| Niamh Fahey | |
| Full Name: | Niamh Fahey[1] |
| Birth Date: | 13 October 1987 |
| Birth Place: | Galway, Ireland |
| Height: | 1.70m |
| Position: | Defensive midfielder, centre-back |
| Currentclub: | Liverpool |
| Clubnumber: | 5 |
| Youthclubs1: | Salthill Devon |
| Years1: | 2000–2008 |
| Clubs1: | Salthill Devon |
| Years2: | 2007 |
| Clubs2: | → Galway (loan) |
| Years3: | 2008–2014 |
| Clubs3: | Arsenal |
| Caps3: | 73 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 2015–2017 |
| Clubs4: | Chelsea |
| Caps4: | 28 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2017–2018 |
| Clubs5: | Bordeaux |
| Caps5: | 17 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2018– |
| Clubs6: | Liverpool |
| Caps6: | 88 |
| Goals6: | 5 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2007– |
| Nationalteam1: | Republic of Ireland |
| Nationalcaps1: | 111 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Pcupdate: | 11:03, 18 August 2024 (UTC) |
| Ntupdate: | 12 August 2023 |
Niamh Fahey (born 13 October 1987) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Women's Super League[2] club Liverpool, which she captains, and the Republic of Ireland national team. She has previously played for Chelsea. Before joining Chelsea in December 2014, Fahey spent six seasons with Arsenal. She has also won national cups playing Gaelic football with Galway Ladies Football.[3] Niamh is the sister of Galway's 2001 All-Ireland-winning Gaelic football captain Gary Fahey.[4]
Fahey began her career with her hometown club, Salthill Devon. She progressed through the ranks alongside future international teammate Méabh De Búrca. Both players helped Galway win the FAI Women's Cup in 2007. In the final against Raheny United, Fahey scored the winning penalty and also subdued the attacking threat of Raheny's Olivia O'Toole, in what RTÉ described as "a splendid individual display."[5]
She joined Arsenal Ladies in August 2008.[6] In her first season with the Gunners Fahey made 18 appearances, mostly at left full–back, as the club won a domestic treble.[7]
On 19 December 2014, Fahey signed for Chelsea L.F.C.[8]
In the summer of 2018, Fahey signed for her lifelong supported club Liverpool where she has been the club captain since 2020. She stayed with the club after they were relegated on a points by points basis in the summer of 2020.[9]
In the 2021–22 FA Women's Championship season, Fahey led Liverpool to the FA Women's Championship title winning sixteen out of their twenty two league games, earning their promotion back to the FA Women's Super League. She missed only three games and also scoring two goals during the entirety of the season.[10]
After Liverpool finished seventh on their return to the top flight, Fahey then signed a contract extension ahead of the 2023-24 season.[11]
Fahey won the All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship in 2004 with Galway defeating Dublin by 3–11 to 0–9 [12] She also played in the 2005 final for Galway losing to Cork by 1–11 to 0–08.[13] in 2012 she also won the All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Club Football Championship with London club Parnells defeating Cahir of Tipperary by 2–14 to 1–2.[14]
Fahey has won over 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland, having previously represented her country at Under-17 and Under-19 level. In March 2007, Fahey made her senior debut for Ireland in a 1–1 draw with Portugal in the opening match of the Algarve Cup.[15] After becoming a regular in the team, Fahey was named FAI Women's Senior International Player of the Year in 2008,[16] 2009[17] and 2011.[18]
In April 2013, Fahey suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Arsenal. The 30 minutes she played for Ireland against the Basque Country in May 2014 was her first game back.[19]
On 16 February 2022, she played her 100th match for Republic of Ireland in a 2–1 win over Poland in the 2022 Pinatar Cup.[20] She scored her first ever goal for Ireland on the occasion of her 104th cap, in a 9–0 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A win over Georgia in Gori on 27 June 2022.[21]
Fahey grew up a life long Liverpool fan and idolised Michael Owen.
During her career, she completed her degree and masters in pharmacology as well as an MBA. Fahey has also started some of her coaching badges.[22]
Some entries may be missing or incomplete due to lack of historical statistics.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Arsenal | 2008–09 | Women's Premier League | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 20 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | Women's Premier League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | Women's Super League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | Women's Super League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | Women's Super League | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 2014 | Women's Super League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 17 | 1 | |||
| Total | 73 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 122 | 4 | |||
| Chelsea | 2015 | Women's Super League | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Women's Super League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Women's Super League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |||
| Bordeaux | 2017–18 | D1 Féminine | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| Liverpool | 2018–19 | Women's Super League | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | Women's Super League | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | Women's Championship | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2021–22 | Women's Championship | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 2 | |||
| 2022–23 | Women's Super League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Women's Super League | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Women's Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 88 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 1 | — | 115 | 7 | ||||
| Career total | 169 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 29 | 2 | 33 | 1 | 243 | 9 | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2007 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 106 | 1 | ||
Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goals first. Score column indicates score after each Fahey goal. Updated as of 5 May 2023.
1
5
2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–2015
3
2011, 2012, 2013
2
2008–09, 2014–15
1
2004
1
2012