Dessie Gorman
Encyclopedia
Desmond "Dessie" Gorman (born 13 December 1964 in Manchester
, England
) is a retired Irish
footballer who played for a number of clubs on both sides of the Irish border.
, making his League of Ireland debut on 10 March 1985. His form attracted the attention of English side Arsenal
, and he played for them in a friendly against Shamrock Rovers
at Glenmalure Park
in August 1986. While at Dundalk he won all domestic honours, and was top scorer during both the 1985–86 (with 11 goals) and 1987–88 (with 16 goals) seasons. In 1989 he moved to French club FC Bourges
who he helped win promotion, and then to Derry City
in October 1990. In the summer of 1991 he moved to Shelbourne
, before signing with Linfield
in December 1992. He stayed with Linfield until 1997, before playing with Newry Town
, Bangor
, Ards
, Banbridge Town
. He returned briefly to Dundalk
in 2003, before retiring. He came out of retirement in 2007 to play briefly for Loughall
.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a retired Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
footballer who played for a number of clubs on both sides of the Irish border.
Career
Gorman started his career with DundalkDundalk F.C.
Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
, making his League of Ireland debut on 10 March 1985. His form attracted the attention of English side Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, and he played for them in a friendly against Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
at Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...
in August 1986. While at Dundalk he won all domestic honours, and was top scorer during both the 1985–86 (with 11 goals) and 1987–88 (with 16 goals) seasons. In 1989 he moved to French club FC Bourges
FC Bourges
Bourges Football is a French football club based in Bourges. In the summer of 2008, FC Bourges, which spent eleven seasons in Ligue 2, merged with Bourges-Asnières 18 football club and became Bourges Football 18, and currently plays in the Championnat de France Amateurs 2...
who he helped win promotion, and then to Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
in October 1990. In the summer of 1991 he moved to Shelbourne
Shelbourne F.C.
Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
, before signing with Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
in December 1992. He stayed with Linfield until 1997, before playing with Newry Town
Newry City F.C.
Newry City is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1923, is based in Newry, County Down and plays its home matches at The Showgrounds. Club colours are blue and white...
, Bangor
Bangor F.C.
Bangor Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1918, hails from Bangor and plays its home matches at Clandeboye Park. Club colours are gold and royal blue...
, Ards
Ards F.C.
Ards F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1900, is from Newtownards, but plays its home matches at Dixon Park in Ballyclare, which it shares with Ballyclare Comrades...
, Banbridge Town
Banbridge Town F.C.
Banbridge Town is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1947, hails from Banbridge, County Down and plays its home matches at Crystal Park. Club colours are red and black...
. He returned briefly to Dundalk
Dundalk F.C.
Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
in 2003, before retiring. He came out of retirement in 2007 to play briefly for Loughall
Loughgall F.C.
Loughgall F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1967, is situated in the village of Loughgall, near Armagh in County Armagh...
.
Honours
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
: 2- DundalkDundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
– 1988–89 - ShelbourneShelbourne F.C.Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
– 1991–92
- Dundalk
- FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
- DundalkDundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
– 1988
- Dundalk
- League of Ireland Cup: 2
- DundalkDundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
– 1987–88 - Derry CityDerry City F.C.Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
– 1990–91
- Dundalk
- Irish Premier LeagueIrish Premier LeagueThe IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
: 2- LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
– 1992–93, 1993–94
- Linfield
- IFA Cup: 2
- LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
– 1993–94, 1994–95
- Linfield
- Irish League Cup
- LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
– 1993–94
- Linfield
- Gold CupGold Cup (Northern Ireland)The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association....
- LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
– 1996–97
- Linfield
- Floodlit CupIrish League Floodlit CupThe Irish League Floodlit Cup was an annual football competition organised by the Irish Football League in the late-1980s and 1990s.- History :...
- LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
– 1993–94
- Linfield
- County Antrim ShieldCounty Antrim ShieldThe County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
- LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
– 1994–95
- Linfield