Player Profile

After being rejected by Wimbledon at the age of 16 Finnan tried his luck with non-league Welling United, contemplating to working as a bricklayer for his family's building firm if his football career didn't turn out. His dreams came true though when he signed a professional contract with Birmingham City in Football League One in 1995. Finnan didn't stay there long as in March 1996 he was loaned out to Notts County in the third tier of League football where he stayed until the end of the season. He signed for County in October 1996 and played 80 League games in two seasons before transferring to up-and-coming Fulham managed by Kevin Keegan in November 1998. Fulham and Finnan went from strength to strength going up two league levels in three years. Finnan was voted Player of the Year at Fulham in 2002 and received most votes from his fellow professionals in the right-back position in Premiership's best XI 2001/02. He excelled in the 2002 World Cup with Ireland and it was time for him to take another step forward in his career. After 208 games and seven goals with Fulham he joined Houllier's Liverpool in the summer of 2003. Jamie Carragher, whose place was under threat following the Irishman's arrival, tried to be philosophical about it when put on the spot: "There's no point sulking about it," Carra told Sky Sports. "There's not a lot you can do, except impress the manager in training and in games. Or find out Finnan's address and send the boys round!"

Finnan struggled in his first season, but to be fair the 2003/04 season was a lowpoint for many other players and it turned out to be Houllier's last. He improved considerably after Benítez took over and proved to be a model of consistency as he played in 99 of the club's 114 Premier League matches between August 2004 and May 2007. His Spanish boss was very impressed: "Finnan is a player who will always play at a consistent level," Benítez said in 2006. "He will be seven, eight, nine or even ten out of ten every week. Some players find a good level for individual games but don't do the same every week. Finnan does it for a whole season." In 2007/08 Finnan figured in only 35 of Liverpool's 59 competitive matches as Benítez often preferred Arbeloa and Aurelio as his full-back pairing. Towards the end of January 2008 Finnan announced his retirement from international football after being 'capped' for the fiftieth time by the Republic of Ireland. Giovanni Trappatoni managed to bring him back to the Ireland set-up and he returned on 20 August 2008 against Norway, adding three games to his international total before retiring once and for all in September 2008.

The Irishman signed for La Liga side Espanyol on the last day of the August transfer window in the 2008/09 season. Although he had signed a two-year contract, the Spanish club agreed to release him after just a single campaign. On 28 July 2009, the 33-year-old returned to English football with Portsmouth, incidentally replacing Glen Johnson who had moved to Liverpool. Finnan played 21 times for Portsmouth in the Premier League in 2009/10, taking his total of League appearances for five English clubs up to the 450 mark. Pompey had a disastrous League season and comfortably finished in last place, a position they would still have occupied even without a nine-point penalty for going into administration. The club's salvation came in the FA Cup when Finnan unexpectedly found himself playing in the final at Wembley four years after representing Liverpool in the final in Cardiff against West Ham. Finnan's London experience of the final was not as happy as it had been in the Welsh capital, Chelsea winning by one goal to nil. The final was Finnan's last appearance in his professional football career and after spending a few years helping with irrigation projects in Gambia he returned to London, going into property development.