Shaun Maloney

Shaun Maloney is a former Scotland international attacking midfielder known for his creativity, technical ability and eye for spectacular goals. After progressing through Celtic's youth system, Maloney established himself as a key player in Scottish football before moving to Aston Villa in 2007. He later returned to Celtic and enjoyed successful spells with Wigan Athletic, Chicago Fire and Hull City. Renowned for his precise free-kicks and intelligent movement, Maloney also enjoyed a distinguished international career before moving into coaching and management.

Five Facts

1. Celtic's double award winner – Maloney enjoyed an outstanding 2005/06 season with Celtic, becoming the first player to win both the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards in the same season.
2. Premier League move to Aston Villa – Maloney joined Aston Villa from Celtic in January 2007 for approximately £1 million. He scored his first Villa goal against Reading and became known for his technical ability and dangerous set-piece deliveries during his time at Villa Park.
3. FA Cup glory with Wigan Athletic – Maloney played a crucial role in Wigan Athletic's historic 2013 FA Cup triumph, delivering the corner from which Ben Watson headed the winning goal against Manchester City at Wembley.
4. Famous Scotland goal against Ireland – In November 2014, Maloney scored a superb curling winner against the Republic of Ireland at Celtic Park during UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, securing an important 1–0 victory for Scotland.
5. Successful transition into coaching – Following his retirement, Maloney moved into coaching, working with the Belgium national team under Roberto Martínez before taking managerial positions at Hibernian and Wigan Athletic.