Conor Hourihane facts for kids
Hourihane with Aston Villa in May 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Conor Geraroid Hourihane | ||
| Date of birth | 2 February 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Bandon, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Central midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Barnsley (assistant head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Sunderland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2010 | Sunderland | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Ipswich Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2011–2014 | Plymouth Argyle | 125 | (15) |
| 2014–2017 | Barnsley | 112 | (29) |
| 2017–2022 | Aston Villa | 132 | (23) |
| 2021 | → Swansea City (loan) | 19 | (5) |
| 2021–2022 | → Sheffield United (loan) | 29 | (1) |
| 2022–2024 | Derby County | 85 | (12) |
| 2024 | Barnsley | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 504 | (85) | |
| National team | |||
| 2009–2010 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 14 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2017–2022 | Republic of Ireland | 36 | (1) |
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Conor Geraroid Hourihane (born 2 February 1991) is an Irish former professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder. Today, he is the assistant head coach for the Barnsley football club.
During his playing career, Conor played for several well-known clubs. These included Aston Villa, Plymouth Argyle, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Derby County, and Barnsley. He also spent time on loan at Swansea City and Sheffield United.
Conor also proudly represented his country, the Republic of Ireland. He played for the senior national team, as well as the under-19 and under-21 teams.
Contents
Conor's Football Journey: Club Career Highlights
Starting Out: Early Career Days
Conor Hourihane began his football journey in the youth team at Sunderland. He stayed with the club until 2010. After leaving Sunderland, he joined Ipswich Town, a team in the Football League Championship. He did not play any matches for Ipswich during the 2010–11 season.
Making His Mark at Plymouth Argyle
On 30 July 2011, Conor moved to Football League Two side Plymouth Argyle. He joined them for free after leaving Ipswich and impressing during a trial. He played his first professional game on 6 August 2011 against Shrewsbury Town.
Conor scored his first goal for Plymouth on 15 October in a 3–2 win over Dagenham & Redbridge. He became the team's captain during the 2012–13 season. In May 2013, he signed a new two-year contract. Conor had a great 2013–14 season for Plymouth, playing in 53 games and scoring nine goals.
Success and Promotion with Barnsley
Conor joined Barnsley on 23 June 2014. He signed a three-year contract with the club. He quickly made an impact and won the League One Player of the Month award for August 2014. In December 2015, he became the captain of Barnsley.
Conor and his teammates had an amazing 2015–2016 season. They won two trophies at Wembley Stadium in London. First, on 3 April 2016, Barnsley won the Football League Trophy by beating Oxford United 3–2 in the final. Later, on 29 May 2016, Barnsley won promotion to the Championship. They beat Millwall 3–1 in the Play-off final.
Barnsley started strong in the Championship, winning five of their first seven games. Conor scored three goals and assisted five others during this time. He was named the Championship Player of the Month for August 2016. On 26 January 2017, Conor left Barnsley to join Aston Villa. He thanked the Barnsley fans, saying the club would "always have a special place in my heart."
Time at Aston Villa and Loan Spells
Conor joined Aston Villa on 26 January 2017. He played 17 games as Villa finished 13th in the Championship. He scored his first goal for Villa against Bristol City in February. In August 2017, he scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 4–2 win against Norwich City.
In summer 2019, Conor signed a new three-year deal after helping Villa get promoted to the Premier League. On 5 October 2019, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 5–1 win over Norwich City. This meant he had scored in all four levels of the English football league system.
On 20 January 2021, Conor joined Swansea City on loan for the rest of the 2020–21 season. He made his Swansea debut on 23 January 2021 in an FA Cup win. He scored his first goal for Swansea in his league debut on 27 January 2021.
On 30 August 2021, Conor went on loan again, this time to Sheffield United for the 2021–22 season. Aston Villa released him on 10 June 2022 when his contract ended.
Leading Derby County to Promotion
On 6 July 2022, Conor joined League One club Derby County. He signed a two-year deal. In the 2022–23 season, he played 51 games, scoring 7 goals and making 10 assists in the league. He was the only Derby player chosen for the League One Team of the Season.
Before the 2023–24 season, Conor was named captain of Derby County on 3 August 2023. He scored winning goals in two matches, helping Derby climb the league table. On 27 April 2024, Derby secured automatic promotion to the Championship. Conor lifted the promotion trophy, having played 47 games and scored six goals that season.
On 18 May 2024, it was announced that Conor would leave Derby County after two seasons, having played 98 games and scored 13 goals.
Back to Barnsley: Player and Coach
Conor Hourihane returned to Barnsley on 6 June 2024. He joined as a player-coach on a "multi-year deal." On 20 December, he decided to retire from playing football. He then took on the full-time role of assistant head coach at the club.
Playing for His Country: International Career
On 28 March 2017, Conor Hourihane made his first appearance for the senior Republic of Ireland team. It was a friendly match against Iceland. He earned his second cap against Mexico on 2 June 2017.
On 26 March 2019, Conor scored his first goal for Ireland in a 1–0 win against Georgia. During a Euro 2020 qualifying match, some fans showed their feelings about the football leadership.
Coaching Journey
Conor started working on his coaching qualifications in 2020. In June 2023, he announced he would join the Aston Villa Academy in September. He coached the Under-16s team while still playing for Derby.
When he returned to Barnsley in June 2024, it was announced that he would be a first-team coach. He worked alongside head coach Darrell Clarke. After retiring from playing in December 2024, he became the assistant head coach.
Family Connections
Conor Hourihane is a second cousin to Marie Hourihan, who is a goalkeeper for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sunderland | 2009–10 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2010–11 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | 2011–12 | League Two | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| 2012–13 | League Two | 42 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 5 | |
| 2013–14 | League Two | 45 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 9 | |
| Total | 125 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 142 | 16 | ||
| Barnsley | 2014–15 | League One | 46 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 14 |
| 2015–16 | League One | 41 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 53 | 11 | |
| 2016–17 | Championship | 25 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 6 | ||
| Total | 112 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 134 | 31 | ||
| Aston Villa | 2016–17 | Championship | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |
| 2017–18 | Championship | 41 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 11 | |
| 2018–19 | Championship | 43 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 48 | 9 | |
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | — | 34 | 7 | ||
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 132 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 151 | 29 | ||
| Swansea City (loan) | 2020–21 | Championship | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 5 |
| Sheffield United (loan) | 2021–22 | Championship | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Derby County | 2022–23 | League One | 44 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 7 |
| 2023–24 | League One | 41 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 6 | |
| Total | 85 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 98 | 13 | ||
| Barnsley | 2024–25 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 502 | 85 | 26 | 3 | 23 | 5 | 29 | 2 | 580 | 95 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2017 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 36 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list the Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hourihane goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2019 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Georgia |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
Awards and Achievements
Barnsley
- Football League One play-offs: 2016 (Promotion to Championship)
- Football League Trophy: 2015–16
Aston Villa
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2019 (Promotion to Premier League)
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2019–20
Derby County
- EFL League One second-place promotion: 2023–24 (Promotion to Championship)
Individual Awards
- Football League One Player of the Month: August 2014
- EFL Championship Player of the Month: September 2016
- EFL League One Team of the Season: 2022–23
- Barnsley Player of the Year: 2014–15
See also
In Spanish: Conor Hourihane para niños
