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| Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images Europe |
Conor Sammon began his footballing career at the relatively unknown Dublin club Cherry Orchard whose former players include Andy Reid and Willo Flood. He has since developed into a promising goal scorer plying his trade in one of the biggest leagues in the world. In 2005 he earned a scholarship with University College Dublin (UCD) who play in the League of Ireland Premier Division. The ‘Sammon of College’ notched up 83 appearances and 19 goals in all competitions during his spell there, including the winner in an FAI cup match against Derry City. His performances at UCD impressed Derry who promptly signed him in December 2007. However Sammon’s appearances at Derry were limited and he was rarely considered for a starting place. He made just 20 appearances in his one season at Derry but managed to score a respectable seven goals in that time.
In July 2008 Kilmarnock fought off competition from Hamilton Academical, as well as a number of other SPL sides, to secure the signing of Conor Sammon from Derry for an undisclosed fee. His competitive debut came in a 1-0 defeat of Hibernian in the league and his first goals came soon after, scoring a double in the 4-2 league cup win over Aberdeen. However in his first two seasons he managed only seven goals in 47 appearances and found his starting opportunities limited. This may have been due to the relatively large step up from Irish League football to the SPL which the former bank teller took some time to adjust to. Furthermore Jim Jeffries, the Kilmarnock manager at the time, often played him in wide areas to accommodate other players, notably Kevin Kyle who was pivotal in Kilmarnock avoiding relegation during the 08-09 and 09-10 seasons. Sammon really came to life in the 10-11 season following the departure of Kyle who joined Jeffries at Hearts. Given a more central role and greater guidance by Mixu Paatelainen, Sammon netted an impressive 18 goals in 27 games and became one of the first names on the Killie team sheet. He particularly thrived while playing with Alexei Eremenko, whose skill and passing ability created a number of chances for the Irish striker. His goal scoring and good performances led to interest from a number of clubs and Kilmarnock rejected an offer from Derby County before accepting a bid from Scunthorpe United. However he rejected a contract offer from the Iron as he felt that the move was not right for him at the time.
On January 31st 2011 Sammon signed for Wigan Athletic for a reported £600,000, a bargain for a player who was at the time second top goal scorer in the SPL. He joined fellow former SPL players Gary Caldwell, James McCarthy and James McArthur at the Latics. The 24 year old had to wait until March 5th to make his first team debut, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, a game in which he very nearly scored. This was followed by a number of substitute appearances including a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur where he came very close to opening his Wigan account. His first goal came during one of the most entertaining games of the season. He came on at half time while 2-0 down to West Ham and showed great composure and awareness to score the equaliser in a 3-2 victory for Wigan. This earned him his first start in the following game against Stoke City, a game which Wigan won to remain in the English Premier League.
Internationally, Sammon has been limited to three appearances for the Republic of Ireland under-21s and one for the under-23s, but if he continues to develop in the same fashion as last season it may not be too long before he is on Giovanni Trapattoni’s radar. However he has to contend with the likes of West Bromwich Albion's Shane Long, and the established Kevin Doyle and Robbie Keane for a place in the team.
If he can get a run in the Wigan team, Sammon may be able to recapture the form he showed for Kilmarnock at the start of last season. He is quick, has good feet and is a composed finisher, attributes which will assist him in scoring goals this season. The departure of Charles N’Zogbia to Aston Villa may lead to more opportunities for him to start and playing with the likes of James McCarthy and the improving Victor Moses will be of great benefit to him. However Roberto Martinez currently doesn’t seem to know who to select between Sammon and Franco Di Santo. In Wigan’s pre-season games they have both played one half each, with one replacing the other. Sammon must use the opportunities he is given to impress Martinez and earn a regular starting berth. He has quickly established himself as a popular figure among the Latics support and will hope to repay them with goals this season.
Craig Hewitt
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