Leon Osman

Early career and loans

Osman joined the Everton Academy as a boy, and was part of the team that won the 1998 FA Youth Cup. Following the cup victory, he sustained a knee injury which kept him from playing for a year. He was loaned to Carlisle United of the Third Division in October 2002, making his first-team debut on the 5th by playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–1 home defeat to Torquay United. He scored once for the team in a league fixture against Macclesfield Town on 19 October to ensure a 2–2 draw at Moss Rose, and twice against Oldham Athletic in the Football League Trophy three days later in a 4–3 away victory. On returning to Everton in January, he made his Premier League debut in a 4–3 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on 12 January 2003, replacing Li Tie in added time. His only other Everton appearance of the season was his Goodison Park debut on 26 April, replacing Steve Watson at the end of a 2–1 win over Aston Villa. Osman was granted a one-year extension to his Everton contract in the summer of 2003, but failed to break into the first team until the end of the 2003–04 season. Instead, he was again loaned out, this time to Derby County in the First Division. He had an integral role in Derby's successful bid to avoid relegation, and manager George Burley tried to buy him from Everton. Instead, Osman returned to his parent club with three matches remaining in Everton's season. Manager David Moyes gave Osman his first start on 1 May 2004 at Wolverhampton…

Osman represented England at U16 level in the 1997–98 season. On 14 November 2012, at the age of 31, Osman earned his first senior call-up to the England squad for a friendly fixture against Sweden. Osman started in central midfield for his country in a 4–2 defeat against Sweden, in which he played the full 90 minutes. On 31 January 2013, Osman was named in the England squad for the second time for the friendly fixture against Brazil on 6 February 2013, though he was left on the substitutes' bench for the match. Osman received his first competitive international call up after being named in the England squad on 14 March 2013 for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro. Osman made his competitive England debut against San Marino.

Club

International

Osman was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester, to a Turkish Cypriot father and a British mother, and raised in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. He attended Up Holland High School and Winstanley College. He is also of Somali descent through his paternal grandfather.