{{short description|Irish footballer (born 1975)}} {{use Hiberno-English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Willie Boland | image = Boland, Willie.jpg | image_size = | caption = | alt = | fullname = William John Boland<ref>{{Hugman|1818|accessdate=1 November 2017}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|8|6|df=y}} | birth_place = Ennis, Ireland | death_date = | height = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|order=flip}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/skysportsfootbal0000unse_2008 |title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2008–2009 |publisher=Headline |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7553-1819-3 |editor-last=Rollin |editor-first=Glenda |location=London |pages=478 |editor-last2=Rollin |editor-first2=Jack}}</ref> | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1992–1999 | years2 = 1999–2006 | years3 = 2006–2009 | years4 = 2010 | years5 = 2011 | clubs1 = Coventry City | clubs2 = Cardiff City | clubs3 = Hartlepool United | clubs4 = Limerick | caps1 = 63 | caps2 = 209 | caps3 = 64 | caps4 = 1 | goals1 = 0 | goals2 = 3 | goals3 = 1 | goals4 = 0 | totalcaps = 337 | totalgoals = 4 | nationalyears1 = 1991–1992 | nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U17 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 1993–1997 | nationalteam2 = Republic of Ireland U21 | nationalcaps2 = 12 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2017 | managerclubs1 = Limerick (interim) }} '''William John Boland''' (born 6 August 1975) is an Irish football coach and former professional footballer.

He notably played in the Premier League for Coventry City, and in the Football League for Cardiff City and Hartlepool United and in his native Ireland for Limerick. He was capped by both the Republic of Ireland U17 and Republic of Ireland U21 teams.

Following his retirement he became a youth coach at Middlesbrough before taking up a role as academy director of Limerick. In 2017 he spent a short spell as interim manager of the club.

==Playing career== Born in Ennis, County Clare, Boland started his career with Coventry City,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gallagher |first1=Aaron |title='You're in Limerick watching Match of the Day and 10 years later you're actually out there playing at Old Trafford' |url=https://www.the42.ie/willie-john-boland-limerick-interview-league-of-ireland-coventry-city-cardiff-city-premier-league-4400232-Dec2018/ |website=The42 |access-date=10 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref> making over 60 league appearances, before moving to Cardiff City in 1999. Despite scoring on his debut on 7 August 1999 in a 1–1 draw with Millwall, Boland initially struggled to find form in Cardiff, his time not helped by a broken leg early into his second season at the club, sustained in a match against Barnet. It was not until he recovered from the injury that he began to settle in the side and the following season he was awarded the club's player of the year award due to his performances in a three-man midfield alongside Mark Bonner and Graham Kavanagh. After helping the team win promotion to Division One he gradually fell out of favour under new manager Dave Jones.<ref name=Cardiffwhoswho>{{Cite book | title = The Who's Who of Cardiff City | first = Dean | last = Hayes | publisher = Breedon Books | year = 2006 | pages=25–26 | location=Derby | isbn= 1-85983-462-0}}</ref>

The Irishman was Cardiff City's longest serving player, having been at the club for seven years and starting over 200 games, before leaving when his contract expired in the summer of 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/5004368.stm |title=Veteran Cox released by Cardiff |date=22 May 2006|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=22 May 2006}}</ref> He spent a short unsuccessful time on trial at Swansea City before in August 2006 signing for Hartlepool United.{{fact|date=October 2023}}

Boland became Danny Wilson's first signing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/h/hartlepool_united/5262924.stm |title=Hartlepool boss snaps up Boland |date=18 August 2006 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=18 August 2006}}</ref> His tough-tackling is something that Wilson had been looking to add to the squad and he agreed terms at The Vic after being out of contract at Cardiff in the summer. His leadership skills and experience were another part of the reason that Pools were quick to move for him when he became available.{{fact|date=October 2023}}

Boland is a hard tackling midfielder with good battling qualities; he has represented his country at Under-21 level.{{fact|date=October 2023}}

Boland announced his retirement from professional football on 21 October 2009 having not featured in a professional match for 14 months due to knee problems. His last appearance came on 23 August 2008 in a 1–0 defeat to Stockport County.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hartlepool_united/8318495.stm |title=Pools' Boland hangs up his boots |publisher=BBC Sport |date=21 October 2009 |access-date=21 October 2009}}</ref> He scored his only goal for Hartlepool in a 4–2 win over Colchester United on 9 August 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/7541028.stm |title=Hartlepool 4–2 Colchester |publisher=BBC |date=9 August 2008 |access-date=16 February 2010}}</ref>

Boland came out of retirement in May 2010 to sign for Limerick.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.limerickfc.ie/home/news/100504squad.html |title=Willie John Boland signs with Limerick FC |publisher=Limerick F.C. |date=4 May 2010 |accessdate=13 May 2010}}</ref> Boland made his League of Ireland debut as a substitute, which turned out to be his only appearance, at Athlone Town on 8 May.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.extratime.com/fixtures/2010-league-of-ireland-first-division/athlone-town-v-limerick/11997/1/preview/|title=Athlone Town 1 - 3 Limerick - PREVIEW &#124; 2010 League of Ireland First Division &#124; extratime.com - The Home of Irish Football|website=extratime.com}}</ref>

==Coaching career== Boland moved into coaching and worked with the Middlesbrough under-14 team as well as working at Hartlepool College.<ref name="Willie Boland takes over as Limerick FC interim manager">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0405/865459-willie-boland/|title=Willie Boland takes over as Limerick FC interim manager|website=RTÉ.ie|date=5 April 2017|access-date=5 April 2017}}</ref>

On 5 April 2017, Boland was appointed interim manager of the side following the departure of Martin Russell.<ref name="Willie Boland takes over as Limerick FC interim manager" /> He spent one month in charge of the side before the club appointed Neil McDonald as Russell's permanent replacement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportinglimerick.com/neil-mcdonald-appointed-new-limerick-fc-manager/ |title=Neil McDonald confirmed as new Limerick FC boss |publisher=Sporting Limerick |author=Adrian Finnin |date=18 May 2017 |accessdate=11 October 2017}}</ref>

Boland is currently the Director of Coaching at UCD and Mount Merrion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.extratime.com/articles/30436/willie-boland-i-played-60-premier-league-game-without-getting-an-irish-cap/|title=Willie Boland: 'I played 60 Premier League game without getting an Irish cap'|first=Dan|last=Lucey|website=extratime.com}}</ref>

==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !rowspan="2"|Division !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="8"|Coventry City |1992–93 |Premier League |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |1993–94 |Premier League |27||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||30||0 |- |1994–95 |Premier League |12||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||13||0 |- |1995–96 |Premier League |3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0 |- |1996–97 |Premier League |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |1997–98 |Premier League |19||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||22||0 |- |1998–99 |Premier League |0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !63!!0!!1!!0!!7!!0!!0!!0!!71!!0 |- |rowspan="8"|Cardiff City |1999–00 |Division Two |28||1||3||0||3||0||1||0||35||1 |- |2000–01 |Division Three |25||1||3||0||1||0||0||0||29||1 |- |2001–02 |Division Two |42||1||4||0||1||0||2||0||49||1 |- |2002–03 |Division Two |41||0||4||1||2||0||3||0||50||1 |- |2003–04 |First Division |37||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||40||0 |- |2004–05 |Championship |21||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||24||0 |- |2005–06 |Championship |15||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||16||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !209!!3!!15!!1!!13!!0!!6!!0!!243!!4 |- |rowspan="4"|Hartlepool United |2006–07 |League Two |27||0||3||0||0||0||0||0||30||0 |- |2007–08 |League One |34||0||1||0||2||0||1||0||38||0 |- |2008–09 |League One |3||1||0||0||1||0||0||0||4||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !64!!1!!4!!0!!3!!0!!1!!0!!72!!1 |- |Limerick |2010 |League of Ireland First Division |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !337!!4!!20!!1!!23!!0!!7!!0!!387!!4 |}

==Honours== '''Cardiff City'''<ref name=Cardiffwhoswho/> *Football League Second Division play-offs: 2003<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/3051017.stm |title=Cardiff seal promotion |website=BBC Sport |date=25 May 2003 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref> *FAW Premier Cup: 2001–02

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.hartlepoolunited.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10326~10103,00.html Boland's Official Hartlepool United F.C. profile ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217175203/http://www.hartlepoolunited.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10326~10103,00.html |date=17 December 2007 }} *[http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/player.asp?p=430 Vital Hartlepool Profile: Willie Boland] *{{Soccerbase}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boland, Willie}} Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Ennis Category:Sportspeople from County Clare Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Category:Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers Category:Republic of Ireland men's under-21 international footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Coventry City F.C. players Category:Cardiff City F.C. players Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players Category:Limerick F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:English Football League players Category:League of Ireland players Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Wales Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Wales Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Republic of Ireland association football managers Category:Limerick F.C. managers Category:League of Ireland managers Category:Hartlepool United F.C. non-playing staff Category:Middlesbrough F.C. non-playing staff Category:Association footballers from County Kildare