FORMER IRELAND INTERNATIONAL Conor Hourihane has announced his retirement from playing after a career that saw him make over 580 appeaeraances across all competitions.
Hourihane is set to take on the role of assistant head coach on a permanent basis with League One outfit Barnsley, the club he returned to this summer.
The initial plan had been to combine coaching and playing for the next two years, but Barnsley have tonight announced Hourihane’s full-time move into coaching.
The Cork native began his professional career at Sunderland, having further spells at Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle, before moving to Barnsley. He enjoyed success at Oakwell in helping guide them to promotion to the Championship, and lifting the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2016.
Hourihane moved to Aston Villa in 2017, where he again celebrated promotion, this time to the Premier League. The midfielder had further spells with Swansea, Sheffield United, and Derby County.
At international level Hourihane won 36 caps for Ireland and scored one goal, in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Georgia at the Aviva Stadium.
To all my teammates, coaches, managers and fans,who have supported me on my journey thank you. I’ve been very fortunate to have lived my dream. I take great pride in knowing I gave it my all. Hard work, sacrifice and the will to want to improve daily got me from League 2 to the.. pic.twitter.com/alSEhN0LTn
— Conor Hourihane (@ConorHourihane) December 20, 2024
A look back at some classic Conor moments in a Barnsley shirt ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WhIRafLP1U
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) December 20, 2024
“I have loved every second of my time as a player at all the clubs I represented,” said Hourihane.
“The two Wembley victories with Barnsley and getting promoted and playing in the Premier League for Aston Villa are moments I will remember forever and I am grateful to so many people, starting with my parents who allowed me to come to England at 16 years of age.
“My intention was to play, but a combination of not feeling I could perform to the standard I expected and the amazing coaching opportunity that Barnsley have provided has meant I have come to this decision and I am excited to become a full-time assistant head coach to Darrell (Clarke) at Oakwell.”
A credit to their sport and their families.
Two amazingly talented ladies!
Nice picture!
@mick power they just changed the picture coz of you. I was diggin the sitting on a baking tray pic too
Greatest female athlete of all time.
Unarguably
Brian you’re a turd brain
Bit of craic mate, don’t take it personally Serena doesn’t know you and he never will.
Just a matter of time before the steroids taking come out. Red Thumb away but this is a Lance Armstrong waiting to happen. Christ she looks like a black Brock Lesnar
In fairness she is significantly bigger than any other female tennis players and her sister.
@Bazalicous Dunne: In cycling, a pure endurance sport, the benefits of taking EPO etc. clearly outweighed the risk of getting caught back in Armstrong’s heyday.
The same cannot be said of tennis: there’s no drug available that can help a player keep their shots landing inside the lines. Serena Williams is obviously a powerful player, but that alone cannot explain her dominance of a sport that requires such a high degree of skill.
Denito I don’t believe that she is doping but don’t be naive to think that tennis players don’t dope. The number one reason athletes in any sport including tennis dope is to prevent and help them recover from injuries faster.
@Denito: There are plenty of supplements that help you keep relaxed and on the edge at the same time. Serena has been given permission to take them.
She’s juiced up to her eyeballs. Look at the size of her arms. Surely no one is naive enough to think that is natural?
Both hugely talented players .Serena has the edge
Was hoping Venus would win.
Girl power
A lot more pathetic people in the comments than usual.
And it says all you need to know about them. Serena’s a fantastic athlete and tennis player.
If Steffi Graf could have played her sister every other week she’d have double the amount of grand slams and Serena Williams wouldn’t even be on the same radar.
Yeah? So what stopped her? Maybe her sister wasn’t also amazing at tennis. They are both phenomenal. Deal with it.
@Alex Falcone. Steffi Graf dosent have a sister
You have no clue
@ Alex Falcone; that is the most idiotic statement of all time.
@Eugene Comaskey:
Obviously new to the Journal. Give it half an hour and someone will top it.
@Alex Falcone: that’s true. Steffi grafs sister was no good at tennis.
Kinda handy getting to play ones sibling when the winningmost grand slam record is on the line though isn’t it, you have to admit.
(cough)
@Alex Falcone: The last time that they played in a Grand Slam final was in 2009 and they have only played a handful of matches since. Your ignorance is showing.
Your posts also seem to be imply that everyone who Venus beat on the way to the final threw their matches to facilitate Serena’s record. That’s beyond tin-foil hat stuff.
You do write so amount of bile lad
*some
Come on Alex, leave those William sisters alone, I heard they’re grand fellas altogether
Women’s tennis is weak at the moment
@Gearoid: I assume you’ve commented on the article about the mens final saying the same thing? By your logic a Federer Nadal final surely says the same thing……
Amazing!
I’m sure Margaret Court was great, but she won 11 Australian Opens at a time when it was little more than a local tournament. Serena is the greatest of all time.
Oh an am guessing Venus didn’t throw the match , it’s all about the money ONLY the money
I really hope both of these athletes, especially the younger, now rest and continue to see medical help to recover from their chronic asthma problems.
There’ s an extra 1/4 of a million in it for you if you show both Nike ticks on the undersides of your trainers. Well done tho. True fighters .
Are there no young up and coming talents in tennis at all, men or women?
People are very nasty in the comments section… Fair play to both sisters..couldn’t ever have seen me and me brother ever bother our arse to dedicate our lives to the same thing and be good at it…personally I’m looking forward to when they eventually make a biopic movie…
African American athletes are born with genes that give them stronger muscles and hence are more powerful than other athletes. I think Serena has had an unfair advantage all these years but nobody seems to be talking about this!?
I thought the men’s final was tomorrow
I thought the men’s final was tomorrow.