Darren O'Dea, born in the Republic of Ireland on 4 February 1987, is a retired football defender known for his physical presence and aerial ability on the pitch. At a height of 6ft and weighing in at 12st 12lb, O'Dea cut an imposing figure during his career.
Having joined Celtic as a trainee in July 2003, O'Dea spent a solid stint with the team, clocking up a series of first team appearances. During the 2006- 2007 season, he made a promising start with 14 first team appearances and managed to find the net twice. The 2007 - 2008 season saw fewer appearances with six, yet O'Dea remained a dependable player for the team. The 2008 - 2009 season saw him make ten first team appearances and score one goal. His game time increased for the 2009 - 2010 season, making 19 first team appearances and scoring once.
O'Dea then had spells at Reading, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, each of them on loan from Celtic. His time at Ipswich Town and Leeds United was particularly eventful, with him making 20 and 34 first team appearances respectively, and even scoring two goals for Leeds United.
After his loan spells in England, O'Dea ventured across the pond to join Toronto FC. Despite making 17 first team appearances and scoring a single goal for the 2013 season, it was a short-lived engagement.
O'Dea continued his globe-trotting career by moving to Ukrainian outfit Metalurh Donetsk where he made 16 appearances and scored twice before transferring to Blackpool in England. The journey continued as he returned to play in England, India for Mumbai City, and eventually Scotland with Dundee.
In January 2016, O'Dea found his way back to Scotland, this time with Dundee. Here, he seemed to enjoy a renaissance, making 35 first team appearances and scoring four goals for the 2016 - 2017 season.
O'Dea's career wrapped up with stints at East Kilbride in the Lowland League in Scotland, a fitting end for a player who started their career in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic. He retired from professional football in July 2019, leaving behind a career littered with stints at many different clubs, across many different leagues, around the world.
