Gavin McGowan

Gavin McGowan

Personal information
Full name	Gavin Gregory McGowan
Date of birth	16 January 1976
Place of birth	Blackheath, London, UK
Playing position	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1992–1998	Arsenal	7	(0)
1997	→ Luton Town (loan)	2	(0)
1997	→ Luton Town (loan)	8	(0)
1998–2001	Luton Town	50	(0)
Total		67	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Gavin McGowan (born 16 January 1976 in Blackheath, England) is an English retired professional football defender. He played for Arsenal in the Premier League and for Luton Town in the Football League Second Division.

McGowan joined Arsenal's youth team in 1992^[1] at the age of 16, and was with the Premier League club for over six years and made seven appearances (six in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup) for the London side. In 1994, he won the FA Youth Cup with Arsenal when they beat Millwall 5–3 in the final.^[2] He only played one Premier League game (against Crystal Palace) as Arsenal won the 1997-98 FA Premier League, meaning he did not qualify for a winners' medal.^[3]

Unable to win a first-team place at Arsenal, McGowan moved to Luton Town in the summer of 1998, having already spent a period on loan there. McGowan was initially a first-team player but an injury during the 1999–2000 season limited his appearances. He left the club on a free transfer in 2001 after a clearout by then recently employed manager Joe Kinnear.

He spent the rest of his playing career in non-League football, including spells at Horsham, Bromley (twice), Hornchurch, Braintree Town, Dulwich Hamlet (twice), Tonbridge Angels, Margate, Croydon Athletic and Redhill.

McGowan is now a P.E. teacher and head of the Football Academy at Edenham High School in the borough of Croydon.

References

1. Gavin McGowan career statistics at Soccerbase
2. Player Profile: Gavin McGowan
3. "Games played by Gavin McGowan in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Retrieved 17 November 2013.