Shaun Maloney

Shaun Richard Maloney (born 24 January 1983) is a Scottish football coach, who is the current manager of Wigan Athletic, and former player.

Maloney played for Celtic, Aston Villa, Wigan Athletic, Chicago Fire, Hull City and the Scotland national team as an attacking midfielder or winger.

Maloney started his career at Celtic, playing 215 matches across all competitions and winning honours including five Scottish Premier League titles.

Maloney was born to an English father and Scottish mother in Miri, a coastal city in north-eastern Sarawak, Malaysia, on 24 January 1983.

[3] He spent his infancy in Malaysia while his father, a helicopter pilot and armed forces veteran, worked there as a flying instructor.

[6] It was revealed in 2013, that as a youngster Maloney had played tennis regularly against future World Number 1, Andy Murray.

[10][11] Maloney did appear several times for Celtic during their run to the UEFA Cup final in 2003, and scored in a 3–1 win over VfB Stuttgart at Parkhead in the Round of 16.

[16] Maloney hit top form for Celtic in the 2005–06 season, after being moved from a striking position to the left of midfield by manager Gordon Strachan.

[24] Chief Executive Peter Lawwell asserted that Celtic "cannot keep players at any cost"[25] while Maloney warned that "In situations like this one, both parties have to be completely happy with the outcome."

Maloney has acknowledged that his football had been suffering but remained optimistic about his future at the club: "Homesickness has affected my form.

[52] Maloney featured in eight of Celtic's remaining matches; scoring against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final and then against Motherwell in the last league fixture of the season.

[53] Maloney joined Wigan Athletic in the Premier League on 31 August 2011 for a fee of £850,000, signing a three-year deal.

[61] Maloney topped this effort with a wonderful curling goal against Manchester United on 11 April, lifting his side out of the relegation zone for the first time since October with a 1–0 win.

[64] On 7 April 2013, Maloney scored a 94th minute free kick goal, seconds from the end of the QPR match at Loftus Road which earned Wigan Athletic a valuable point in their race to once again escape from Premier League relegation.

On 11 May 2013 Maloney won the FA Cup with Wigan, playing the whole game and assisting the only goal of the match in a 1–0 upset win against Manchester City.

[8] Maloney made his full international debut as a half-time substitute in Scotland's 1–0 defeat to Belarus at Hampden Park on 8 October 2005.

[76] Maloney scored five goals in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D, including the winner in Scotland's home tie against the Republic of Ireland.

[81] Maloney worked for Belgium during the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament,[82] in which they lost to, eventual winners, Italy in the quarter-finals.

[84] Maloney was sacked by Hibs on 19 April 2022, a few days after they had been beaten 2–1 in a Scottish Cup semi-final by Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts.

Maloney before an Aston Villa game in 2007
Maloney playing for Celtic in 2009
Maloney playing for Wigan in May 2013, in the match which saw them relegated from the Premier League