Darren O’Dea [pronounced oh-dee] (born on 4 February 1987 in Dublin, Ireland) is a professional footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic as a left-sided or central defender. Son of John and Anne O’Dea, Darren’s mother represented Ireland in basketball.
O’Dea made his Celtic debut in the CIS Cup against St Mirren in September 2006. He made his first League appearance two months later as a substitute against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
He made his first league starting appearance against Dunfermline Athletic in December 2006, just four days after making his Champions League debut against FC Copenhagen as a substitute, replacing the injured Stephen McManus.
He scored his first goal for Celtic against Dundee United on December 26, 2006. He followed that with a goal on January 2, 2007, against Kilmarnock F.C..