Date of Birth: 24th of January 1983,
Birthplace: Malaysia

Nationality: Scotland

Signed: 07July 1999 Fee Trainee
Departure: Signed for Aston Villa 31 Jan 2007, transfer fee £1m

International Caps 1
International Goals 0

Awards
Scottish PFA Player's Player of the year 2006
Scottish PFA young footballer of the year 2006


Previous Clubs to Celtic
None

Celtic Career Review
A product of the Celtic youth system Shaun Maloney burst onto the scene during the Hoops memorable treble-winning season of 2000/01.

The diminutive striker made his first-team debut in March 2001 but really came to the attention of the support with an impressive cameo appearance as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 demolition of Rangers at Ibrox the following month.

His appearances may have been fleeting but the teenage Maloney had showed more than enough to suggest that here was a star in the making. With blistering pace, an excellent touch and a dead ball specialist Maloney was one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Celtic youth ranks in years.

However with Celtic blessed with the fine striking triumvirate of Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson, Maloney’s opportunies would be limited and the excitement of his immediate impact waned just a little.

By February 2004 he had made 77 appearances and scored 21 goals but was still very much regarded as a promising fringe player rather than an automatic first team choice – even though the great Larsson had now moved on. Disaster then struck when in a Celtic Under-21 game against Partick Thistle he suffered cruciate ligament damage. It was a bitter blow – but one which was softened when Celtic rewarded him with a new 3-year contract.

That knee injury sidelined Maloney for a year and even when he returned to full fitness the striker found himself well out of the first team picture. That was clearly illustrated when Martin O’Neill left Maloney out of the squad for the 2005 Scottish Cup final - his last game in charge of the Hoops.

So by the start of the 2005-06 season Shaun’s Celtic career looked in serious threat of ending before it really had a chance to begin. A loan move north to Aberdeen seemed a real possibility at one stage while Livingston also expressed an interest in the player.

However, Maloney impressed new Parkhead boss Gordon Strachan with his attitude and application on the training ground and he forced himself back into contention for a first team starting spot.

Under the new regime Maloney was quickly established as a first team regular. For so long regarded as a forward, Maloney was now turning in fine performances in the left of midfield. He relished the opportunity of regular first team football. His energetic and skilful displays gave Celtic a real cutting edge.

Within a matter of weeks the Malaysian-born player had gone from the fringes on the first team to being the club’s – and indeed the SPL’s – stand-out performer. His stunning strike against Rangers in the CIS Cup tie at Celtic Park in November underlined that Maloney now had the confidence to deliver the goods on the big stage. He was no longer a promising youth, but a match-winner.

As the season progressed Maloney remained consistently excellent. Small in stature, big in heart Maloney was at last fulfilling the potential everyone knew he possessed. By the end of the campaign Celtic had claimed the CIS Cup and the league championship. Maloney enjoyed personal triumphs as well and was voted both Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

The Celtic support now regarded Maloney as a talisman - a far cry from 12 months previous - and expectations were high that the youngster would continue to improve and become even more important to the Hoops. But injuries and a dip in form saw the double player of the year once more scraping for a starting spot with the in form Aiden McGeady now seemingly the preferred choice for left midfield slot.

Uncertainity also surrounded Maloney's future as he entered the last year of his contract. Maloney appeared reluctant to commit himself to Celtic and many in the support believed that reluctance contributed to the dip in form. As the season moved into 2007 speculation began to grow that Maloney's time in Glasgow was nearing an end. The player had been offered a reported £18,000 a week contract but was allegedly holding out for more even though the deal offered would have made him one of Parkhead's very top earners.

His future was finally resolved on January 31st when with just minutes to go before the closing of the transfer window Maloney agreed a £25,000 a week, three and a half year deal with Aston Villa. The English club - now managed by Martin O'Neill - paying Celtic £1 million to secure his services immediately rather than wait six months to take him on a Bosman free.

The move was a major disappointment to the Celtic fans, many who believed Maloney had let them down by leaving in the manner he did. An undoubted talent, the Hoops faithful thought Maloney had a lot more to offer and that he hadn't yet rerached his full potential. Furthermore given the club's commitment to the player when he was injured their was a sense that Maloney owed Celtic more than one good season.

His decision to turn his back on a deal which the vast majority of Cel;tic fans thought generous has left a bad taste in the mouth of many and unfortunately for a player who could have been a huge hero he will now join that band of ex-Celts who the Hoops support - or at least most of them - love to hate.







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Below article sums up feelings of many Celtic fans on his departure
(even though it has been written by Darryl Broadfoot!)

Maloney will have plenty to prove in reunion with O’Neill

SHAUN Maloney last night swopped the thrilling prospect of a Champions League tie against AC Milan for the monotonous mediocrity of mid-table Premiership football at Aston Villa. The SPFA footballer of year cannot be accused of lacking in conviction or self-belief but the wisdom of his reunion with Martin O'Neill is questionable.


It seems the 22-year-old will end a year of unsuccessful renegotiation with Celtic and join O'Neill's rebuilding project in Birmingham. Gordon Strachan and Peter Lawwell can be excused a feeling of betrayal but for the sake of a few dollars more, Maloney has adopted a high-risk strategy in career development and reputation.

Frankly, any footballer fortunate enough to fulfil his childhood ambitions would consider the dilemma a no-brainer: a visit to the San Siro is a far more appealing proposition than a scrap against Reading at the Madejski Stadium. On many levels, Maloney's departure is curious.

His Celtic career only took off when O'Neill, well, took off and while he has cut a frustrated and, at times, forlorn figure on the substitutes' bench this season, injury has often been the cause of his inactivity. There is no doubt his contractual impasse affected his infrequent performances this season - just two 90-minute outings among them - but Strachan has declared himself a man devoid of squad favourites. Aiden McGeady started the season as the man in form but has since been usurped by Derek Riordan, whose belated impact has spared him a short-lived Celtic career.

The arrival of the gargantuan John Carew at Aston Villa has re-emphasised O'Neill's vision at Villa and while Maloney's game has evolved under Strachan, there are no guarantees he would be a first pick for his former manager. O'Neill, in fact, found many and varied ways of keeping Maloney out of the Celtic team; Alan Thompson and Steve Guppy dominating the left side of midfield and, justifiably, Chris Sutton, Henrik Larsson and John Hartson diminishing his prospects as a striker.

Celtic are understood to have been willing to pay Maloney £16,000-per-week to stay and reclaim his place. Instead, he has accepted a Premiership premium rate of around £20,000-per-week. For a youngster who has still in the process of fashioning a reputation in the game, earning capacity should be secondary to professional ambition. Which is why Celtic have continually expressed concern over the influence exerted by his agent, John Halliwell.

The upshot is that Maloney will be a richer man playing in a more prestigious league. Yet he only has to look at Stiliyan Petrov's situation to learn that the grass is rarely greener outside Paradise.
Ask Thompson, Hartson and Sutton where they would rather be and the response would be unanimous. Celtic have ample cover in his position but Maloney may have misread the situation.

Rumours persist that Strachan and McGeady have a fractious relationship that shows no sign of easing, confirmed by the manager's inclination to continually laud Maloney as the model of the modern professional until recent developments. Loyalty is a scarce commodity in football. While Maloney has privately bemoaned the £40,000-per-week wages enjoyed by the unfathomable Thomas Gravesen, the Dane is a senior player with a CV including Real Madrid and Everton. Maloney was offered a generous contract for a player with only one full season as a first-team regular and a medical history that includes cruciate ligament damage and, more recently, ankle and groin problems.

Celtic stood by him through his various ailments, as is the employers' moral and contractual obligation, but the lack of reciprocation must rankle. Maloney still has it all to prove.

01 Feb 2007 The Herald