Biography
Who is Shane Long?
Early life and background
Shane Long was born in Gortnahoe, County Tipperary, Ireland. Before his professional football career took off, he was a talented hurler. He participated in two All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship semi-finals for Tipperary at Croke Park.
During his youth, he also played Gaelic football. He began his path with the St. Kevin's FC club in 1994 and later joined St. Michael's in Tipperary Town in 2002.
Club career highlights
He started his professional football path at Cork City after receiving a scholarship in 2004. He made his senior League of Ireland debut as a substitute on March 25, 2005. In June 2005, he moved to Reading to continue his career.
While at Reading, he scored three goals during their 2005–06 Championship winning season. He famously helped the team reach the FA Cup fourth round in 2010 by scoring against Liverpool. He eventually won a player of the season award there.
In 2011, West Bromwich Albion signed him for a fee of £6 million. He scored on his league debut against Manchester United and finished his first season with eight Premier League goals. Following his time there, he joined Hull City in January 2014 and later moved to Southampton in August 2014.
Shane Long holds the record for the fastest goal in Premier League history, which he achieved on April 23, 2019. He returned to Reading in July 2022 before officially retiring a year later.
International career
Shane Long represented the Republic of Ireland at the international level. He made his senior debut for the national team in 2007. Over a 14-year period, he earned 88 international caps.
During his time with the national side, he scored a total of 17 goals. He also previously played for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team.
Birthday and age
Shane Long was born on January 22, 1987, which makes Shane 39 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Shane shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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