| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Forbes [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 April 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Ardboe, Northern Ireland [2] | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) [3] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Northampton Town (on loan from West Ham United) | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Ardboe | ||
| 2009–2017 | Cookstown Youth | ||
| 2017–2020 | Dungannon Swifts | ||
| 2020– | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Bristol Rovers (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2025 | → Colchester United (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2025– | → Northampton Town (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Northern Ireland U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2022 | Northern Ireland U18 | 2 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Northern Ireland U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2023– | Northern Ireland U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 2023– | Northern Ireland | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:25, 27 September 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 09:59, 29 July 2025 (UTC) | |||
Michael Forbes (born 29 April 2004) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a centre-back for Northampton Town on loan from Premier League club West Ham United, and the Northern Ireland national team.
Forbes is a youth product of Ardboe, Cookstown Youth, and Dungannon Swifts. [4] He joined the youth academy of West Ham United on 24 July 2020 when he signed a scholarship contract with the club. [5] The following season, he captained the U18s and debuted with the U23s in December 2021. [6] He signed his first professional contract with the club on 31 May 2022. [7] He made his first appearance on the senior West Ham squad for a UEFA Conference League match against FCSB on 3 November 2022. [8]
On 5 July 2024, Forbes joined League One club Bristol Rovers on a season-long loan deal. [9] [10] He was recalled on 3 January 2025 to continue rehabilitation from a hamstring injury suffered two weeks prior. [11] On 30 January 2025, he joined League Two side Colchester United on loan for the remainder of the season. [12] During an in-house training match, he once again suffered a hamstring injury requiring surgery, returning to West Ham United in March 2025. [13]
On 25 July 2025, Forbes joined League One side Northampton Town on a season-long loan deal. [14] He made his Northampton debut on 2 August scoring in a 3–1 away defeat to Wigan Athletic. [15]
Forbes is a youth international for Northern Ireland, having played up to the Northern Ireland U21s. [16] After injuries to the senior squad in November 2021, he was called up to train with the senior national team. [17] He debuted with the senior Northern Ireland national team as a late substitute in a 4–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying loss to Finland on 17 November 2023. [18]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Ham United U21 | 2020–21 [19] | — | — | — | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23 [20] | — | — | — | 3 [a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2023–24 [21] | — | — | — | 3 [a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2024–25 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Bristol Rovers (loan) | 2024–25 [22] | League One | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 [a] | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Colchester United (loan) | 2024–25 [22] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northampton Town (loan) | 2025–26 [23] | League One | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Career total | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 |