David Connolly

David James Connolly (born June 6, 1977 in Willesden, England) is an Republic of Ireland professional football (soccer) who plays as a striker, and is currently contracted to Sunderland A.F.C..

Club career

Connolly started his career with Watford F.C. where he scored 15 goals in 34 games. That impressive record earned him a move to Netherlands team Feyenoord Rotterdam. He was at one point the highest paid player in Dutch football, and had loan spells at Excelsior Rotterdam and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. before joining Wimbledon F.C. in 2001 on a free transfer where he scored 42 goals in two seasons. West Ham United F.C. signed him in 2003 for £285,000 where he netted 14 goals in a single season.

Connolly signed for Leicester City F.C. in 2004 for £500,000, finishing the club's top scorer in his first season. During his Leicester days, Connolly is best remembered for having scored a hat-trick against Stoke City F.C. in August 2005, before departing for Wigan Athletic F.C..

On August 31 2005, he joined newly promoted FA Premier League club Wigan Athletic F.C. for £2m (with the possibility of rising to £3m if Wigan stayed in the Premiership, which they did). He scored on his debut for Wigan in a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion F.C., but was hit by injuries for much of the rest of the 2005-06 season.

In 2006, also on August 31, Connolly linked up with his former Republic of Ireland national football team team-mate Roy Keane at Sunderland A.F.C.. His first goal came against Colchester United F.C. on November 18, when he came on as a sub and smashed the ball in off the post from about 18 yards out. Connolly ended up Sunderland's top scorer and was an integral part of their promotion in the 2006-07 season, scoring 13 goals in the campaign and scoring the final goal of the season for Sunderland against Luton Town on May 6 2007, in the match that made Sunderland champions of the Coca-Cola Championship.

In 2007-08, however, Connolly played almost no part in the season, making just one substitute appearance.

Throughout his career Connolly has been represented by Michael Kennedy, a London based solicitor, who also looks after several other Irish football players including Roy Keane, David O'Leary and Niall Quinn.

International career

Connolly has also been a regular member of the Republic of Ireland national football team national team, since making his debut on May 29, 1996 against Portugal national football team. He was part of the 2002 World Cup squad that lost to Spain national football team in the 2002 Football World Cup Round of 16, where Connolly's penalty kick was saved by Iker Casillas during the shootout. He has scored nine goals for the Republic in 41 caps and also scored once for the Republic in Niall Quinn's benefit match on May 14 2002, against his current club, Sunderland.

International goals

Personal life

Connolly is married. In January 2006, he became a father for the first time and welcomed his second daughter in April of the following year.