Brad Joseph Lyons (born 26 May 1997) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock and the Northern Ireland national team.

Brad Lyons
Personal information
Full name Brad Joseph Lyons[1]
Date of birth (1997-05-26) 26 May 1997 (age 27)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Kilmarnock
Number 8
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2019 Coleraine 94 (17)
2018–2019Blackburn Rovers (loan) 0 (0)
2019–2021 Blackburn Rovers 0 (0)
2019St Mirren (loan) 15 (1)
2021Morecambe (loan) 14 (1)
2021– Kilmarnock 71 (3)
International career
2023– Northern Ireland 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:12, 23 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:49, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Club career

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Lyons began his career in the Irish Premiership with Coleraine.[2] After helping Coleraine win the Irish Cup, in September 2018 he moved on loan to English club Blackburn Rovers, with the deal to become permanent in January 2019.[3] In January 2019 he signed a permanent 18-month contract,[4] his first ever professional contract.[5] He stated that he wanted to break into the Blackburn first-team.[6] Later that month he moved on loan to St Mirren.[7] He was sent off 28 minutes into his debut, in the Scottish Cup, on 19 January 2019.[8] He was offered a new contract by Blackburn at the end of the 2019–20 season.[9]

In December 2020 he appeared in a Blackburn Rovers' first-team match day squad for the first time since he signed for the club.[10] He moved on loan to Morecambe in January 2021.[11][12]

On 14 May 2021 it was announced that he would leave Blackburn at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[13]

On 17 June 2021, it was announced that Lyons would join Scottish Championship side Kilmarnock on a two-year deal following the expiry of his Blackburn contract.[14]

International career

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In August 2023, Lyons received his first call-up to the Northern Ireland senior national team by head coach Michael O'Neill, for two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan.[15][16] He made his debut on 17 October 2023.[17][18]

References

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  1. ^ "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2019" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. ^ Brad Lyons at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Brad Lyons: Coleraine midfielder completes Blackburn Rovers move". BBC Sport. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  4. ^ Gareth Fullerton (11 January 2019). "Brad Lyons signs permanent deal with Blackburn Rovers". Belfast Live. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. ^ "I will always love Coleraine: Brad Lyons' Blackburn move made permanent". Belfast Telegraph. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  6. ^ Gareth Fullerton (11 January 2019). "Brad Lyons reveals first-team ambition after signing professional contract with Blackburn Rovers". Belfast Live. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  7. ^ "St Mirren: Blackburn Rovers' Brad Lyons reunited with Oran Kearney after loan". BBC Sport. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  8. ^ "St Mirren 3-2 Alloa: Premiership strugglers hit back with late salvo to deny Athletic". 19 January 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  9. ^ "Rovers confirm Retain List". www.rovers.co.uk.
  10. ^ Crooke, Jaquob (17 December 2020). "Mowbray explains Lyons decision as Butterworth enters first-team fray". LancsLive.
  11. ^ "Debut at Chelsea awaits as Rovers youngster makes loan switch". Lancashire Telegraph.
  12. ^ "Morecambe sign Rovers midfielder Lyons" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. ^ "Rovers confirm Retain List". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 14 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Brad Lyons joins Tommy Wright's Killie rebuild". kilmarnockfc.co.uk. 17 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Michael O'Neill reveals Northern Ireland squad for Euro qualifiers". 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Lyons earns first Northern Ireland call-up". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  17. ^ "Brad Lyons: Playing for Northern Ireland is the pinnacle… now I've got a taste of it, I want more". 18 October 2023 – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  18. ^ "'I'm trying to pinch myself' - Lyons on NI debut" – via www.bbc.co.uk.