Gary Breen

Gary Breen

Gary Breen

Defender
Place Of Birth Hendon, Barnet, North-Western London
Date Of Birth 12 December 1973
Last Win 9 March 2002 8957days ago
Last Loss 1 April 2002 8934days ago
Statistics
Games Played
171
-
Per Game
Games Started
160
0.9
Per Game
Substituted In
11
0.1
Per Game
Minutes
14453
84.5
Per Game
Goals
2
0.01
Per Game
Goal From Penalty
0
0
Per Game
Assists
0
0
Per Game
Cards (All)
28
0.2
Per Game
BioStatsMatchesGalleryTeammatesInternationals

Ireland 38 caps, 5 goals

Gary was signed by Gordon Strachan for £2.5 million from Birmingham City in 1997. With Busst and Daish sidelined with serious injuries Strachan needed another central defender and Gary’s form with Blues following impressive periods with Gillingham and Peterborough fitted the bill. He made an inauspicious start – City failed to win any of his first nine games – but in 1997-98 he was a virtual ever present in the club’s best season under Strachan. A tall rangy centre-back who excelled in the air as well as being mobile on the ground, Gary won a regular place in the Republic of Ireland squad and in total won 62 caps including three games in the 2002 World Cup finals before retiring from international football. His relationship with Strachan was not always comfortable and he was once fined and dropped for missing the team coach.  After leaving City in 2002 he signed for West Ham but had an unhappy spell which saw the Hammers relegated. Three seasons at Sunderland under his old boss Mick McCarthy saw one promotion and an immediate relegation and Gary joined McCarthy again at Wolves in 2006, before finishing his career with home town club Barnet.

Sent off (1)
1997-98
6 December 1995 v Aston Villa A, Premier League, violent conduct, pushing Gary Charles

Own goals (1)
1996-97
1 March 1997 v Manchester United A, Premier League

PFA Team of the Year 2004–05 Football League Championship with Sunderland