Jon Daly

Club career

Daly started his career at Irish amateur side Cherry Orchard F.C., before signing for Stockport County F.C. in May 1998. At Stockport he made an immediate impact scoring regularly for the youth and reserve team. Daly began to make an impression on manager Andy Kilner during Stockport’s pre-season tour of Scandinavia. After coming on a substitute against Landskrona BoIS, he impressed Kilner and the youngster was awarded with a start against Kristianstads, in which he scored his first senior goal after "lobbing" the Kristianstad keeper. The following season saw Daly become Stockport’s second youngest player when he came off the bench to make his first his first team debut against Walsall F.C.. However, Daly failed to secure a regular place and he only managed to play in 5 matches in his first two seasons. Consequently, Daly had to wait until the 2001/2002 season before he scored his first senior goal against Bolton Wanderers F.C. in the FA Cup. After scoring his first goal, Daly began to play in the Stockport team. However, this was disrupted when he was sent after appearing to elbow Mitchell Thomas during Stockport’s 2-0 defeat to Burnley. However after receiving his ban, Daly returned to the side to face Wimbledon F.C. and responded by scoring his first league goal.

By the start of the 2002-03 in English football, Daly was regarded as one of League One's most promising strikers. He played more regularly and he was involved in 35 of Stockport’s 46 league games, scoring 7 goals. During this season Stockport manager, Carlton Palmer, decided against naming a goalkeeper on the bench and revealed that he was planning to use Jon Daly in net should their keeper get sent off or injured. However, this never occurred and Daly never made an appearance in net .

In February 2005, Daly signed for Hartlepool United F.C., where he would stay for the next two years. Daly’s scored his first goal for Hartlepool against A.F.C. Bournemouth, which helped seal Hartlepool a play-off spot. Daly’s most important goal came weeks later in the Football League One Playoffs against Sheffield Wednesday F.C., when he scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute to put Hartlepool in the lead.. However, Hartlepool would later end up losing that match but the goal will be remembered as the goal that almost sent Hartlepool into the Football League Championship. Daly would struggle to feature for the club the following season and was sent on loan to Bury F.C.. In the 2006/07 season, Daly would at first again struggle to hold down a first team spot. However, he cemented his in Hartlepool’s record books in the with a remarkable scoring spree of 7 goals in a week (3 games) . After this Daly would struggle to refind his form and was surplus to requirements after Danny Wilson signed Richie Barker.

Daly was allowed to join Dundee Utd in January 2007 for an undisclosed fee. In May 2007, Daly suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury, ruling him out for around six months.

International career

Jon Daly represented Republic of Ireland national football team from under 14 to under 21 level and was hailed by Niall Quinn as his successor to the Republic of Ireland front line. Daly’s talent was then recognised when he picked up Ireland’s 2001 Youth Player of the Year award and he was also give the opportunity to progress to the under-21 team. Daly maintained his promise and scored in Ireland’s under-19
3-2 victory over England national football team.

For the next two years, Daly kept his place and became a frequent goalscorer in the Ireland under-21 team and went on to play at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, playing in two of Ireland's group matches before their second round exit.

Personal life

Daly is married to Linda, and in September 2008, they had their first child, Sophie.