Paudie O'Connor

Padhraic John O'Connor (born 14 July 1997) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Lincoln City.

Paudie O'Connor
O'Connor with Bradford City in 2021
Personal information
Full name Padhraic John O'Connor[1]
Date of birth (1997-07-14) 14 July 1997
Place of birth Limerick, Ireland
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Lincoln City
Number 15
Youth career
BallyBrown
Breska Rovers
Regional United
2014–2015 Limerick
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Limerick 40 (3)
2017–2019 Leeds United 4 (0)
2018–2019 → Blackpool (loan) 10 (0)
2019 → Bradford City (loan) 9 (0)
2019–2022 Bradford City 106 (7)
2022– Lincoln City 56 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:46, 24 October 2023 (UTC)

Before joining Leeds United, he spent two years in the first team for Limerick.[3]

Early life

O'Connor was born in Limerick.[4]

Club career

Limerick

O'Connor made his professional debut on 7 March 2015, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 loss to Bohemians in the League of Ireland Premier Division. He went on to make 16 appearances in the 2015 season, scoring his first professional goal on 14 August against Cork City.

Following Limerick's relegation to the First Division, O'Connor made 23 appearances in the 2016 League of Ireland First Division in 2016, scoring two goals in the title-winning season.

Leeds United

O'Connor had trials at Crystal Palace and Leicester City,[5] then another with Leeds United in March 2017, where he impressed then-coach Garry Monk enough to secure a 2+1⁄2-year contract for an undisclosed fee from Limerick.[6] He initially joined the Under-23 team, but participated in the 2017–18 first team's preseason under new coach Thomas Christiansen, and was called up onto the bench for the EFL Cup match against Newport County on 22 August 2017.[7] O'Connor was named the Leeds Under 23s squad's captain for the 2017/18 season.

Due to an injury crisis in defence, on 3 April 2018, O'Connor was named by new manager Paul Heckingbottom in Leeds' first team for their travelling squad for Leeds EFL Championship game against Fulham at Craven Cottage although he was not named among the substitutes.[8] His first team debut (and first booking) came as a central defender alongside Pontus Jansson as Leeds came back from 0–1 down to earn a home point against Sunderland, with O'Connor earning praise for his first senior game.[9]

On 16 April 2018, O'Connor was nominated as one of four players for Leeds United's Young Player of the Year award,[10] which was won by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.[11]

On 29 June 2018, O'Connor signed a new two-year contract extension at Leeds, with the option of an additional year. After his signing the contract, director of football Victor Orta said of O'Connor, "he will be a key player for Leeds United for many years to come", and that the club intended to send him out on loan for regular games.[12]

Blackpool (loan)

On 3 July 2018, O'Connor joined EFL League One side Blackpool on loan until 31 May 2019, in order to gain first team experience.[13] He made his debut on 4 August in Blackpool's 0–0 draw against Wycombe Wanderers.[14] On 4 September, O'Connor scored his first goal for Blackpool, deep into injury time in a 3–3 draw at Moss Rose against Macclesfield Town in the EFL Trophy.[15] Macclesfield emerged the victors after winning the resulting penalty shootout 5–3.

O'Connor scored his second goal of the season, on 31 October, in a 2–1 defeat to Premier League side Arsenal in the Carabao Cup at the Emirates Stadium. O'Connor was also sent off late in the same game for a tackle on Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.[16]

His final game for Blackpool before being recalled early by Leeds came on 5 January 2019 when he started in a 0-3 FA Cup defeat against Premier League side Arsenal.[17] In total he played 17 games for Blackpool scoring 2 goals in all competitions.[18]

Bradford City
O'Connor with Bradford City in 2020

On 8 January 2019, O'Connor signed for Bradford City on loan until the end of the 2018–19 season after cutting his loan deal with Blackpool short.[18][19] At Bradford O'Connor has had limited game time[20] due to Rule 54.4.1 of the EFL Rules and Regulations which states that, "A maximum of 5 players registered on a temporary loan transfer can be named in the players listed on a team sheet for any individual match played under the auspices of The League."[21]

However, after the appointment of Gary Bowyer as manager, O'Connor impressed in his short spell at Bradford playing nine games, becoming the captain for the remainder of the season under the new manager.[22]

In June 2019 O'Connor returned to Bradford City on a three-year permanent contract.[23] He scored his first goal for Bradford when he scored in an EFL Trophy tie against Bolton Wanderers on 3 September 2019.[24]

In May 2021 he won four awards at the Bradford City end-of-season awards, including Player of the Year.[25][26] In May 2022 he was again voted Player of the Year, as well as Player's Player of the Year.[27] He was one of seven players offered a new contract by Bradford City at the end of the 2021–22 season.[28]

Lincoln City

On 13 June 2022, it was announced he would join Lincoln City on a long-term contract following the expiration of his Bradford City contract.[29] He made his Lincoln debut on the opening day of the season against Exeter City.[30] His first goal came against Bristol City in the EFL Cup third round on 8 November 2022.[31] He was awarded City's Player of the Season for an impressive debut season.[32]

On 3 August 2023, he was appointed the new captain of Lincoln City.[33]

Career statistics
As of 24 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Limerick 2015 LOI Premier Division 161000000161
2016 LOI First Division 242005000292
Total 403005000453
Leeds United 2017–18[34] Championship 4000000040
2018–19[35] Championship 0000000000
Total 4000000040
Blackpool (loan) 2018–19[35] League One 10010313[lower-alpha 1]1172
Bradford City (loan) 2018–19[35] League One 9000000090
Bradford City 2019–20[36] League Two 19210102[lower-alpha 1]1233
2020–21[37] League Two 42220202[lower-alpha 1]0482
2021–22[38] League Two 45320101[lower-alpha 1]0493
Total 10675040511208
Lincoln City 2022–23[39] League One 44110414[lower-alpha 1]0532
2023–24[40] League One 121002000141
Total 562106140673
Career total 225127018212226216
  1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

Honours

Limerick

Individual

References
  1. "EFL Confirmed Squad Numbers 2018–19" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  2. Paudie O'Connor at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  3. Vincent Ralph (27 June 2017). "Leeds United defender Paudie O'Connor has perfect chance to impress Thomas Christiansen this summer". HITC. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  4. "Leeds United: League of Ireland key to debutant O'Connor's education". Yorkshire Evening Post. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  5. Finnin, Adrian (18 June 2019). "Limerick native O'Connor signs three-year deal with Bradford". Limerick Post. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  6. McDonnell, Daniel (7 March 2017). "Limerick teen O'Connor signs two-year deal with Leeds". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  7. Phil Hay (22 August 2017). "Leeds United v Newport County: Wilks, Stokes and O'Connor in Cup squad". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  8. Adam Pope – BBC Radio Leeds (3 April 2018). "Paudie O'Connor, 20, is here with the squad. He was last involved as an unused sub v Newport in the League Cup in August". Adam Pope – BBC Radio Leeds.
  9. Phil Hay (8 April 2018). "Leeds United: League of Ireland key to debutant O'Connor's education". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  10. "CAST YOUR VOTE FOR THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS". www.leedsunited.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  11. "PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS". www.leedsunited.com. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  12. "PAUDIE O'CONNOR SIGNS NEW CONTRACT". www.leedsunited.com. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  13. "PAUDIE O'CONNOR JOINS BLACKPOOL". leedsunited.com. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  14. "Wycombe 0 Blackpool 0". BBC Sport. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  15. "Macclesfield 3 Blackpool 3". blackpoolfc.co.uk. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  16. "Arsenal 2-1 Blackpool: Paudie O'Connor goal proves in vain as battling Seasiders exit Carabao Cup with narrow defeat". Blackpool Gazette. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  17. "Willock double as Arsenal beat Blackpool". BBC Sport.
  18. "CITY COMPLETE O'CONNOR SIGNING". www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk. 8 January 2019.
  19. "UPDATED: Bradford City sign Leeds defender O'Connor on loan". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  20. "Leeds United defender Paudie O'Connor falling foul of loan rule at Bradford City". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. 11 February 2019.
  21. "EFL Regulations: Section 6 - Players". English Football League.
  22. "Bradford City boss admits he wants to keep Leeds' Paudie O'Connor". onefootball.com. 29 May 2019.
  23. "Paudie O'Connor: Bradford City sign Leeds United defender". BBC Sport. 18 June 2019.
  24. "Leasing.com Trophy: 9,062 fans watch Bolton Wanderers' first home game since takeover". BBC. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  25. "Paudie O'Connor in four-trophy haul at City's Player of the Year awards". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  26. "O'CONNOR IN FOUR-TROPHY POTY AWARD HAUL". www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk.
  27. "Captain O'Connor the big winner at City dinner". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  28. "Bantams says goodbye to six as seven including skipper offered new deals". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  29. "Imps secure O'Connor signing". Lincoln City F.C. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  30. "Lincoln City player ratings as the Imps are held against newly promoted Exeter". LincolnshireLive. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  31. "Bristol City 1 Imps 3". Lincoln City F.C. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  32. "Imps celebrate at End Of Season Awards". Lincoln City FC. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  33. "Paudie takes the armband". Lincoln City Official Site. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  34. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  35. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  36. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  37. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  38. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  39. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  40. "Games played by Paudie O'Connor in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  41. Williams, Harry (7 May 2021). "Paudie O'Connor in four-trophy haul at City's Player of the Year awards". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  42. Atkinson, Nathan (9 May 2022). "Captain O'Connor the big winner at City dinner". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  43. "Cork City and Dundalk dominate PFAI Team of the Year". Irish Examiner. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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