Michael Doyle (footballer)

Michael Doyle

Personal information
Full name	Michael Paul Doyle
Date of birth	8 August 1981 (1981-08-08)
Place of birth	Dublin, Ireland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Sheffield United
Number	8
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2003	Celtic	0	(0)
2001–2002	→ AGF Aarhus (loan)	22	(4)
2003–2011	Coventry City	265	(20)
2009–2010	→ Leeds United (loan)	42	(0)
2011–	Sheffield United	41	(1)
National team‡
2007	Republic of Ireland B	1	(0)
2006	Republic of Ireland	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:00 21 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14:19, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

Michael Paul Doyle (born 8 August 1981 in Dublin) is an Irish footballer currently playing for Sheffield United. Doyle is known for his workrate and his tough tackling style. He started his career at Celtic and has also played in Denmark for AGF Aarhus. He has spent the majority of his career to date with Coventry City, though he also had a season-long loan at Leeds United, and has also been capped once by the Republic of Ireland.

Club career

Early career

Doyle began his career as a trainee at Celtic turning full professional for them in August 1998. He and fellow Celtic teammate Liam Miller had a spell on loan in the Danish Premier League at club AGF Aarhus, with Doyle playing 22 League games and scoring four goals for the Danish side. During his time at Celtic, Doyle failed to make a single league appearance for the first team.

Coventry City

After the loan spell ended, the tenacious central midfielder was then signed for Coventry by Gary McAllister after a successful trial, having been recommended by McAllister's assistant Eric Black who worked with Doyle at Celtic.

Doyle made his début against Peterborough United in the Football League Cup in August 2003, and scored in his appearance away against Ipswich Town in a 1–1 draw. Doyle played regularly throughout the season either side under the management of both McAllister and his successor Black.

Under Peter Reid, Doyle continued to play whenever fit, forging a useful partnership with captain Stephen Hughes. After Reid's departure Doyle continued to be favoured by new manager Micky Adams, scoring in the crucial away win at Watford, as the side avoided relegation from the Championship.

In 2005–06, Doyle continued to play regularly, captaining the side on a number of occasions since Christmas, notably in the 2–0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. This came in his first match after a suspension for his dismissal in the previous home game against Crewe Alexandra for arguing with the referee. Doyle was named permanent captain of Coventry by Iain Dowie. Doyle was part of the Coventry team that beat Manchester United in the League Cup at Old Trafford, which remains one of the most famous League Cup upset's in recent years.

During the 2008–09 season, Doyle was a regular under Chris Coleman, starting 39 games for Coventry in all competitions. But due to the signing of Sammy Clingan from Norwich in the summer of 2009, Doyle found his first team place under threat, the reason for him wishing to seek guaranteed first team football elsewhere.

Leeds United

At the start of the 2009-2010 season Doyle joined Leeds United on a season long loan and made his first team début in the first game of the season,a win against Exeter. Having become first choice in midfield Doyle said in an interview to Yorkshire Evening Post on in October that he would love to make his loan move from Coventry permanent, and he hoped that if he could impress manager Simon Grayson enough and earn Leeds promotion that it would help his chances in securing a permanent contract at the Elland Road club.^{[citation needed]} In his first six-months at Leeds, Doyle has been a regular starter partnering either Neil Kilkenny or Jonathan Howson in centre midfield, with Doyle only missing games through suspension or being rested by Simon Grayson for squad rotation.

After Leeds were knocked out of the Football League Trophy, Doyle was dropped from the starting line-up for the first time in the league against Leyton Orient but remained a regular first team player. Leeds were duly promoted to the Football League Championship after finishing in second place in League One and thus earning automatic promotion. In total Doyle had played 52 games for Leeds in all competitions during the course of the season. After promotion, Doyle claimed in interviews that he still wanted to join Leeds permanently rather than return to Coventry. He also revealed that promotion with Leeds was his greatest achievement of his football career to date.

Return to Coventry

After Leeds manager Simon Grayson revealed he wasn't going to sign Doyle permanently, Doyle returned to Coventry. During his loan at Leeds, Chris Coleman was sacked as manager and succeeded by Adrian Boothroyd, who saw Doyle as an important member of the team. Doyle started the season as first choice midfielder alongside Lee Carsley in the heart of Coventry's midfield before dropping to the bench as the season progressed. Following this and in the build up to Coventry's game against his former club Leeds, Doyle controversially stated that his time at Leeds was the best year of his life. Back in the side Doyle scored his first goal for 21 months in November, a long range effort against Burnley.

Sheffield United

Doyle signed for Sheffield United on a free transfer on during the January 2011 transfer window, a move that reunited him with former boss Micky Adams, and made his début in a 1-0 loss to Leicester a few days later. He played regularly for the remainder of the season but with the club in decline he was unable to help to stop The Blades slipping to relegation. Regaining his place in the starting eleven Doyle was awarded with the Captain's armband with both Chris Morgan vice-captain Nick Montgomery out of the side. With the team challenging for promotion Doyle scored his first goal for the Blades in January 2011, netting in the 38th minute against Yeovil Town at Bramall Lane.

International career

Doyle made his début for the Republic of Ireland in 2006, but it remains his only cap to date. In 2007 he did play for the Republic of Ireland B team.

Honours

• League One Runners Up (Promoted): 2009–2010 – Leeds United
• Coventry City Player of the Year Awards – 2004–05: Player of the Year

Career statistics

England
Season	Club	Loan	Division	League		FA Cup		League Cup		FL Trophy		Play-Offs		Total
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2011–12	Sheffield United		League One	20	0	3	0	2	0	2	0	–	–	27	0
2010–11			Championship	16	0	0	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	16	0
Sheffield United Total				36	0	3	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	43	0
2010–11	Coventry City		Championship	17	3	5	1	2	0	–	–	–	–	24	3
2009–10	Leeds United	Loan	League One	42	0	6	0	3	0	1	0	–	–	52	0
2008–09	Coventry City		Championship	37	2	5	1	2	0	–	–	–	–	44	3
2007–08			Championship	42	7	3	0	4	0	–	–	–	–	49	7
2006–07			Championship	40	3	2	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	42	3
2005–06			Championship	44	0	3	0	2	0	–	–	–	–	49	0
2004–05			Championship	44	2	2	0	3	1	–	–	–	–	49	3
2003–04			Championship	40	5	5	1	2	0	–	–	–	–	47	6
Coventry City Total				247	19	20	2	13	1	0	0	0	0	280	22
Total				293	19	28	2	18	1	1	0	0	0	333	22

External links

• Michael Doyle player profile at sufc.co.uk
• Michael Doyle player profile at ccfc.co.uk
• Michael Doyle career stats at Soccerbase

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Stephen Warnock	Coventry City Player of the Year 2004–2005	Succeeded by Gary McSheffrey