Connor Patrick O'Riordan (born 19 October 2003) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Championship club Blackburn Rovers and has also been capped for the Republic of Ireland U20 and U21 teams. He began his career at Crewe Alexandra and also had a loan spell in Scotland at Raith Rovers.
 O'Riordan with Crewe Alexandra in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Connor Patrick O'Riordan[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 October 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Crewe, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | Crewe Alexandra | 52 | (6) |
| 2021 | → Kidsgrove Athletic (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2021 | → Nantwich Town (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Raith Rovers (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2024– | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Republic of Ireland U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2023– | Republic of Ireland U21 | 3 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:18, 13 February 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:45, 17 November 2023 (UTC) | |||
Career edit
Crewe Alexandra edit
O'Riordan signed a scholarship deal with Crewe Alexandra's Academy in 2020.[2]
In September 2021, he joined Kidsgrove Athletic[3] on a month-long loan before having a similar spell at Nantwich Town the following month.[4]
Upon returning to Crewe, he made his Crewe debut on 1 December 2021, being named in the starting line-up for an EFL Trophy knock-out game against Doncaster Rovers at Gresty Road.[5] Still an Academy scholar, he made his first league start on 29 January 2022 at Gresty Road against Rotherham United.[6] He signed his first professional deal with the club at the end of the 2021–22 season.[7]
On 5 August 2022, O'Riordan joined Scottish Championship side Raith Rovers on loan until January 2023,[8] making his debut the following day in a 1–0 defeat to Dundee.[9]
In his third game following his January 2023 return to Crewe, O'Riordan scored his first professional goal, in a 1–1 League Two draw with Stockport County on 31 January.[10] On 25 February 2023, he received his first career red card, being sent off after a second caution in the 87th minute of Crewe's 1–1 draw with Rochdale.[11] After suspension, he scored his second Crewe goal in his next game, a 4–3 win over Salford City at Gresty Road on 10 March 2023.[12]
Blackburn Rovers edit
On 24 January 2024, O'Riordan joined Blackburn Rovers on a four-and-a-half-year deal,[13] for an undisclosed fee.[14] He made his Blackburn debut as a 68th minute substitute in the side's 3–1 win over Stoke City on 10 February 2024.[15]
International career edit
Born in England, he is also eligible to play for Republic of Ireland and Scotland.[16]
O'Riordan was capped at under-20 level for the Republic of Ireland in March 2022.[17] His first call up for the Republic of Ireland U21 team came in March 2023, for a friendly against Iceland U21.[18] He won his first U21 cap, starting against Kuwait, on 19 June 2023.[19]
On 2 October 2023, in an apparent switch of allegiance, Scot Gemmill named O'Riordan in the Scotland U21 squad,[16] but two days later the defender pulled out to represent Ireland instead,[20][21] and on 5 October was named in the country's U21 squad to play Latvia,[22] gaining a second U21 cap in Ireland's 2–1 victory on 14 October 2023.[23]
Career statistics edit
- As of 13 February 2024.
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Crewe Alexandra | 2021–22[24] | League One | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2022–23[25] | League Two | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| 2023–24[26] | League Two | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 27 | 3 | |
| Crewe Alexandra total | 52 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 58 | 6 | ||
| Raith Rovers (loan) | 2022–23[25] | Scottish Championship | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2023–24[26] | EFL Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 72 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 81 | 6 | ||
- ^ a b Appearances in EFL Trophy
- ^ Appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup
References edit
- ^ "EFL squad list 2021/22 & U21 registered contracted players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 44. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Connor O'Riordan – Defender". www.crewealex.net. Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "Saturday's Transfer List – September 11th 2021". The NPL. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "CONNOR O'RIORDAN JOINS THE DABBERS ON LOAN". Nantwich Town. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "Crewe 2–0 Doncaster". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "Crewe Alexandra 0–2 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ "Connor O'Riordan: Crewe Alexandra defender signs first professional contract". BBC Sport. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Connor O'Riordan Joins Raith Rovers On Loan". CreweAlex.net. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "Raith Rovers 0–1 Dundee". BBC Sport. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Stockport County". BBC Sport. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Rochdale". BBC Sport. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Crewe Alexandra 4-3 Salford City". BBC Sport. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "O'Riordan is a Rover". Blackburn Rovers Official Site. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Connor O'Riordan: Blackburn sign Crewe defender on deal until 2028". BBC Sport. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Stoke City". BBC Sport. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ a b Costello, Lee (4 October 2023). "Ireland u21 star named in another country's squad in surprising international switch". Sports Joe. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "O'Riordan Starts For Ireland U20s". CreweAlex.net. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ Ireland U21s squad named for Iceland game in Cork, FAI, 15 March 2023.
- ^ "REPORT | U21 | Ireland 3-0 Kuwait - Ireland | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
- ^ Cairns, Craig (4 October 2023). "Connor O'Riordan in Scotland under-21 snub as ex-Raith Rovers star opts for Ireland". Courier. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ McCadden, Mark (4 October 2023). "Defender set for Ireland call - just days after being named in Scotland squad". Irish Mirror.
- ^ "Jim Crawford names 22-man squad for Latvia qualifier". FAI. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Report: U21: Oko-Flex at the double for Ireland". FAI. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Games played by Connor O'Riordan in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Games played by Connor O'Riordan in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Games played by Connor O'Riordan in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 October 2023.