Danny Griffin

Daniel Joseph Griffin (born 10 August 1977 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish retired footballer. He was primarily a defender, but could also play in midfield. He is a youth coach with his first professional club, St Johnstone. Career At age 15, he left high school in Belfast six months early to join St Johnstone. He made his professional debut two years later. It was while he was with the McDiarmid Park club that Griffin made his international debut against Germany in a 1–1 draw on 29 May 1996 in Belfast and scored his first international goal in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland three years, to the day, later. In the following months, English club Derby County offered St Johnstone £1,000,000 for their 18-year-old centre-back. Griffin was beginning to develop a good relationship with St Johnstone and he felt there was much more he could learn from Paul Sturrock, so he turned down the move. In 1996, Griffin scored an own goal, the only goal of the game, in the Scottish Challenge Cup Final loss to Stranraer. After seven years in Perth, Griffin followed manager Paul Sturrock to Tayside rivals Dundee United, for whom he would eventually become captain. Following injury problems, Griffin lost his regular place and joined English side Stockport County in 2004 as a free agent. After being released by Stockport, in December 2005 he signed for Aberdeen. Just four months later, however, he was informed that the club would not renew his contract at the end of the season.