Biography
Who is Niall Quinn?
Early life and sports background
Niall Quinn was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 6, 1966. He grew up in Perrystown and started playing association football for a local club named Manortown United when he was nine years old. Initially, he played as a goalkeeper before moving outfield at age twelve. He later played for Lourdes Celtic and represented Drimnagh Castle Secondary School.
Playing career at Arsenal and Manchester City
After an unsuccessful trial at Fulham, Niall signed professional forms with Arsenal in 1983. He scored on his first-team debut against Liverpool during the 1985-86 season after scoring heavily in the reserves. The following season, he secured a regular place in the side and won a Football League Cup winner's medal when Arsenal defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the final. After losing regular playing time following the arrival of Alan Smith, Niall submitted a transfer request and finished his Arsenal career with 20 goals in 94 appearances.
Sunderland and international success
Niall finished his playing career with Sunderland after joining the club in August 1996 for a club record 1.3 million pounds. Despite missing six months of his first season due to a knee injury, he formed a productive partnership with Kevin Phillips that helped Sunderland regain promotion to the Premiership. He scored 21 goals during Sunderland's record-breaking Division One title-winning season in 1999 and became the first player to score at the Stadium of Light. In total, he played 475 times in the Premier League and Football League over a 17-year career, scoring 141 goals.
Management and media career
Following his retirement as a player, Niall became part of a consortium that bought Sunderland. He served as the club's chairman and also had a brief spell as manager before stepping down to the role of club director. He officially left Sunderland in February 2012.
Birthday and age
Niall Quinn was born on October 6, 1966, which makes Niall 60 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Niall shares the date with 63 other famous people.
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