Putting the focus on those players who have had long and well-travelled careers in the game, but only made a brief stop off at Molineux.
This week, we reflect on the career of a Republic of Ireland international and former Everton midfielder who cut his teeth in the game while wearing gold and black – Darron Gibson.
Before Wolves
Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, Gibson played junior football in a local league and then with Institute before being scouted by Manchester United in 2004. Making his senior debut a year later in a League Cup clash with Barnet, Gibson was a regular in the United reserve team which claimed a treble in his first season, while also being named the club’s youth player of the season award.
Gibson was one of several United players who spent the 2006/07 season on loan at Royal Antwerp, joining the likes of Dong Fangzhuo, Jonny Evans, Fraizer Campbell and Danny Simpson in making the temporary spell to Belgium, where he featured 25 times in the second tier.
In the summer of 2007, Gibson was included in several Republic of Ireland squads in the Euro 2008 qualification campaign, before making his debut in a 4-0 win against Denmark.
Wolves career
Wanting to get up to speed with the English men’s game, Gibson was loaned out to then-Championship Wolves, who had missed out on promotion to the Premier League the previous season in the play-offs, in October 2007.
Just days after signing for Wolves for the 2007/08 season, Gibson made his first senior international start, as he was in from the off in Ireland’s 1-0 home win over Cyprus.
He spent the remainder of the campaign with Mick McCarthy’s team as they looked to make a return to the top flight, making his debut in a 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic, as he started alongside Seyi Olofinjana, Karl Henry and Micharl Kightly in the Old Gold midfield.
During his first two months as a Wolves player, Gibson lost just once, in a 3-0 away defeat at Ipswich Town, with the team picking up 18 points from a possible 27, with the Irishman starring in wins over Cardiff City, Colchester United and Preston North End.
His first goal in senior English football came at Molineux on Saturday 8th December, as Gibson side-footed Stephen Ward’s cross in off the far post against Burnley to put his side back on level terms. However, his goal was not enough to secure points for the hosts, as Burnley took a 3-1 lead into the break before Stephen Elliott’s penalty reduced the deficit to just the one.
Throughout his year at Wolves, Gibson played 21 time in the Championship, as well as three further outings in the FA Cup as the side claimed a third round win over Cambridge United at Molineux as well as knocking Watford out in the following round at Vicarage Road before the run came to an end away to Cardiff City.
Wolves got their own back on the Bluebirds later in the season as McCarthy’s men claimed a 3-0 league win at home, which was to be Gibson’s final appearance in gold and black at Molineux before closing out his Wolves career in a 1-1 draw away at Coventry City four days later – a result which left Wolves, who finished seventh, missing out on the play-offs on goal difference to sixth placed Hornets after both teams finished the season on 70 points.
After Wolves
Following his spell at Molineux, Gibson returned to Old Trafford where he became a regular in the United squad, making his Premier League and Champions League debuts in November 2008 as he came off the bench on both occasions, while also picking up a FIFA Club World Cup medal – despite not appearing in the competition – as a member of the Red Devils’ squad.
In 2009, Gibson scored his first United goal, adding a third in his side’s 3-0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup third round, before starting the League Cup final at Wembley Stadium, which he went on to win on penalties, and scoring his first Premier League goal against Hull City.
Months after scoring both goals in a 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur to send United through the to semi-finals of the 2010 League Cup, Gibson netted his first goal in European competition in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, but it was not enough to help United win the match, as they were knocked out on away goals following a 4-4 aggregate scoreline.
Despite scoring in the second leg of the 2011 Champions League semi-final as United beat Schalke, Gibson was omitted from the squad for the final, in which his side lost 3-1 to Barcelona. After seeing a switch to Sunderland fall through the following summer, and with just outings for United that season, Gibson eventually left Old Trafford in January 2012 when he agreed a move to Everton.
The midfielder played 11 times in the Premier League during his first season at Goodison Park, and did not finish on the losing side once, which he also achieved in his final 17 games for Man United, before the run came to an end in Everton’s third match of the 2012/13 season, in a 2-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion, which saw Gibson substituted early in the first half due to injury.
His impact on Everton in his first two seasons saw the club win 52 per cent of matches he played in and only 25 per cent of those he missed, before a serious knee in October 2013 sustained on international duty saw his season cut short.
Gibson struggled to regain his form after injury, featuring just 18 times in two seasons for the Toffees, while moves to Sunderland and then Wigan Athletic saw the midfielder feature in the Championship. Between 2019 and 2021, Gibson played for Salford City in League Two, but made just seven league appearances.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2023/24 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
