Graham Dorrans

Graham Dorrans

Dorrans pictured in 2009
Personal information
Full name Graham Dorrans
Date of birth (1987-05-05) 5 May 1987
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Norwich City
Number 18
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2008 Livingston 77 (16)
2005 → Partick Thistle (loan) 15 (5)
2008–2015 West Bromwich Albion 154 (21)
2015 → Norwich City (loan) 15 (3)
2015– Norwich City 17 (0)
National team‡
2007 Scotland U20 5 (0)
2008 Scotland U21 5 (0)
2009– Scotland 12 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 January 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2015

Graham Dorrans (born 5 May 1987) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Norwich City and the Scotland national team.[2] In the 2009–10 season, he helped West Bromwich Albion gain promotion to the Premier League and was named in the Championship Team of the Year in the process. Dorrans has been described as a composed, creative, combative and consistent player.

Club career

Early career

Dorrans came from the Barlanark area of Glasgow and spent a period of his youth training with Scottish Premier League club Rangers. He began his career at Livingston. He spent the first half of the 2005–06 season on loan at Partick Thistle. He made 15 league appearances, scoring five goals, for the Glasgow side. Dorrans won the Scottish First Division Player's Player of the Year award at the end of the 2007–08 season.[3]

West Bromwich Albion

After some good performances for Livingston during the 2007–08 season, Dorrans was approached by West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray. In January 2008, Dorrans agreed to join West Brom at the end of the season for £200,000.[4] At the end of the 2007–08 season, Dorrans won the Scottish First Division Player's Player of the year award.[5] In July his move to Albion was completed, but for an initial £100,000, which could possibly rise to £150,000 depending on appearances.[6]

He made his debut in the English Premier League for West Bromwich Albion on 21 December 2008, coming on as a second-half substitute against Manchester City.[7] He was involved in Albion's first goal and won praise from Tony Mowbray after the game.[7] Towards the end of the 2008–09 season, Dorrans signed an extended contract with West Brom.[8] On 15 May, West Brom confirmed that Dorrans would be out for the rest of the season with a broken metatarsal bone.

He scored his first goal for West Brom in a League Cup tie at Bury on 11 August 2009. The 2009–10 season saw Dorrans break into the West Brom team and his performances led to reported interest from several Premier League clubs. On 4 January 2010, Dorrans signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal at the Baggies.[9] On 11 February the same year it was rumoured that Manchester City were ready to make a bid for Dorrans believed to be around £6 million.[10] He scored a 30-yard free kick against Preston North End on 21 March.[11] Dorrans was then named PFA fans' Championship player of the month for March 2010, following his impressive performances.[12]

In The Guardian on 20 March 2010 he was described as, "Composed, creative, combative and consistent, Dorrans is easily the best all-round midfielder seen at West Brom since Bryan Robson."[3] In April 2010 West Brom rejected an offer of £4 million from West Ham United for Dorrans, and a further £5 million bid on 8 July 2010.[13] It was during this period that it was disclosed that former Livingston owner Angelo Massone had waived the financially stricken club's right to 20% of Dorrans' next transfer fee in return for £50,000. It was speculated that the windfall from Dorrans' potential transfer could have solved their financial problems.[14] On 19 July 2010, Dorrans signed a new four-year deal with West Brom.[15]

Dorrans was made available for transfer by West Brom in January 2013, after he was left out of a matchday squad.[16] He had a "difficult start" to the 2013–14 season, during which he made 16 appearances.[17] Despite this, he played more under new Head Coach Pepe Mel, leading to Dorrans signing a three-year contract with West Brom in July 2014.[17]

Norwich City

In February 2015, Dorrans joined Norwich City on loan for a month,[18] which was later extended until the end of the 2014–15 season.[19] The move was made permanent on 27 May 2015, just a few days after Dorrans helped the side win promotion to the Premier League, via the Playoff Final.[2]

International career

Dorrans represented Scotland at under-20 level and was selected for the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada.[20] As of May 2009, he had been selected five times for the Scotland national under-21 football team.[8] Dorrans was also selected for the Scotland B national football team in 2009, but withdrew due to injury.[8]

On 7 September 2009 Dorrans was called up for the first time for the senior squad to play the Netherlands in a crucial World cup qualifier. On 10 October 2009 he made his full Scotland debut in a friendly against Japan. Dorrans made his home debut for Scotland on 3 March 2010 in the 1–0 victory over the Czech Republic, earning the sponsors man of the match award for his efforts.

Dorrans has not often been picked for Scotland squads under the management of Gordon Strachan because they agreed he would not be selected if he was unlikely to play.[21] They reached this arrangement due to Dorrans suffering from personal problems, as his son died at birth and his daughter contracted meningitis.[22] Dorrans was recalled to the squad in October 2015, when other midfielders were unavailable.[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of 23 January 2016[24]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Livingston 2004–05 10––––10
2005–06 8020–––100
2006–07 3452221–10398
2007–08 34114120–104112
Total 7716834100209120
Partick Thistle (loan) 2005–06 155––––155
West Bromwich Albion 2008–09 803000––110
2009-10 45134332––5218
2010–11 2111030––251
2011–12 3132020––353
2012–13 2611010––281
2013–14 1420020––162
2014–15 910000––91
Total 15421113112000017626
Norwich City (loan) 2014–15 1530000–30183
Norwich City 2015–16 1701030–00210
Career total 27845206183005032154

References

  1. ↑ http://www.wba.co.uk/team/player-profile/graham-dorrans/17
  2. 1 2 http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/graham_dorrans_joins_norwich_city_on_permanent_deal_from_west_brom_1_4089654
  3. 1 2 "On song: West Brom's Graham Dorrans". The Guardian (London). 20 March 2010.
  4. ↑ "West Brom agree deal for Dorrans". BBC Sport. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "Dorrans wins Division One award". BBC Sport. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  6. ↑ "West Brom complete Dorrans deal". BBC Sport. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  7. 1 2 Lepkowski, Christopher. Dorrans impresses on debut for Baggies, Birmingham Mail, 22 December 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 "Dorrans agrees new West Brom deal". BBC Sport. BBC. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  9. ↑ "Graham Dorrans signs new West Bromwich Albion contract". BBC Sport. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  10. ↑ "Manchester City plot surprise summer West Brom star Graham Dorrans". Daily Mail (London). 11 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  11. ↑ Graham Dorrans stars as West Bromwich do it hard way
  12. ↑ "Dorrans is fans' favourite". Sky Sports. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  13. ↑ "West Brom reject £4m West Ham bid for Graham Dorrans". BBC Sport. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  14. ↑ "Livingston set to miss out on big money Graham Dorrans sell-on bonus". Daily Record. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  15. ↑ http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2010/07/19/graham-dorrans-signs-new-contract/
  16. ↑ West Brom's Graham Dorrans told he can seek a new club, BBC Sport.
  17. 1 2 West Brom: Graham Dorrans agrees new three-year contract, BBC Sport.
  18. ↑ "GRAHAM DORRANS SET TO JOIN ON LOAN". Norwich City Football Club. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  19. ↑ "City Loan Dorrans Until End Of Season". Norwich City F.C. 26 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "SCOTLAND SQUAD FOR U20 WORLD CUP". Scottish Football Association. 8 June 2007.
  21. ↑ Greechan, John (27 May 2015). "Graham Dorrans set to join Norwich on permanent deal after Alex Neil resurrects his chance of a Scotland recall". Daily Mail. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Baggies' Graham Dorrans: I was close to quitting football". Express and Star. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Norwich City midfielder Graham Dorrans earns Scotland recall". Eastern Daily Press. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "Graham Dorrans". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 April 2013.

External links

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