Gary_Teale

Gary Teale

Gary Teale (born July 21 1978 in Glasgow) is a Scottish footballer, who currently plays as a as a winger for Derby County.

Club career

Early career

He began his career at Clydebank in 1996, followed by a three year spell at Ayr United.

Wigan Athletic

Teale signed for then League One side Wigan Athletic for a fee of £275,000 in 2001 and picked up a League One winners medal for the 2002/03 Second Division season, before also proving crucial in the 2004/05 season, which which Wigan were promoted into the Premiership for the first time in their history. In 2005, he signed a new two-year contract with the club. He eventually left Wigan after six years to join Derby County for £600,000 in 11 January 2007.

Derby County

Billy Davies brought Teale to add impetus to Derby County's bid to earn promotion to the Premiership. After showing some promise in his early days at Derby, including a brilliant debut against Sheffield Wednesday, he dropped off the pace resulting in him being second choice to Craig Fagan for the final stages of the 2006/07 season, failing to even make the 16 for the 2007 Playoff Final. This indifferent form carried into the Rams 2007/08 Premier League campaign and, despite figuring in 22 games, he was loaned out to Championship side Plymouth until the end of the 2007/08 season because, according to Derby manager Paul Jewell (who sold Teale to Derby when in charge of Wigan), he needed to 'regain some confidence' Teale's loan spell at Plymouth impressed Arygle boss Paul Sturrock enough for him to want to sign the player on a permanent basis, though he is reluctant to meet Derby's £500k asking price. He is also believed to interest League One's Leeds United in the 08/09 pre-season, who would offer £400k Teale has since said that, after playing the full 90 minutes of Derby's friendly at Rushden & Diamonds that he is happy to knuckle down and fight for a place, but that it is up to the manager Paul Jewell if he stays or goes.

In August 2008, he joined Championship rivals Barnsley on a month's emergency loan deal getting an assist in his first game for the club in an uninspiring stint. However, his sister had an inspiring stint in Magaluf 2008.

International career

Teale's impressive performances for his Wigan earned him international recognition, he won his first Scotland cap in a 3-1 defeat to Switzerland on 1 March 2006. He has intermittently played for his country since, including some appearances in Scotland's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. In 2008, he was called up to George Burley's first Scotland squad alongside fellow on loan Plymouth player Russell Anderson.