Alan McLoughlin

McLoughlin began his career as a trainee at Manchester United on leaving school in July 1983, turning professional at the start of the 1985–86 season. However, he never played a first team game for United even when featuring over 40 times for the reserves.

After his release from Old Trafford, McLoughlin played in a trial tournament for Stoke City but was not signed. He featured in an exit trial match at Durham University. He was then offered a one-week trial by Oldham Athletic but joined Swindon Town in August 1986, just after they had won promotion to the Football League Third Division. He made his debut in a 2–2 draw with Newport County on 12 September 1986. However, he did not fit with then-manager Lou Macari's "long ball" style, and seven months and nine appearances later, he moved to Torquay United on loan. His Swindon career looked to be over when he returned to Torquay at the start of the following season for another loan spell, but suspensions to other players meant McLoughlin was given another chance in the first team and he soon established himself as a regular for Swindon.

It was under Macari's successor as manager, Osvaldo Ardiles, that McLoughlin really blossomed. He was an ever-present in Ardiles' first season, scoring 16 goals. He capped a fine season by scoring the winning goal in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium against Sunderland. However, before the next season began, Swindon were demoted by The Football League for making irregular payments to players. This initially meant that Sunderland were promoted to the First Division in their place, and Swindon were demoted to the Third Division; their place in the Second Division was given to losing Third Division play-off finalists Tranmere Rovers. However, an appeal saw Swindon restored to the Second Division.

With Swindon in financial trouble, players had to be sold, and McLoughlin left for Southampton in December 1990, for a club record £1 million. However, he failed to find the same level of form that he had at Swindon, and he was loaned first to Aston Villa and then to Portsmouth.

The latter were impressed enough by McLoughlin to make a bid for him, and so in February 1992 he moved to Fratton Park for £400,000 after making only 29 appearances for the Saints. He helped Portsmouth to the 1992 FA Cup semi-final, scoring the winning goal in the quarter-final tie with Nottingham Forest, only for them to lose the semi-final to Liverpool on a penalty shoot-out. He helped Portsmouth to the brink of the Premier League in 1992–93, but they were pipped to automatic promotion by West Ham United and lost to Leicester City in the play-offs.

In December 1999, he was sold to Wigan Athletic for £260,000. However, injuries prevented him from making a major impact and he moved on a free transfer to Rochdale in December 2001, having made only 22 appearances for Wigan, scoring three goals. He scored once in the league against Gillingham.[1] and also scored a brace in a Football League Trophy tie against Oldham Athletic.[2] McLoughlin played his part in Rochdale reaching the play-offs in 2001–02 and scored a twice-taken penalty for them on his last league appearance against Bristol Rovers.[3]

With his career winding down McLoughlin joined Forest Green as a player-coach for the 2002–03 season and also featured in Rovers FA Cup first round tie with Exeter City which was broadcast live on BBC Match of the Day.[4] At the end of the season McLoughlin retired from playing to concentrate on coaching with the club.

McLoughlin's performances won him international recognition, and he was named in the Ireland squad for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. He made two appearances in the tournament, coming on as a substitute in the matches with England and Egypt. On 17 November 1993, McLoughlin scored the equaliser against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in a critical World Cup qualifier; the draw, combined with Spain's defeat of Denmark, meant that the Republic of Ireland team qualified for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.[5][6] McLoughlin became the first Portsmouth player to be included in any World Cup squad since the 1958 tournament – nine years before McLoughlin himself was born. He was capped 42 times for the Republic of Ireland.

Born in Manchester in 1967 to Irish parents, McLoughlin grew up near Manchester City's former ground Maine Road. He attended Catholic school Saint Mark's, in the same class as former Oasis guitarist and singer Noel Gallagher. He currently lives in Swindon with his wife and two daughters.