Ivan Sproule facts for kids
Sproule playing for Bristol City.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ivan Sproule | ||
| Date of birth | 18 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Castlederg, Northern Ireland | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2001 | Moyola Park | ||
| 2001–2004 | Omagh Town | 95 | (19) |
| 2004–2005 | Institute | 11 | (2) |
| 2005–2007 | Hibernian | 71 | (12) |
| 2007–2011 | Bristol City | 119 | (6) |
| 2010 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Notts County (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Hibernian | 44 | (3) |
| 2013 | Ross County | 24 | (8) |
| 2014–2016 | Linfield | 31 | (5) |
| 2016 | → Ballinamallard United (loan) | 7 | (4) |
| 2016–2024 | Dergview | 18 | (2) |
| Total | 427 | (61) | |
| National team | |||
| 2005–2007 | Northern Ireland | 11 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018-2021 | Dergview | ||
| 2024- | Dergview | ||
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Ivan Sproule (born 18 February 1981) is a retired Northern Irish footballer. He played as a winger, known for his amazing speed. After his playing career, he became a manager. Currently, he manages Dergview, a team in Northern Ireland.
Ivan started his football journey in Northern Ireland. He played for clubs like Omagh Town and Institute. In 2005, he joined Scottish Premier League team Hibernian. This was a big step, as he became a full-time professional player. At Hibernian, he quickly made a name for himself. He even scored three goals in one game against Rangers! His great play also earned him a spot on the Northern Ireland national team.
Later, Ivan moved to Football League Championship club Bristol City in 2007. He spent four years there, including some time on loan at other clubs. In 2011, he returned to Hibernian for two more seasons. After playing for Ross County, Ivan went back to play in Northern Ireland.
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Ivan's Football Career Highlights
Ivan Sproule was famous for his incredible speed on the wing. Before becoming a full-time professional, he played for semi-professional clubs in the Irish Football League. These included Omagh Town and Institute. At that time, he also worked as an engineer.
Joining Hibernian
In January 2005, Scottish Premier League club Hibernian invited Ivan for a tryout. He had been listed for transfer by Institute. Ivan really impressed the manager, Tony Mowbray. He signed a professional contract with Hibernian, which meant he had to leave his engineering job. Hibs paid Institute about £5,000 for him.
Signing Ivan was a great decision for both him and Hibs. Even though he started a bit slowly, he soon scored a goal in a 3–1 win against Celtic. This helped him get an extended contract. In August 2005, Ivan became a big star. He scored an amazing three goals in a 3–0 win against champions Rangers at their home stadium, Ibrox Stadium. His fantastic performances even led to rumors that a Ukrainian club, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, wanted to buy him for £1 million!
Ivan continued to cause trouble for Rangers. He helped Hibs knock them out of the 2005–06 Scottish Cup. He scored one goal and helped set up another, as Hibs won 3–0 again at Ibrox. He was also part of the team that won the 2007 Scottish League Cup Final. In his first time playing for Hibs, Ivan played in 94 games and scored 18 goals.
Time at Bristol City
On June 27, 2007, Ivan joined Bristol City. He signed a three-year contract. The fee was about £500,000. He made his first appearance for Bristol City on August 29, 2007. This was in a League Cup match against Manchester City. He had to miss the first four games of the season because of a suspension he received while playing for Hibernian.
Ivan scored his first goal for Bristol City on October 24, 2007. It was in their 2–1 win over Southampton. He was part of the Bristol City team that played in the Championship play-off final in 2008. However, they lost to Hull City.
In 2010, Ivan didn't play as much for Bristol City. He was loaned to Yeovil Town in November. Then, in March 2011, he was loaned to Notts County.
Return to Hibernian
In April 2011, Ivan talked about coming back to Hibernian. He signed a pre-contract agreement with the club a month later. He played his first game back for Hibs in a 2–0 loss against Celtic. Two months later, he scored his first goal in a 3–2 win over St Johnstone. During the 2012–13 season, Ivan didn't start many games for Hibs.
Playing for Ross County
In January 2013, Ivan moved to Ross County for free. He had an amazing first game, scoring two goals in a 4–1 win against St Mirren on January 19. His manager, Derek Adams, praised his performance. Ivan himself said his debut was a "dream." A week later, he scored again, this time against his old club Hibs, in a 1–0 win. Ivan scored 8 goals in 24 games for Ross County. He decided to leave the club in November 2013 for personal reasons.
In December 2013, Ivan agreed to sign for Linfield.
Representing Northern Ireland
Ivan Sproule was first called to play for the Northern Ireland squad in September 2005. This was right after he scored his hat-trick for Hibernian against Rangers. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against England at Windsor Park. This was his first time playing for his country.
Ivan scored a goal in his first start for Northern Ireland. This was against Estonia on March 1, 2006. Overall, Ivan played 11 games for Northern Ireland between 2005 and 2007. He scored 1 goal for his country.
