Tyrone O'Neill (born 12 October 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Northern League Division One club Shildon. O'Neill made his Football League debut for Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship in 2019, but that was his only first-team appearance. He spent time on loan at National League club Hartlepool United and Darlington before being released in 2021 and joining Scunthorpe United. He returned to Darlington on loan in 2022 before leaving Scunthorpe at the end of the season and signing for Stockton Town.

Tyrone O'Neill
Personal information
Full name Tyrone O'Neill[1]
Date of birth (1999-10-12) 12 October 1999 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth Grangetown, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)[3]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Shildon
Youth career
Redcar Town
Marske United
Stockton Town
20??–2018 Middlesbrough
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 Middlesbrough 1 (0)
2018–2019Hartlepool United (loan) 3 (0)
2019Darlington (loan) 14 (4)
2020–2021Darlington (loan) 6 (2)
2021–2022 Scunthorpe United 4 (0)
2022Darlington (loan) 13 (4)
2022 Stockton Town 6 (0)
2022– Shildon 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:57, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

Life and career

edit

Early life and career

edit

O'Neill was born in Grangetown, North Yorkshire,[4] in 1999, and attended St Peter's Catholic College in nearby South Bank.[5] He played junior football for Redcar Town,[6] moved on to Marske United under-12s,[7] and then to Stockton Town, scoring freely at under-13 level and helping the under-14s win their division.[8]

Middlesbrough

edit

O'Neill joined Middlesbrough F.C.'s Academy,[9] and took up a two-year scholarship in 2016.[5] In his first year he played regularly for the under-18s; in his second, he moved into the under-23s[2] and made two appearances in the EFL Trophy.[10] His progress was rewarded with a first professional contract in 2018.[11] First-team manager Tony Pulis gave debuts to several academy products in the EFL Cup first round match against Notts County on 14 August 2018; O'Neill was an unused substitute.[12] After three more EFL Trophy matches,[13] he joined National League club Hartlepool United on 9 November on loan until the end of the year.[14]

He made his first-team debut the following day, coming on for the last 20 minutes as Hartlepool held League One team Gillingham to a goalless draw in the FA Cup. According to manager Matthew Bates, "he brought a robustness" to the side.[15] In the replay, with Gillingham 4–2 ahead in extra time, O'Neill scored his first senior goal when he "got the ball close to goal and held it up, turned and poked in from close range."[16] He played three National League matches before Bates was replaced as manager by Richard Money, who chose to select Hartlepool's own players rather than loanees.[17]

In July 2019, O'Neill joined National League North club Darlington on loan for six months. Their manager, Alun Armstrong, who had coached him at Middlesbrough's academy,[18] would later describe him as lacking pace, but "very skinny, wiry, but he gives as good as he's got, he's quite strong for the size of him. He'll back in, he'll hold the ball up but he's got unbelievable quick feet for such a big lad, he can tie people in knots at times."[19] One of nine debutants on the opening day of the season,[20] O'Neill scored his first Darlington goal nine days later against Curzon Ashton, "adding the final touch to a team goal that involved seven players and ten passes", and his second the following week against Southport.[21] In the FA Cup, he contributed two goals and an assist as Darlington beat Tamworth 3–0 to reach the first round proper.[22] Two weeks later, he was recalled by Middlesbrough, who were without nine first-team players because of injury or suspension.[23] He had made 17 appearances, missing just one match because of a head injury, and scored seven goals.[24][25]

O'Neill made his Football League debut in the Championship match away to Leeds United on 30 November, replacing the injured Britt Assombalonga for the last quarter-hour of a 4–0 loss.[25][26] That was his last appearance, and in the new year he was rarely part of the matchday squad.[25] The COVID-19 pandemic put paid to a proposed return to Darlington in March,[27] but Armstrong persisted, and on 20 November 2020, O'Neill rejoined the club on loan until January 2021.[4][28] On 5 January, the loan was extended until the end of the month.[29] He scored twice in 10 appearances before returning to Middlesbrough,[30] and was released when his contract expired at the end of the season.[25][31]

Scunthorpe United

edit

O'Neill trained with Darlington during the close season,[32] but a trial at League Two club Scunthorpe United proved successful and he signed a two-year contract on 23 July 2021.[33] He started the opening match of the season, but lasted only half an hour before a knee injury forced his substitution.[34] He made three more appearances during August and September, but his progress was interrupted by injury, and his last inclusion in a matchday squad came at the end of October.[35][25]

On 1 January 2022, the first day of the transfer window, he rejoined Darlington on loan for the rest of the 2021–22 season.[36] He marked his debut a week later with a headed goal, the fifth in Darlington's 6–0 win away to Farsley Celtic; it was his first touch of the ball.[37] He finished the season with four goals from 13 National League North appearances.[25] In June 2022, O'Neill left Scunthorpe by mutual consent.[38]

Stockton Town

edit

O'Neill rejoined Stockton Town, the club for which he played as a young teenager, in August 2022.[39]

Shildon

edit

On 8 November, O'Neill signed for Shildon.[40]

Career statistics

edit
As of match played 29 October 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Middlesbrough U21 2017–18[10] 2[c] 0 2 0
2018–19[13] 3[c] 0 3 0
Total 5 0 5 0
Middlesbrough 2018–19[13] Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019–20[41] Championship 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2020–21[42] Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Hartlepool United (loan) 2018–19[25] National League 3 0 2 1 1[d] 0 6 1
Darlington (loan) 2019–20[25][43] National League North 14 4 3 3 17 7
2020–21[25] National League North 6 2 1 0 3[d] 0 10 2
Total 20 6 4 3 0 0 3 0 27 9
Scunthorpe United 2021–22[44] League Two 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Darlington (loan) 2021–22[25] National League North 13 4 13 4
Stockton Town 2022–23[45] Northern Premier League
East Division
6 0 0 0 3[e] 2 9 2
Shildon 2022–23 Northern Premier League
East Division
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 47 10 6 4 0 0 12 2 65 16
  1. ^ Includes FA Cup, Scottish Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearances in EFL Trophy
  4. ^ a b Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
  5. ^ Two appearances and two goals in FA Trophy, one appearance in Durham Challenge Cup

References

edit
  1. ^ "Club list of registered players: As at 18th May 2019: Middlesbrough" (PDF). English Football League. p. 19. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Tyrone O'Neill". Middlesbrough F.C. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Tyrone O'Neill". worldfootball.net. HeimSpiel Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Tyrone O'Neill returns to Darlo on loan". Middlesbrough F.C. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Meet Boro's new Academy intake for 2016". Middlesbrough F.C. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Redcar". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. 28 February 2009. p. 33. Retrieved 21 December 2020 – via Gale OneFile: News.
    "The Thunder". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. 30 January 2010. p. 33. Retrieved 21 December 2020 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  7. ^ Ord, Chris (15 October 2011). "Over 1,000 goals scored; TJFA report". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. p. 5. Retrieved 21 December 2020 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  8. ^ Ord, Chris (8 December 2012). "Seven up for O'Neill; Junior Football". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 23 December 2020 – via Gale OneFile: News.
    Ord, Chris (10 May 2014). "Stokesley leave it late to take runners-up spot; Teams prepare for big day of cup finals Teesside Junior Football Alliance". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2020 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  9. ^ "Club History". Stockton Town F.C. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Games played by Tyrone O'Neill in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  11. ^ "New contracts for Academy trio Hayden Coulson, Aynsley Pears and Tyrone O'Neill". Middlesbrough F.C. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  12. ^ Shaw, Dominic (15 August 2018). "Mahmutovic, McGinley, Walker, Spence, Wood and Chapman: Players behind a proud night for Middlesbrough's Academy". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  13. ^ a b c "Games played by Tyrone O'Neill in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  14. ^ Loughlin, Nick (10 November 2018). "Bates adds to his squad for FA Cup test". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Matthew Bates reacts to Pools' Gillingham draw, Boro youngster's debut and his side's FA Cup replay chances". Hartlepool Mail. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  16. ^ Loughlin, Nick (22 November 2018). "FA Cup replay: Hartlepool United 3 Gillingham 4 – plus player ratings". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Hartlepool United end loan of Burton Albion striker Marcus Dinanga as Richard Money assesses future of Middlesbrough's Tyrone O'Neill". Hartlepool Mail. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  18. ^ Stoddart, Craig (19 July 2019). "Armstrong: 'Hopefully he'll help us and we'll help him'". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  19. ^ Stoddart, Joe (19 July 2019). "'He has massive potential': Darlington boss Alun Armstrong praises young striker after Middlesbrough recall". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  20. ^ Nicholson, Craig (7 November 2019). "Report: Farsley Celtic 3 Darlington 1". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  21. ^ Stoddart, Craig (23 August 2019). "Darlington bidding for first away points of the season". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  22. ^ Stoddart, Craig (19 October 2019). "Quakers into first round of the FA Cup: Tamworth 0 Darlington 3". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  23. ^ Tallentire, Philip (6 November 2019). "Middlesbrough recall homegrown striker ahead of QPR trip". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  24. ^ Simpson, Ray (14 September 2019). "Darlington boss draws a blank ahead of York visit". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "T. O'Neill". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  26. ^ Fraser, Paul (30 November 2019). "Woodgate reacts to heavy Boro defeat at Leeds and looks to January". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  27. ^ Vickers, Anthony (4 March 2020). "Young Middlesbrough striker may leave for second spell on loan at Darlington". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  28. ^ Shaw, Dominic (20 November 2020). "Alun Armstrong's 'pestering' pays off as Darlington re-sign Middlesbrough striker Tyrone O'Neill". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  29. ^ "Tyrone's loan extended". Darlington F.C. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Tyrone returns to Boro". Darlington F.C. 23 January 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  31. ^ "MFC Retained List: Summer 2021". Middlesbrough F.C. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  32. ^ Simpson, Ray (10 July 2021). "Quakers lose narrowly in first taste of action". Darlington F.C. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  33. ^ Findlater, James (23 July 2021). "Scunthorpe United make double signing as triallists Tyrone O'Neill and Harry Bunn complete moves". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  34. ^ Findlater, James (12 August 2021). "Cox hopeful over injured Iron players". Scunthorpe Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  35. ^ "Cox updates as Iron get ready to visit Colchester". Scunthorpe United F.C. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  36. ^ Jones, Matty (1 January 2022). "Tyrone O'Neill has signed for Darlington for a fourth time". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  37. ^ Simpson, Ray (9 January 2022). "Darlington hit Farsley for six: 'It could have been ten'". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  38. ^ "Tyrone O'Neill departs United". Scunthorpe United F.C. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  39. ^ "Anchors complete signing of Tyrone O'Neill". Stockton Town F.C. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  40. ^ "Tyrone O'Neill signs for the Railwaymen". Shildon A.F.C. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  41. ^ "Games played by Tyrone O'Neill in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  42. ^ "Games played by Tyrone O'Neill in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  43. ^ For FA Cup 2nd and 3rd qualifying rounds: Simpson, Ray (21 September 2019). "Quakers win first FA Cup tie in five years". Darlington F.C. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
    Simpson, Ray (5 October 2019). "Tyrone and Justin put Quakers through". Darlington F.C. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  44. ^ "Games played by Tyrone O'Neill in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  45. ^ "Stockton Town – Appearances – Tyrone O'Neill". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 4 November 2022.