CAOLAN LAVERY

Full Name: Caolan Owen Lavery

Born: 22 October 1992

Came from: Sheffield Wednesday   Went to: Sheffield Wednesday

First game: 23 November 2013   Last game: 01 January 2014

Appearances: 8 (4/4)   Goals: 3

Lavery was born in Red Deer in the prairie province of Alberta, Canada and played junior football for the fabulously-named Red Deer Renegades and also the provincial side, Team Alberta. In 2008 he was capped by Canada's under-17s in warm-up matches for the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup, but, having Irish parents, he was also entitled to represent both Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2009 he played in Northern Ireland for Goodyear FC, and had trials with Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth.

Later in 2009, Lavery signed for Ipswich Town and played for their reserves under the stewardship of Chris Kiwomya - alongside Conor Hourihane, although like his future Argyle team-mate, he was unable to break into the first team at Portman Road. With three passports, he decided on Northern Ireland for international honours and won three caps for their under-19s in 2009 and six for the under-21 side in 2010. He rejected a new deal at Ipswich late in 2011 and left the Suffolk club when his scholarship expired, and had further trials with Sunderland and Leicester City and talks with Bradford City and SPL side Kilmarnock.

However, it was Sheffield Wednesday he elected to join in the summer of 2012, becoming part of their development squad. In January 2013 he was loaned to League Two side Southend United for a month, making his Football League debut and three further appearances, all as a substitute, without scoring. Returning to Hillsborough, he accumulated three appearances, again from the bench, for the Championship side before John Sheridan signed him on a month’s loan in November 2013 to boost the Pilgrims' attacking options.

Unfortunately for Argyle, Lavery proved too successful during his brief spell in tandem with Reuben Reid that Sheridan's former club invoked a 24-hour recall clause in January 2014, a few days after the striker’s original loan deal had been extended.

On his return to the Owls, he fired braces for Wednesday in resounding Championship wins over Leeds United (6-0) and Birmingham City (4-1). His progress was then curtailed by a cruciate knee ligament injury but upon returing to match fitness, he teamed up with neighbouring League One Chesterfield on loan in the 2015 January transfer window and scored the winner on debut for the Spireites at Notts County. Lavery ended up mirroring his record at Home Park whilst with Chesterfield, three goals in eight games, before being recalled by Wednesday and making a goal-scoring return to their first team in March.

In October 2015, Lavery moved to League Two side Portsmouth on a three-month loan deal, playing 13 times and scoring four, before returning to Hillsborough.

In August 2016 he made the move across Sheffield to the Owls' rivals, Sheffield United, after turning down a new contract offer from Wednesday. In three seasons at Bramall Lane, he made 36 appearances and scored five goals, a time that included loan spells with Rotherham United in 2017-18 (15 games, two goals) and Bury 2018-19 (29 games, six goals).

He was released by Sheffield United at the end of the 2018-19 season and in August 2019 signed for Walsall, staying for two seasons and playing 80 times, scoring 17 goals.

Lavery then went on to spend the 2021-22 season at League Two Bradford City (20 games, one goal), followed by a half season at National League side Scunthorpe United (20 games, nine goals). In January 2023 he went back to League Two with Doncaster Rovers, signing an 18-month contract (12 games, one goal). However, a knee injury in late-March 2023 kept him on the sidelines for the rest of his time at the Keepmoat Stadium, and at the end of his contract, at just 31, he announced his retirement on medical advice.