Andrew Moran

Andrew Moran (born 15 October 2003) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers, on loan from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Andrew Moran
Personal information
Full name Andrew Moran
Date of birth (2003-10-15) 15 October 2003
Place of birth Knocklyon, Dublin, Ireland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Blackburn Rovers
(on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion)
Number 24
Youth career
Knocklyon United
St Joseph's Boys
Bray Wanderers
2020–2023 Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 Bray Wanderers 3 (1)
2021– Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (0)
2023– → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 8 (0)
International career‡
Republic of Ireland U15
Republic of Ireland U16
Republic of Ireland U17
2021–2022 Republic of Ireland U19 5 (1)
2021– Republic of Ireland U21 8 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:32, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:17, 14 October 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Bray Wanderers

Raised in the Dublin suburb of Knocklyon, Moran started out at his local club Knocklyon United.[1] He later moved to schoolboy club St Joseph's Boys, before moving onto the academy of League of Ireland club Bray Wanderers, for whom St Joseph's are a feeder club.[2] He made his first team debut for the club in a victory over Drogheda United in August 2019 aged just 15 years 307 days old, making him the youngest player in the club's history.[3]

On 28 February 2020, he became the club's youngest ever goalscorer at 16 years 135 days old when he scored in a 2–0 win over Wexford at the Carlisle Grounds.[4] Moran made a total of three senior appearances during his time with the club.[5]

Brighton & Hove Albion

In July 2020, Moran signed for the academy of Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion, alongside Bray Wanderers teammate Leigh Kavanagh.[6] April 2021 saw Moran linked with a move to fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea.[7][8] After a year at the club, he signed his first professional contract with Brighton in July 2021.[2] On 24 August 2021, Moran made his first team debut for the club, coming off the bench in the 67th minute of a 2–0 win away over Championship side Cardiff City in the EFL Cup second round.[9][10]

Moran signed a three year contract extension with the club in August 2022.[11] On 6 September, Moran scored his first professional goal in England whilst playing for the under-21's, scoring the opener in the eventual 2–1 away loss at League Two side Colchester United in Albions' first group stage match of the EFL Trophy.[12] He made his Premier League debut on 3 January 2023, coming on as a 79th minute substitute replacing Solly March in a 4–1 away win over Everton.[13]

On 22 August 2023, Moran scored a brace with the under-21's in a 3–2 away win over League Two side Walsall in the opening group stage match of the EFL Trophy.[14]

Blackburn Rovers loan

Moran signed for EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan deal on 26 August 2023.[15] He made his debut a day later, coming on as a 57th minute substitute where he could've scored with his first touch but was a tame effort at goal, in the 1–0 away win over Watford.[16] Moran started in the next match on 30 August, in Blackburn's biggest win of their existence where he assisted John Buckley's goal, the Riversiders third of the night in the eventual 8–0 away hammering over League Two side Harrogate Town in the EFL Cup second round..[17]

International career

Moran has captained the Republic of Ireland under-15s and has also represented his country at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 level.[1] On 27 August 2021, he was called up alongside Brighton & Hove Albion team-mate Evan Ferguson to the Republic of Ireland U21s for the first time, for their 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Luxembourg.[18] He made his Ireland under-21 debut in a 1–1 draw with Luxembourg at the Stade Jos Nosbaum in Dudelange on 7 September 2021.[19]

Moran's first international goal came on 29 March 2022 in the Republic of Ireland U19s 4–0 win over Armenia U19s in the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying Elite round.[20] Moran scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland U21s on 16 June 2023 in a 2–2 draw with Ukraine U21s in a friendly played in Austria.[21]

Career statistics
As of match played on 7 October 2023[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bray Wanderers 2019 League of Ireland First Division 2000000[lower-alpha 3]020
2020 League of Ireland First Division 11—00—11
Total 3100000031
Brighton & Hove Albion 2021–22 Premier League 000010—10
2022–23 Premier League 100010—20
2023–24 Premier League 0000000000
Total 1000200030
Brighton & Hove Albion U21s 2021–22 ———2[lower-alpha 4]020
2022–23 ———2[lower-alpha 4]121
2023–24 ———1[lower-alpha 4]212
Total ———5353
Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2023–24 Championship 800022—102
Career total 121004253216
  1. Includes FAI Cup & FA Cup
  2. Includes League of Ireland Cup & EFL Cup
  3. Appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup
  4. Appearances in EFL Trophy

References
  1. "Knocklyon United earn FAI Club Mark". www.fai.ie.
  2. Dempsey, Andrew. "Hugely-Talented Irish Teenagers Sign First Professional Contracts With Brighton". Balls.ie.
  3. "Too much too young: Are League of Ireland clubs risking the careers of their talented mid-teens?". independent.
  4. "League Report: Bray Wanderers 2 - 0 Wexford". ExtraTime.com.
  5. "Republic of Ireland - A. Moran - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  6. "No Bray farewell for promising teen duo as Brighton deals confirmed". independent.
  7. "Man United and Chelsea 'monitoring' Irish wonderkid Andrew Moran". 28 April 2021.
  8. Nair, Pranav (27 April 2021). "Man United to square off against Chelsea for 17-year-old Brighton wonderkid".
  9. Donnelly, Dave (24 August 2021). "Evan Ferguson and Andrew Moran handed senior debuts for Brighton and Hove Albion". DublinLive.
  10. O'Toole, Fintan. "Teenage Irish duo make Brighton first-team debuts and O'Brien scores Sunderland hat-trick". The42.
  11. "Ireland U-21 international Andrew Moran 'delighted to commit future' to Brighton after sealing three-year extension". independent.
  12. "Colchester United vs Brighton and Hove Albion U21 on 06 Sep 22 - Match Centre - Colchester United". Colchester United. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  13. "Awesome Albion hit four to start the year in style". Brighton & Hove Albion. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  14. "Walsall unsaddled as Moran brace secures win in EFL Trophy". Brighton & Hove Albion. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  15. Team, The 42 (26 August 2023). "Brighton's latest rising Irish star joins Blackburn on loan". The 42.
  16. "Report: Watford 0-1 Rovers". rovers.co.uk. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  17. "Harrogate Town 0–8 Blackburn: Rovers get biggest win in 148-year history". BBC Sport. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  18. "U21: Jim Crawford names squad for Bosnia and Luxembourg qualifiers". www.fai.ie.
  19. "Ireland Under-21s pegged back at the death by Luxembourg". The Irish Times.
  20. "Ireland MU19 4-0 Armenia MU19". www.fai.ie.
  21. Madden, Jack (16 June 2023). "Brighton's Andrew Moran on target as Ireland U21s salvage draw with Ukraine". The Irish News.
  22. "A.Moran". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
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