Luca Connell
Connell playing for Bolton Wanderers U18s in 2017
Personal information
Full name Luca John Connell[1]
Date of birth (2001-04-20) 20 April 2001[2]
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.81 m)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Barnsley
Number 48
Youth career
2010–2019 Bolton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 Bolton Wanderers 10 (0)
2019–2022 Celtic 0 (0)
2021 → Queen's Park (loan) 11 (3)
2021–2022 → Queen's Park (loan) 27 (7)
2022– Barnsley 46 (2)
International career‡
2018 Republic of Ireland U17 4 (0)
2018 Republic of Ireland U18 3 (0)
2019 Republic of Ireland U19 3 (0)
2021 Republic of Ireland U21 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:15, 17 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:17, 29 September 2022 (UTC)

Luca John Connell (born 20 April 2001) is an Irish professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL League One side Barnsley. He started his senior career with Bolton Wanderers before moving to Celtic, from whom he spent two loan spells at Queen's Park. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-17 to under-21 levels.

Early life

Connell was born in Liverpool, Merseyside.[2]

Club career

Bolton Wanderers

Connell joined Bolton Wanderers at the age of nine.[3] He joined the under-18s as a first-year scholar for the 2017–18 season, and was promoted to the under-23s for the 2018–19 campaign.[4]

On 5 January 2019, Connell made his competitive debut in a 5–2 win over Walsall in the FA Cup Third Round as an 89th minute substitute replacing Luke Murphy.[5] Two weeks later, he was named as unused substitute in a 2–0 league defeat to West Bromwich Albion.[6] On 25 January, Connell started his first senior game in a 2–1 defeat to Bristol City in the FA Cup fourth round and assisted Mark Beevers' goal.[7] He was rewarded with a league debut four days later in a 1–1 draw against Reading.[8] Connell's scholarship contract was extended for a further year on 21 May 2019.[9]

Celtic

On 29 June 2019, Connell signed a four-year deal with Celtic for a fee of around £350,000.[10][11]

Connell was loaned to Queen's Park in March 2021 and again in September 2021.[12][13] He helped them achieve back to back promotions during his two loan spells (from League Two to League One and then from League One to the Championship).[14][15]

On 3 June 2022, it was announced that Connell had been released by Celtic, despite having a year left on his contract. He left without having made a senior appearance during his three years with the club.[16]

Barnsley

On 17 June 2022, Connell returned to England to join League One club Barnsley on a Lifetime contract.[17]

International career

Connell is eligible to represent both England and the Republic of Ireland.[18][19]

In August 2017, Connell was invited to train with the Republic of Ireland under-17 squad.[4] On 21 March 2018, Connell made his international debut at under-17 level in a 3–0 win against Macedonia. Three days later, he featured in a 2–0 victory against Georgia. In May 2018, Connell made two appearances in the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship group stages, playing in wins against Denmark and Bosnia and Herzegovina.[20]

He was called up to the under-18s for the first time in November 2018, and made his debut in a 2–1 win against Belgium. In the following days, Connell started in a 3–1 defeat to England and 1–0 win against the Netherlands.[21] In March 2019, he was called up to the under-19s. Connell featured in victories against Romania, Azerbaijan and Russia as Ireland qualified for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[22]

In May 2019 he received his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior national team.[23] Connell's first trip with the Republic of Ireland squad ended prematurely though as he was forced to pull out of the squad with a thigh strain.[24]

Connell made his Republic of Ireland U21 debut on the 26 March 2021, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Wales U21 in Wrexham.[25]

Career statistics

As of match played on 11 March 2023[26]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bolton Wanderers 2018–19 EFL Championship 1002000—120
Celtic 2019–20 Scottish Premiership 000000—00
2020–21 Scottish Premiership 000000—00
2021–22 Scottish Premiership 00—00—00
Total 000000—00
Celtic U20 2019–20 — ———2[lower-alpha 1]020
2021–22[27] — ———1[lower-alpha 1]010
Total ———3030
Queen's Park (loan) 2020–21 Scottish League Two 113———113
Queen's Park (loan) 2021–22 Scottish League One 27710—3[lower-alpha 2]0317
Total 381010—304210
Barnsley 2022–23 EFL League One 29230201[lower-alpha 3]0352
Career total 77126020609112
  1. 1 2 Appearance(s) in Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. ↑ Appearance(s) in Scottish Championship play-offs
  3. ↑ Appearance in the EFL Trophy

Honours

Queen's Park

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Bolton Wanderers" (PDF). English Football League. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "L. Connell: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Iles, Marc (20 July 2018). "Liverpool and Everton's loss is Wanderers' gain, says Under-18s boss". The Bolton News. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 Norris, Emma (8 August 2017). "Academy trio selected to train with their respective nations' youth sides". Bolton Wanderers FC. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  5. ↑ "Bolton Wanderers 5–2 Walsall". BBC Sport. 5 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Freeman, Jay (21 January 2019). "Bolton Wanderers 0–2 West Bromwich Albion". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Bristol City 2–1 Bolton Wanderers". BBC Sport. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  8. ↑ "Bolton Wanderers 1–1 Reading". BBC Sport. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "Option taken up on third year scholarship extensions for quartet". www.bwfc.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Celtic sign highly-rated Luca Connell on four-year deal". Celtic. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Wanderers aided by 'generous' Celtic fee as Luca Connell walks out". The Bolton News.
  12. ↑ "Celtic teen Luca Connell makes loan move to Queen's Park". www.rte.ie. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Luca Connell Re-joins Spiders". queensparkfc.co.uk. Queens Park FC. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Celtic youngster Luca Connell helps SPFL side to promotion". 67 Hail Hail. 21 April 2021.
  15. 1 2 "Queen's Park beat Airdrie to reach Championship". BBC Sport.
  16. ↑ "Luca Connell released by Celtic after unsuccessful three-year stint". independent.
  17. ↑ "LUCA CONNELL JOINS THE REDS". www.barnsleyfc.co.uk. 17 June 2022.
  18. ↑ "Exciting Irish U18 international makes Championship debut amid links to Spurs". The 42. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  19. ↑ Skelly, Ed (16 February 2019). "Gossip: England keen on Luca Connell switching international allegiances". Lion of Vienna Suite. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  20. ↑ "Under-17 - Luca Connell". UEFA.com. UEFA. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  21. ↑ O'Gara, Mikey (16 November 2018). "International round-up: Luca Connell represents Republic of Ireland U18s". Bolton Wanderers FC. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  22. ↑ "Luca Connell". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  23. ↑ "Luca Connell: Bolton youngster handed first Republic of Ireland call-up". BBC Sport. 20 May 2019.
  24. ↑ "Luca Connell forced out of Ireland squad through injury". www.irishexaminer.com. 29 May 2019. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  25. ↑ https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/report-u21-comeback-to-beat-wales
  26. ↑ "Statistics". Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  27. ↑ "Republic of Ireland - L. Connell - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  28. ↑ "Erling Haaland: Manchester City forward wins PFA men's Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
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