James Henry McFadden (born 14 April 1983) is a Scottish
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coach and former professional
player
Player may refer to:
Role or adjective
* Player (game), a participant in a game or sport
** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games
** Athlete, a player in sports
** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...
who played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
.
McFadden started his playing career with
Motherwell
Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...
, where he came to prominence in the 2002–03 season by scoring 19 goals and winning the
Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year
The PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, formerly known as the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year, is named at the end of every Scottish football season. The members of the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland vote on which of its ...
award.
Everton signed McFadden for £1.25 million in 2003. McFadden struggled to hold down a regular place in the Everton first-team and moved to
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
for £5 million in January 2008. A serious injury meant that McFadden missed most of the
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
season and the ''Blues'', who were relegated in his absence, decided not to renew his contract. McFadden signed again for the ''Toffees'' on a free transfer in October 2011, after regaining his fitness, and spent three months with
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in 2012.
Towards the end of his playing career, McFadden had two further spells at Motherwell, either side of a year at
St Johnstone
St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...
. During his third stint with Motherwell, McFadden also took on coaching duties. After a brief spell playing for
Queen of the South, McFadden took a coaching position with the Scotland team.
McFadden was first capped by
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
in 2002. His goal in a
Euro 2008 qualification match on 12 September 2007 against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, which gave Scotland a 1–0 win, is regarded as one of the team's most famous goals. McFadden played 48 times for Scotland, scoring 15 goals, in total. He was appointed to an assistant coach position with the Scotland national team in March 2018.
Club career
Motherwell (first spell)
McFadden was raised in
Springburn
Springburn ( gd, Allt an Fhuairainn) is an inner-city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, made up of generally working-class households.
Springburn developed from a rural hamlet at the beginning of the 19th century. Its indu ...
,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and attended
Turnbull High School
Turnbull High School is a co-educational comprehensive Secondary School located in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The school was named after William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow from 1448 to 1454, and founder of the University of G ...
in
Bishopbriggs
Bishopbriggs ( sco, The Briggs; gd, Achadh an Easbaig) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the Glasgow city centre, city centre. Shires of Scotland, Historically in ...
. His parents operate a
fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular hot dish consisting of fried fish in crispy batter, served with chips. The dish originated in England, where these two components had been introduced from separate immigrant cultures; it is not known who created t ...
takeaway in
Glasgow city centre
Glasgow City Centre is the central business district of Glasgow, Scotland. Is bounded by Saltmarket, High Street and Castle Street to the east, The River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to its west and north. Glasgow City Centre is comp ...
. He joined the
Motherwell
Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if ...
at a young age, making his first-team debut when he was 17 years old. McFadden came to greater prominence during the
2002–03 Scottish Premier League
The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League (known as the 2002–03 Bank of Scotland Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth season of the Scottish Premier League (SPL), the top level of football in Scotland. It began on 3 August 2002 and ...
SPL season, scoring 19 goals from 34 starts and winning the
Young Player of the Year Award.
In this season Motherwell finished bottom of the SPL and should have been relegated but were given a reprieve due to
First Division champions
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
not meeting stadium criteria.
McFadden received some criticism for his lack of discipline, picking up fifteen yellow cards and one red during the campaign. McFadden's final game for Motherwell that season saw him score a hat-trick in a 6–2 defeat of
Livingston
Livingston may refer to:
Businesses
* Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010)
* Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline
* Livingston International, a North American custom ...
at
Fir Park
Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premiership club Motherwell and was the temporary home of Gretna for the 2007–08 SPL season. Mo ...
.
Everton (first spell)
English
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club
Everton signed McFadden in 2003 for £1.25 million. McFadden scored his debut goal for Everton during their 5–2 defeat at
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
on 1 January 2005,
more than a year after joining the club. One week later, he scored his second goal in a third-round
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
tie versus
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
.
During the
2005–06 season, McFadden was in and out of the Everton team as they struggled to re-capture their form of the previous season. On 11 March 2006, he scored with a 35-yard volley to help Everton to a 3–1 victory over
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
. This scoring run of form continued the next week versus
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 ...
, a half-volley from just outside the area helping the Toffees to a 4–1 victory and ended the season with seven goals.
McFadden made an indifferent start to the
2006–07 season, following the arrival of record signing
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
, managing only two goals in the first half of the campaign.
On 24 January 2007, McFadden injured his fifth
metatarsal
The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the med ...
during training for Everton. After nearly three months on the sidelines, he made a scoring return to action for Everton as a second-half substitute versus
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
on 15 April 2007.
McFadden scored a spectacular volley in injury time to secure a 2–1 win for the ''Toffees'', a goal later voted goal of the season by the readers of Sky Sports.
In October 2007, McFadden scored a critical equalising goal in Everton's victory over
Metalist Kharkiv
Football Club Metalist Kharkiv ( uk, Футбо́льний Клуб Металі́ст Ха́рків ) is a Ukrainian football club based in Kharkiv that plays in the Ukrainian First League during the 2021–22 season. It was revived 5 years ...
in the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
. He dedicated his goal against
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
on 2 January 2008 to the recently deceased
Phil O'Donnell, by pointing to his black armband and then to the sky in tribute to the former Motherwell captain.
Birmingham City
On 18 January 2008, McFadden joined
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
on a three-and-a-half-year deal, with an option for additional two years, for an initial fee of £5 million, potentially rising to £6m depending on appearances. McFadden's first goal arrived in his fourth game for the club, a
penalty kick
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
versus
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
at
Upton Park, after he had been fouled by
Lucas Neill
Lucas Edward Neill (born 9 March 1978) is an Australian former soccer player. Neill played as a defender, often playing as a centre back as well as a full-back. Neill spent almost 15 years of his career playing in England. He represented Austr ...
. In his next match, at home to
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, he scored from a 20-yard free kick before adding the equalising goal from the penalty spot in the last minute of
stoppage time
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
.
McFadden scored Birmingham's first goal of the
2009–10 Premier League
The 2009–10 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three ...
season, a 92nd-minute penalty, to give the club a 1–0 home win against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
.
McFadden suffered
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
damage in August 2010.
He returned to training in March, but suffered a setback which meant he could not play in the 2010–11 season.
Following their relegation from the Premier League, Birmingham chose not to take up a two-year option on his contract but attempted to negotiate amended terms. No agreement was reached, and McFadden left Birmingham after his contract expired on 30 June 2011.
Everton (second spell)
After continuing to train with Birmingham over the summer to regain fitness while out of contract, McFadden had a successful trial with
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
in September, but was unable to agree contract terms. In mid-October he was reported to be in talks with
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
, but on 17 October, McFadden signed for Everton until the end of the
2011–12 season. McFadden played in a
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
match the following day, his first appearance since a knee injury 13 months earlier
and made his second debut for the first team on 5 November as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–1 defeat away to
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
.
McFadden had to wait until April 2012 to make his first start, playing the first 64 minutes in a 4–0 league win over
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
but was released by the club at the end of the season, having played a total of eight first-team matches during his short return to
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
.
Again out of contract, McFadden trained with Motherwell during the 2012–13 pre-season,
playing for the club in a testimonial match for
Steven Hammell on 21 July 2012 against Everton.
Contract speculation followed when Motherwell manager
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall (born 10 June 1964) is a professional football coach and former player. He is assistant manager at Sheffield United.
McCall played in a total of 763 league games and in 40 full international matches for Scotla ...
made an approach to sign McFadden. However, the approach to sign McFadden was unsuccessful as no agreement could be met.
Sunderland
In September 2012, McFadden undertook a trial with Sunderland. On 26 October, he joined Sunderland on a three-month contract that ended in January 2013. McFadden's debut was on 15 December 2012, in a 3–1 defeat to
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
and his home debut was on 12 January 2013 in a 3–0 victory versus West Ham United.
Motherwell (second spell)
After failing to earn a new deal at Sunderland, McFadden again trained with former club Motherwell. On 18 February 2013, McFadden returned to Fir Park, signing on until the end of the season. McFadden made his first start on his return in a 2–1 win over Celtic.
On Friday 15 March 2013, McFadden scored his first goal since returning in a 4–1 victory over
Hibernian and also set up two goals during the match. McFadden's performance earned him the man-of-the-match award. McFadden then scored the late equaliser in a 2–2 draw versus
St Mirren on 6 April 2013 and then on 5 May 2013, scored a brace despite losing 4–3 versus
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team currently competes in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional F ...
.
At the end of the
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
season, although McFadden was offered a new contract his future still remained uncertain.
At the start of pre-season training for the 2013–14 season, McFadden returned to the club and travelled with them to their training camp in Spain. In a 4–2 defeat versus Newcastle United in a friendly match, McFadden scored a penalty with an audacious chip down the centre of the goal, known as a
Panenka. After the match, reports suggested that McFadden would remain at Motherwell on a one-year deal. On 19 July 2013, it was confirmed that McFadden had signed a new contract in a decision that he described as "straightforward".
At the start of the
2013–14 season, McFadden started as a traditional right winger but soon afterwards his form and fitness slumped, having scored only once versus Livingston in the last sixteen of the Scottish League Cup. McFadden then suffered a back injury but returned soon after to score his first league goal of the season in a 5–1 win over
Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908. ...
on 29 December 2013 and followed this up his second league goal in the next match, in a 4–0 victory over
St Johnstone
St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...
.
After these two games, McFadden says his performance revived his form and he went on to score and provide three assists, on 1 March 2014 as Motherwell defeated
Hearts. McFadden's fourth goal arrived on 22 March 2014 in a 2–1 victory over
Ross County.
At the end of the 2013–14 season, McFadden was released by the club after they decided not to extend his contract after citing a risk over McFadden's recurring injury problems, even though he had expressed his desire to sign a new contract two months previously.
St Johnstone
On 1 October 2014, McFadden signed for St Johnstone until the end of the 2014–15 season and had his debut on 4 October 2014 in a 2–1 defeat versus St Mirren.
On 22 November 2014, McFadden scored his first goal for the
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
club in a 2–1 win versus Ross County.
In May 2015, McFadden was released after only scoring one league goal during his season in
Perthshire
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
.
As of September 2015, McFadden was training with Motherwell. Two months later, he entered negotiations to be the marquee player of
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
club
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established i ...
, after the departure of
Carlos Marchena
Carlos Marchena López (; born 31 July 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer, and a manager. Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he also played as a defensive midfielder.
Most of his professional career (nine years) was spen ...
.
Motherwell (third spell)
On 18 December 2015, McFadden signed a short-term deal until the end of January 2016. That arrangement expired at the end of January, with McFadden expecting to move on to the USA. On 13 February, McFadden signed a new deal to stay to the end of the season. On 19 March, he was ruled out for the remainder of the
2015–16 season, after suffering a broken ankle in training. On 26 July 2016, Motherwell announced that McFadden had been appointed as the club's assistant-manager, whilst also continuing as a player until the summer of 2017.
Nearly seventeen years after making his Motherwell debut, and nearly sixteen after scoring his first league goal, McFadden came on as a second-half substitute in Motherwell's final game of the 2016–17 season versus Inverness Caledonian Thistle and scored his final Motherwell goal in his final appearance. The match ended in a 3–2 win for the
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...
club.
McFadden departed Motherwell at the end of the season, as their manager Stephen Robinson opted for a new coaching set-up.
On 13 November 2019, it was announced that McFadden was to be inducted into the Motherwell Hall of Fame.
Queen of the South
On 8 September 2017, McFadden signed for
Dumfries
Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...
club
Queen of the South on a short-term contract. McFadden departed Queens in January 2018, after 15 appearances for the club.
International career
McFadden gained his first
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
at the age of 19 against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
on a Far East tour, at the end of which a night out drinking caused him to miss his flight home. Despite his domestic performances he became a regular in
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts (; born 30 December 1946) is a German former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga his whole professional club career and won the FIFA World Cup wi ...
' Scotland set-up, scoring his first goal against the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
during a 3–1 win in a
UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial association football, football competition contested by the List of men's national associatio ...
qualifying match at
Hampden Park
Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
on 6 September 2003.
McFadden's goal versus
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in November 2003 gave Scotland a famous 1–0 victory,
although they then lost 6–0 in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
and failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2004. McFadden was part of the squad which went out to Japan in 2006 and won the
Kirin Cup
The is an association football tournament organised in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 then known as Japan Cup (International competition which national ...
.
In September 2007, during Scotland's dramatic but ultimately unsuccessful qualifying campaign for
UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
, McFadden scored a long-range goal from 30 yards to secure a famous 1–0 win over
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
securing Scotland's first win on French soil since 1950. He was on target again in the following game a month later, a 3–1 win over
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
at Hampden Park.
He was unable to score in the last match of the campaign against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
in November 2007 at Hampden, which Scotland lost 2–1.
The winning goal in a September 2008 match against
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
in the
2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, scored on the rebound after McFadden's penalty kick was saved, was initially credited to McFadden, but in the official match report was awarded to
Barry Robson
Barry Gordon George Robson (born 7 November 1978) is a Scottish football coach and former player who currently works for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. Robson played as a midfielder for several clubs in Scotland, England and Canada and r ...
. The
SFA lobbied on McFadden's behalf, and in March 2009,
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
re-credited the goal to him.
McFadden was substituted at half-time in a
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 was a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, held in Poland and Ukraine. The draw for the qualifying rounds was held ...
match against
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
in September 2010, and was criticised by manager
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein (born 22 October 1964) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is currently a full-time advisor to the board of directors at Highland Football League club Brechin City.
During his playing career ...
after the game.
McFadden suffered a serious injury soon afterwards.
He criticised Levein in February 2012 for describing him as "lazy".
In March 2013 new Scotland manager
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan ( born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player. He played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. He has since managed Cove ...
said that he would consider McFadden for selection, but noted that he needed to play regularly at club level, having not done so in the previous two seasons.
Coaching career
Alex McLeish
Alexander McLeish (born 21 January 1959) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender for Aberdeen during their 1980s glory years, making nearly 500 League appearances for the club, and won 77 caps for ...
appointed McFadden to an assistant coaching position with the
Scotland national team in March 2018.
McLeish and his backroom staff, including McFadden, were fired on 18 April 2019.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each McFadden goal.''
Honours
Birmingham City
*
Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
:
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Scotland
*
Kirin Cup
The is an association football tournament organised in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 then known as Japan Cup (International competition which national ...
: 2006
[
Individual
*]SFWA Young Player of the Year
The Scottish Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the SFWA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Scottish Young Player of the Year) award is given to the footballer in the Scottish football league system, who is se ...
: 2001–02
*PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year
The PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, formerly known as the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year, is named at the end of every Scottish football season. The members of the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland vote on which of its ...
: 2002–03
* Everton Young Player of the Year: 2005–06
*Everton Goal of the Season: 2006–07
* SPL Young Player of the Month: January 2002
*SFWA International Player of the Year
The Scottish Football Writers' Association International Player of the Year (often called the SFWA International Player of the Year) award is given to the player in the Scotland national football team who is seen to have made the best contributio ...
: 2007–08
References
External links
Profile
at Motherwell F.C. website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McFadden, James
1983 births
Living people
People from Springburn
People educated at Turnbull High School
Footballers from Glasgow
Scottish footballers
Association football forwards
Scotland under-21 international footballers
Scotland B international footballers
Scotland international footballers
Motherwell F.C. players
Everton F.C. players
Birmingham City F.C. players
Sunderland A.F.C. players
St Johnstone F.C. players
Queen of the South F.C. players
Scottish Premier League players
Premier League players
English Football League players
Scottish Professional Football League players
Association football coaches
Motherwell F.C. non-playing staff