Connor O'Riordan

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Connor O'Riordan
O'Riordan with Crewe Alexandra in 2022
Personal information
Full name Connor Patrick O'Riordan[1]
Date of birth (2003-10-19) 19 October 2003 (age 20)
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
2012–2020 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)

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.

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
  1. ^ a b Appearances in EFL Trophy
  2. ^ Appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup

References[edit]

  1. ^ "EFL squad list 2021/22 & U21 registered contracted players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 44. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Connor O'Riordan – Defender". www.crewealex.net. Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Saturday's Transfer List – September 11th 2021". The NPL. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  4. ^ "CONNOR O'RIORDAN JOINS THE DABBERS ON LOAN". Nantwich Town. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Crewe 2–0 Doncaster". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 0–2 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Connor O'Riordan: Crewe Alexandra defender signs first professional contract". BBC Sport. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Connor O'Riordan Joins Raith Rovers On Loan". CreweAlex.net. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Raith Rovers 0–1 Dundee". BBC Sport. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Stockport County". BBC Sport. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Rochdale". BBC Sport. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 4-3 Salford City". BBC Sport. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  13. ^ "O'Riordan is a Rover". Blackburn Rovers Official Site. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Connor O'Riordan: Blackburn sign Crewe defender on deal until 2028". BBC Sport. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Stoke City". BBC Sport. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "O'Riordan Starts For Ireland U20s". CreweAlex.net. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  18. ^ Ireland U21s squad named for Iceland game in Cork, FAI, 15 March 2023.
  19. ^ "REPORT | U21 | Ireland 3-0 Kuwait - Ireland | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ McCadden, Mark (4 October 2023). "Defender set for Ireland call - just days after being named in Scotland squad". Irish Mirror.
  22. ^ "Jim Crawford names 22-man squad for Latvia qualifier". FAI. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Report: U21: Oko-Flex at the double for Ireland". FAI. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Games played by Connor O'Riordan in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Games played by Connor O'Riordan in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Games played by Connor O'Riordan in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
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