Gary O'Neil

Portsmouth

Whilst at Portsmouth, Tony Pulis gave O'Neil his first team debut as a 16-year-old on 29 January 2000 at home to Barnsley in the First Division, but then kept him out of the spotlight for the rest of the season. On 19 August 2000, he made his first appearance of the 2000-01 season, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 1-1 draw against Grimsby Town. The following year both Pulis and his successor Steve Claridge used O'Neil sparingly, due to suffering a knee injury that required a knee surgery. He made his return from injury, coming on as a 64th minute substitute, in a 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers on 14 April 2001. Following this, Portsmouth's third manager of a disastrous season, Graham Rix, made O'Neil a starter for the final five matches of the season. Portsmouth went into the final game against Barnsley needing to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation to the Second Division. Portsmouth won the match 3–0 and survived, with O'Neil scoring the second goal, his first in professional football.

In the 2001–02 season, Harry Redknapp then took over as manager at the end of the season, O'Neil was one of the few players to be retained in Redknapp's rebuilding of the squad. On 9 March 2002, he scored a volley against his boyhood club Millwall. However, during the match, O'Neil suffered a calf injury and was out for weeks. On 30 March 2002, he made his return to the starting the whole game, in a 2-0 loss against Preston North End.

In Redknapp's first full season, O'Neil initially started in the midfield position for the first two league matches before finding his playing time, coming from the substitute bench. On 7 September 2002, he came on as a 73rd minute substitute and scored his first goal of the season, in a 3-0 win against Gillingham. On 23 November 2002, O'Neil scored his second goal of the season, in a 3-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday. On 11 January 2003, he scored his third goal of the season, in a 2-1 loss against Sheffield United. During the match, O'Neil suffered a hamstring injury and was out for a month. But on 22 February 2003, he made his return from injury, coming on as a late substitute, in a 1-0 win against Gillingham. O'Neill started 11 league matches, scoring three goals, as Portsmouth won the First Division title and promotion to the Premier League.

O'Neil was loaned to Walsall at the beginning of the 2003–04 season in order to gain further first team experience. His performances for the Midlands side and Portsmouth's increasing injury problems led to a recall in November 2003. He went straight into the starting eleven for his Premier League debut against bottom of the table Leeds United at Fratton Park and scored two goals in a 6–1 win.

This performance secured his place for the next match, away at Fulham, however, O’Neil had to travel to Dubai to captain England Under 20s in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Upon his return, O'Neil found that Portsmouth's injury problems had eased and he could not break back into the team for the remainder of the season.

At the beginning of the 2004–05 season, he was loaned to Cardiff City to gain further first team experience, scoring once in the league against Millwall. He was recalled to Portsmouth in November due to another injury crisis. He made his return to the side in one of the biggest matches of the season, a 2–1 defeat at Southampton. He was picked again for the next match, at home to Manchester City, and scored in a 3–1 loss. This was the last match of Redknapp's reign, and technical director Velimir Zajec took over as temporary manager and made O'Neil a regular in the Pompey midfield.

During Zajec's five-month reign, Portsmouth fell from mid-table to relegation candidates and Alain Perrin was appointed to keep the club in the Premier League. During this period, O’Neil scored away at Manchester United, and this led to European champions Liverpool bidding £5 million for O’Neil, but this was rejected by Portsmouth.

O'Neil went into the 2005–06 season as a regular for Perrin's new-look team and similarly to the 2002–03 campaign, he was one of the few players to survive from the previous year. By November, Portsmouth were at the bottom of the Premier League and Perrin was sacked only seven months after being appointed. Harry Redknapp returned as Pompey manager and in his first match back in charge, away at Tottenham Hotspur, O'Neil retained his place in the team and was picked on the right of midfield. O'Neil's late handball conceded the penalty in order for Spurs to regain the lead.

O'Neil was then moved into his preferred position of central midfield a few games later and Pompey went on their best run of the season with O'Neil scoring in successive home games. In the home game against Everton in January 2006, O'Neil captained Pompey for the first time but was played on the right of midfield to allow new signings Pedro Mendes and Sean Davis to form a partnership in the middle. Pompey lost the game 1–0 and went on a run of form that left them near certainties for relegation in mid-March, but O'Neil's performance in a crucial 1–1 draw against Bolton Wanderers saw him keep his place in the starting eleven. Two weeks after this draw, Pedro Mendes' last minute winner against Manchester City sparked a comeback. Pompey gained 14 points out of the next seven games and secured survival at Wigan Athletic's JJB Stadium on 29 April with a 2–1 victory.

O'Neil was a regular on the right of midfield for Portsmouth in the 2006–07 season and despite only contributing one goal, Portsmouth finished 9th.