David Healy Bio Send To Friend  

Healy joined Sunderland in a £1.2million deal, signing a three-year contract, in August 2008 as Fulham boss Roy Hodgson overhauled his squad for the new season.

The Northern Ireland international signed for Fulham in summer of 2007 after falling out with Leeds United supremo Ken Bates, joining the Cottagers for a reported fee of £1.5million.

Former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez brought the player to Fulham in the hope that he would replicate his impressive international scoring record. It was not to be.

Despite receiving a special UEFA award for his record of 13 goals in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, which included two hat-tricks and highlighted his pace and finishing ability, Healy managed just four goals in 30 appearances for Fulham and was roundly criticised for his lack of guile in front of goal during the 2007/08 term.

Ahead of the 2008/09 season newspaper reports linked Healy with a return to Leeds, despite their lowly standing two divisions below Fulham.

Healy was signed by Manchester United in the late 1990s as a youth player and made three substitute appearances for the first team before being loaned out to Port Vale in 1999/00.

Unable to break into the first team squad, the striker made the move to Preston North End in 2000 and immediately made an impact, scoring 10 goals in 26 games and 10 more in 49 games in 2001/02.

Still not assured of a first team place though, Healy was loaned to Norwich City in the January transfer window in 2003.

He failed to make much of an impact, although he halted the Canaries' goal famine by scoring twice, and returned to Preston where he scored 15 times in 42 matches in the 2003/04 season.

The striker decided to join Leeds United at the end of that season and made the move to Elland Road in October 2004. His first season saw him finish the campaign as the side's top scorer with seven goals.

The 2005/06 season saw more improvement as Healy finished the season with 12 goals in 25 appearances. At times, the striker can be unplayable, but has suffered from inconsistency and was left on the bench for a quarter of the 2006/07 season.

With Leeds relegated to League One, Healy made his opposition to Ken Bates's control of the club clear and made the move to Fulham to be reunited with Sanchez.