Stuart Bannigan

Stuart Bannigan (born 17 September 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Scottish League One club Partick Thistle. A product of Partick Thistle's youth setup, Bannigan played his first professional season on loan at the then Scottish Second Division side Ayr United. He has also played for the Scotland U21 national team.

Stuart Bannigan

Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-09-17) 17 September 1992
Place of birth	Bishopbriggs, Scotland
Height	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Partick Thistle
Number	8
Youth career
2008–2010	Partick Thistle
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–	Partick Thistle	201	(14)
2010–2011	→ Ayr United (loan)	17	(4)
National team
2013	Scotland U21	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 05:20, 10 July 2020 (BST)

Career

Partick Thistle

Bannigan signed permanently for the Partick Thistle youth development team, full-time, in May 2009, following a period of trialling prior to a full-time contract. playing in the U17s side, Bannigan made his first team debut as a substitute on 24 July 2010 against Clyde in the Scottish Challenge Cup.[2] Going on to make his league debut for Partick Thistle from the start on 11 September 2010 against Stirling in the Scottish First Division.[3] He made one more appearance[4] before being sent out on loan.

Bannigan holding the Scottish First Division trophy in 2013.

On 4 November 2010 Bannigan joined Scottish Second Division side Ayr United on a one-month loan deal.[5] He made his debut against Dumbarton on 13 November 2010.[6] After only 5 games his loan was extended until the end of the season.[7] Bannigan made 24 Appearances scoring 4 goals to help Ayr gain promotion to the Scottish First Division via the play-offs.[8] Following his loan spell at Ayr United, Bannigan would be often used in first team ins and out in the 2011–12 season. After the last game of last season in which he scored his first thistle goal in against Hamilton Academical, which the results was 2–2.[9]

In the 2012–13 season, Bannigan was on a high and scored his first goal of the season against Queens Park at Hampden Park in a 5–4 thriller, in the second round of the Scottish Challenge Cup. Just a week later, on 25 August 2012, Bannigan set up a goal for Kris Doolan before scoring the goal for himself, in a 3–0 win over Dumbarton.[10] In a match against Falkirk, on 27 October 2012, Bannigan suffered a leg injury in the first half and was substituted. Forty-eight-hour later, Bannigan revealed he passed his driving test.[11] Though it was serious at first, Bannigan managed to escape the injury, which he describe it as "relieved".[12] Soon after, on 24 November 2012, Bannigan scored his second league goal of the season, in a 2–0 win over Livingston.[13] Then, the next game, on 15 December 2012, Bannigan scored his third goal of the season, in a 3–2 win over Raith Rovers.[14] Bannigan won the club's young player of the year for 2012/13.[15] He was substituted during the extra-time period of the 2013 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, which Thistle lost to Queen of the South. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Bannigan was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.[16] He signed a new two-year contract at Thistle in June 2013.[17]

In September 2013, Bannigan was awarded the Scottish Premiership Young Player award.[18] On 14 May 2014, Bannigan signed a new two-year deal with the Jags.[19] Bannigan made his 100th league appearance for Partick Thistle against Hamilton Academical at Firhill Stadium on 23 August 2014.

Bannigan decided to leave Partick Thistle at the end of his contract in May 2016, having rejected their offer of a new deal.[20] However, on 27 June 2016, Bannigan reversed his decision to leave Firhill, and committed to Partick Thistle for a further two years.[21] As of the 2018–19 season, Bannigan became the new Club Captain, as Kris Doolan returned to his role as Vice-Captain, having stood in for Abdul Osman for the previous season. In late 2018, Bannigan signed an 18-month extension to remain at Partick Thistle until 2020.

In Early 2020 under the new management of Ian McCall, Bannigan penned a new 2-year contract extension, to remain at Partick Thistle until 2022, which would see him surpass a Testimonial, at the club.[22]

After the 2019/20 season was finished early due to the Cornavirus pandemic, Partick Thistle were relegated for the second time in 3 seasons, now being relegated to League One. Bannigan choose to stay at Thistle following their relegation making him and teammate James Penrice, the only two players left at the club from their time in the Premiership.[23]

Style of play

Bannigan is renowned for his excellent passing ability, creative instinct and leadership ability. He has been described as a tough and tenacious player who is a consistently strong midfield player.[24] Bannigan has severely struggled with knee injuries. He was sidelined for the second half of the 2015/16 campaign, the entire of the 2016/17 season and most of the 2017/18 football season and made a gradual return after 2018.

International career

Bannigan, along with teammate Stephen O'Donnell, was called up by Billy Stark for the Scotland U21 squad.[25] Bannigan played his first match international debut, in a 1–1 draw against Greece U21.[26] He was also called up for an under-21 match against England.

Career statistics

As of match played 10 March 2020 [27]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Scottish Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Partick Thistle	2010–11[28]	First Division	2	0	0	0	0	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	4	0
	2011–12[29]		13	1	2	0	1	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	17	1
	2012–13[30]		33	3	1	0	2	0	5[lower-alpha 1]	1	41	4
	2013–14[31]	Premiership	33	0	0	0	2	0	—		35	0
	2014–15[32]		35	3	2	0	3	0	—		40	3
	2015–16[33]		26	1	2	0	0	0	—		28	1
	2016–17[34]		0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2017–18[35]		6	0	0	0	6	0	—		12	0
	2018-19[36]	Championship	28	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	31	2
	2019–20[37]	Championship	25	4	1	1	6	0	2	0	34	5
	2020–21[38]	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total			201	14	11	1	20	0	10	1	242	16
Ayr United (loan)	2010–11[28]	Second Division	17	4	4	1	0	0	4[lower-alpha 2]	0	25	5
Career total			218	18	15	2	20	0	14	1	267	21

1. Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
2. Appearances in the First Division play-offs

Honours

Ayr United

• Scottish Second Division : 1

2010–11

Partick Thistle

• Scottish First Division: 1

2012–13

• Scottish Football League Young Player of the Month:

January 2013

References

1. Stuart Bannigan at Soccerway
2. "Partick V Clyde". Partick Thistle. 24 July 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
3. "Partick Thistle 1–2 Stirling Albion". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
4. "Partick Thistle 1–0 Cowdenbeath". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 30 October 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
5. "Opportunity knocks for loan-kid Stu". Evening Times. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
6. "Dumbarton V Ayr". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
7. "Bannigan Loan Extended". Partick Thistle. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
8. "Ayr United seal promotion to the First Division". Stv. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
9. "Hamilton 2–2 Partick Thistle". BBC Sport. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
10. "Partick Thistle 3–0 Dumbarton". BBC Sport. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
11. "Partick Thistle ace passes driving test 48 hours after 'leg-breaking' tackle". Daily Record. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
12. "Partick Thistle Ace Stuart Bannigan Relieved To Avoid Serious Injury After Shock Challenge". The Glaswgian. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
13. "Partick Thistle 2 Livingston 0: Jags produce inspired second-half performance to stay top". Daily Record. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
14. "Partick Thistle 3 Raith Rovers 2: Jackie McNamara far from happy despite win". Daily Record. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
15. "Player of the Year Awards". Partick Thistle F.C. 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
16. "Partick Thistle Boss Alan Archibald Set To Retire From First Team Playing Duties As Jags Head For SPL". The Glaswegian. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
17. "Partick Thistle: Stuart Bannigan signs new contract". BBC Sport. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
18. "Butcher voted Manager of Month". SPFL.co.uk. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
19. "Stuart Bannigan Signs Contract Extension". Partick Thistle FC. 14 May 2014.
20. "Partick Thistle: Danny Seaborne and Stuart Bannigan among six departures". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
21. http://ptfc.co.uk/news/2016-2017/june_2016/stuart_bannigan_signs_extension
22. https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/stuart-bannigan-signs-contract-extension/
23. https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/player-update-8th-june-2020/
24. "Stuart Bannigan". www.ptfc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
25. "Partick Thistle duo included in Scotland Under-21 squad". Daily Record. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
26. "Greece Under-21 1 Scotland Under-21 1: Scots fight back from a goal down to earn a draw". Daily Record. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
27. Stuart Bannigan at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
28. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
29. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
30. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
31. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
32. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
33. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
34. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
35. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
36. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
37. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
38. "Games played by Stuart Bannigan in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2020.

External links

• Stuart Bannigan at Soccerbase