Mason Melia

Mason Melia (born 22 September 2007) is an Irish professional footballer who, as of 2023, plays as a forward for St Patrick's Athletic.

Mason Melia
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-09-22) 22 September 2007
Place of birth County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 St Patrick's Athletic
Number 41
Youth career
0000 Newtown Juniors
0000 St Joseph's Boys
0000 Bray Wanderers
2022– St Patrick's Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– St Patrick's Athletic 8 (2)
International career‡
2021 Republic of Ireland U15 6 (0)
2022–2023 Republic of Ireland U16 6 (2)
2022– Republic of Ireland U17 19 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:07, 21 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:43, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Early life

Melia attended the Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, captaining the school's under-15 side to the 2022 Leinster U15s Shield, getting a goal and an assist in the 3–0 final victory.[1]

Club career

Youth career

Initially in the academies of Newtown Juniors, St Joseph's Boys and Bray Wanderers, Melia moved to League of Ireland Premier Division side St Patrick's Athletic in the summer of 2022.[2]

St Patrick's Athletic

His performances for the youth team of St Patrick's Athletic earned him a call up to the senior squad in January 2023, and he made his debut in a Leinster Senior Cup, coming off the bench to score in a 3–1 loss to Wexford.[2] In doing so, he became St Patrick's Athletic's youngest ever player and youngest ever goal-scorer.[2][3]

In May 2023, with Eoin Doyle suspended and Tommy Lonergan ill, Melia was again drafted into the senior squad, and made his league debut as a substitute for Conor Carty in an eventual 3–0 win against Drogheda United in the LOI Premier Division.[4] He became the club's youngest league debutant, and the third youngest in league history - behind Sam Curtis & Evan Ferguson.[4][5] After the game, manager Jon Daly lauded Melia as an "exceptional" player.[6] Following his performances for St Patrick's Athletic, he was linked with a move to English Premier League side Liverpool in March 2023.[7] On 30 June 2023, Melia came off the bench to score his first senior league goal in a 7–0 win over UCD at Richmond Park, with the goal making him the youngest ever goalscorer in the League of Ireland Premier Division at 15 years and 281 days old.[8] In August 2023, he spent time on trial at Manchester City.[9] On 20 August 2023, Melia scored the winning penalty in a 4–3 shootout win over Derry City in the second round of the FAI Cup after a 0–0 draw at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.[10] On 22 September 2023, on his 16th birthday, Melia came off the bench in the 83rd minute against Dundalk, before going on to win a penalty in injury time which he took himself and scored to secure a 3–1 win.[11]

Personal life

Melia is the nephew of former Republic of Ireland international footballer and sports agent Clive Clarke.[12][13]

International career

Melia has represented the Republic of Ireland from under-15 to under-17 level.[7][14] He was part of the Irish under-16 side to win the 2022 Victory Shield, scoring in a 4–1 win in the final against Scotland.[15]

He scored a hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland U17 side in a 3–0 against Ukraine, helping them qualify for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, for which he was also called up.[16] At those championships he scored two goals in Ireland's final group game, against Hungary, in a 4–2 win which put his side through to the quarter-finals.[17] On 11 October 2023, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Armenia U17 in a 2024 UEFA U-17 Euro qualification fixture in Fermoy.[18]

Career statistics

Club
As of matches played 20 October 2023[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
St Patrick's Athletic 2023 LOI Premier Division 8210–0[lower-alpha 1]01[lower-alpha 2]1103
Career total 8210000011103
  1. Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  2. Appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup

References
  1. "CCA School News 27 May 2022". colaisteca.ie. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  2. Gorman, Daniel (2 February 2023). "Wicklow's Mason Melia scores screamer for St Patrick's Athletics and breaks records in the process". independent.it. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  3. "Melia Becomes Saints Youngest Scorer". stpatsfc.com. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  4. Connaughton, Gary (13 May 2023). "15-Year Old St Pat's Debutant Is The Next Name For Ireland Fans To Keep An Eye On". balls.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  5. Doyle, Garry (13 May 2023). "Ireland's Mason Melia has world at his feet - only 15 and already a first-teamer". irishmirror.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  6. O'Connor, Sean (13 May 2023). "St Pat's interim boss hails 'exceptional' Mason Melia after 15-year-old becomes club's youngest league player". indepdendent.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. Cavilla, Tom (22 March 2023). "Liverpool 'make move' to sign 15-year-old striker but face Premier League competition". liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  8. "15-year-old Mason Melia becomes youngest Saints scorer in rout of UCD". Independent.ie. June 30, 2023.
  9. Harrington, Eoin (August 6, 2023). "Reports: Irish Wonderkid On Trial At Manchester City". Balls.ie.
  10. Team, Extratime. "FAI Cup Report: Derry City 0 – 0 St. Patrick's Athletic AET (Saints win 4-3 on penalties)". extratime.com.
  11. McNamara, Ronan (September 22, 2023). "Lonergan on the double as Saints sink Dundalk" – via www.rte.ie. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. "The uncle, the nephew and a moment of fate for promising Ireland prospect". www.independent.ie. May 27, 2023.
  13. Fallon, John (May 25, 2023). "Jon Daly confident of success with St Patrick's Athletic". Irish Examiner.
  14. Mason Melia at WorldFootball.net
  15. O'Donoghue, Conor (5 November 2022). "Ireland won the 2022 Victory Shield after beating Scotland". irishpost.com. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  16. "15-year-old Melia hits hat-trick as Irish U17s take step closer to Euros qualification". the42.ie. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  17. "'Best feeling ever' – Ireland U17s cresting Euro wave". May 24, 2023 – via www.rte.ie.
  18. "REPORT | MU17 | Melia hat-trick inspires Irish win | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
  19. Mason Melia at Soccerway
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