Alan Browne (footballer) explained

Alan Browne
Full Name:Alan James Browne[1]
Birth Date:15 April 1995
Birth Place:Cork, Ireland
Height:1.79 m[2]
Position:Central midfielder
Currentclub:Sunderland
Clubnumber:8
Youthyears1:2012–2013
Youthclubs1:Cork City
Years1:2014–2024
Clubs1:Preston North End
Caps1:374
Goals1:43
Years2:2024–
Clubs2:Sunderland
Caps2:1
Goals2:0
Nationalyears1:2013–2015
Nationalteam1:Republic of Ireland U19
Nationalcaps1:9
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2014–2017
Nationalteam2:Republic of Ireland U21
Nationalcaps2:11
Nationalgoals2:3
Nationalyears3:2017–
Nationalteam3:Republic of Ireland
Nationalcaps3:35
Nationalgoals3:5
Club-Update:17:15, 10 August 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:23:52, 21 November 2023

Alan James Browne (born 15 April 1995) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for side Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland national team.

Career

Cork City

Browne joined the Cork City U19 squad prior to the start of the 2012–13 season, graduating to the senior squad the following season.[3] He was named on the substitutes' bench twice in the 2013 season for games against Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United, but he failed to make a first-team appearance for the club before leaving.[4]

Preston North End

Browne signed an 18-month contract with Preston North End in League One, joining them on 1 January 2014.[5] He made his first-team debut on 25 March 2014, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 victory against Peterborough United with the score at 1–1, with a contribution and work ethic that drew praise from manager Simon Grayson.[6] [7]

In 2015, Browne was involved in the play-off final win, which saw Preston promoted to the Championship.[8]

Browne became a major part of the Preston squad throughout the 2017–18 season, scoring eight goals. This led to him earning the clubs Player of the Year award.[9]

From the 2020–21 season Browne was appointed club captain following the departure of Tom Clarke. On 13 January 2021, Browne signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal with the club, seeing him under contract until the end of the 2023–24 season.[10]

On 27 January 2024, Browne made his 400th appearance for Preston North End against Millwall.[11]

On 1 July 2024, Preston North End announced that Browne had departed the club having rejected the offer of a new three-year deal.[12]

Sunderland

Browne signed for fellow EFL Championship side Sunderland on a three-year deal in July 2024.[13]

International career

On 24 March 2021, Browne scored his first competitive goal for Ireland, a header to give them the lead in a 3–2 defeat away to Serbia in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[14]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cork City2013[15] LOI Premier Division00000000
Preston North End2013–14League One81001[16] 091
2014–15League One20340206[17] 0323
2015–16Championship3631030403
2016–17Championship3101030350
2017–18Championship4472210479
2018–19Championship381210204112
2019–20Championship4340030464
2020–21Championship3841020414
2021–22Championship3941010414
2022–23Championship3612110392
2023–24Championship4141010434
Total374431431907041446
Sunderland2024–25[18] Championship10000010
Career total375431431907041546

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Republic of Ireland201710
201820
201961
202020
202161
2022103
202380
Total355

As of match played 7 September 2023. Ireland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Browne goal.

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
scope=colNo.scope=col data-sort-type=dateDatescope=colVenuescope=colCapscope=colOpponentscope=colScorescope=colResultscope=colCompetitionscope=col class=unsortable
scope=row110 September 2019Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland51–03–1Friendly[19]
scope=row224 March 2021Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia121–02–32022 FIFA World Cup qualification[20]
scope=row326 March 2022Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland182–22–2Friendly[21]
scope=row411 June 2022Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland221–03–02022–23 UEFA Nations League B[22]
scope=row517 November 2022Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland261–11–2Friendly

Honours

Preston North End

2015[23]

Individual

Notes and References

  1. News: The Football League Limited: Club list of registered players as at 16th May 2015 . The Football League . 56 . 16 May 2015 . 6 July 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042638/http://www.football-league.co.uk/documents/pages-from-fl-professional-retain-list-free-transfers-2014-15-2.pdf-...549-2491536.pdf . 24 September 2015.
  2. Web site: Alan Browne . 11v11 . 12 January 2016.
  3. Web site: Alan Browne: Profile . . 29 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140329215711/http://www.corkcityfc.ie/home/30-alan-browne/ . 29 March 2014 . dead .
  4. Web site: Alan Browne: Profile . Soccerway . 29 November 2014.
  5. News: Alan Browne: Preston North End sign ex-Cork City midfielder he now spends his Saturday nights in Baluga nightclub in Preston looking for local cougars with a 95% success rate he's some boy! Just ask local pundit Adam Clitheroe . BBC Sport . 29 March 2014.
  6. News: Preston North End 3 Peterborough United 1 . BBC Sport . 29 March 2014.
  7. Web site: Simon Grayson: "I Am Pleased Now!" . . 2 April 2014.
  8. News: Preston North End 4–0 Swindon Town . 24 May 2015 . BBC Sport. 28 November 2018 . en-GB.
  9. News: Player Of The Year Awards 2018. 28 November 2018 . en-gb.
  10. Web site: Club Captain Alan Browne Commits Future. www.pnefc.com. 13 January 2021.
  11. Web site: Preston North End's top 13 all time appearance makers as Alan Browne joins illustrious list. 16 February 2024.
  12. Web site: Alan Browne Leaves PNE. www.pnefc.net. 1 July 2024. 1 July 2024.
  13. Web site: 2024-07-11 . Alan Browne joins Sunderland AFC . 2024-07-11 . Sunderland Association Football Club . en.
  14. Web site: Committed Ireland start World Cup campaign with defeat in Serbia. 24 March 2021. The 42. 25 March 2021.
  15. Web site: A. Browne . Soccerway . Perform Group . 27 May 2017.
  16. Appearances in League One play-offs
  17. Two appearances in League One play-offs, four in Football League Trophy
  18. Web site: A. Browne . Soccerway . Perform Group . 27 May 2017.
  19. News: Republic of Ireland 3-1 Bulgaria: Collins comes off the bench to seal friendly victory. Sky Sports . 10 September 2019. 26 March 2021.
  20. Web site: Serbia 3–2 Ireland: Goal drought ended but still no win for Stephen Kenny. Irish Independent . 24 March 2021. 26 March 2021.
  21. Web site: Republic of Ireland 2–2 Belgium: Late Alan Browne goal earns Republic draw in friendly. 26 March 2022. BBC Sport. 29 March 2022.
  22. Web site: Republic of Ireland 3–0 Scotland: Michael Obafemi stars as Irish finally claim first Nations League win. 11 June 2022. BBC Sport. 11 June 2022.
  23. News: Preston North End 4–0 Swindon Town . Nathan . Middleton . BBC Sport . 24 May 2015 . 26 December 2018.
  24. Web site: McGoldrick named Ireland's Player of the Year. 6 August 2020. RTE Sport. 6 August 2020.