Irish Abroad: Aaron Connolly

📝 We're delighted to announce the signing of experienced Irish midfielder Alan Judge until the end of the season!

Playing the majority of his career in the football league and also representing Ireland too, Alan will bring a lot to The Iron!#IronArmy #PubTeamFromEssex pic.twitter.com/xULmIqujSA
— Braintree Town FC (@braintreetownfc) January 25, 2025

Alan Judge signed for National League South Division side Braintree Town

Sunday, 26th January

Darragh Burns signed for Grimsby Town

Monday, 27th January

Dara McGuinness returned to Ireland, signing a contract with Finn Harps ahead of the 2025 League of Ireland season

Tuesday, 28th January

Sligo Rovers confirmed that their U16 defender Aidan Gabbidon signed for Malmo FC

Rory Feely signed a 12 month contract with Crawley Town

Friday, 31st January

Having pursued Eiran Cashin for some time, Brighton finally signed the defender, who signed a contract until June 2030

Dylan Duffy converted his loan deal with Chesterfield into a full transfer, signing a contract until the summer of 2027

U17 midfielder Grady McDonnell signed for Belgian side Club Brugge's youth team Club NXT, joining the Challenger Pro League side until 2027

Five-times capped striker Emily Murphy signed for Newcastle United

After cancelling his loan deal with Watford, Festy Ebosele signed for Turkish Super Lig side Istanbul Başakşehir

Saturday, 1st February

UCD defender Cathal McCarthy signed for Hull City, and immediately returned to the League of Ireland side on loan for the first half of the upcoming LOI season

Monday, 3rd February

John Egan signed an eighteen month contract with Hull City, with the option of extending this by a year

Defender Alix Mendez signed for Aberdeen's womens team

Former underage striker Ali Reghba signed for Slovenian side NK Maribor until the summer of 2027

Loans

Monday, 6th January

Brentford defender Val Adedokun joined Cheltenham Town on loan until the end of the season

Thursday, 9th January

Having recovered from a broken leg, Newport's Josh Seberry has signed for Weston Super Mare on loan until the end of the season

Having spent the first half of the season on loan at Peterborough Sports, Oisin Gallagher will spend the rest of the season on loan at Boston United

Darragh O'Connor will spend the rest of the season on loan at Falkirk

Friday, 10th January

U19 goalkeeper Jimmy Storer will spend the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at National League North side Chester FC

Barrow Town defender Mazeed Ogungbo signed a loan deal with Hemel Hempstead Town for the rest of the season

Thursday, 16th January

Udinese's James Abankwah signed for sister club Watford on loan until the end of the 2024/25 season

Friday, 17th January

Sam Curtis returned to parent club Sheffield United, and immediately signed a loan deal with SPL side St Johnstone

Monday, 20th January

Ruairi Paton returned to the SPL, signing a loan deal with Dundee United until the end of the season

Newcastle's Alex Murphy joined League One Bolton Wanderers on loan for the rest of the season

Connor O'Riordan returned to Crewe Alexandra, where he progressed from the Academy to the first team, on loan

Tuesday, 21st January

Ipswich's Daniel O'Connor will spend the rest of the season on loan at non-league Farnborough FC

Thursday, 23rd January

Former Ireland underage goalkeeper Liam Bossin signed as backup goalkeeper for Feyenoord until the end of the season, with an option to buy

Friday, 24th January

Andrew Omobamidele signed a loan deal with Strasbourg until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent

Monday, 27th January

Lincoln City winger Dylan Duffy signed for Chesterfield on loan for the rest of the season

Tuesday, 28th January

Ed McJannet joined Serie C side Audace Cerignola on loan

Wednesday, 29th January

Andrew Wogan signed a loan deal with Marine AFC

Mark Travers will aim to help Middlesbrough return to the Premier League while on loan at the Riverside

Tuesday, 3rd February

Evan Ferguson joined former manager Graham Potter at West Ham, signing a loan deal with the Hammers until the end of the season

Darius Lipsiuc joined Walsall from Stoke on loan

Charlton Athletic signed Middlesbrough's creative forward Alex Gilbert until the end of the season

Gavin Bazunu will continue his return from injury on loan with Belgian side Standard Liege

U21 defender Tayo Adaramola returned from his loan at Stockport County and signed a loan deal with League Two side Bradford City

After spending the first half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Accrington Stanley, Dara Costelloe will spend the second half on loan with Northampton Town

Having recovered from surgery, Anthony Scully has rejoined Colchester United on loan

Midfielder Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh signed a loan deal with Accrington Stanley

Contract extensions

Thursday, 2nd January

Following her recent return from injury, Hayley Nolan signed an extension to her contract with Crystal Palace until the summer of 2026

Saturday, 4th January

Jayson Molumby signed an extension to his contract with West Brom until the summer of 2028

Thursday, 16th January

Before joining Watford, James Abankwah signed an extension to his contract with Udinese until June 2029

Friday, 31st January

Cardiff City duo Callum Robinson and Callum O'Dowda signed two and three year extensions, respectively, to their contracts with the Bluebirds

Emily Whelan extended her contract with Glasgow City until 2028

Monday, 3rd February

Having only signed for Sheffield Wednesday in the summer, Gabriel Otegbayo signed an extension to his contract at Hillsbrough

Management

Wednesday, 15th January

Ahead of the 2025/26 UEFA Women's Nations League, the FAI announced Carla Ward as the new manager of the Womens National Team

Tuesday, 1 August 2023

August 2023 Transfer, Loans, and Contracts

Transfers

Tuesday, 1st August

Following the expiration of his contract with Wycombe Wanderers, Daryl Horgan returned to Dundalk FC

Wednesday, 2nd August

Aaron Connolly joined Hull City, signing a one year contract with the Tigers

Thursday, 3rd August

19 year old defender Emmanuel Aegboyega signed a long term contract with Norwich City, and will initially join their academy setup

Friday, 4th August

Following a year in Spain with Levante, Tyler Toland has returned to England, signing a two year deal with Blackburn Rovers

James McClean signed a 12 month contract with promoted side Wrexham FC

Saturday, 5th August

Dubliner Josh O'Brien signed a one year contract with Hamilton Academical

✍️👍 Hamilton Academical FC are delighted to announce the signing of Josh O’Brien from Salford City

Josh joins the Club permanently on an initial 1 year contract. Welcome to Accies! pic.twitter.com/dATqDYVeAI
— Hamilton Accies FC (@acciesfc) August 5, 2023

Thursday, 10th August

Fionn Mooney left Crystal Palace to sign for Segunda Division side Real Valladolid

Tuesday, 15th August

Gemma McGuinness was one of five new signings announced by AFC Bournemouth

Goalkeeper Grace Moloney signed a two year contract with London City Lionesses

Wednesday, 16th August

Experienced defender Niamh Farrelly returned to England from Italy to sign for London City Lionesses

Friday, 18th August

Former underage defender Lewis Richards joined League Two side Bradford City

Satuday, 19th August

Lily Agg joined the Irish contingent at Birmingham City, signing a one year contract with the Blues, with the option of a further 12 months

Tuesday, 22nd August

Carl McHugh left ATK Mohun Bagan to sign for fellow ISL side FC Goa

Jamie McGrath returned to Scotland, signing a two year contract with Aberdeen

Winger Justin Ferizaj signed for Serie B Champions Frosinone

Il Frosinone Calcio comunica di aver raggiunto l’accordo con la società sportiva Shamrock Rovers per l’acquisizione delle prestazioni sportive del calciatore Justin Ferizaj. Il centrocampista classe 2005 arriva a titolo definitivo. pic.twitter.com/w74K7bZIbl
— Frosinone Calcio (@Frosinone1928) August 22, 2023

Wednesday, 23rd August

Ruesha Littlejohn joined London City Lionesses, signing a two year contract

Thursday, 24th August

Cathal Heffernan joined Newcastle United

Ahead of the new WSL season, Megan Connolly signed for Bristol City

Following his release from Brighton, former U19 midfielder Matt Everitt signed for Dorking Wanderers

Wednesday, 30th August

Heather Payne signed a two year contract with Everton

Friday, 25th August

Ryan Johansson has signed for SC Freiburg and will initially play for their U23 side

Friday, 1st September

Full back James Furlong signed a three year contract with Hull City

Andrew Omobamidele completed a transfer to Nottingham Forest, signing a five year contract at the City Ground

Elite Project Group confirmed that their client Ike Orazi has signed for Ligue Un side Stade de Reims

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elite • Project • Group (@eliteprojectgroup)

Loans

Tuesday, 1st August

Aiden O'Brien returned to his native London to sign a loan deal with Sutton United until January 2024

Wednesday, 2nd August

Aston Villa's Finn Azaz returned to Plymouth Argyle, where he spent last season on loan, for another season-long loan

Stoke City signed Burnley centre half Luke McNally on loan for the 2023/24 season

Thursday, 10th August

Cardiff City full back Joel Bagan signed a season long loan deal with Belgian Challenger Pro League side Zulte Waragem

Thursday, 17th August

Celtic's Bosun Lawal signed a season long loan with former Hoops captain Scott Brown's Fleetwood Town

Thursday, 24th August

Troy Parrott signed a season long loan deal with Dutch side Excelsior

Saturday, 26th August

Brighton's Ireland U21 midfielder Andrew Moran signed a season long deal with Blackburn Rovers

Friday, 1st September August

Stoke City defender David Okagbue signed for Walsall on a season long loan

Luton Town's Louie Watson signed for Charlton Athletic on loan for the rest of the season

Jeff Hendrick will spend his second season in a row on loan in the Championship after joining Sheffield Wednesday for the 2023/24 season

Udinese's James Abankwah signed a season long loan with League One's Charlton Athletic

JJ Kayode returned to Carlisle for his third loan spell

Contracts

Monday, 28th August

Will Smallbone signed a new contract with Southampton, keeping him at St Mary's until the summer of 2026

May/June 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts
July 2023 Transfers, Loans, and Contracts

Monday, 26 June 2023

Episode 57 - The Highs and Lows of the 2022/23 season

I'm joined by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick and Philip Flanagan of The Bottomless Pit of Football to discuss the highs and lows for Irish players during the 2022/23 season. In the past 12 months, we've seen record lows for players numbers in the Premier League, loan deals that either didn't work out or exceeded expectations, and one player emerging to set new records of his own - listen in to see what else sparked our interest

Tuesday, 24 January 2023

Round Up for weekend of Friday, 20th January 2023

Friday, 20th January 2023

Championship

Sheffield United 1-0 Hull City

Aaron Connolly made his first start for Hull City - this was his first start since Sunday, 11th September, and the 50th time the striker was named in a starting XI in his career

Saturday, 21st January 2023

Premier League

Leicester City 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion

Evan Ferguson scored his fifth goal of the season

Championship

Coventry 2-4 Norwich City

Adam Idah's introduction was his 25th appearance in the Championship

Stoke City 4-0 Reading

Will Smallbone scored his first goal since Saturday, 15th October

Birmingham City 1-2 Preston North End

Robbie Brady assisted a goal for the first time since Friday, 4th November in his first start in ten weeks

League 1

Shrewsbury Town 5-1 Cambridge United

Jordan Shipley scored his fifth goal of the season, this was his first goal since Saturday, 5th November

Plymouth Argyle 4-2 Cheltenham

Finn Azaz marked his first start since Tuesday, 25 October with two assists
Tyreik Wright made his first start for Plymouth Argyle
Will Ferry assisted a goal for the first time this season

Oxford United 2-1 Ipswich Town

Marcus Harness assisted a goal for the first time in nine weeks

Forest Green Rovers 1-2 MK Dons

Conor Grant was booked for the first time this season, more than a year after his last yellow card in December 2021

Derby County 2-1 Bolton Wanderers

Tony Springett made his first appearance for Derby County
Conor Hourihane scored his 30th goal in League One
Kieran Sadlier's fifth goal of the season was also his 20th goal in League One

League 2

Colchester United 0-2 Gillingham

Shaun Williams was booked for the first time since Tuesday, 15th November

Hartlepool 2-0 Rochdale

Jimmy Keohane's start was his 150th appearance for Rochdale

Scottish League One

Peterhead 1-0 Clyde

Kevin Joshua not at Peterhead(2010)

Scottish FA Cup

Celtic 5-0 Greenock Morton

Bosun Lawal came off the bench to make his first appearance for Celtic's senior side

St Mirren 0-0 Dundee

Joe Shaughnessy's introduction was his 100th appearance for St Mirren

Dundee United 3-0 Stirling University

In his first start since Saturday, 12th November, Jamie McGrath scored his first goal since Wednesday, 9th November

Arbroath 0-2 Motherwell

Shane Blaney made his debut for Motherwell

Monday, 23rd January 2023

Scottish FA Cup

Darvel 1-0 Aberdeen

Liam Scales was booked for the first time in a month

Thursday, 20 October 2022

Why John Egan's 30th Birthday Is A Watershed Moment In Irish Football

John Egan is 30 years old today, and not only is it a landmark day for the player, it is also a watershed moment for Irish football as a whole. For the first time since former international midfield player John Sheridan turned 30 in October 1994, there are no active Irish footballers under the age of 30 with 50, or more, appearances in the Premier League*

According to the database that powers the Irish Abroad website, there are 86 Irish players with 50, or more, appearances in the top division in England in total. Of these, 71 had reached the half century before their 30th birthday.

The graph below shows how many of these 71 players had reached 50 appearances on the 30th birthday of each player, starting with Sheridan's 30th birthday in 1994 on the left and ending on Egan's birthday today.

For example, on Kevin Kilbane's 30th birthday, in February 2007, there were 10 Irish players under 30 with 50, or more, Premier League appearances - Ian Harte(29, 213 apps), Andy O'Brien(27, 206), Damien Duff(27, 208), Clinton Morrison(27, 88), Richard Dunne(27, 230), Robbie Keane(26, 227), Gary Doherty(27, 84), Stephen McPhail(27, 78), Steven Reid(25, 81), and John O'Shea(25, 152).

The peak about two thirds across the graph is Daryl Murphy's 30th birthday in March 2013, when there were 17 players under 30 with 50 Premier League appearances. Since then, there has been a constant decline in the number of Irish players who meet the criteria.

Of the current players, 27 year old Callum Robinson and 22 year old Aaron Connolly are the two Irish players under 30 with the most Premier League appearances, with 48 and 45 appearances respectively, but with Robinson currently in the Championship with Cardiff, and Connolly on loan in Italy with Venezia, both players will have to wait until the 2023/24 season kicks off next August, at the earliest, before they can reach 50 appearances.

Of the current Irish players in the Premier League, Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Nathan Collins(21) has 27 Premier League appearances, and with 27 games remaining in Wolves' season, he is the player best positioned to be the next Irish player under 30 to reach 50 appearances in the competition.

*Note that there were Irish footballers under the age of 30 with more than 50 combined Premier League and old First Division appearances before Sheridan's 30th birthday, but we do not have appearance data for players before the start of the Premier League in 1992, so we're treating that as the starting point for this research

Thanks to the foot.ie forum member Eirambler for the post that inspired the research behind this article

Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Round up for weekend of Friday, 12th August 2022

Friday, 12th August 2022

Championship

Watford 1-0 Burnley

Luke McNally's introduction was his first appearance for Burnley

Luke McNally comes on for Josh Cullen 🔁#WATBUR pic.twitter.com/DyMN6vJ3FN
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) August 12, 2022

Eerste Divisie

Eindhoven 2-1 Willem II

Dan Crowley scored his first goal for Willem II since returning to the Dutch club

Saturday, 13th August 2022

Championship

Cardiff 1-0 Birmingham City

Scott Hogan was booked for the first time since Saturday, 20th November 2021

Hull City 2-1 Norwich City

Andrew Omobamidele was shown his first yellow card since Saturday, 6 November 2021

Luton 0-1 Preston North End

Robbie Brady assisted a goal for the first time since Tuesday, 29th December 2020

Wigan 1-1 Bristol City

Will Keane scored his first goal of the season in his 150th career start

Scottish Premier League

Aberdeen 2-3 Motherwell

Liam Scales assisted a goal for the first time since Saturday, 22 January

Scottish Championship

Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4-1 Cove Rangers

Aaron Doran's first goal in eleven months was his 50th goal for Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Canadian Premier League

Cavalry 2-1 Forge

Joe Mason was booked for the first time since Sunday, 1st May

Serie A

AC Milan 4-2 Udinese

After Matts Kunding, Paddy Sloan, Liam Brady, and Robbie Keane, Festy Ebosele became the fifth Irish player to appear in Serie A

Sunday, 14 August 2022

Championship

Middlesbrough 2-2 Sheffield United

John Egan was named in a starting XI for the 350th time in his career
No player in the game completed as many passes as Darragh Lenihan

🆚 Middlesbrough 2-2 Sheffield United
📋 Post Game Summary (1/2)
🏃 Darragh Lenihan
⏱️ Started, played whole game
🅰️ 1 assist
👟 58/69 passes completed(84.05%) - 🥇 in game!
🔑 1 Key passes
💥 2 tackles - 🥇 for team!
💨 Dribbled past 1 players#COYBIG #MIDSHU
— Irish Abroad (@irish_abroad) August 14, 2022

Scottish Premier League

Kilmarnock 0-5 Celtic

Alan Power made his 150th start for Kilmarnock

Hearts 4-1 Dundee United

Jamie McGrath was booked for the first time since Saturday, 6th November 2021

MLS

Austin FC 4-3 Sporting Kansas City

Jon Gallagher scored to start the comeback for Austin, this was his first goal since Sunday, 19 September 2021

Serie B

Venezia 1-2 Genoa

Aaron Connolly made his first appearance for Venezia

Monday, 15 August 2022

Getafe 0-3 Atletico Madrid

John-Joe Patrick Finn was named in the Getafe matchday squad for the first time since Thursday, 16th December 2021

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

January 2022 Transfers and Loans

Transfers

Saturday, 1st January

Daniel Cleary signed a two and a half year contract with St Johnstone

Defender Dan O'Reilly joined Scottish Championship side Hamilton Academical

Tuesday, 4th January

Naoisha McAloon signed for FA Women's Championship side Durham Women

Thursday, 6th January

Shamrock Rovers' 18 year old goalkeeper Killian Cahill joined the growing Irish contingent at Brighton and Hove Albion

Full back James Brown signed for Blackburn Rovers following a trial in December, and will initially play for their U23 side

Friday, 7th January

33 year old striker Eoin Doyle returned to Ireland to sign for St Patrick's Athletic

Saturday, 8th January

Sligo striker Johnny Kenny signed a five year contract with Celtic

Tuesday, 11th January

Goalkeeper Harry Halwax signed for QPR, initally linking up with their U23 side

Drogheda United midfielder Killian Phillips signed a two year contract with Crystal Palace and will initially play for their U23 side

Aaron Molloy signed for USL Championship side Memphis 901

Wednesday, 12th January

Bohemians defender Rob Cornwall signed for new USL League One side North Colorado Hailstorm FC

Thursday, 20th January

U18 international Connor Barratt left Birmingham City to sign a professional contract with Sheffield United

Sunday, 23rd January

Defender John Mahon signed a two and a half year contract with Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone

Monday, 24th January

Aiden Keena returned to the League of Ireland to sign for former manager Liam Buckley at Sligo rovers

Tuesday, 25th January

Lee O'Connor made his loan spell at Tranmere Rovers a permanent one, signing a contract until June 2024 with the Wirral side

Wednesday, 26th January

Defender James Abankwah signed for Udinese, but will return to St Patrick's Athletic until June to complete his Leaving Certificate

Thursday, 27th January

Diane Caldwell signed for Manchester United until the end of the season

Friday, 28th January

Midfielder Ciara Grant signed for Rangers Women until the end of the current season

Kieran Sadlier signed a two and a half year contract with Bolton Wanderers

Former U21 winger Harry Charsley joined Port Vale

Defender Corey O'Keeffe signed for Rochdale

Rotherham captured the signature of striker Georgie Kelly on a three and a half year contract

Striker Saoirse Noonan joined Women's Championship side Durham
Former Ireland U19 midfielder Tom Holland signed for Welsh side Guilsfield FC

🔴⚫️ SIGNING ⚫️🔴

Another huge signing for the club as we welcome former Man City, Swansea City, Waterford, TNS and Ireland U19 international midfielder Tom Holland.

Tom joins the squad for tomorrow’s game against Holywell.

Time has been kindly sponsored by @PlumblineThe pic.twitter.com/qb7wcJvLKg
— CPD Guilsfield FC (@GUILS1957) January 28, 2022

Monday, 31 January

Dylan Connolly signed an 18 month contract with League One side Morecambe

Aiden O'Brien signed for Portsmouth until the end of the season

Ipswich midfielder Matt Healy signed for Cork City on loan until June

Seven months after signing for Burton Albion, defender Thomas O'Connor signed for non-league Wrexham until 2025

Jamie McGrath added to the Irish contingent at Wigan, signing a contract until 2024 with the Latics

U21 striker Ali Reghba signed for Algerian side Chabab Riadhi de Belouizdad

Jamie Devitt returned to Carlisle, where he spent three seasons from 2016, on a short term contract

Former U21 defender Niall Canavan signed an 18 month contract with Barrow

Tuesday, 1st February

Fleetwood Town signed twice capped goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara from Burton Albion

Loans

Sunday, 2nd January

Brighton striker Aaron Connolly signed with promotion chasing Championship side Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season

Monday, 3rd January

Barry Coffey extended his loan at Cork City until the end of the 2021/22 Scottish season, and will return to Celtic in June

Tuesday, 4th January

Jake O'Brien signed for Swindon Town on loan and will spend the rest of the 2021/22 season at The County Ground

Wednesday, 5th January

Stoke City's Ethon Varian extended his loan at Raith Rovers until the end of the season

Thursday, 13th January

Fulham defender Cyrus Christie signed a loan deal with Swansea City, and will play at the Swansea.com Stadium until the end of the season

Wolves defender Lewis Richards joined League Two side Harrowgate Town on loan until the end of the season

Monday, 17th January

Dundee United defender Mark Connolly signed a six month loan contract with Dundalk FC

Sheffield Wednesday's Alex Hunt signed for Oldham on loan for the rest of the season

Tuesday, 18th January

After spending the first half of the 2021/22 season on loan at Peterborough. Conor Coventry signed for MK Dons on loan until the end of the season

Thursday, 20th January

Jaze Kabia signed for Falkirk from Livingston on loan until the end of the season

Friday, 21st January

Adam O'Reilly signed for St Patrick's Athletic on a six month loan

Monday, 23rd January

Watford's Ireland U19 striker Ryan Cassidy signed for Bohemians on loan

✍️ Bohemians are delighted to confirm the signing of striker Ryan Cassidy on loan from Watford, subject to international clearance.

Welcome to Dalymount, @casso_9. ❤️🖤

📸 @sportsfile pic.twitter.com/Xp1XyYsrLG
— Bohemian Football Club (@bfcdublin) January 23, 2022

Wednesday, 26th January

Lincoln defender Sean Roghan signed a six month loan deal with Drogheda

Zak Delaney's loan at Bath City was extended until the end of the season

Thursday, 27th January

West Ham striker Mipo Odubeko will spend the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan at League One Doncaster Rovers

Hull City's Ireland U19 defender Jevon Mills signed for Falkirk on loan until the end of the season

Friday, 28th January

Gillingham signed defender Conor Masterson on loan for the remainder of the 2021/22 season

Motherwell centre half Darragh O'Connor signed for Queen of the South until the end of the season

Promising underage striker Calum Kavanagh signed for Harrogate Town until the end of the season

Sunday, 30th January

Cork City defender Cathal Heffernan signed for Italian giants AC Milan on loan, and will complete a move to the San Siro in the summer

Monday, 31st January

Glen Rea will spend the final months of the 2021/22 season on loan at Wigan Athletic

After spending the first half of the season on loan at Salford City, Tyreik Wright will return to League Two on loan for the rest of the season with Colchester United

On his 30th birthday, Jeff Hendrick signed a loan deal with QPR

Nice midfielder Deji Sotona signed for Brenford on loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy in the summer

Ryan Delaney will play for Scunthorpe on loan for the rest of the season

Balatown signed The New Saints striker Dean Ebbe on loan

Tuesday, 1st February

Ireland U19 and Stoke defender David Okagbue signed an initial one month loan with Chester FC

Coaching

Tuesday, 11th January

Former Republic of Ireland striker Simon Cox confirmed he will be joining the coaching staff at Billericay Town

A massive welcome to @SCoxy31Real from everyone in the Billericay Press Dept. Simon joins Jody Brown's management team as first team coach. #BTFC #ACommunityClub pic.twitter.com/rcccHADvOc
— Billericay Town FC Press (@BTFCPress) January 12, 2022

Mondy, 31st January

Recently retired midfielder Gary Dicker joined the U18 coaching staff at Brighton

Round Up for weekend of Saturday, 15th January 2022

Saturday, 15th January 2022

Premier League

Norwich 2-1 Everton

Adam Idah scored his first goal in the Premier League, the fourth Irish player to score in this season's competition. This was the striker's first goal since May 2021

Championship

Cardiff 0-1 Blackburn

James Collins 's first booking since Saturday, 4 December 2021(44 days)

Derby County 2-0 Sheffield United

Jason Knight's start was his 100th appearance for Derby County

Jason Knight made his 100th appearance for us yesterday! 💫

Congratulations on the milestone, Knighty! 👏🐏#DCFC pic.twitter.com/kvOjlhoC0j
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) January 16, 2022

Huddersfield 1-1 Swansea

Cyrus Christie made his first appearance for loan club Swansea, this was his first appearance since Tuesday, 21st September

Middlesbrough 2-1 Reading

Aaron Connolly made his first appearance for loan club Middlesbrough, this was his first appearance in a month

Millwall 0-1 Nottingham Forest

Dan McNamara was shown a yellow card for the first time since Saturday, 11th December

Peterborough 1-4 Coventry

Jack Taylor made his first assist of the season

Preston North End 1-1 Birmingham City

Alan Browne assisted a goal for the first time since Wednesday, 20th October
Scott Hogan scored his first goal in ten weeks

QPR 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

Jayson Molumby was booked for the fifth time this season

League 1

Accrington Stanley 1-1 Sunderland

Aiden O'Brien scored his first goal since Saturday, 16th October

Doncaster Rovers 1-2 Wigan

James McClean assisted a goal for the first time in seven weeks

Fleetwood 1-0 Rotherham

Anthony Pilkington scored his first goal for Fleetwood, this was his first goal since Saturday, 27th February 2021

League 2

Bradford City 2-1 Salford City

Niall Canavan's start was his first appearance in five weeks
Paudie O'Connor scored his first goal in 90 days, this was his tenth goal in English football

Carlisle United 1-1 Crawley Town

Corey Whelan 's first booking since Saturday, 4 December 2021(44 days)

Mansfield Town 2-0 Walsall

Harry Charsley scored his first goal of the season

Tranmere 2-0 Rochdale

Aidan White made his tenth start for Rochdale

Scottish Championship

Ayr 0-2 Greenock Morton

Sean McGinty was booked for the first time this season

Inverness CT 2-2 Queen of the South

Ruairi Paton made his fifth assist of the season

Friday, 29 October 2021

Round Up for week of Tuesday, 26th October 2021

Tuesday, 26th October 2021

Scottish Championship

Dunfermline 1-1 Raith

Mark Connolly was booked for the first time this season - the first time the player had been booked since February

Inverness CT 0-1 Arbroath

Aaron Doran was named in the starting XI for the first time in six weeks

English League Cup

Chelsea 1-1 Southampton

Shane Long's introduction was his first appearance in a month

Football League Trophy

Rotherham 5-0 Manchester City U21

Joshua Kayode was booked for the first time in ten month in his first start since Saturday, 21st August
Kieran Sadlier is the third Irish player to score a hat trick in English football this season, following Aiden O'Brien and Anthony Scully

MK Dons 2-4 Aston Villa U21

Troy Parrott scored his first goal since Saturday, 25 September 2021(34 days)

Oxford United 3-2 Tottenham U21

Luke McNally was sent off for the second time this season - two months after his first red card

Wednesday, 27th October 2021

Scottish Premier League

Motherwell 2-2 St Mirren

Jake Carroll's introduction was his first appearance in a month
Connor Ronan assisted a goal for the first time in six weeks

English League Cup

Leicester City 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion

Aaron Connolly's first start in five weeks was his 50th appearance for Brighton and Hove Albion's senior team

Preston North End 0-2 Liverpool

Joe Rafferty's start was his first appearance in five weeks

KNVB Cup

Fortuna Sittard 3-0 Oss

Ryan Johansson was named in the starting XI of a senior club game for the first time in his career

Swedish Allsvenskan

Malmö FF 1-0 AIK

Zachary Elbouzedi was booked for the first time this season

Friday, 24 September 2021

Round Up for weekend of Tuesday, 21st September 2021

Tuesday, 21st September 2021

League 1

Portsmouth 2-2 Plymouth Argyle

Marcus Harness was booked for the first time this season

English League Cup

Preston North End 4-1 Cheltenham

Joe Rafferty scored his first goal of the season - this was his first goal since August 2019 - and completed his first assist since November 2020
Sean Maguire scored his first goal of the season - his first goal since December 2020
Greg Cunningham made his first assist of the season - the first time the defender assisted a goal since September 2019

Fulham 0-0 Leeds United

Cyrus Christie's start was his first appearance of the season

Watford 1-3 Stoke City

Robert Elliot's start was his first appearance since December 2017

Wigan 0-2 Sunderland

Babajide Adeeko's introduction was his career debut

💙 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀.

Congratulations to Baba Adeeko & Chris Sze on making their debuts for the club last night 👏🏼#wafc 🔵⚪️ #BELIEVE pic.twitter.com/rkJvndHkct
— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) September 22, 2021

Norwich 0-3 Liverpool

Adam Idah made his first start of the season - this was his first start since October 2020
Caoimhin Kelleher's first appearance of the season was also his tenth time being named in the Liverpool starting XI

Burnley 4-1 Rochdale

Corey O'Keeffe was booked for the first time in a month

Sheffield United 2-2 Southampton

Enda Stevens start was his first appearance of the season, and scored his first goal since February 2020

Football League Trophy

Bradford City 0-3 Manchester United U21

Reece Staunton's start was his first appearance since November 2020
Paul McShane was booked in his first appearance of the season

Wednesday, 22nd September 2021

English League Cup

Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 Swansea

In his first start of the season, Aaron Connolly scored his first goal since Saturday, 2 January 2021

Asian AFC Cup

Nasaf 6-0 ATK Mohun Bagan

Carl McHugh made his 25th appearance for ATK Mohun Bagan - starting each game

Thursday, 23rd September 2021

Scottish League Cup

Celtic 3-0 Raith

Liam Scales made his first appearance for Celtic
James McCarthy made his first assist for Celtic

Belgian Super League

Anderlecht 1-1 Gent

Josh Cullen was booked for the first time in a month

Tuesday, 27 April 2021

Round Up for weekend of Friday, 23rd April 2021

Friday, 23rd April 2021

Scottish League Two

Queen's Park 0-1 Stranraer

Canice Carroll was booked for the first time since Saturday, 14 November

Saturday, 24th April 2021

Premier League

Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle Utd

Ciaran Clark's start was his 200th Premier League appearance

Sheffield United 1-0 Brighton and Hove Albion

David McGoldrick scored his first goal in eight weeks
Enda Stevens was booked for the fifth time this season
Aaron Connolly's introduction was his first appearance since Saturday, 27th February

Championship

Barnsley 1-0 Rotherham

Chiedozie Ogbene started a game for the first time since Saturday, 26th September

Coventry 0-1 Preston North End

Sean Maguire started a game for the first time in six weeks
Alan Browne's goal (his first since Saturday, 26th December) was his 30th goal in the Championship

Derby County 1-2 Birmingham City

Eiran Cashin was named among Derby's substitutes for the first time
Along with Festy Ebosele and Louie Watson, it was the first time an English club named three Irish teenagers in a matchday squad for a league game since Watford in 2012

This was the first time that three Irish teenagers were named in the same @SkyBetChamp squad since Watford started @tommiehoban05(18), and named Sean Murray(19) and Jack Bonham(19) among their substitutes, against Barnsley on Saturday, 1st December 2012#COYBIG
— Irish Abroad (@irish_abroad) April 25, 2021

League 1

Portsmouth 1-0 Bristol Rovers

Marcus Harness' start was his 50th appearance of the season

Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Rochdale

Eoghan O'Connell's booking(his first in two months) was his tenth yellow card of the season
Conor Shaughnessy assisted a goal for the first time since Tuesday, 11 February 2020

League 2

Carlisle United 1-1 Harrogate Town

Joshua Kayode's goal (his first in eight weeks) was his tenth goal for Carlisle United

Cheltenham 1-0 Colchester

Sean Long was booked for the first time in two months

Exeter 0-0 Newport Co.

Padraig Amond made his 200th appearance for Newport Co.

Salford City 2-0 Mansfield Town

Richie Towell was sent off for the second time for Salford City, 15 months after his previous red card, in January 2020

Scottish Championship

Greenock Morton 1-1 Alloa

Sean McGinty was shown his first yellow card since Saturday, 20th February

Sunday, 25th April 2021

Premier League

Aston Villa 2-2 West Bromwich Albion

Dara O'Shea introduction was his 50th appearance for West Bromwich Albion

Championship

Reading 2-2 Swansea

Conor Hourihane's start was his 150th appearance in the Championship

Bristol City 2-3 Luton

James Collins assisted a goal for the first time since Saturday, 21 November

Scottish FA Cup

Aberdeen 0-3 Dundee Utd

Tommie Hoban's start was his 50th appearance for Aberdeen

Bulgarian Championship

Levski Sofia 0-2 CSKA Sofia

Graham Carey was booked for the first time since Sunday, 4 October 2020

MLS

Atlanta United 3-1 Chicago Fire

Jake Mulraney was booked for the first time in the MLS 2021 season

Colorado Rapids 1-3 Austin FC

Jon Gallagher made his first assist for new club Austin FC

Monday, 26th April 2021

Scottish FA Cup

Kilmarnock 3-3 St Mirren

Gary Dicker was booked for the first time since Tuesday, 13th October
Joe Shaughnessy scored his first goal in three months
Jamie McGrath's penalty was his 15th goal of the season

Australian A-League

Western United 2-0 Newcastle Jets

Roy O'Donovan was booked for the fifth time this season

Tuesday, 2 March 2021

Round Up for weekend of Satuday, 27th February 2021

Saturday, 27th February 2021

Premier League

Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United

Darren Randolph start was his first appearance in seven weeks

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Brighton and Hove Albion

Aaron Connolly made his 25th start for Brighton and Hove Albion's senior team

Championship

Preston North End 3-0 Huddersfield

Greg Cunningham was booked for the first time since Saturday, 3rd October 2020

Rotherham 0-1 Reading

Trevor Clarke came off the bench for his first appearance since Saturday, 9 January

League 1

AFC Wimbledon 0-3 Hull City

Sean McLoughlin's introduction was his first appearance in League One

Fleetwood 1-1 Accrington Stanley

Seamus Conneely's start was his 250th appearance for Accrington Stanley

MK Dons 1-1 Oxford United

Joe Mason's start for MK Dons was his 300th career appearance

Rochdale 0-2 Burton Albion

Eoghan O'Connell made his 150th appearance in British football

Swindon Town 2-1 Northampton Town

Alan Sheehan's start was his 450th career appearance

Alan Sheehan chalked up his 𝟒𝟓𝟎𝐭𝐡 career appearance yesterday!

Congratulations on the milestone, @sheezdogg 👏 pic.twitter.com/WgAixJ7Tnw
— Northampton Town (@ntfc) February 28, 2021

League 2

Mansfield Town 1-0 Morecambe

Ryan Sweeney was booked for the first time in seven weeks

Scunthorpe 0-2 Cheltenham

Mason O'Malley was named in the starting XI for the first time in a month

Southend United 0-0 Salford City

Alan McCormack was shown his first yellow card in six weeks

Walsall 1-2 Bradford City

Callum Cockerill-Mollett started his first game since Saturday, 21st November

Port Vale 0-1 Cambridge United

Wes Hoolahan made his 25th appearance for Cambridge United

Scottish Premier League

Kilmarnock 1-1 Dundee Utd

Mark Connolly was booked for the first time in a month

St Mirren 1-0 Ross County

Jamie McGrath scored his tenth goal for St Mirren

Bulgarian Championship

Ludogorets 1-0 CSKA Sofia

Graham Carey came off the bench for his first appearance since Sunday, 6th December

Sunday, 28th February 2021

Premier League

Sheffield United 0-2 Liverpool

Enda Stevens was named in the Sheffield United starting XI for the 150th time

Championship

Wycombe Wanderers 0-2 Norwich

Adam Idah scored his fifth goal for Norwich, this was his first goal since Saturday, 12 September

Polish Ekstraklasa

Wisła Płock 1-3 Wisła Kraków

Cillian Sheridan's introduction was his first appearance since Monday, 14 December