Georgios Samaras
Encyclopedia
Georgios Samaras is a Greek footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League
club Celtic
and the Greek national football team. He is predominantly a left winger but can also play as a striker.
Samaras started his career at OFI Crete
, before moving on to Dutch Eredivisie
side Heerenveen in 2001. He made his first team debut two years later and after a further three seasons with the club he moved to English Premier League side Manchester City
for a fee of £6 million in 2006. He struggled to break into the first team in England and was loaned out to Scottish Premier League
team Celtic
in January 2008, during this time he helped the club win the title for a third season in a row. Celtic signed him at the end of the loan spell and since moving to Glasgow he has won the 2008–09 Scottish League Cup as well as the 2010–11 Scottish Cup
. Samaras also won the SPL Player of the Month award
in September 2008.
Although eligible to play for Australia. Samaras chose to represent his country of birth, Greece
, and made his debut in 2006. He has become a regular in the Greek side since then, earning over 50 caps and representing his country at Euro 2008 and in the 2010 World Cup
.
, the capital city of the Greek island of Crete
. His favourite footballer growing up was Marco van Basten. Samaras was also a keen basketball fan and his father, Ioannis Samaras
, often let him stay up until the early hours of the morning so he could watch his other hero, Michael Jordan
, play.
In 1994, when he was 10 years old, Samaras joined his boyhood heroes OFI Crete
. His father was playing for them at the time and then retired in 1996. Six months later he became Academy chief manager, a position he retained up until 2000 when he became manager. Samaras credits his father highly with helping start his football career. His influence meant that Samaras trained every day of his childhood and he also got to spend a lot of time behind the scenes at OFI. Samaras left for Dutch club Heerenveen S.C. in 2000.
At the end of the season, Sevilla
were reported to be interested in Samaras as a replacement for Júlio Baptista
.
On 14 December 2005, Samaras scored as Heerenveen came back from behind to beat Levski Sofia 2-1 in the UEFA Cup
. On 30 December, Samaras scored twice as Heerenveen beat Ajax
4-2. In January 2006 Arsenal
and Manchester City
showed interest in signing the striker. Samaras tried to get released from his contract after Heerenveen had rejected a bid from Man City. However, the Dutch arbitration commission ruled that he had no grounds to end his contract. Samaras scored 25 goals in 88 appearances for Heerenveen.
on 30 January 2006 for a fee of £6million. Samaras stated that he was excited about moving to City because he saw them as being the next stage in his development. He also said that he would relish being in a team with the likes of Stuart Pearce
, David James
, Andy Cole
and Trevor Sinclair
He made his debut for City as a 65th minute replacement for Andrew Cole in a 3–0 home win over Newcastle United. On 15 March 2006, Samaras scored in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa
to put City through to the quarter-final of the League Cup
. This was his fourth goal in his first six appearances.
In December, Pearce publicly stated that Samaras would have to 'toughen up' if he wanted to be a success in the Premier League. He said that Samaras' all round game wasn't good enough and that he would need to learn to pass the ball better and compete more effectively. Some fans had criticised Pearce for signing Samaras, along with other foreign players who had not settled in well enough to the English game.
Samaras failed to get a regular place in the first team over the two years he was at the club. Mainly used as a substitute, Samaras scored 12 goals in 63 appearances for the Eastlands
club.
on loan until the end of the season. The Greek striker confirmed that as well as helping Celtic, one of the reasons he moved was in order to get more games so that he would be considered for the Greek national squad in the Euro 2008 competition. Samaras scored on his debut for Celtic, coming on as a substitute during a 5–1 Scottish Cup victory over Kilmarnock
with a solo run down the wing before cutting inside and finishing into the bottom left hand corner. His successful start continued with goals against Inverness Caledonian Thistle
, Hibernian
, Gretna
, Aberdeen
and Motherwell
, which proved vital in Celtic's race to win the Scottish Premier League
. The season ended with Celtic winning the SPL title on the last day of the league season, gaining Samaras his first Championship medal. In total, he scored six goals in 19 appearances during his loan spell for Celtic.
After his successful loan spell, Samaras left Manchester City on 15 July 2008 and signed a three-year contract with Celtic for an undisclosed fee. Samaras scored his first two goals of the 2008–09 season against Falkirk
on 23 August. Following some impressive performances against Motherwell, Kilmarnock
and Livingston
, he was named SPL Player of the Month for September 2008. Samaras was dropped from the team for the League Cup Final
after some poor form, but came off the bench to help his side defeat Rangers
2–0. He finished the season with 17 goals to his name.
On 5 August 2009, Samaras scored an injury time goal to win a Champions League third qualifying round tie against Dynamo Moscow
. His good form continued into Celtic's Europa League campaign. At times Samaras played in a midfield role or as a winger in the 2009–10 season. He finished the season with 10 league goals and 12 in all competitions.
Samaras started the 2010–11 season in good form scoring four goals in Celtic's pre-season fixtures. He scored his first competitive goal in a Europa League tie against FC Utrecht with a chest down and finish to make it 2–0, sending Celtic into the second leg with a lead. On 22 September 2010, Samaras scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle
in the League Cup
. Samaras produced a match-winning performance against Rangers
at Ibrox
on 2 January 2011. He was selected as a lone striker and scored both Celtic goals in a 2–0 victory. His first goal came from latching onto a Joe Ledley
pass before rounding Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor
and slotting home from a wide angle. His second came after he won a penalty which he converted to secure the victory. His efforts in this game won him Goal.com
's World Player of the Week Award. In the following game, a Scottish Cup tie against Berwick Rangers
, Samaras again started but failed to last the 90 minutes after sustaining a hamstring
injury. Samaras had an influential performance in a 3–0 home victory against Rangers in the SPL on 20 February, helping to set up the second goal for Gary Hooper
and causing problems for the opposition throughout the game. On 16 March, Samaras captained Celtic for the first time in a 2–1 Scottish Cup win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the Caledonian Stadium
. Two days later, he signed a new deal to keep him at Parkhead until the summer of 2014.
On 3 November 2011, Samaras started against Rennes in a Europa League match at Celtic Park
. Celtic won the match 3–1 with Samaras getting two assists. He drew plaudits for his much noticed work-rate and determination during the match. Samaras then started the next match against Motherwell in the SPL and set up another goal for Anthony Stokes, Celtic went on to win the match 2-1 after being 1–0 down. He then went on to score his first goal of the 2011–12 season in a 5-0 win over St Mirren. Manager Neil Lennon
was full of praise for Samaras, "He got his goal, which we've been waiting on a long time. His play was fantastic. He is a talent and all we are asking for is consistency. He has shown everyone today what he is capable of when he is in full flow. The rest took a leaf from his book."
Samaras was eligible to play for Australia. His father Ioannis
was born in Melbourne
, but moved to Greece at the age of 13 and had a successful football career, playing for Panathinaikos, and the Greek national team. His grandfather (also Georgios) was one of the founding members of South Melbourne
. Although technically eligible, the opportunity to play for Australia was never pursued as Samaras chose to play for the country of his birth.
He made his debut for Greece
just a week after his 21st birthday, on 28 February 2006 in a friendly game against Belarus
, in which he scored the only goal of the game. He featured in Greece's Euro 2008 qualifiers and was a member of the unsuccessful Greek squad at the finals. Samaras' fourth international goal was a crucial one, when he scored the winning goal in a 2010 World Cup qualifier
against Israel
in front of his hometown crowd in Heraklion. He scored his fifth international goal with a overhead kick in a World Cup qualifier on 10 October 2009, against Latvia
in a 5–2 victory.
Samaras also played against Ukraine
in a World Cup Qualifying play-off, setting up the only goal of the tie, passing to Dimitris Salpigidis
who slotted home to give Greece a 1–0 win and a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals
.
On 1 June 2010, Georgios Samaras was selected in the 23 man Greece squad for the World Cup. He played in all three group matches. Despite Greece's 2–1 win over Nigeria
, they failed to proceed to the knockout stage of the World Cup, due to 2–0 losses to both South Korea and Argentina
.
On 17 November 2010, Samaras scored his sixth international goal in a friendly against Austria
in Vienna
with Greece winning the match 2–1. Samaras also set up Greece's second goal.
Samaras then went of to score a very vital goal for Greece
against Croatia
on 7 October 2011, a volley from the edge of the box with his left foot. The match finished 2–0 and the result meant that Greece
qualified for the Euro 2012 Championships.
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and the Greek national football team. He is predominantly a left winger but can also play as a striker.
Samaras started his career at OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
, before moving on to Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
side Heerenveen in 2001. He made his first team debut two years later and after a further three seasons with the club he moved to English Premier League side Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for a fee of £6 million in 2006. He struggled to break into the first team in England and was loaned out to Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
team Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in January 2008, during this time he helped the club win the title for a third season in a row. Celtic signed him at the end of the loan spell and since moving to Glasgow he has won the 2008–09 Scottish League Cup as well as the 2010–11 Scottish Cup
2010–11 Scottish Cup
The 2010–11 Scottish Cup was the 126th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition.Celtic won the title after they defeated Motherwell 3–0.-Calendar:...
. Samaras also won the SPL Player of the Month award
Scottish Premier League monthly awards
This article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...
in September 2008.
Although eligible to play for Australia. Samaras chose to represent his country of birth, Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, and made his debut in 2006. He has become a regular in the Greek side since then, earning over 50 caps and representing his country at Euro 2008 and in the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Early life and career
Samaras was born in HeraklionHeraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
, the capital city of the Greek island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. His favourite footballer growing up was Marco van Basten. Samaras was also a keen basketball fan and his father, Ioannis Samaras
Ioannis Samaras
Ioannis Samaras |Victoria]], Australia) is an Australian-born Greek former footballer who played as a midfielder during the 1980s and 1990s.Samaras was born in Melbourne, Australia, to Greek parents. His father, Georgios, was a co-founder of South Melbourne FC, an Australian soccer club with strong...
, often let him stay up until the early hours of the morning so he could watch his other hero, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, play.
In 1994, when he was 10 years old, Samaras joined his boyhood heroes OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
. His father was playing for them at the time and then retired in 1996. Six months later he became Academy chief manager, a position he retained up until 2000 when he became manager. Samaras credits his father highly with helping start his football career. His influence meant that Samaras trained every day of his childhood and he also got to spend a lot of time behind the scenes at OFI. Samaras left for Dutch club Heerenveen S.C. in 2000.
Heerenveen
Samaras broke into the Heerenveen team during the 2002-03 season, still aged only 17. He scored three goals in his first four appearances, all of which were from the bench. This form prompted Heerenveen activate a three-year extension clause in his contract.At the end of the season, Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
were reported to be interested in Samaras as a replacement for Júlio Baptista
Júlio Baptista
Júlio César Baptista is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Málaga CF of the Spanish La Liga...
.
On 14 December 2005, Samaras scored as Heerenveen came back from behind to beat Levski Sofia 2-1 in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. On 30 December, Samaras scored twice as Heerenveen beat Ajax
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
4-2. In January 2006 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 Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
showed interest in signing the striker. Samaras tried to get released from his contract after Heerenveen had rejected a bid from Man City. However, the Dutch arbitration commission ruled that he had no grounds to end his contract. Samaras scored 25 goals in 88 appearances for Heerenveen.
Manchester City
Samaras moved to Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 30 January 2006 for a fee of £6million. Samaras stated that he was excited about moving to City because he saw them as being the next stage in his development. He also said that he would relish being in a team with the likes of Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
, David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
, Andy Cole
Andy Cole
Andrew Alexander Cole is a retired English footballer. He is most well known by the name Andy Cole , but in 2000, he reputedly asked to be known as Andrew Cole...
and Trevor Sinclair
Trevor Sinclair
Trevor Lloyd Sinclair is an English former professional footballer. Sinclair was a versatile winger, able to play on both the left and right flanks who played in the Premier League and made twelve appearances for the England national team.He retired in 2008, after a nineteen-year professional...
He made his debut for City as a 65th minute replacement for Andrew Cole in a 3–0 home win over Newcastle United. On 15 March 2006, Samaras scored in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
to put City through to the quarter-final of the League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
. This was his fourth goal in his first six appearances.
In December, Pearce publicly stated that Samaras would have to 'toughen up' if he wanted to be a success in the Premier League. He said that Samaras' all round game wasn't good enough and that he would need to learn to pass the ball better and compete more effectively. Some fans had criticised Pearce for signing Samaras, along with other foreign players who had not settled in well enough to the English game.
Samaras failed to get a regular place in the first team over the two years he was at the club. Mainly used as a substitute, Samaras scored 12 goals in 63 appearances for the Eastlands
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
club.
Celtic
On 29 January 2008, Samaras signed for CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
on loan until the end of the season. The Greek striker confirmed that as well as helping Celtic, one of the reasons he moved was in order to get more games so that he would be considered for the Greek national squad in the Euro 2008 competition. Samaras scored on his debut for Celtic, coming on as a substitute during a 5–1 Scottish Cup victory over Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
with a solo run down the wing before cutting inside and finishing into the bottom left hand corner. His successful start continued with goals against Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
, Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, Gretna
Gretna F.C.
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
and Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
, which proved vital in Celtic's race to win the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League 2007-08
The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008...
. The season ended with Celtic winning the SPL title on the last day of the league season, gaining Samaras his first Championship medal. In total, he scored six goals in 19 appearances during his loan spell for Celtic.
After his successful loan spell, Samaras left Manchester City on 15 July 2008 and signed a three-year contract with Celtic for an undisclosed fee. Samaras scored his first two goals of the 2008–09 season against Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
on 23 August. Following some impressive performances against Motherwell, Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
and Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
, he was named SPL Player of the Month for September 2008. Samaras was dropped from the team for the League Cup Final
2009 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2009 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Scottish League Cup, the 62nd season of the Scottish League Cup. The match was played at Hampden Park, Glasgow on 15 March 2009, and was won by Celtic, who beat Old Firm rivals and Cup holders, Rangers, 2-0 after extra...
after some poor form, but came off the bench to help his side defeat Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
2–0. He finished the season with 17 goals to his name.
On 5 August 2009, Samaras scored an injury time goal to win a Champions League third qualifying round tie against Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
. His good form continued into Celtic's Europa League campaign. At times Samaras played in a midfield role or as a winger in the 2009–10 season. He finished the season with 10 league goals and 12 in all competitions.
Samaras started the 2010–11 season in good form scoring four goals in Celtic's pre-season fixtures. He scored his first competitive goal in a Europa League tie against FC Utrecht with a chest down and finish to make it 2–0, sending Celtic into the second leg with a lead. On 22 September 2010, Samaras scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
in the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
. Samaras produced a match-winning performance against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
on 2 January 2011. He was selected as a lone striker and scored both Celtic goals in a 2–0 victory. His first goal came from latching onto a Joe Ledley
Joe Ledley
Joseph Christopher Ledley is a Welsh footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Welsh national team as a central or left midfielder....
pass before rounding Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor
Allan McGregor
Allan James McGregor is a Scottish association footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Rangers and the Scotland national team...
and slotting home from a wide angle. His second came after he won a penalty which he converted to secure the victory. His efforts in this game won him Goal.com
Goal.com
Goal.com, founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and former Ferrari Maserati and Ralph Lauren President and CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, is a website for international football news. Goal.com represents the largest football community in the world, with 22 language versions, covering over 200...
's World Player of the Week Award. In the following game, a Scottish Cup tie against Berwick Rangers
Berwick Rangers F.C.
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
, Samaras again started but failed to last the 90 minutes after sustaining a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury. Samaras had an influential performance in a 3–0 home victory against Rangers in the SPL on 20 February, helping to set up the second goal for Gary Hooper
Gary Hooper
Gary Hooper is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League club Celtic.Hooper started his career at non-League Grays Athletic in 2003. While there he won the 2004-05 Conference South, as well as the FA Trophy twice in 2005 and 2006. After this Championship club...
and causing problems for the opposition throughout the game. On 16 March, Samaras captained Celtic for the first time in a 2–1 Scottish Cup win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium
The Caledonian Stadium, currently known as the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium situated in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland...
. Two days later, he signed a new deal to keep him at Parkhead until the summer of 2014.
On 3 November 2011, Samaras started against Rennes in a Europa League match at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
. Celtic won the match 3–1 with Samaras getting two assists. He drew plaudits for his much noticed work-rate and determination during the match. Samaras then started the next match against Motherwell in the SPL and set up another goal for Anthony Stokes, Celtic went on to win the match 2-1 after being 1–0 down. He then went on to score his first goal of the 2011–12 season in a 5-0 win over St Mirren. Manager Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....
was full of praise for Samaras, "He got his goal, which we've been waiting on a long time. His play was fantastic. He is a talent and all we are asking for is consistency. He has shown everyone today what he is capable of when he is in full flow. The rest took a leaf from his book."
International career
Ioannis Samaras
Ioannis Samaras |Victoria]], Australia) is an Australian-born Greek former footballer who played as a midfielder during the 1980s and 1990s.Samaras was born in Melbourne, Australia, to Greek parents. His father, Georgios, was a co-founder of South Melbourne FC, an Australian soccer club with strong...
was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, but moved to Greece at the age of 13 and had a successful football career, playing for Panathinaikos, and the Greek national team. His grandfather (also Georgios) was one of the founding members of South Melbourne
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
. Although technically eligible, the opportunity to play for Australia was never pursued as Samaras chose to play for the country of his birth.
He made his debut for Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
just a week after his 21st birthday, on 28 February 2006 in a friendly game against Belarus
Belarus national football team
The Belarus national football team represents Belarus in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus, the governing body for football in Belarus. Belarus' home ground is Dinamo Stadium in Minsk...
, in which he scored the only goal of the game. He featured in Greece's Euro 2008 qualifiers and was a member of the unsuccessful Greek squad at the finals. Samaras' fourth international goal was a crucial one, when he scored the winning goal in a 2010 World Cup qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
against Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
in front of his hometown crowd in Heraklion. He scored his fifth international goal with a overhead kick in a World Cup qualifier on 10 October 2009, against Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
in a 5–2 victory.
Samaras also played against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
in a World Cup Qualifying play-off, setting up the only goal of the tie, passing to Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis (Greek: Δημήτρης Σαλπιγγίδης, (born 18 August 1981, Thessaloniki) is a Greek football striker. He plays for PAOK FC and the Greek national team.-Playing career:...
who slotted home to give Greece a 1–0 win and a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
On 1 June 2010, Georgios Samaras was selected in the 23 man Greece squad for the World Cup. He played in all three group matches. Despite Greece's 2–1 win over Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, they failed to proceed to the knockout stage of the World Cup, due to 2–0 losses to both South Korea and Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
.
On 17 November 2010, Samaras scored his sixth international goal in a friendly against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
with Greece winning the match 2–1. Samaras also set up Greece's second goal.
Samaras then went of to score a very vital goal for Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
against Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
on 7 October 2011, a volley from the edge of the box with his left foot. The match finished 2–0 and the result meant that Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
qualified for the Euro 2012 Championships.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 February 2006 | Limassol Limassol Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2 | 1 March 2006 | Nicosia Nicosia Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
0–2 | 0–2 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 3 | 11 October 2006 | Zenica Zenica Zenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity... , Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the... |
0–2 | 0–4 | Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 4 | 1 April 2009 | Heraklion Heraklion Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece.... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 World Cup Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 5 | 10 October 2009 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
4–2 | 5–2 | 2010 World Cup Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 6 | 17 November 2010 | Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
0–1 | 1–2 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 7 | 7 October 2011 | Piraeus Piraeus Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf.... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2012 Qualification UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
Style of play
Samaras has all the main attributes a world class striker requires strength, skill, pace and power. He can play as a lone striker or with a partner, and has sometimes played on the wing with Greece and Celtic. His height means he can play as a target man and he can be effective with his back to goal where he can bring others into play. He can also run at defenders with his pace. His weakness which prevents him from playing at a world class level is his consistency. He has always been known to be unplayable on his day, however he only occasionally fulfills his potential.Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | OtherIncludes other competitive competitions, including the UEFA Intertoto Cup UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued... |
Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||
| Heerenveen | 2002–03 Eredivisie 2002-03 The Dutch Eredivisie in the 2002/2003 season was contested by 18 teams. PSV won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 FC Zwolle remained in the eredivisie after winning their promotion/relegation play-offs... |
15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2003–04 Eredivisie 2003-04 The 2003-2004 season of the Dutch Eredivisie began in August 2003 and ended in May 2004. The title was won by Ajax.- League standings :- Topscorers :- Relegation playoffs :- Match table :- References :* *... |
27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 36 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2004–05 Eredivisie 2004-05 The 2004-05 season of the Eredivisie started on August 13, 2004 and ended on May 22, 2005. The title was won by PSV. FC Den Bosch and De Graafschap were relegated to the Eerste Divisie at the end of the season.-Promoted teams:... |
31 | 11 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 37 | 11 | ||||||||
| 2005–06 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 21 | 9 | ||||||||
| Total | 88 | 25 | 6 | 2 | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... | 2005–06 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 5 | ||
| 2006–07 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 6 | ||||||||
| 2007–08 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 1 | ||||||||
| Total | 55 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |— | 65 | 12 | |||||||||
| Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
2007–08 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 6 | ||||||
| 2008–09 | 31 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 40 | 17 | |||||||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Scottish Premier League The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April... |
32 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | — | 42 | 13 | |||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Scottish Premier League The 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011... |
22 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 33 | 7 | |||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Scottish Premier League The 2011–12 Scottish Premier League is the fourteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season started on 23 July 2011.... |
9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |||||||
| Total | 110 | 34 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 4 | ||||||||||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |||||||||||||||
| Greece Greece national football team The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos... |
2006 | 7 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 7 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | 9 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | 12 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 7 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 51 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
Club
Celtic- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
- Winner: 2007–08Scottish Premier League 2007-08The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008...
- Winner: 2007–08
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
- Winner: 2008–092009 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2009 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Scottish League Cup, the 62nd season of the Scottish League Cup. The match was played at Hampden Park, Glasgow on 15 March 2009, and was won by Celtic, who beat Old Firm rivals and Cup holders, Rangers, 2-0 after extra...
- Winner: 2008–09
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
- Winner: 2010–112011 Scottish Cup FinalThe 2011 Scottish Cup Final was the 126th final of the Scottish Cup, Scottish football's most prestigious knockout association football competition. The match toke place at Hampden Park on 21 May 2011 and was played by Scottish Premier League clubs Motherwell and Celtic...
- Winner: 2010–11
Individual
- SPL Player of the MonthScottish Premier League monthly awardsThis article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...
- Winner: September 2008