Ruairi McConville (born 1 May 2005) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a defender for the academy of Premier League team Brighton & Hove Albion and the Northern Ireland national football team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 May 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2021 | Linfield | ||
| 2021– | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021 | Northern Ireland U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Northern Ireland U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023– | Northern Ireland U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2024– | Northern Ireland | 2 | (0) |
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editFrom Belfast, he joined the Brighton & Hove Albion academy in 2021 from Linfield.[2] He spent his first season with the club’s under-18 side. He made the step up to the under-21s during the 2022–23 season. In December 2022, he signed a new professional contact with the club that runs until the summer of 2025.[3][4]
International career
editA Northern Ireland U16 and U17 international, he was captain of the Northern Ireland U19 side.[5] He made his debut for Northern Ireland U21 in November 2023 against England U21.[6][7]
In November 2024, he was called-up for the first time to the senior team for their UEFA Nations League matches against Belarus and Luxembourg. He made his senior debut on 15 November 2024 in a 2–0 home win over Belarus.[8][9]
References
edit- ^ "Ruairi McConville". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Fullerton, Gareth (18 December 2023). "Brighton and Hove Albion teen Ruairi McConville 'making up for lost time' this season". Belfast Live. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Fullerton, Gareth (31 December 2022). "Belfast teenager on the rise after signing new pro deal with Brighton". Belfast Live. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Lumey, Graham (17 June 2024). "Learning from best can take me to new levels, insists NI Under-19 captain Ruairi McConville". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Teenager McConville called up to NI squad but McNair injured". BBC Sport. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Morton, Johnny (18 June 2024). "Former Linfield youngster 'learning so much' from Northern Ireland legend ahead of leading country into U19 European Championships". Newsletter. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "England U21 Vs. Northern Ireland U21 3-0". Soccerway. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ McNabb, Johnny (5 November 2024). "Brighton and Hove Albion defender Ruairi McConville receives maiden Northern Ireland call-up for Nations League double-header". Newsletter. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Beacom, Steve (16 November 2024). "Ex-Linfield Academy star reacts to making his Northern Ireland debut: 'Hopefully it's the first of many'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 November 2024.