Paul Scharner

He made his ÖFB-Cup debut in the second round in late October against SV Würmla and returned for four other matches, while being crucial for the loss against SV Salzburg by receiving a second yellow card in the 23rd minute of play.

He scored his first two goals for the Austria in a friendly match against Wiener Neudorf in February.

Paul Josef Herbert Scharner (born 11 March 1980) is an Austrian retired footballer.

He operated mainly as a defender, although he could play almost every midfield position as well.

He was known for his great positional versatility and haircuts.

He stayed with the club until 1993, when he transferred to FCN St. Pölten, which he left in 1996 for Austria Wien, the club where he would receive his first professional contract in 1999.

He played for their U-17 and U-18 and later for the club's amateurs, while also getting vocational education in the field of electrical engineering.

After rising through the youth ranks of the club and playing for the U-17, U-18 and amateur squads, he made his debut for the first team as a substitute on the third of March in 1998 in a friendly match against Hellas Kagran, which Austria Wien won 5:1 and received his first professional contract in May 1999.

1998/1999 and 1999/2000 seasons

Before receiving his first professional contract with the club, he again took part in two friendly matches in February 1999, before making his debut in the Austrian Bundesliga on 24 April in a home game against SV Ried, which the Austria won 3:0.

In May, he took part in three games for the remainder of the season, playing against Salzburg, GAK and Innsbruck, respectively.

The latter also marked his first time in the starting line-up and his first yellow card.

Similar to the last season, Scharner played the first team only in friendly matches at the beginning, before returning to the Bundesliga in the eleventh round on 11 September against GAK as a substitute, in mid October against SW Bregenz as a time stoppage and in late November against LASK Linz.

In total he made twelve appearances in the league, nine of which as a starter, while receiving three yellow cards.

2000/2001 and 2001/2002 seasons

His first matches in the new season also marked his debut on the international stage, playing four matches in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, competing with Nea Salamis Famagusta FC and Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ, respectively.

That season, he made only one appearance in the ÖFB-Cup, in the second round against Wiener Neustadt.

To further develop his skills and to give him more minutes, Scharner was loaned to then-Austria affiliate club SG Untersiebenbrunn in the Erste Liga from July to October 2001, where he scored five goals in 16 league matches and also played in the ÖFB-Cup.

He returned to his club in November and started getting minutes by the end of the month, playing against Rapid Wien, SV Salzburg and FC Kärnten.

In the second half of the season he developed himself as a starter, seeing the kick-off in twelve of his 13 games, while seeing four yellow cards that season.

He made his first goal for Austria Wien in a professional competition, opening the scoring in a Bundesliga match against Sturm Graz on 30 March.

His strong away round also brought him into the Austria national football team, debuting in a 0:0 against Cameroon on 17 April 2002.

2002/2003 and 2003/2004 seasons

After having emerged as a regular starter in the second half of the previous season, he played 29 league games this season, starting 22 of them and seeing eight yellow cards.

He scored his only league goal that season in a home game against GAK.

He played every cup game starting from the 1/8 finale, seeing one yellow card.

Austria also competed in the UEFA Cup, playing against Shakhtar Donetsk, sweeping them 5:1 in the first game and against Porto in the second round, both games were lost.

His breakthrough season also marked his most successful with the club, as Austria won the Bundesliga, the ÖFB-Cup and the Austrian Supercup.

Scharner played nine league games for Austria Wien the next season, scoring one goal and receiving three yellow cards until September, as well as competing in the UEFA Champions League qualification against Olympique Marseille, losing the home game and tying in the away game, which led to an UEFA Cup match against Borussia Dortmund, which was also lost.

He was kicked from the team in mid October, after then-coach Joachim Löw intended to substitute him as a right midfielder, a position he did not like to play.

After refusing his substitution and later stating: "The coach and I discussed where I can help the team the most, but the coach always uses me elsewhere. I already played on seven different positions. But I'm continuing my path."

he was suspended from Austria and was forced to look for a new team.

Scharner started his professional career with Austrian Bundesliga sides Austria Wien and SV Salzburg, before moving to Norwegian Tippeligaen in late 2004, starting for SK Brann.

In January 2006, he entered the Premier League where he played for over six years, playing for Wigan Athletic and West Bromwich Albion, respectively.

After a short time as a free agent, he transferred to Bundesliga veteran club Hamburger SV in August 2012, before returning to Wigan Athletic on loan in January 2013 - winning the FA Cup.

He announced his retirement, at age 33, in September 2013.

Born in Scheibbs, Scharner grew up in Purgstall an der Erlauf, where he also started his playing career with local site SVG Purgstall at the age of seven, playing for the club's U-8 team.

In the league, he firstly played in the ninth round against Bregenz, but did not become a part of the team again until the 16th round, but played every game until the 23rd round then.

After that, his appearances became fewer until the end of the season.

He collected a total of three yellow cards that season, playing 14 games.