Mihailo Petrović Alas and Alan McLoughlin: Difference between pages

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'''Alan McLoughlin''' (born 20 April 1967) is an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] coach, and former player, of [[association football]] (soccer).

'''Mihajlo Petrovic-Alas''' ([[1868]]-[[1943]]) was the most important [[Serbian]] [[mathematicians]] of the first half of the [[twentieth century]]. He was the pupil of [[Henri Poincare]]. Petrovic contributed significantly to differential equations and phenomenology, as well as inventing one of the first prototypes of an analog computer.

McLoughlin began his career as a trainee at [[Manchester United F.C.]], before joining [[Swindon Town F.C.]] in August [[1986]]. However, he didn't fit in well with manager [[Lou Macari]]'s long ball style, and just seven months and nine appearances later, he moved to [[Torquay United F.C.]] on loan.

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His Swindon career looked to be over when he returned to Torquay at the start of the following season for another loan spell, but following suspensions to other players McLoughlin was given another chance in the first team and soon established himself.

[[Category:Serbian scientists|Petrovic-Alas, Mihajlo]]

[[Category:Serbian mathematicians|Petrovic-Alas, Mihajlo]]

It was under Macari's sucessor as manager, [[Ossie Ardiles]], that McLoughlin really blossomed. He was an ever present in Ardiles' first season, and scored sixteen goals. He capped off a fine season by scoring the winning goal in the Play-Off final at [[Wembley Stadium]] against [[Sunderland AFC]].

McLoughlin's performances won him international recognition, and he was named in the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Ireland squad]] for the [[Football World Cup 1990|1990 World Cup]] in [[Italy]]. He made two appearances in the tournament, coming on as a substitute in the matches with [[England national football team|England]] and [[Egypt national football team|Egypt]].

However, before the next season began, Swindon were demoted by the [[Football League]] for making irregular payments to players. With the club in financial trouble, players had to be sold, and McLoughlin's left for Southampton in December 1990, for a club record £1 million.

However he failed to show the level of form that he had at Swindon, and he was loaned to first [[Aston Villa F.C.]] then [[Portsmouth F.C.]]. The latter were impressed enough by McLoughlin to make a bid for him, and so in Febuary 1992 he moved to [[Fratton Park]] for £400,000 after making only 29 appearances for the Saints.

It was at Portsmouth that he enjoyed his finest years as a player. Whilst at the club McLoughlin represented Ireland at the [[Football World Cup 1994|1994 World Cup]].

In December 1999 he was sold to [[Wigan Athletic F.C.]] for £260,000. However injuries prevented him from making a major impact and he moved on a free transfer to [[Rochdale F.C.]] in December 2001, having made only 12 starts (plus 10 as a sub) for Wigan, scoring one goal.

With his career winding down McLoughlin joined [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.]] as a player-coach for the 2002/03 season. At the end of the season McLoughlin retired from playing to concentrate on coaching with the club.

He was capped 42 times for the Republic of Ireland.