Thomas O'Ware

Last updated

Thomas O'Ware
Thomas O'Ware (Troon Coach).jpg
Personal information
Date of birth (1993-03-20) 20 March 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth Irvine, Scotland
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Kelty Hearts (player/manager)
Number 25
Youth career
2003–2008 Rangers
2008–2010 Kilmarnock
2010–2011 Bonnyton Thistle
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2011–2018 Greenock Morton 174 (19)
2018–2021 Partick Thistle 23 (1)
2021– Kelty Hearts 80 (4)
International career
2011 Scotland U18
Managerial career
2020–2021 Troon Development Team
2021–2023 Rangers U16
2023–2025 Young Queen's Park
2025– Kelty Hearts
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:29, 19 December 2024 (UTC)

Thomas O'Ware (born 20 March 1993) is a Scottish professional footballer who is the player/manager of Scottish League One club Kelty Hearts. O'Ware, who plays as a defender, has previously played for Greenock Morton and Partick Thistle.

Contents

Early life

Born in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Troon resident O'Ware attended Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr.

Playing career

Youth

After beginning his career with hometown team Troon Thistle boys club, O'Ware spent five years in the Rangers youth system at Murray Park, then a further two at Kilmarnock. [1] He then signed for youth side Bonnyton Thistle, [2] where he was part of the team that won the Under-19 Scottish Cup final. [3]

Morton

O'Ware joined Greenock Morton in 2011. [2] He made his début at left back in a Scottish Cup tie against Deveronvale on 19 November 2011. [4] O'Ware also had a trial at EFL Championship side Middlesbrough. [1] He broke into the Morton team at left back due to an injury to Ross Forsyth.[ when? ][ citation needed ] In January 2012, O'Ware suffered a stress fracture to his tibia making him miss at least a month of Morton's season. [5] O'Ware agreed one-year extensions with Morton in 2013, [6] 2014 [7] and 2015. [8]

In April 2016, O'Ware's good form resulted in him being awarded a two-year contract extension with the club. [9] He won the Scottish Championship Player of the Month award for October 2016 [10] and was twice named in the Scottish Championship Team of the Year in successive seasons. He also finished season 2016/17 as Europe's top scoring defender with 11 goals. [11]

This form brought him to the attention of a host of Scottish Premiership clubs, and he was linked with a move to his boyhood heroes Celtic in the summer of 2017, as Brendan Rodgers looked to solidify his back line. [12]

After the sacking of manager Jim Duffy in May 2018, O'Ware left the club seeking "a new challenge". [13] Thomas featured at full-back, centre-back, centre midfield, and occasionally as a striker during his seven seasons at Cappielow.

Partick Thistle

O'Ware signed a two-year contract with Partick Thistle in June 2018. [14] He scored his first goal for the Jags on 14 August 2018, opening the scoring in a 5–0 win at Stranraer in the Scottish Challenge Cup. [15] [16] On 25 August 2018, O'Ware was substituted four minutes into the game against Dundee United due to a knee injury, [17] and it was later revealed that he would miss the remainder of the season as a result. [18] O'Ware scored his first league goal for Thistle in the final game of the decade, scoring the winner against his former side Greenock Morton in a 2–1 away win. [19] O'Ware signed a two-year contract extension with Thistle in January 2020. [20]

Kelty Hearts

After leaving Partick Thistle on 29 July 2021, O'Ware joined newly-promoted Scottish League Two side Kelty Hearts on 30 July 2021 ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. [21] [22]

International

O'Ware represented Scotland at schoolboy level in 2011. [23]

Coaching

During his playing career, O'Ware began his coaching career by working with the Greenock Morton academy. After rupturing his ACL at Partick Thistle, O'Ware helped out with the coaching staff under then manager Gary Caldwell, and spent matchdays in the dugout as part of the non-playing staff.

O'Ware was appointed as Head Coach for the Troon F.C. Development Team in August 2020, who will be competing in the Lowland Development League (West) in season 2020–21. [24] In November 2021, O'Ware joined the coaching staff at Rangers, coaching the club's under-16 team. [25] In May 2023, O'Ware was appointed the new head coach of Queen's Park's development squad, known as Young Queen's Park. [26]

He was appointed player/manager of Kelty Hearts in May 2025, having previously filled the role twice on a caretaker basis. [27]

Career statistics

As of matches played 4 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague Scottish Cup League Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Greenock Morton 2011–12 [28] Scottish Division One 140200000160
2012–13 [29] 140100000150
2013–14 [30] Scottish Championship 111100000121
2014–15 [31] Scottish League One 34430203 [a] 1425
2015–16 [32] Scottish Championship 33441301 [a] 0415
2016–17 [33] 35632723 [b] 14812
2017–18 [34] 33430001 [a] 0374
Total174191731228221126
Partick Thistle 2018–19 [35] Scottish Championship 3000411 [a] 081
2019–20 [36] 20120504 [a] 0311
2020–21 [37] Scottish League One 0000000 [a] 000
2021-22 [38] Scottish Championship --10-10
Total2312010150402
Kelty Hearts 2021-22 [38] Scottish League Two 28131-00312
2022-23 [39] Scottish League One 23210203 [a] 0292
2023-24 [40] 13100301 [a] 0171
Total644415040775
Career total2612423427317232833
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Appearance(s) in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. ↑ One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup; two appearances and a goal in the Premiership play-offs

Honours

Club

Bonnyton Thistle

Greenock Morton

Kelty Hearts

Individual

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Mitchell, Jonathan (22 November 2011). "Thomas: Delighted at my debut". Greenock Telegraph . Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Thomas O'Ware". Greenock Morton FC. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  3. ↑ Smith, Lizzie (1 April 2011). "Football: Bonnyton Thistle are Scottish Cup finalists". Kilmarnock Standard. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (21 November 2011). "Moore: You nearly had me worried". Greenock Telegraph . Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "O'Ware suffers fracture". Scottish Football League. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (20 May 2013). "Exclusive: Sixth player agrees to stay at Ton". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (30 May 2014). "Defender agrees new deal". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Thomas O'Ware". Greenock Morton F.C. 22 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (26 April 2016). "O'Ware set to sign two-year deal to stay at Morton". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  10. ↑ MacKenzie, Alasdair (15 November 2016). "Morton at the double as Jim Duffy and Thomas O'Ware win Championship Manager and Player of Month". The Herald. Glasgow.
  11. ↑ "Tam O'Ware".
  12. ↑ "Thomas O'Ware misses chance to become a Celtic target again". 26 September 2019.
  13. ↑ Bargh, Andy (2 May 2018). "Morton hero Thomas O'Ware refuses to rule out St Mirren move and says axing Jim Duffy was big mistake". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  14. ↑ "Partick Thistle sign defender Thomas O'Ware on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  15. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "Stranraer 0–5 Partick Thistle". The Scottish Professional Football League. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  17. ↑ Dewar, Heather (25 August 2018). "Dundee United 3–1 Partick Thistle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  18. ↑ McGarry, Graeme (30 August 2018). "James Penrice gutted as Partick Thistle defender Thomas O'Ware ruled out for season". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Jags win to move out of relegation zone". BBC Sport.
  20. ↑ "Tam O'Ware signs contract extension".
  21. ↑ "Tam O'Ware leaves the club". www.ptfc.co.uk. Partick Thistle.
  22. ↑ Temple, Alan (30 July 2021). "Kelty Hearts seal transfer coup as former Morton and Partick Thistle defender arrives". The Courier. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  23. ↑ "Scots Hold Course In Face of Belfast Gale". Scottish Football Association. 26 February 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  24. ↑ "Troon are delighted to announce the appointment of Partick Thistle FC Captain Thomas O'Ware as Development Team Head Coach". Twitter. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  25. ↑ "Thomas O'Ware joins Rangers". Troon FC. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  26. ↑ "Reserve League Preview". Queen's Park FC. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  27. ↑ "Kelty Hearts: Thomas O'Ware given manager job on permanent basis". BBC Sport. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  33. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  38. 1 2 "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  40. ↑ "Games played by Thomas O'Ware in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  41. ↑ "Bonnyton Thistle Lead the Way!". Scottish Football Association. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  42. ↑ "Greenock Morton claim League 1 title after 3–1 win against Peterhead". Scottish Television. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  43. ↑ "Kelty Hearts Are Champions". spfl.co.uk. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  44. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (16 November 2016). "Duffy shares credit for award with staff and squad". Greenock Morton F.C. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  45. ↑ "PFA Scotland Teams of the Year". SPFL. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
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