Paul Doyle (Irish footballer)

Last updated
Paul Doyle
Personal information
Full name Paul Doyle
Date of birth (1998-04-10) 10 April 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Westport, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Drogheda United
Number 6
Youth career
–2014 Westport United
2014–2017 Sligo Rovers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2016–2017 Sligo Rovers 1 (0)
2018–2021 UCD 89 (0)
2022–2024 Dundalk 69 (5)
2025– Drogheda United 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:55, 31 January 2025 (UTC)

Paul Doyle (born 10 April 1998) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League of Ireland Premier Division club Drogheda United. His previous clubs are Sligo Rovers, UCD and Dundalk.

Contents

Career

Youth career

Westport, County Mayo native Doyle began playing with local club Westport United, [1] before joining the academy of League of Ireland club Sligo Rovers in 2014, where he played for their under-19 side for 4 seasons. [2]

Sligo Rovers

Doyle made his senior debut for Sligo Rovers in a 2–1 loss away to Derry City at the Brandywell Stadium. [3] The following season he made 2 appearances in the League of Ireland Cup, but those were his only 3 senior appearances for the club as he left at the end of the season. [4]

UCD

Doyle signed for League of Ireland First Division club UCD ahead of the 2018 season. On 7 February 2018, he was part of the squad that won the Collingwood Cup by defeating Queen's University Belfast 2–1 in the final. [5] Doyle was part of the team that drew 1–1 with Finn Harps on 14 September 2018 to win the 2018 League of Ireland First Division title and promotion to the Premier Division. [6] [7] On 24 September 2019, he scored his first goal in senior football in a 4–1 win over Crumlin United in the Leinster Senior Cup. [8] On 18 October 2019, Doyle and UCD were relegated back to the First Division after a 3–0 loss to Shamrock Rovers at the UCD Bowl. [9] After losing in the 2020 Playoffs, Doyle and UCD were promoted back to the League of Ireland Premier Division at the second time of asking in 2021, defeating Waterford 2–1 in the playoff final at Richmond Park on 26 November 2021. [10] He was voted into the PFAI First Division Team of the Year by his fellow professionals. [11] He scored 4 goals in 108 appearances during his 4 years with the club. [4]

Dundalk

On 19 December 2021, Doyle signed for League of Ireland Premier Division side Dundalk ahead of their 2022 season. [12] [13] On 6 May 2022, he scored his first goal for the club, opening the scoring in a 2–2 draw away to his former club UCD at the UCD Bowl. [14] On 18 November 2022, he signed a new 2-year contract with the club. [15] [16] He made his first career appearances in European competition in the summer of 2023, playing at home and away in a UEFA Europa Conference League tie with KA Akureyri of Iceland as Dundalk were defeated 5–3 on aggregate. [17] [18] On 29 September 2023, he scored in a 3–1 win in the Louth Derby as his side defeated Drogheda United 3–1 at Oriel Park. [19] [20] In July 2024, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for 10 weeks. [21] [22] In October 2024, the club were relegated to the First Division for the first time since 2008. [23] He scored 6 goals in 79 appearances during 3 season with the club. [4]

Drogheda United

Doyle signed for Dundalk's Louth Derby rivals Drogheda United on 17 January 2025. [24] [25]

Career statistics

As of match played on 7 February 2025 [26]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational Cup [a] League Cup [b] Europe OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sligo Rovers 2016 LOI Premier Division 10000010
2017 0000200 [c] 020
Total1000200030
UCD 2018 LOI First Division 21040101 [d] 0270
2019 LOI Premier Division 28010202 [d] 1331
2020 LOI First Division 160111 [e] 0181
2021 240304 [f] 2312
Total8909130731084
Dundalk 2022 LOI Premier Division 25221273
2023 253102 [g] 00 [d] 0283
2024 190003 [d] 0220
Total695312050796
Drogheda United 2025 LOI Premier Division 00000 [h] 02 [i] 020
Career Total1915122502014315110

Honours

Club

UCD

Individual

References

  1. "Mayo midfielder Paul Doyle swaps Lilywhites for Drogs". Connaught Telegraph. January 20, 2025.
  2. "Paul Doyle | Stats | History | Career Details | Images | extratime.com - The Home of Irish Football - Extratime.com". www.extratime.com.
  3. McLaughlin, Kevin (October 21, 2016). "Derry battle back to overcome Sligo" via www.rte.ie.
  4. 1 2 3 "Republic of Ireland - P. Doyle - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com.
  5. "UCD lifts Collingwood Cup with stunning injury-time strike". www.ucd.ie.
  6. "Top of the class as UCD AFC crowned First Division champions". www.ucd.ie.
  7. Donnelly, Dave (September 14, 2018). "Collie O'Neill's UCD clinch First Division title" via www.rte.ie.
  8. "Leinster Senior Cup Report: UCD 4 - 1 Crumlin United". extratime.com.
  9. Buttner, Paul (October 18, 2019). "UCD relegated as Shamrock Rovers stroll to victory" via www.rte.ie.
  10. Fennessy, Paul (November 26, 2021). "Joy for UCD as they beat beleagured [sic] Waterford to seal Premier Division status". The 42.
  11. Kinsella, Colm (November 29, 2021). "Treaty United player makes PFA Ireland First Division Team of the Year". www.limerickleader.ie.
  12. McLaughlin, Gavin (December 19, 2021). "DOYLE JOINS DUNDALK FC". Dundalk Football Club.
  13. O'Connor, Tom. "UCD skipper Paul Doyle leaves student days behind as he joins the Lilywhites". extratime.com.
  14. "League Report: UCD 2 - 2 Dundalk". extratime.com.
  15. McLaughlin, Gavin (November 18, 2022). "DOYLE PENS NEW DEAL". Dundalk Football Club.
  16. Newberry, Niall (November 21, 2022). "Stephen O'Donnell re-signs three more Dundalk players for the 2023 season". www.dundalkdemocrat.ie.
  17. McLaughlin, Gavin (July 27, 2023). "KA AKUREYRI 3-1 DUNDALK FC". Dundalk Football Club.
  18. McLaughlin, Gavin. "Dundalk FC 2-2 KA Akureyri". Dundalk Football Club.
  19. "Paul Doyle sparks Dundalk comeback in another Louth derby win". Irish Independent. September 29, 2023.
  20. "Dundalk FC head coach Stephen O'Donnell praises midfielder Paul Doyle – 'He's made of the right stuff'". Irish Independent. October 3, 2023.
  21. McLaughlin, Gavin (July 19, 2024). "LILYWHITES HIT BY DOYLE INJURY BLOW". Dundalk Football Club.
  22. McLaughlin, Gavin (September 20, 2024). "DOYLE: I THOUGHT I HAD PLAYED MY LAST GAME". Dundalk Football Club.
  23. Rogers, James (October 18, 2024). "Dundalk relegated as Derry keep pressure on at the top" via www.rte.ie.
  24. "Paul Doyle signs for Drogheda United – Drogheda".
  25. "Drogheda United new boy Paul Doyle so grateful for the opportunity as clubs 'weren't chomping at the bit to sign me'". www.independent.ie. January 29, 2025.
  26. "Republic of Ireland - P. Doyle - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.