

• Scottish Premier League Player of the Month (2): January 2010,^[23] September 2011^[36]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Steven Davis career stats at Soccerbase
• Steven Davis profile Irish FA