Shane O'Connor (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Shane O'Connor is an Irish
footballer who plays as a defender
for League Two
club Port Vale
, on loan from Championship
club Ipswich Town
.
A graduate of the Liverpool F.C. Academy, he signed professionally with Ipswich Town in July 2009. He joined Port Vale on loan in November 2011.
season. In July 2009, after a short trial O'Connor signed a one-year deal with Championship
side Ipswich Town
, who were managed by his boyhood hero, Roy Keane
. O'Connor made his debut for Ipswich in the League Cup
away against Shrewsbury Town
, replacing Jack Ainsley
as a substitute at half-time; the "Tractor Boys" went on to win the match on penalties following a 3–3 draw. He made his first league start for Ipswich on 20 February, in a 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday
at Hillsborough
. He played a further eleven league games for Ipswich in 2009–10
; he impressed in midfield against Cardiff City
, though gave away a penalty in a draw at home to Doncaster Rovers
. At the end of the campaign he was handed a new two year deal, which he eventually signed. However experienced player Mark Kennedy was also signed for a £75,000 fee, and was expected to battle O'Connor for the left-back spot.
He appeared in five of the club's first six games of 2010–11
, but was then dropped from the first team after suffering from a torn hamstring on international duty, and did not play again until a three game spell in December. He set up Jason Scotland
for Ipswich's third in a 3–0 win over Leicester City
at Portman Road
on 18 December. However he ruptured and dislocated his shoulder joint, and so did not appear again until 25 January, in a 3–0 League Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal
at the Emirates Stadium
. This was his last contribution to the campaign, and he was not selected again under Paul Jewell
's stewardship.
At the start of the 2011–12 season, he rejected a six month loan deal at Crawley Town
. However he did not feature for Ipswich, and so in November 2011, he joined Crawley's League Two
rivals Port Vale
on loan. He saw the loan as an opportunity to win a permanent contract away from Portman Road.
team on 26 March 2011, in what ended as a 2–1 defeat to Portugal
at the Estádio Municipal de Águeda
; he was replaced by Ipswich teammate Conor Hourihane
at half-time. He previously appeared for the under-17
and under-19
side.
|2009–10
||Ipswich Town
||Championship
||12||0||0||0||1||0||13||0
|-
|2010–11
||Ipswich Town
||Championship
||5||0||0||0||4||0||9||0
|-
|2011–12||Ipswich Town
||Championship
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2011–12
||Port Vale
||League Two
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
17||0||0||0||5||0||22||0
17||0||0||0||5||0||22||0
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
footballer who plays as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, on loan from Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
.
A graduate of the Liverpool F.C. Academy, he signed professionally with Ipswich Town in July 2009. He joined Port Vale on loan in November 2011.
Playing career
O'Connor started his playing career at the Liverpool Academy, and started regularly for the under-18 side in the early 2008–09 Premier Academy LeaguePremier Academy League
The Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...
season. In July 2009, after a short trial O'Connor signed a one-year deal with Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, who were managed by his boyhood hero, Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
. O'Connor made his debut for Ipswich in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
away against Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, replacing Jack Ainsley
Jack Ainsley
Jack William Ainsley is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a defender.-Early career:Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, His father George Ainsley and brother Stuart Ainsley also were at Ipswich as youngsters but never broke into the first team...
as a substitute at half-time; the "Tractor Boys" went on to win the match on penalties following a 3–3 draw. He made his first league start for Ipswich on 20 February, in a 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
. He played a further eleven league games for Ipswich in 2009–10
2009–10 Ipswich Town F.C. season
The 2009–10 football season marked the 131st year of existence of Ipswich Town Football Club. Additionally, it marked the club's 74th anniversary of turning professional and was the club's 71st consecutive season in the English football league system....
; he impressed in midfield against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, though gave away a penalty in a draw at home to Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
. At the end of the campaign he was handed a new two year deal, which he eventually signed. However experienced player Mark Kennedy was also signed for a £75,000 fee, and was expected to battle O'Connor for the left-back spot.
He appeared in five of the club's first six games of 2010–11
2010–11 Ipswich Town F.C. season
-Results summary:-Results by round:-August:-September:-October:-November:-December:-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-Football League Cup:...
, but was then dropped from the first team after suffering from a torn hamstring on international duty, and did not play again until a three game spell in December. He set up Jason Scotland
Jason Scotland
Jason Kelvin Scotland is a Trinidadian footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a striker.Scotland started his footballing career in Trinidad and Tobago before moving to play professionally for Scottish club Dundee United. He has also had spells with St...
for Ipswich's third in a 3–0 win over Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
on 18 December. However he ruptured and dislocated his shoulder joint, and so did not appear again until 25 January, in a 3–0 League Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
. This was his last contribution to the campaign, and he was not selected again under Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
's stewardship.
At the start of the 2011–12 season, he rejected a six month loan deal at Crawley Town
Crawley Town F.C.
Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
. However he did not feature for Ipswich, and so in November 2011, he joined Crawley's League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
rivals Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
on loan. He saw the loan as an opportunity to win a permanent contract away from Portman Road.
International career
He made his debut appearance for the Republic of Ireland national under-21Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-21 Football Championship and has competed since 1978.-Competition...
team on 26 March 2011, in what ended as a 2–1 defeat to Portugal
Portugal national under-21 football team
The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Portugal and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation . They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future...
at the Estádio Municipal de Águeda
Estádio Municipal de Águeda
Estadio Municipal de Águeda is a multi-use stadium in Águeda, Portugal. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of C.R. Agueda. The stadium is able to hold 10,000 people and was opened in 2003....
; he was replaced by Ipswich teammate Conor Hourihane
Conor Hourihane
Conor Hourihane is an Irish footballer playing as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle in Football League Two.-Career:...
at half-time. He previously appeared for the under-17
Republic of Ireland national under-17 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-17 football team, is the national under-17 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship....
and under-19
Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team, is the national under-19 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-19 Football Championship....
side.
Statistics
|-|2009–10
2009–10 Ipswich Town F.C. season
The 2009–10 football season marked the 131st year of existence of Ipswich Town Football Club. Additionally, it marked the club's 74th anniversary of turning professional and was the club's 71st consecutive season in the English football league system....
||Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||12||0||0||0||1||0||13||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Ipswich Town F.C. season
-Results summary:-Results by round:-August:-September:-October:-November:-December:-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-Football League Cup:...
||Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||5||0||0||0||4||0||9||0
|-
|2011–12||Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
17||0||0||0||5||0||22||0
17||0||0||0||5||0||22||0
External links
- Profile at the official Ipswich Town site