Gray, Michael

Personal

Fullname: Michael Gray
Born: 4 Aug 1974
Birthplace: Sunderland, England
Signed: 1 Sep 2003 (loan)
Left: 1 Jan 2004
Position: Left-side Midfield or Defence
Debut: Celtic 3-0 Motherwell, SPL, 20 Sep 2003
Internationals: England
International Caps: 3
International Goals: 0

Biog

Michael Gray was signed from Sunderland, by Martin O’Neill on 1 September 2003, on a 4-month loan deal.

The Sunderland-born player had been a stalwart for his hometown club for several seasons and in 1999 he was picked by England boss Kevin Keegan despite plying his trade in the then English First Division (at that time the second tier of top level English league football).

However, injuries and a dip in form saw him slip out of the first team picture at the Stadium of Light, and he was given a chance to revive his career at Parkhead.

Michael Gray failed to make a impact in Glasgow. He was given a fair run of games in the first half of the season to prove himself, but Celtic were already on a high buoyed up from the previous season which saw Celtic reach the UEFA Cup final. Anyone coming in was going to find it hard to break into the side, maybe if he had arrived a year later things could have been different when Celtic did begin to stutter.
In his debut he almost grabbed himself a goal, firing in a right-foot shot which Motherwell keeper (and ex-Celt) Gordon Marshall did well to hold in a 3-0 win for Celtic.

Celtic were to win every domestic game he played in for the club, which included a 1-0 victory over Rangers at Ibrox, where he came on as a substitute after 23 minutes when Alan Thompson had to be withdrawn with a calf injury. This helped set Celtic up for five wins out of five against Rangers for the season.

In Europe, his most notable appearance for Celtic was as a starter in the key Champions League match against Lyon in France, which Celtic lost 3-2, a game in which both he and his fellow full-back were having a very difficult time against the wide players from the Lyon side. His only other European game was in a 3-1 win over Anderlecht coming on as a substitute, but Celtic were already comfortably three goals up by the time he came on the field.

After failing to make the break into the first-team as a regular, he left Celtic on 1 January 2004. In total, he made ten appearances for the club, but only four of the appearances were from the start.

Still he appreciated the opportunity as he later reflected:

“I absolutely loved it up there if I’m being totally honest. They were flying high at the time, it was Champions League football and you don’t turn that chance down, if you can go and play for Celtic you have to go there and witness it for yourself – it was an incredible time.”

Michael Gray would go on to play for Blackburn, Wolverhampton and Sheffield Wednesday as his once promising career failed to fulfil its early potential, hanging up his boots in 2010.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

• 2003-04

Pictures

• Player Pics

Michael Gray remembers his short Celtic career

Source: http://videocelts.com/2010/07/blogs/michael-gray-remembers-his-short-celtic-career
VideoCelts

Date: 20th July 2010 at 4:55 pm
Written by: Joe McHugh | Comments (0)

Imagine Celtic signing a recent England international LEFT-BACK that’s unable to break into the team?

As the clamour for new faces built up post Seville to take the club on to the next level all sorts of names and rumours were emerging as to who would be joining Henrik Larsson, Stan Petrov, Alan Thompson and co.

Quietly, almost un-noticed, our former esteemed manager, on the final day of the transfer window, brought in Michael Gray from Sunderland to compete with Joos Valgaeren, Ulrik Laursen and Stephen Crainey for the jinxed left-back position.

Recently retired Gray started just four matches for Celtic but looks back fondly and without regret about his spell in Glasgow.

“Great times,” he smiled when I asked him about his brief hoops career. “I absolutely loved it up there if I’m being totally honest.

“They were flying high at the time, it was Champions League football and you don’t turn that chance down, if you can go and play for Celtic you have to go there and witness it for yourself- it was an incredible time.”

The 2003/2004 season was arguably more successful than Martin O’Neill’s treble winning first season at the club.

Following on from Seville and in his last season in Glasgow,Henrik Larsson drove the club to the title in record time with a memorable five game whitewash of Rangers sealed with Chris Sutton’s glorious last minute chip over Stefan Klos.

In Europe Barcelona were ousted from the Uefa Cup with David Marshall and John Kennedy outstanding in the Nou Camp.

The Champions League continued to be a heart breaker however with a roller-coaster night in Lyon ending with Magnus Hedman and Bobo Balde taking the blame for a 3-2 defeat that denied the club entry into the last 16.

“I was up against Sydney Govou,” Gray recalled wryly. “Unfortunately for me he found his form, it was a tough night at the office but you get them.

“That game could have gone the other way, we got off to a great start then they popped up with a thirty yarder and a penalty to win the match.

“It was really unfortunate, the memories will always stay with me and I got to play in the Champions League against a team like Lyon. You never forget those days whether they are good or bad.

“I had a fantastic time at Celtic, I didn’t play as many games as I’d have liked but without a shadow of doubt I enjoyed every minute of it.

“I still go up there, I’m friendly with Shaun Maloney and still see him and a few other of the lads, I keep in touch with John Kennedy and it’s great to see Neil Lennon in charge.

“Anyone that you speak to who has played at a great club for Celtic won’t tell you anything other than it’s a fantastic place to go and play football.”

Gray decided to retire at the end of last season having turned 35- the age that footballers can collect a pension.

At the weekend he was back in the red and white of Sunderland helping his hometown team to victory in the Northern Masters over Middlesbrough.

Having sampled derby days in the North East and in Glasgow he is well placed to compare both experiences.

He admitted: “I always answered that question honestly, Sunderland-Newcastle is the big derby in the north-east, you get bragging rights for the week when you win it.

“It’s very competitive, over recent years a lot more foreign players get involved but whether it meant as much to them as it did to me being a Sunderland boy and captaining the team I don’t know.

“When you play in them it’s fierce but Celtic-Rangers is just immense. I’ve never known anything like it.

“The atmosphere in Champions League matches at Celtic can’t be questioned. When you are in those games the hairs stand up on the back of your neck but the Glasgow derby is something special.”

There has been a regular flow of players between Celtic and Sunderland down the years with Stan Varga and Ross Wallace the most recent players to swap the hoops for Sunderland’s red and white.

Daryl Murphy has moved in the opposite direction and has been greeted in a lukewarm fashion from supporters that can remember the recent glories of Larsson, Sutton and John Hartson.

Gray played alongside those legendary scorers and while not wishing to compare Murphy with strikers of the past the former Sunderland skipper has no doubts that the new bhoy will be amongst the goals.

“Daryl is a great player, he’s strong and will be a big success at Celtic- he knows where the back of the net is,” Gray added.

“Sunderland have gone out and bought some big big players. Does Daryl fit into that category? I don’t know.

“But he is a tremendous talent, he’s still young and wherever he’s been he’s scored goals so I think that he’s a very good addition for Celtic.

“He’s strong and will fit straight in to the SPL, he’ll have European football to enjoy as well. As an Irish boy playing for Celtic will be special for him.