Mason Melia

Mason Melia

Melia warming up with St Patrick's Athletic in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(2007-09-22) 22 September 2007 (age 16)
Place of birth	County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	St Patrick's Athletic
Number	9
Youth career
0000	Newtown Juniors
0000	St Joseph's Boys
0000	Bray Wanderers
2022–	St Patrick's Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	St Patrick's Athletic	20	(3)
International career‡
2021	Republic of Ireland U15	6	(0)
2022–2023	Republic of Ireland U16	6	(2)
2022–	Republic of Ireland U17	22	(10)
2023–	Republic of Ireland U19	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:28, 20 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:44, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

Mason Melia (born 22 September 2007) is an Irish professional footballer who, as of 2023, plays as a forward for St Patrick's Athletic.

Early life

Melia attended the Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, captaining the school's under-15 side to the 2022 Leinster U15s Shield, getting a goal and an assist in the 3–0 final victory. ^[1]

Club career

Youth career

Initially in the academies of Newtown Juniors, St Joseph's Boys and Bray Wanderers, Melia moved to League of Ireland Premier Division side St Patrick's Athletic in the summer of 2022. ^[2]

St Patrick's Athletic

2023 season

His performances for the youth team of St Patrick's Athletic earned him a call up to the senior squad in January 2023, and he made his debut in a Leinster Senior Cup, coming off the bench to score in a 3–1 loss to Wexford. ^[2] In doing so, he became St Patrick's Athletic's youngest ever player and youngest ever goal-scorer. ^{[2] [3]} In May 2023, with Eoin Doyle suspended and Tommy Lonergan ill, Melia was again drafted into the senior squad, and made his league debut as a substitute for Conor Carty in an eventual 3–0 win against Drogheda United in the LOI Premier Division. ^[4] He became the club's youngest league debutant, and the third youngest in league history - behind Sam Curtis & Evan Ferguson. ^{[4] [5]} After the game, manager Jon Daly lauded Melia as an "exceptional" player. ^[6] Following his performances for St Patrick's Athletic, he was linked with a move to English Premier League side Liverpool in March 2023. ^[7] On 30 June 2023, Melia came off the bench to score his first senior league goal in a 7–0 win over UCD at Richmond Park, with the goal making him the youngest ever goalscorer in the League of Ireland Premier Division at 15 years and 281 days old. ^[8] In August 2023, he spent time on trial at Manchester City. ^[9] On 20 August 2023, Melia scored the winning penalty in a 4–3 shootout win over Derry City in the second round of the FAI Cup after a 0–0 draw at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. ^[10] On 22 September 2023, on his 16th birthday, Melia came off the bench in the 83rd minute against Dundalk, before going on to win a penalty in injury time which he took himself and scored to secure a 3–1 win. ^[11] On 9 November 2023, it was announced that Melia had signed his first professional contract with the club, signing a 3 year contract to keep him with the club until the end of the 2026 season. ^[12] On 12 November 2023, Melia came off the bench in the 57th minute of the 2023 FAI Cup Final, making him the youngest ever player to play in an FAI Cup Final, as his side beat Bohemians 3–1 at the Aviva Stadium in front of a record breaking FAI Cup Final crowd of 43,881. ^{[13] [14]}

2024 season

His first goal of the 2024 season came on 22 January in a Leinster Senior Cup game away to Usher Celtic. ^[15] Melia scored his first league goal of the season on 1 August 2024, coming off the bench in the 77th minute at home to Sligo Rovers and finding the bottom corner 9 minutes later from 25 yards to help his side to a 3–0 victory. ^[16]

Personal life

Melia is the nephew of former Republic of Ireland international footballer and sports agent Clive Clarke. ^{[17] [18]}

International career

Melia has represented the Republic of Ireland from under-15 to under-17 level. ^{[7] [19]} He was part of the Irish under-16 side to win the 2022 Victory Shield, scoring in a 4–1 win in the final against Scotland. ^[20]

He scored a hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland U17 side in a 3–0 against Ukraine, helping them qualify for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, for which he was also called up. ^[21] At those championships he scored two goals in Ireland's final group game, against Hungary, in a 4–2 win which put his side through to the quarter-finals. ^[22] On 11 October 2023, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Armenia U17 in a 2024 UEFA U-17 Euro qualification fixture in Fermoy. ^[23]

In November 2023, he received his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U19 side, for their 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification games against Albania, Slovenia & Belgium. ^[24]

Career statistics

As of matches played 19 April 2024 ^[25]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
St Patrick's Athletic	2023	LOI Premier Division	10	2	2	0	0 [lower-alpha 1]	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	1	13	3
	2024		10	1	0	0	0 [lower-alpha 3]	0	3 [lower-alpha 4]	1	13	2
Career total			20	3	2	0	0	0	4	2	26	5

1. Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa Conference League
2. Appearance(s) in the Leinster Senior Cup
3. Appearance(s) in the UEFA Conference League
4. 1 appearance in the President of Ireland's Cup & 2 appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup

Honours

St Patrick's Athletic

• FAI Cup (1): 2023

References

1. "CCA School News 27 May 2022". colaisteca.ie. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
2. Gorman, Daniel (2 February 2023). "Wicklow's Mason Melia scores screamer for St Patrick's Athletics and breaks records in the process". independent.it. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
3. "Melia Becomes Saints Youngest Scorer". stpatsfc.com. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
4. Connaughton, Gary (13 May 2023). "15-Year Old St Pat's Debutant Is The Next Name For Ireland Fans To Keep An Eye On". balls.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
5. Doyle, Garry (13 May 2023). "Ireland's Mason Melia has world at his feet - only 15 and already a first-teamer". irishmirror.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
6. O'Connor, Sean (13 May 2023). "St Pat's interim boss hails 'exceptional' Mason Melia after 15-year-old becomes club's youngest league player". indepdendent.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
7. Cavilla, Tom (22 March 2023). "Liverpool 'make move' to sign 15-year-old striker but face Premier League competition". liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
8. "15-year-old Mason Melia becomes youngest Saints scorer in rout of UCD". Independent.ie. June 30, 2023.
9. Harrington, Eoin (August 6, 2023). "Reports: Irish Wonderkid On Trial At Manchester City". Balls.ie.
10. Team, Extratime. "FAI Cup Report: Derry City 0 – 0 St. Patrick's Athletic AET (Saints win 4-3 on penalties)". extratime.com.
11. McNamara, Ronan (September 22, 2023). "Lonergan on the double as Saints sink Dundalk" – via www.rte.ie.
12. "Melia Signs Three Year Professional Contract". www.stpatsfc.com.
13. "'Anto looked at me like I had ten heads' – How young guns led St Pat's to Cup glory". Independent.ie. November 12, 2023.
14. O'Hehir, Paul (November 12, 2023). "Big things predicted for young Saints after cup glory". Irish Mirror.
15. "LSC Report: Usher Celtic 3-3 Saints". www.stpatsfc.com.
16. "'They have taken a lot of stick' – St Pat's boss Jon Daly hits back at criticism after Saints sink Sligo". Irish Independent. 2 April 2024.
17. "The uncle, the nephew and a moment of fate for promising Ireland prospect". www.independent.ie. May 27, 2023.
18. Fallon, John (May 25, 2023). "Jon Daly confident of success with St Patrick's Athletic". Irish Examiner.
19. Mason Melia at WorldFootball.net
20. O'Donoghue, Conor (5 November 2022). "Ireland won the 2022 Victory Shield after beating Scotland". irishpost.com. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
21. "15-year-old Melia hits hat-trick as Irish U17s take step closer to Euros qualification". the42.ie. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
22. "'Best feeling ever' – Ireland U17s cresting Euro wave". May 24, 2023 – via www.rte.ie.
23. "REPORT | MU17 | Melia hat-trick inspires Irish win | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
24. "MU19 | Mohan names squad for U19 EURO qualifiers | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
25. Mason Melia at Soccerway