David James McAllister (born 29 December 1988) is an Irish former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
. Born in
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
in the Republic of Ireland he started his senior career with
Drogheda United
Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
before spells with
Shelbourne and
St. Patrick's Athletic. In 2011, he moved to England to play for
Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
, where he remained for two years before switching to
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
and then
Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
. He later returned to Ireland with
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
where he retired.
Club career
League of Ireland
Growing up in
Rush, County Dublin
Rush ( ga, Ros Eó , meaning 'peninsula of the yew trees'), officially ''An Ros'', is a small seaside commuter town in Fingal, Ireland. It was one of the few towns of the historic County Dublin. Rush lies on the Irish Sea coast, between Sker ...
, McAllister began footballing life at underage level with his local side Rush Athletic before progressing up the Dublin schoolboy ranks with
Home Farm and
Bohemians
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
. McAllister made the step up to senior football with
Drogheda United
Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
in 2007 as part of their under 21 panel. In 2008 McAllister was promoted to Drogheda United's first team for whom he made one appearance in a
League of Ireland Cup
The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...
tie against Shelbourne on 5 May 2008.
With first team opportunities restricted in an experienced Drogheda squad, McAllister was loaned to Shelbourne in July 2008 to gain first team experience. He made his Shelbourne début on 11 July 2008 as a substitute in a 2–0 home defeat to
Limerick 37
Limerick Football Club ( ga, Club Peile Luimnigh) was an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland who played in the League of Ireland and currently have teams competing in the underage National League of Ireland.
The first Limerick ...
. McAllister scored seven goals in 16 league appearances for Shelbourne during his loan spell and his impressive displays were rewarded with a permanent move to Shelbourne for the
2009 League of Ireland First Division
The 2009 League of Ireland First Division season was the 25th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The First Division was contested by 12 teams and UCD won the title. Third placed Sporting Fingal also won the 2009 FAI Cup Final, quali ...
season. McAllister thrived in Shelbourne's 2009 campaign. He scored an impressive 19 goals in 34 league and cup appearances for Shelbourne as they finished First Division runners-up for a second consecutive season.
With aspirations to play International Under 23 and League of Ireland Premier Division football, McAllister departed Shelbourne following the 2009 season to join Dublin rivals St. Patrick's Athletic for the Saints' 2010 Premier Division campaign. He made 40 league and cup appearances, scoring 5 goals for St. Patrick's Athletic in 2010 and after a number of impressive displays he was attracting interest from further afield.
Sheffield United
In November 2010, McAllister undertook a trial with
Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
which resulted in him signing a pre-contract agreement to move there permanently during the January transfer window.
A few days after his move McAllister made his début for the Blades as a 75-minute substitute in an FA Cup tie against
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
at
Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United.
The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...
but had to wait until late April to make his first league appearance, a game against
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
in which he scored his first goal for the club.
The Blades were struggling however and at the end of the season were relegated from the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
.
With United now in
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
McAllister was on the fringes of the first team squad making a handful of appearances in the first half of the season, predominantly in the various cup competitions during which he scored his only goal of the season against
Burton Albion
Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
in the
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
.
Making good progress he was rewarded with a contract extension in January 2012 to keep him at
Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United.
The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...
until the summer of 2014.
Immediately after signing his extension he was loaned out to
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
side
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
for a month to gain more first team experience,
with Shrewsbury manager
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner (born 5 October 1947) is an English former footballer who became a manager. His son Mark was also a professional footballer. He is third behind only Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger in terms of most games managed.
After a ...
describing him as "a strong player who can put his foot in and who has a good shot on him".
After a successful initial spell McAllister opted to extend his loan deal at the Shrews until the end of March,
and with the move working out well it was agreed to extend his loan until 14 April, two weeks prior to the end of the season.
McAllister was a regular starter for the Shrews during his time there, including playing in a home match against
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
which was abandoned after 64 minutes due to a fire at
Greenhous Meadow
New Meadow, also known as Montgomery Waters Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is a stadium situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, between the districts of Meole Brace and Sutton Farm, and close to the A5. It serves the hom ...
, with Shrews 1–0 at the time.
McAllister's impressive run was temporarily halted at the end of March when he incurred a red card, being controversially sent off against
Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area i ...
.
Shrewsbury Town tried to appeal against the red card to
the Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
(FA) using video evidence, but the appeal was rejected.
[ This meant that McAllister's automatic three game ban stood, effectively ending his stay with the Shrews.] McAllister returned to Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United.
The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...
as he wasn't able to play any more games for Shrewsbury that season. On his return to Sheffield, Blades manager Danny Wilson stated that McAllister had returned a "much better player" and sympathised with him over his controversial sending off which ended his loan spell at Shrewsbury.
With the Blades still in League One, the start to the 2012–13 season saw McAllister finally break into the Blades first team. He began to make regular starting appearances and scored the only goal against his previous loan employers Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
in the opening game of the season. Having played regularly until November McAllister lost his place once more and deemed a fringe player, was allowed to leave as United looked to trim their squad. During his time at Bramall Lane, McAllister made a total of 30 appearances and scored 4 goals.
Shrewsbury Town
In January 2013 McAllister completed a move League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
rivals and former loan club Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
for an undisclosed fee, signing a two and a half-year deal. Manager Graham Turner said "It's just over a week ago that Sheffield United accepted a bid for David, so obviously we're pleased to have concluded the deal... Initially it was a surprise that they would sell him as he's figured in a lot of their games, but I think the fact that he has been here and knows all about us, knows the professional attitude and the work ethic here helped in his decision to join us." McAllister scored his first goal in Shrewsbury colours on 2 March 2013 in a 3–1 defeat to Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
at the Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium, also known as the Poundland Bescot Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Walsall, England, and the current home ground of Walsall Football Club. It was built in 1989–90, by GMI Construction, with a reporte ...
. McAllister picked up an ankle injury in March 2014, which saw him miss the season run-in as Shrewsbury were relegated to League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
.
McAllister also missed the following pre-season, and was made available for loan by new manager Micky Mellon
Michael Joseph Mellon (born 18 March 1972) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who is the manager of Tranmere Rovers. As a player, he was a midfielder for clubs including Bristol City, West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool, Tr ...
on regaining full fitness, joining Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
on an initial months loan on 16 October 2014. The loan deal was later extended, with McAllister not returning to his parent club until the New Year. He was released by the club, having come to an arrangement regarding the remainder of his contract, on 16 January 2015 and signed permanently with Stevenage four days later on undisclosed terms.
Stevenage
After an injury hit 18-month spell with Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
, McAllister was released in May 2016.
International career
McAllister's performances earned him a call up for the Republic of Ireland U23 national team in 2010, however he wasn't able to play due to an ankle injury.
Career statistics
Honours
;Shrewsbury Town:
*League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
**Runners Up: 2011–2012
References
External links
Profile Page
at Shamrock Rovers
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McAllister, David
1988 births
Living people
Association footballers from County Dublin
Republic of Ireland association footballers
Association football midfielders
League of Ireland players
English Football League players
Drogheda United F.C. players
Shelbourne F.C. players
St Patrick's Athletic F.C. players
Sheffield United F.C. players
Shrewsbury Town F.C. players
Stevenage F.C. players
Shamrock Rovers F.C. players
Republic of Ireland expatriate association footballers