David Anthony O'Leary (born 2 May 1958) is a football manager and former player. The majority of his 20-year playing career was spent as a central defender at Arsenal, where his tally of 722 appearances stands as a club record. He played 68 times for the Republic of Ireland from 1976 to 1993, and was part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
O'Leary retired as a player after two years at Leeds United, and began managing the club in 1998. He built a team of young talents, and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2000–01 before being dismissed the following year. He also managed Aston Villa for three Premier League seasons and had one year in charge of Al Ahli Dubai,
Club career
O'Leary was born in Stoke Newington, London, on 2 May 1958, and moved to live in Dublin in 1961.
Arsenal
O'Leary had two weeks on trial at Manchester United before signing for Arsenal as an apprentice in 1973. He made his against Burnley on 16 August 1975 in a 3–3 draw, and despite being only 17, went on to make 30 appearances that season. The following year, he signed a professional contract. For the next 10 years, he played more than 40 matches a season (except for 1980–81, when he was injured and only played 27).
A calm and collected central defender, O'Leary was noted for his good positioning and elegant style of play. He won his first major honour with Arsenal when he played in their 3–2 win over Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup Final. He also played in the 1978 and 1980 Cup finals, and the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup final, all of which Arsenal lost. In 1982, O'Leary became club captain, but relinquished it to Graham Rix 18 months later.
In 1981, O'Leary rejected a move to Manchester United and signed a four-year extension at Arsenal. He missed the loss to Luton Town in the 1988 Football League Cup final due to an Achilles tendon rupture. O'Leary broke numerous appearance records at Arsenal; he was the youngest person to reach the 100- and 200-match milestones, and he made his 400th appearance while still only 26. He passed George Armstrong's all-time record of 621 first-team games in November 1989. By this time, O'Leary was no longer automatic first choice (with the partnership of Tony Adams and Steve Bould at the centre of George Graham's defence), but he still turned in over 20 appearances as Arsenal won the 1988–89 First Division title due to a 2–0 win at Anfield on the final day of the season.
O'Leary won another league title in 1991 and an FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993, though by this time he was mainly used as a substitute. He holds Arsenal's all-time record for appearances, with 722 first-team games, in a 20-year-long association with the club. In a poll to compile the list of the club's greatest-ever players, O'Leary was voted 14th. O'Leary assumes the role of a club ambassador for Arsenal.
Leeds United
O'Leary joined Leeds on a free transfer in 1993 after 19 years at Highbury. He retired due to another Achilles injury in 1995, after only 12 appearances. O'Leary was never sent off in a professional match.
International career
O'Leary's international debut with the Republic of Ireland came as a teenager in a 1–1 friendly draw with England on 8 September 1976. Following the appointment of Jack Charlton, O'Leary was frozen out of the international setup for two years. After being left out of a squad for a mini tournament in Iceland in May 1986, O'Leary booked a family holiday, which he decided not to cancel when he was eventually asked up to the squad following several withdrawals. O'Leary did not feature until November 1988, thus missing out on Euro 88.
The highlight of his 68-cap international career came in the 1990 World Cup. With Ireland in a penalty shootout with Romania, Packie Bonner saved Daniel Timofte's last penalty. O'Leary then stepped up to take the decisive final penalty to win the shootout 5–4 to take Ireland to the quarterfinals. O'Leary's strike has since been voted as the greatest moment in Irish footballing history.
On 17 October 1990, O'Leary scored his only goal for the Republic of Ireland in a 5–0 win over Turkey in a Euro 92 qualifier. O'Leary was captain in his final international game on 17 February 1993, but was injured in the opening minutes of the 2–1 friendly win over Wales at Tolka Park.
Managerial career
Leeds United
When the former Arsenal manager George Graham was put in charge at Leeds United in September 1996, O'Leary was installed as his assistant. He remained in this position for two years.