Michael Forbes (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 April 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Ardboe, Northern Ireland[1] | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | West Ham United | ||
| Number | 65 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Ardboe | ||
| 2009–2017 | Cookstown Youth | ||
| 2017–2020 | Dungannon Swifts | ||
| 2020– | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Bristol Rovers (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Northern Ireland U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2022 | Northern Ireland U18 | 2 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Northern Ireland U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2023 | Northern Ireland U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023– | Northern Ireland | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 02:39, 17 November 2023 (UTC) | |||
Michael Forbes (born 29 April 2004) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club West Ham United, and the Northern Ireland national team.
Club career
[edit]Forbes is a youth product of Ardboe, Cookstown Youth, and Dungannon Swifts.[2] He joined the youth academy of West Ham United on 24 July 2020 when he signed a scholarship contract with the club.[3] The following season, he captained the U18s and debuted with the U23s in December 2021.[4] He signed his first professional contract with the club on 31 May 2022.[5] He made his first appearance on the senior West Ham squad for a UEFA Conference League match against FCSB on 3 November 2022.[6]
On 5 July 2024, Forbes joined League One club Bristol Rovers on a season-long loan deal.[7][8] He was recalled on 3 January 2025 to continue rehabilitation from a hamstring injury suffered two weeks prior.[9]
International career
[edit]Forbes is a youth international for Northern Ireland, having played up to the Northern Ireland U21s.[10] After injuries to the senior squad in November 2021, he was called up to train with the senior national team.[11] He debuted with the senior Northern Ireland national team as a late substitute in a 4–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying loss to Finland on 17 November 2023.[12]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 3 January 2025
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Ham United U23 | 2020–21[13] | — | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23[14] | — | — | — | 3[a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2023–24[15] | — | — | — | 3[a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2024–25 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | — | — | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||||||
| Bristol Rovers (loan) | 2024–25[16] | League One | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Career total | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
- ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
References
[edit]- ^ "Michael Forbes | Laufbahn | Spielerprofil". kicker.
- ^ "Dungannon star Forbes tipped for top career after Premier League move". 29 April 2020 – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Dungannon Swifts starlet joins West Ham".
- ^ "M. Forbes | West Ham United F.C." www.whufc.com.
- ^ Fullerton, Darren (1 June 2022). "NI teen awarded pro contract after impressing at West Ham United". Belfast Live.
- ^ Colman, Jonty (3 November 2022). "West Ham team news as Oliver Scarles and Divin Mubama make debuts vs FCSB". Football London.
- ^ "Michael Forbes joins Bristol Rovers on loan". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Michael Forbes: West Ham defender joins Bristol Rovers on loan". BBC Sport. 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Garrett & Forbes return to Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 3 January 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ "Michael Forbes vows to seize next chance with West Ham and Northern Ireland". 23 October 2023 – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "West Ham: Michael Forbes handed int'l chance after Tuesday development". West Ham Zone. 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Injury-hit NI suffer further misery in Finland" – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Forbes in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Forbes in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Forbes in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ "Games played by Michael Forbes in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
External links
[edit]- Michael Forbes at Soccerway
- Michael Forbes at BDFutbol
- 2004 births
- Living people
- People from Ardboe
- Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland men's international footballers
- Northern Ireland men's youth international footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- West Ham United F.C. players
- Bristol Rovers F.C. players
- English Football League players
- Association footballers from County Tyrone
- 21st-century sportsmen from Northern Ireland