Born: 18 May 1983, Bromley, England
Former clubs: Portsmouth, Walsall (loan), Cardiff City (loan), Middlesbrough

A versatile and all-action midfield player capable of filling a variety of positions, Gary O'Neil joined West Ham United on a two-and-a-half year contract from Middlesbrough on 25 January 2011.

After starting his career with Portsmouth, O'Neil made more than 200 appearances for Pompey before joining Middlesbrough for a reported £5m on 31 August 2007.

The former England Under-21 international spent three-and-a-half seasons at the Riverside Stadium before moving to east London for an undisclosed fee.

2011/12

Returned to action after eight months out with a serious knee injury in a 3-0 development-squad victory over Brentford at the Boleyn Ground on 6 December 2011...Appeared in development-squad victories over Crawley Town and Colchester United in December 2011...Made his first-team comeback for West Ham United by starting the 1-0 npower Championship defeat at Derby County on 31 December 2011...Scored his first West Ham United goal in the 4-1 npower Championship win at Blackpool on 21 February 2012...Netted in the 2-0 npower Championship victory at Peterborough United on 27 March 2012...Totalled 24 npower Championship appearances, 16 of them starts, and two goals...Started both npower Championship Play-Off semi-final ties against former club Cardiff City.

2010/11

Made his home debut for West Ham United in a 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat by Birmingham City on 6 February 2011…Made his West Ham United debut as a substitute in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg defeat at Birmingham City on 26 January 2011…Signed for West Ham United on a two-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee on 25 January 2011…Made 19 first-team appearances for Middlesbrough in all competitions, scoring once...Was ruled out for the remainder of the season after injuring his ankle in the 2-1 home Barclays Premier League defeat by Aston Villa on 16 April 2011...Totalled nine first-team appearances, seven of them starts, in all competitions for West Ham United.

Before West Ham United

Came through the youth ranks at Portsmouth before making his first-team debut as a 16-year-old against Barnsley on 29 January 2000…Scored his first senior goal in a 3-0 victory over Barnsley that preserved Portsmouth's Division One status on 6 May 2001…Helped Portsmouth gain promotion to the Premier League in 2002/03…Returned from a loan spell at Walsall to score twice in a 6-1 Premier League win over Leeds United in November 2003…Spent the opening months of the 2004/05 season on loan at Cardiff City…Helped Portsmouth escape relegation from the Premier League in 2005, attracting interest from Liverpool…Appointed Portsmouth captain in January 2006…Was voted Portsmouth's Fans' Player of the Year for 2005/06…Helped Portsmouth to finish ninth in the Premier League in 2006/07…Joined Middlesbrough for a reported £5m in August 2007…Was relegated from the Premier League with Middlesbrough in 2009/10, despite scoring in a 1-1 final-day draw at Middlesbrough.

International career

Capped by England at U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 levels…Captained England at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Dubai in 2003...Captained England at U21 level…Earned nine England U21 caps, scoring once.

Any other business

Is married with one daughter.