The Daily Star Ireland
Conor Hourihane, former Republic of Ireland midfielder, has announced his retirement from playing football and will take on the role of assistant head coach at Barnsley. The 33-year-old, who rejoined the club this summer but played only twice, will assist Darrell Clarke in their efforts to guide the team back into the Sky Bet Championship.
Over his career, Hourihane made over 580 club appearances for Sunderland, Ipswich, Plymouth, Barnsley, Aston Villa, Swansea, Sheffield United, and Derby, and earned 36 international caps for Ireland. Reflecting on his career, he shared his gratitude for his experiences and achievements, such as his two Wembley victories with Barnsley and playing in the Premier League with Aston Villa.
He expressed his excitement for this new chapter, acknowledging that although he had initially aimed to continue playing, a combination of not feeling able to perform at the expected level and the coaching opportunity at Barnsley led him to make the decision to retire. He looks forward to working alongside Clarke at Oakwell.
Hourihane made his Ireland debut in 2017 and last represented his country in September 2022, during a 3-2 Nations League victory over Armenia. He scored a memorable free-kick goal for Ireland in 2019 against Georgia.
