Jack Byrne (footballer, born 1996)

Jack Byrne (born 24 April 1996) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder, for Cypriot First Division side APOEL and the Republic of Ireland national football team. Byrne plays predominantly as a central midfielder, though he can also operate as an attacking midfielder or as a winger.

Jack Byrne
Personal information
Full name Jack Byrne
Date of birth (1996-04-24) 24 April 1996
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 APOEL
Number 29
Youth career
St Kevin's Boys
2012–2015 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Manchester City 0 (0)
2015–2016 → Cambuur (loan) 27 (4)
2016–2017 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 4 (0)
2017–2018 Wigan Athletic 2 (0)
2017–2018 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 22 (4)
2018 Oldham Athletic 18 (1)
2018 Kilmarnock 5 (0)
2019–2021 Shamrock Rovers 49 (17)
2021– APOEL 4 (0)
National team‡
2011 Republic of Ireland U16 1 (0)
2012–2013 Republic of Ireland U17 6 (4)
2012 Republic of Ireland U18 1 (0)
2013 Republic of Ireland U19 2 (0)
2014–2016 Republic of Ireland U21 10 (0)
2019– Republic of Ireland 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:47, 6 January 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 09:04, 1 February 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Early career

Byrne started playing football for St Kevin's Boys at the age of five and moved to England to join Manchester City at the age of 15.[2] In the 2014–15 season Byrne scored six goals in eight UEFA Youth League games for Manchester City under-19.[2]

In the summer of 2015, Byrne joined Eredivisie side Cambuur on loan.[3] After missing the first six weeks of the season due to an ankle injury picked up in pre-season, Byrne made his professional debut on 19 September in a match against FC Twente.[4]

On 29 June 2016, Byrne joined EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers.[5] He went on to make 4 league appearances for the club before Blackburn cancelled his season long loan on 6 January 2017.[6]

Wigan Athletic

Later in January 2017, Byrne joined Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-and-a-half year deal.[7] He made his debut for the club as a second-half substitute in a 3-2 victory over Rotherham on 8 April 2017.

Oldham Athletic

On 15 January 2018, Byrne signed for Oldham Athletic for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half-year deal. He was suspended by the club for an undisclosed, off the field incident,[8] and subsequently released by Oldham Athletic on 31 August 2018,[9] despite fan protests.[10]

Kilmarnock

Soon after his release from Oldham, it was confirmed that Byrne had signed for Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on a one-year-deal.[11]

Shamrock Rovers

On 7 December 2018, Byrne joined League of Ireland Premier Division club Shamrock Rovers.[12] [13] His first goal for the club was a spectacular strike in a 3-0 home win over Sligo Rovers on 15 March.[14] After several strong performances Byrne was named Premier Division Player of the Month for March and again for July.[15] He scored once and assisted five times in Rovers' Europa League ties against SK Brann and Apollon Limassol. [15]

He helped Shamrock Rovers to the 2019 FAI Cup Final in the Aviva Stadium where they faced holders Dundalk F.C. Rovers won the game 4–2 after a Penalty shoot-out and won the Cup for the first time in 32 years.

He Rovers to the 2020 League of Ireland Premier Division, the clubs first since 2011, when they went the whole season unbeaten. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland the season a reduced number of games.

He ended the season being picked on the PFAI Team of the Year and picking up the PFAI Players' Player of the Year.

On 2 January 2021, Byrne confirmed his departure from Shamrock Rovers.[16]

APOEL

On 4 January 2021, Byrne completed his switch over to Cyprus to sign with APOEL on a two and-a-half year deal, keeping him at the club until May 2023.[17]

International career

Byrne has represented the Republic of Ireland up to Senior 'A' international level. He made his début for his country's Under-21 team when he was just 18 years old.[18] He has since won 10 caps. He was called up to train with the Irish senior team by manager Martin O'Neill in March 2016,[19] ahead of friendly matches against Switzerland and Slovakia, though Byrne did not feature in either game, instead returning to the Under-21 squad ahead of 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifying matches against Italy and Slovenia.

In March 2019, Byrne was called into the Republic of Ireland senior squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group D matches against Gibraltar on 23 March and Georgia on 26 March.[20]

He was recalled to the national team in August 2019,[21][22] making his international debut on 10 September, 2019, coming off the bench and creating an assist in a 3-1 win over Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium.[23]

He played in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B#Group 4 away game against Wales, becoming the first home-based Irish international to play in a competitive game since 1985.

Byrne tested positive for COVID-19 while on international duty in October 2020. His club Shamrock Rovers confirmed this while also announcing that Aaron Greene had tested positive.[24] Byrne's manager Stephen Bradley said he was "probably the worst" affected.[25] Byrne later reported having had breathing difficulties while ill.[26][27]

Honours

Club
Shamrock Rovers

Individual

Career statistics
As of 1 February 2021[28]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester City 2015–16 Premier League 00000000—00
2016–17 00000000—00
Cambuur (loan) 2015–16 Eredivisie 27410———284
Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2016–17 EFL Championship 400030——70
Wigan Athletic 2016–17 200000——20
Oldham Athletic (loan) 2016–17 EFL League One 2240000—00224
2017–18 1810000—4[lower-alpha 3]3224
Oldham Athletic total 4050000—43448
Kilmarnock 2018–19 Scottish Premiership 500000——50
Shamrock Rovers 2019 League of Ireland Premier Division 32840004[lower-alpha 4]100409
2020 17940—2[lower-alpha 4]0—239
Shamrock Rovers total 4917800061006318
APOEL 2020–21 Cypriot First Division 4000———40
Career total 131269030614315330
  1. Includes the FA Cup, KNVB Cup, Scottish Cup and the FAI Cup
  2. Includes the EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup and the League of Ireland Cup
  3. Appearances in the EFL Trophy
  4. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League

International
As of match played 15 November 2020[29]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Republic of Ireland
201920
202020
Total40

Personal life

Byrne lost his father, John, when Jack was 11 years old.[18]

References
  1. "Jack Byrne". Worldfootball. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. Fanning, Dion (1 November 2015). "Jack Byrne: I left my Dublin home at 15 so that I could have a better life for my family". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. "Jack Byrne - SC Cambuur". Cambuur.nl. 24 April 1996. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  4. "Loan Watch Jack Byrne and Jason Denayer debut for Cambuur and Galatasaray". Manchester City FC. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  5. "Rovers sign City starlet". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  6. "Byrne returns to Man City". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  7. "Manchester City midfielder Jack Byrne signs for Wigan Athletic". Wigan Athletic. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  8. Brosnan, Maurice. "Oldham Controversy Continues As Fans Protest Irish Midfielder's Absence". Balls.ie.
  9. "Club Statement: Jack Byrne". Oldham Athletic. 31 August 2018.
  10. "Oldham Athletic fans fume as League Two club terminate Jack Byrne's contract". buzz.ie. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  11. http://www.kilmarnockfc.co.uk/Article?id=7637&ShowCat=%5B%5D
  12. "Jack Byrne Signs for the Rovers!". Shamrock Rovers. 7 December 2018.
  13. "Jack Byrne". shamrockrovers.ie. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  14. "Jack Byrne wonder-strike the highlight as Shamrock Rovers beat Sligo to extend lead". the42.ie. 15 March 2019.
  15. "Shamrock Rovers Jack Byrne Named Player of the Month". 15 August 2019.
  16. https://bbc.com/sport/football/55515045/
  17. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/jack-byrne-completes-move-to-mick-mccarthy-s-apoel-nicosia-1.4449739%3fmode/
  18. "HOME FROM HOME | Jack Byrne Documentary". YouTube. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  19. Blake, Ben. "Man City's Jack Byrne trained with the Ireland senior team for the first time today". The42. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  20. "'It's been a mad couple of days, and I'm still trying to get my head around it'". The 42. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  21. "Republic of Ireland: Shamrock Rovers midfielder Jack Byrne makes 25-man squad". BBC Sport. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  22. "I never really had off-the-field issues. It was more boredom". The 42. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  23. "Fresh faces make the difference as Ireland eventually see off Bulgaria". The 42. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  24. "Shamrock Rovers made to wait to clinch the title as Covid-19 cases force postponements". The42.ie. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020. Jack Byrne tested positive whilst with the Ireland senior team on Sunday and is self-isolating at home.
  25. "'Jack was hit with it badly' - Rovers playmaker affected by Covid-19". RTÉ Sport. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  26. "'I was hit for six' - title winner Jack Byrne on Covid experience". RTÉ Sport. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  27. Clarke, Harry (5 November 2020). "'I was struggling with my breathing....I'm just glad to be out the other side and happy to be alive' - Jack Byrne". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  28. "Jack Byrne profile". Soccerway. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017. "Jack Byrne profile". Extratime.ie. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  29. "Byrne, Jack". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
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