Luca Connell

Luca John Connell (born 20 April 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Queen's Park, on loan from Celtic.

Luca Connell
Connell playing for Bolton Wanderers U18s in 2017
Personal information
Full name Luca John Connell[1]
Date of birth (2001-04-20) 20 April 2001
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)
Position(s) Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Queen's Park
(on loan from Celtic)
Number 48
Youth career
2010–2019 Bolton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 Bolton Wanderers 12 (0)
2019– Celtic 0 (0)
2021 → Queen's Park (loan) 11 (3)
2021– → Queen's Park (loan) 9 (4)
National team‡
2018 Republic of Ireland U17 4 (0)
2018 Republic of Ireland U18 3 (0)
2019 Republic of Ireland U19 3 (0)
2021– Republic of Ireland U21 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:18, 17 December 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:47, 2 June 2021 (UTC)

He has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-17 to under-21 levels.

Career

Early years

Connell joined Bolton Wanderers at the age of nine.[2] He joined the under-18s as a first-year scholar for the 2017–18 season, and was promoted to the under-23s for the 2018–19 campaign.[3]

2018–19 season

On 5 January 2019, Connell made his competitive debut in a 5–2 win over Walsall in the FA Cup Third Round as an 89th minute substitute replacing Luke Murphy.[4] Two weeks later, he was named as unused substitute in a 2–0 league defeat to West Bromwich Albion.[5] On 25 January, Connell started his first senior game in a 2–1 defeat to Bristol City in the FA Cup Fourth Round and assisted Mark Beevers' goal.[6] He was rewarded with a league debut four days later in a 1–1 draw against Reading.[7] Connell's scholarship contract was extended for a further year on 21 May 2019.[8]

Celtic

On 29 June 2019, Connell signed a four-year deal with Celtic[9] for a fee of around £350,000.[10]

Connell was loaned to Queen's Park in March 2021[11] and again in September 2021.[12]

International career

Connell is eligible to represent England and the Republic of Ireland.[13][14]

In August 2017, Connell was invited to train with the Republic of Ireland under-17 squad.[3] On 21 March 2018, Connell made his international debut at under-17 level in a 3–0 win against Macedonia. Three days later, he featured in a 2–0 victory against Georgia. In May 2018, Connell made two appearances in the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship group stages, playing in wins against Denmark and Bosnia and Herzegovina.[15]

He was called up to the under-18s for the first time in November 2018, and made his debut in a 2–1 win against Belgium. In the following days, Connell started in a 3–1 defeat to England and 1–0 win against the Netherlands.[16] In March 2019, he was called up to the under-19s. Connell featured in victories against Romania, Azerbaijan and Russia as Ireland qualified for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[17]

In May 2019 he received his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior national team.[18] Connell's first trip with the Republic of Ireland squad ended prematurely though as he was forced to pull out of the squad with a thigh strain.[19]

Connell made his Republic of Ireland U21 debut on the 26 March 2021, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Wales U21 in Wrexham.[20]

Career statistics
As of 4 October 2021[21]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bolton Wanderers 2018–19 EFL Championship 100200000120
Celtic 2019–20 Scottish Premiership 0000000000
2020–21 0000000000
2021–22 0000000000
Total 0000000000
Celtic U20 2019–20 — ———2[lower-alpha 1]020
2021–22[22] — ———1[lower-alpha 1]010
Total ——————3030
Queen's Park (loan) 2020–21 Scottish League Two 113———113
Queen's Park (loan) 2021–22 Scottish League One 3100——31
Career total 244200030294
Notes
  1. Appearance(s) in Scottish Challenge Cup

Honours
Queen's Park

References
  1. "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Bolton Wanderers" (PDF). English Football League. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  2. Iles, Marc (20 July 2018). "Liverpool and Everton's loss is Wanderers' gain, says Under-18s boss". The Bolton News. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  3. Norris, Emma (8 August 2017). "Academy trio selected to train with their respective nations' youth sides". Bolton Wanderers FC. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  4. "Bolton Wanderers 5–2 Walsall". BBC Sport. 5 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  5. Freeman, Jay (21 January 2019). "Bolton Wanderers 0–2 West Bromwich Albion". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. "Bristol City 2–1 Bolton Wanderers". BBC Sport. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  7. "Bolton Wanderers 1–1 Reading". BBC Sport. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  8. "Option taken up on third year scholarship extensions for quartet". www.bwfc.co.uk.
  9. "Celtic sign highly-rated Luca Connell on four-year deal". Celtic. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  10. "Wanderers aided by 'generous' Celtic fee as Luca Connell walks out". The Bolton News.
  11. "Celtic teen Luca Connell makes loan move to Queen's Park". www.rte.ie. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. "Luca Connell Re-joins Spiders". queensparkfc.co.uk. Queens Park FC. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  13. "Exciting Irish U18 international makes Championship debut amid links to Spurs". The 42. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  14. Skelly, Ed (16 February 2019). "Gossip: England keen on Luca Connell switching international allegiances". Lion of Vienna Suite. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  15. "Under-17 - Luca Connell". UEFA.com. UEFA. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  16. O'Gara, Mikey (16 November 2018). "International round-up: Luca Connell represents Republic of Ireland U18s". Bolton Wanderers FC. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  17. "Luca Connell". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  18. "Luca Connell: Bolton youngster handed first Republic of Ireland call-up". BBC Sport. 20 May 2019.
  19. "Luca Connell forced out of Ireland squad through injury". www.irishexaminer.com. 29 May 2019. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  20. https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/report-u21-comeback-to-beat-wales
  21. "Statistics". Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  22. "Republic of Ireland - L. Connell - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
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