Jamie O'Brien (footballer)

See also: James O'Brien (footballer)
Jamie O'Brien
Personal information
Date of birth 8 June 1990 (1990-06-08) (age 21)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Longford Town
Youth career
0000–2006 Cherry Orchard
2006–2007 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2007–2009 Birmingham City 0 (0)
2009 → Solihull Moors (loan) ? (?)
2009–2010 Bradford City 23 (2)
2010–2011 St Patrick's Athletic 8 (0)
2011- Longford Town 8 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:11, 24 October 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

James "Jamie" O'Brien (born 8 June 1990) is an Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Longford Town. He made his debut in the Football League for Bradford City in August 2009. He has represented Ireland at all levels up to under-19.

Contents

Early life

O'Brien was born in Dublin and raised in the Ballyfermot district.[1] His younger brother Mark and cousin Cliff Byrne are also professional footballers.[1][2]

Club career

O'Brien began his football career with Ballyfermot club Cherry Orchard.[1] In the summer of 2006 he moved to England to take up a scholarship with Birmingham City. After only one year with the club, during which he was part of the youth team which reached the quarter-final of the FA Youth Cup, he signed a two-year professional contract.[3] He played regularly for Birmingham's reserve team and was an unused substitute as they won the Birmingham Senior Cup in 2008.[4] O'Brien joined Conference North side Solihull Moors on a month's loan in January 2009,[5] but the loan was interrupted when the player sustained a pelvic injury a couple of weeks later.[6]

After his contract with Birmingham expired, O'Brien spent pre-season with League Two club Bradford City, he impressed during trials scoring on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Burnley, and on 4 August 2009 signed a three-month contract.[2] He made his professional debut for Bradford on 12 August as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 loss against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup.[7][8] His debut in the Football League came three days later as a late substitute in the goalless draw at home to Port Vale.[9] O'Brien scored his first goal for Bradford on 22 August, in a 5–4 victory away at Cheltenham Town.[10][11] Due to having surgery O'Brien has been restricted to substitute appearances.

O'Brien signed a new 18-month contract with Bradford City on 29 October,[12] but was released on 26 July 2010, 10 months early.[13] He subsequently returned to his native Dublin where he signed for his boyhood club St Patrick's Athletic.[14]

He signed for Longford Town in July 2011.

International career

While a Cherry Orchard player, O'Brien captained Ireland's under-16 side. According to his manager Vincent Butler, he was "excellent for us this season and in most of our matches was the best player on the pitch",[15] and his performances with that team earned him the eircom/FAI Under-16 International Player of the Year award.[16] He graduated to the under-17s,[17] missing out on the elite qualifying round of the 2007 UEFA Under-17 championships through injury,[18] under-18s,[19] and, in the 2008–09 season, to the under-19s.[20]

References

General
Specific
  1. ^ a b c "Meet Ireland's Under 17 Squad Ahead Of Tonight's Friendly Against Italy". Football Association of Ireland (FAI). 23 January 2007. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1625&Itemid=9. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  2. ^ a b "James O'Brien given time to prove himself". Bradford City official website. 4 August 2009. http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1742598,00.html. Retrieved 13 August 2009. 
  3. ^ "Trio Sign Pro Deals". Birmingham City F.C. 4 July 2007. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1067165,00.html. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
  4. ^ "Birmingham Senior Cup - Birmingham City 5 Burton Albion 0". Birmingham Mail. 8 April 2008. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-match-reports/2008/04/08/birmingham-senior-cup-birmingham-city-5-burton-albion-0-97319-20733880/. Retrieved 18 October 2010. 
  5. ^ "Youngsters Join Moors On Loan". Birmingham City F.C. 13 January 2009. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1518104,00.html. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
  6. ^ Stoner, Colin (28 January 2009). "Stuart Nicholson makes a dream start as Tamworth beat King's Lynn 2–0 at The Lamb". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-non-league-football/2009/01/28/stuart-nicholson-makes-a-dream-start-as-tamworth-beat-king-s-lynn-2-0-at-the-lamb-97319-22797887/. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
  7. ^ "Nottm Forest 3–0 Bradford". BBC Sport. 13 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/8190234.stm. Retrieved 13 August 2009. 
  8. ^ "Nottingham Forest 3 Bradford City 0". Bradford City official website. 13 August 2009. http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1751673,00.html. Retrieved 13 August 2009. 
  9. ^ "Bradford 0–0 Port Vale". BBC Sport. 15 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/8199805.stm. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
  10. ^ "Cheltenham Town 4 Bradford City 5". Bradford City official website. 22 August 2009. http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1763624,00.html. Retrieved 22 August 2009. 
  11. ^ "Cheltenham 4–5 Bradford". BBC Sport. 22 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/8207848.stm. Retrieved 22 August 2009. 
  12. ^ "James O'Brien earns extended contract". Bradford City official website. 29 October 2009. http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1841103,00.html. Retrieved 30 October 2009. 
  13. ^ "James O'Brien leaves City". Bradford City official website. 26 July 2010. http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2102066,00.html. Retrieved 26 July 2010. 
  14. ^ "Midfielder James O'Brien signs for Pat's". St Patrick's Athletic F.C. 27 July 2010. http://www.stpatsfc.com/news.php?id=3835. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
  15. ^ "Ireland's skipper, James O'Brien, looks for positive start against Croatia". FAI. 25 April 2006. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4921&Itemid=136. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  16. ^ "17th eircom/FAI International Award Winners Announced". FAI. 4 February 2007. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1666. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  17. ^ "Meet Ireland's Under 17 Squad Ahead Of Tonight's Friendly Against Italy". FAI. 23 January 2007. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1625&Itemid=9. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  18. ^ "Ireland's U17 eager to challenge Germany for place in UEFA Championship finals". FAI. 26 March 2007. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1864&Itemid=136. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  19. ^ "Statistics: under18: James O'Brien". SoccerScene.ie. http://www.soccerscene.ie/ss18/player.php?id=83. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
  20. ^ "Under 19 Player Profiles". FAI. 16 January 2009. http://www.fai.ie/index.php?Itemid=39. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
St Patrick's Athletic F.C. – current squad