Conor Hourihane facts for kids
Hourihane with Aston Villa in 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 (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Barnsley (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) | |
| International career | |||
| 2009–2010 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 14 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2017–2022 | Republic of Ireland | 36 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2025 | Barnsley (interim manager) | ||
| 2025– | Barnsley | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Conor Geraroid Hourihane (born on February 2, 1991) is an Irish football coach and former player. He played as a midfielder. Conor is currently the head coach for the Barnsley football club.
During his playing career, he played for several teams. These included Aston Villa, Plymouth Argyle, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Derby County, and Barnsley. He also played on loan for Swansea City and Sheffield United.
Conor also represented his country, the Republic of Ireland. He played for the senior team, as well as the under-19 and under-21 teams.
Contents
Conor's Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Conor Hourihane began his football journey in the youth team at Sunderland. He stayed there until 2010. Even though Sunderland offered him a new contract, he decided to join Ipswich Town. This club was managed by his hero, Roy Keane. Conor did not play any games for Ipswich during the 2010–11 season.
Time at Plymouth Argyle
On July 30, 2011, Conor joined Football League Two team Plymouth Argyle. He signed with them for free after leaving Ipswich. He made his first professional appearance on August 6, 2011. This was in a game against Shrewsbury Town.
On October 15, he scored his first goal for Plymouth. This helped them win 3–2 against Dagenham & Redbridge. He became the team's captain during the 2012–13 season. In May 2013, he signed a new two-year contract. Conor played very well for Plymouth in the 2013–14 season. He started 53 games and scored nine goals.
Success with Barnsley
Conor joined Barnsley on June 23, 2014. He signed a three-year contract. He quickly made a great start 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. Their first win was on April 3, 2016, in the Football League Trophy final. Barnsley beat Oxford United 3–2. Their second visit to Wembley was on May 29, 2016. They won promotion to the Championship by beating Millwall 3–1 in the Play-off final.
Barnsley started strong in the Championship. They won five of their first seven games. Conor scored three goals and helped with five others. He won the Championship Player of the Month award for August 2016. On January 26, 2017, Conor left Barnsley to join Aston Villa. He thanked the fans and said Barnsley would always be special to him.
Playing for Aston Villa
Conor Hourihane joined Aston Villa on January 26, 2017. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. He played 17 games as Villa finished 13th that season. He scored his first goal for Villa against Bristol City in February. In August 2017, he scored his first hat-trick for the club. This was in a 4–2 win against Norwich City.
In the summer of 2019, Conor signed a new three-year deal. This was a reward for helping the team get promoted to the Premier League. On October 5, 2019, he scored his first Premier League goal. This happened in a 5–1 win against Norwich City. This goal meant he had scored in all four levels of the English football league system.
On January 20, 2021, Conor joined Swansea City on loan. He played for them for the rest of the 2020–21 season. He made his Swansea debut on January 23, 2021, in an FA Cup win. His performance was called "excellent" by the manager. He scored his first goal for Swansea in his second game.
On August 30, 2021, Conor joined Sheffield United on loan for the 2021–22 season. On June 10, 2022, Aston Villa released Conor when his contract ended.
Time at Derby County
On July 6, 2022, Conor joined League One club Derby County. He signed a two-year deal. He played 51 games for Derby during the 2022–23 season. He scored 7 goals and made 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 Derby County's captain. This happened on August 3, 2023, after a vote by the team. He had some ups and downs as captain. One tough moment was scoring an own goal in a 1–0 loss to Shrewsbury Town. After that game, he told upset fans he was "trying his best."
However, this game became a turning point for Derby. The team's performance improved, and they started moving up the league table. Conor scored winning goals in two matches. These were a 3–2 win against Burton Albion and a 2–1 win against Reading. As Derby moved to second place, Conor said getting promotion would be a "fairytale story."
For the last six games of the season, Conor did not start. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing became the on-pitch captain. On April 27, 2024, Derby secured automatic promotion to the Championship. They finished as runners-up in League One. Conor lifted the promotion trophy. He played 47 games for Derby that season, scoring six goals. He made 41 league appearances and scored five times.
On May 18, 2024, it was announced that Conor would leave Derby. His contract ended on June 30, 2024. He played 98 games and scored 13 goals over two seasons.
Returning to Barnsley
Conor Hourihane returned to Barnsley on June 6, 2024. He joined as a player-coach on a 'multi-year deal'. On December 20, he stopped playing professional football. He then became the assistant head coach at the club. On March 13, 2025, after Darrell Clarke was no longer manager, Conor was appointed Barnsley's head coach until 2027. There is also an option for a third year.
Conor's International Career
On March 28, 2017, Conor Hourihane made his first senior international appearance. He started in a friendly game against Iceland at the Aviva Stadium. He earned his second cap in a friendly game against Mexico on June 2, 2017. On March 26, 2019, Conor scored his first senior international goal. This was in a 1–0 win against Georgia at the Aviva Stadium.
A game for the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2020 qualifying had a protest. Some fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch. They were showing their unhappiness with the former CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
Conor's Coaching Career
In 2020, Conor Hourihane started working to get his coaching qualifications. 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.
In June 2024, when he returned to Barnsley, it was announced he would be a player and a first-team coach. He worked with head coach Darrell Clarke. On March 12, 2025, after Clarke was let go, Conor was named interim head coach until the end of the season. On April 18, he was given the job permanently for two years.
Conor's Personal Life
Conor Hourihane is the second cousin of Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Marie Hourihan. Conor has two daughters named Ora and Ada.
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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | 504 | 85 | 26 | 3 | 23 | 5 | 29 | 2 | 582 | 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 |
Managerial Record
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Barnsley | 15 March 2025 | Present | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 20.00 |
| Total | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 20.00 | ||
Conor's Awards and Honours
Barnsley
- Football League One play-offs: 2016 (Promoted to Championship)
- Football League Trophy: 2015–16 (Winners)
Aston Villa
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2019 (Promoted to Premier League)
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2019–20 (Second place)
Derby County
- EFL League One second-place promotion: 2023–24 (Promoted 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
