Michael McGowan

Name: Michael Valentine McGowan
Born: 22 February 1985, Glasgow (SCO)
Height: 5.08 ft
Weight:
Position: Midfielder

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 2 Under-21 Caps (2006).

Club Career:
Teams ....... -Seasons- Signed -Fee- --League-- FA Cup FL Cup Europe Other
Celtic ....................... Youth
Sheffield Wednesday ..... 2001 Youth
Stenhousemuir 02/3-03/4 ..2002 Youth .11 (1)/ 0 ................... 1(0)/0
Dundee ...... 03/4-04/5 Jan-04 ....... 0 (0)/ 0
Raith Rovers  04/5 .... Jan-05 Trial ..0 (1)/ 0
Clyde ....... 05/6-07/8 Aug-05..Free .94 (6)/ 5 5(0)/0 5(0)/0 ...... 5(2)/1
Queen o/t Sth 08/9 .... Jul-08..Free .16 (0)/ 5 2(0)/0
Dundalk ..... 2009-2010 Jul-09..Free .19 (3)/ 5 3(0)/0 1(0)/0 0(3)/0 1(0)/1
St. Mirren ............ Sep-10 Trial ..0 (0)/ 0
Alloa Ath. .. 10/1 .... Nov-10 .Free .20 (2)/ 7 1(0)/0 ............. 2(0)/0
Ayr United .. 11/2-13/4 Jul-11 ...... 51 (9)/ 6 2(2)/1 8(0)/0 ...... 2(1)/0

Biography:
Scottish-born Michael McGowan has had a fairly nomadic career to date.

As a teenager he was attached to Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday before joining Stenhousemuir and making his Scottish Second Division debut against Airdrie a few weeks before his eighteenth birthday. He then joined SPL side Dundee, but never made an appearance while at Dens Park before being released as the club entered administration. In January 2005 he made a single appearance for Raith Rovers against Partick Thistle as a trialist and also spent time training with Airdrie United to maintain his fitness.

In the summer of 2005, after six months without a club, McGowan joined First Division Clyde. He was a regular from the off, playing mainly as a wide-midfielder but also filling in across defence and on ocassion as a striker. He was part of The Bully Wee side that defeated Celtic 2-1 in the Scottish Cup in January 2006 as Roy Keane made his Hoops debut.

That season McGowan also claimed two Northern Ireland Under-21 caps, being eligible through his paternal grandfather. He made his international debut, playing as a forward, during a two-game tour of Israel and won his second and final cap, as a winger, in a win over the country of his birth at Drumahoe in May 2006.

Despite being team captain at the time, McGowan left Clyde in 2008 in search of a new challenge. He shortly thereafter joined Queen of the South after a successful trial but after a bright start he fell out of the firstteam reckoning.

McGowan joined Dundalk in the League of Ireland mid-way through their 2009 campaign, teaming up with other former Northern Ireland Under-21 players, Chris Turner and Liam Burns. He made his competitive debut in a 3-0 win at Galway United on 17th July and went on to score his first club goal in a thrilling 4-3 victory at Sligo Rovers three weeks later. Despite playing just half a season at Oriel Park he was named Dundalk's Player of the Year and was also awarded Goal of the Season by RTE's Monday Night Soccer programme for a strike from the half-way line against Derry City.

Keen to return to Scotland, McGowan turned down an improved contract at Dundalk to seek a new club. He spent some time training with Rangers before returning to the Lilywhites in May 2010. He stayed only a few months, leaving the club again in August when his contract was terminated by mutual consent. In September 2010 he had an unsuccessful trial at Danny Lennon's St Mirren before joining Second Division Alloa Athletic.

Prior to the start of the 2011/12 season McGowan joined Scottish First Division side, Ayr United. He marked his league début with a goal in a 2-1 defeat by Hamilton.

Ayr United Profile

Northern Ireland Under-21 Cap Details:
08-02-2006 Israel.. A W 1-0 FR
16-05-2006 Scotland H W 1-0 FR

Summary: 2/0. Won 2, Drew 0, Lost 0.

NI photo by Roy Cathcart. Dundalk stats courtesy of Jim Murphy who also forwarded the headshot taken from the Dundalk programme.