Alan Martin (footballer, born 1989)

Alan Martin
Personal information
Full name Alan Andrew Martin[1]
Date of birth (1989-01-01) 1 January 1989
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Hamilton Academical
Youth career
000?–2006 Motherwell
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2006–2007 Motherwell 0 (0)
2007–2011 Leeds United 0 (0)
2008–2009 → Barrow (loan) 20 (0)
2009 → Accrington Stanley (loan) 7 (0)
2010–2011 → Barrow (loan) 14 (0)
2011 Ayr United 15 (0)
2011–2014 Crewe Alexandra 26 (0)
2014 Aldershot Town 3 (0)
2014–2015 Clyde 31 (0)
2015– Hamilton Academical 0 (0)
National team‡
2006–2007 Scotland U19 7 (0)
2008–2010 Scotland U21 10 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:01, 5 May 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 August 2010

Alan Andrew Martin (born 1 January 1989)[2] is a Scottish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Hamilton Academical. Martin was a Scotland under-21 international.[3] He has previously played for Motherwell, Leeds United, Barrow, Accrington Stanley, Ayr United, Crewe Alexandra, Aldershot Town and Clyde.

Club career

Alan Martin in the Scotland U21

Martin began his career with the youth system of Scottish Premier League team Motherwell, making the first team for the 2005–06 season.[4] Martin was a substitute goalkeeper for Motherwell and never managed to make a League appearance for them before moving on.

Rangers made enquiries about signing Martin in 2007,[5] before joining League One team Leeds United on an initial two-year contract on 31 August 2007, taking the opportunity to be more involved in the club's first team squad.[6] Despite not appearing for Leeds he was offered a new contract in September 2008,[7] and moved to Barrow of the Conference National on loan to get more first team experience.[3] Martin's time at Barrow was extended to a season-long loan and he became a fan favourite. He was declared man of the match in Barrow's FA Cup third round game against Premier League side Middlesbrough,[8] receiving praise from the club's co-manager Dave Bayliss.[9] Injuries reduced Martin's appearances for Barrow towards the end of the season.

Despite suggestions that Martin could be involved in the Leeds first team for the 2009–10 season, he was loaned out again, joining Accrington Stanley of League Two until January 2010.[10] He made his Football League debut with Stanley in the opening game of the season in a 1–0 defeat to Rotherham United,[11] and fought for the number one jersey with fellow goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin. In total Martin played 10 games for Accrington Stanley. On 27 October Leeds recalled Martin, with current number one goalkeeper Shane Higgs out with a thigh injury and loan goalkeeper Frank Fielding having returned to his parent club. Martin expected to act as backup for Casper Ankergren.[12] He was regularly on the bench while Higgs was out injured, but he was displaced against Oldham Athletic with David Martin having arrived on loan from Liverpool. However Martin returned to Leeds' bench against Huddersfield Town as Leeds already had five loan players in the squad and David Martin was therefore unable to be included.

Martin was part of the Leeds squad which got promotion to The Championship, although he was confined to being third choice keeper behind Shane Higgs and Casper Ankergren for the season, which meant he had to settle for a place on the substitutes bench if either keeper was unavailable. During the summer of 2010 Ankergren left the club and was replaced by Kasper Schmeichel which meant that Martin continued to be only the third choice goalkeeper.

On 4 August 2010 Martin rejoined Barrow on loan until January 2011.[13] On 14 August Martin made his second debut for Barrow, against Histon and conceding three goals in a 3–1 loss. In October, after injuries to Kasper Schmeichel and Shane Higgs, Leeds contemplated recalling Martin to act as cover but decided to let him stay at Barrow to help his development.[14] On 4 January 2011 Martin returned to Leeds after Barrow decided they couldn't afford to keep him.[15] On 31 January 2011 Martin's contract was cancelled by mutual consent, allowing him to find a new club, after the loan signing of Manchester City goalkeeper David González Giraldo.

After his release from Leeds, Martin moved back to Scotland to sign for part-timers Ayr United. He was a regular upon signing, and helped Ayr to win promotion to the Scottish Football League First Division via the play-offs in May 2011. Although being offered a contract at Ayr for season 2011–2012, Martin declined the offer, stating he wanted to go back to full-time football, and Ayr could not offer him this.

A free agent, Martin signed an initial one-year deal with Crewe in July 2011 after impressive performances for the club during pre-season,[16] finally making his first-team debut on 11 August 2012, keeping a clean sheet in a 5–0 home win over Hartlepool in a Capital One League Cup first round tie.[17] He made his League One debut a week later, letting in two goals as Notts County won 2–1 at Gresty Road.[18]

On 27 January 2014, Martin left Crewe Alexandra by mutual consent.[19] He moved to Aldershot Town and made three league appearances for the club. Martin was released by Aldershot at the end of the 2013–14 season.[20] During July 2014 he went on trial with Kilmarnock.[20]

On 23 September 2014, Martin signed for Scottish League Two club Clyde.[21] He made his debut the same day, in Clyde's 2–1 defeat against Montrose.[22]

He signed for Hamilton Academical in June 2015.[23]

International career

Martin has played for Scotland at youth football levels, up to and including the under-21 team. He made his under-21 debut against Northern Ireland in November 2008 and, despite playing only nineteen minutes due to injury, retained his place as the team's first-choice goalkeeper for subsequent matches.[24] Martin played for Scotland in the European Championship qualifying playoffs.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 34. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Men's U21". United Kingdom: Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  3. 1 2 Gavin McCafferty (27 March 2009). "Football's outposts don't worry Martin". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  4. ↑ "Motherwell". FootballSquads. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  5. ↑ "Malpas issues Martin warning". Football.co.uk. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Leeds complete trio of signings". BBC Sport (BBC). 1 September 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  7. ↑ Hay, Phil (14 December 2008). "Alan's getting a Barrow-load of experience". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  8. ↑ "Middlesbrough 2–1 Barrow". BBC Sport (BBC). 3 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  9. ↑ "Non-leaguers goal sparks late Boro panic". Soccernet. ESPN. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  10. ↑ "Stanley agree Martin deal". Sky Sports (BSkyB). 2 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  11. ↑ "Rotherham 1–0 Accrington". BBC Sport (BBC). 8 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  12. ↑ "Goalkeeper returns to the fray". Leeds United A.F.C. 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  13. ↑ "Leeds United goalkeeper Alan Martin re-signs for Barrow". BBC Sport (BBC). 4 August 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  14. ↑ http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leedsunited/Leeds-United-Martin39s-still-in.6583660.jp
  15. ↑ "Keeper Martin to return to Leeds". BBC News. 4 January 2011.
  16. ↑ "Crewe Alexandra confirm Alan Martin signing". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  17. ↑ "Crewe 5 – 0 Hartlepool". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  18. ↑ "Crewe 1 – 2 Notts County". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Alan Martin Leaves Club". Crewe Alexandra FC. 27 January 2014.
  20. 1 2 "Wednesday's Scottish gossip". BBC Sport. BBC. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  21. ↑ "Alan Martin joins Clyde". Clyde F.C. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  22. ↑ "Clyde 1–2 Montrose". Clyde F.C. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  23. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33078110
  24. ↑ Chris Roberts (31 March 2009). "Kid gloves Alan Martin looking to emulate heroes Schmeichel and Leighton". Daily Record. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  25. ↑ http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leedsunited/Leeds-United-keeper-targets-U21.6574816.jp

External links

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