Thomas O'Brien (footballer)

Thomas O'Brien

Thomas O’Brien in 2025.
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Alexander O'Brien
Date of birth	(1991-08-07) 7 August 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Dunfermline, Scotland
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Arbroath
Number	5
Youth career
	Dunfermline
2003–2008	Cowdenbeath
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2015	Cowdenbeath	114	(2)
2009	→ Rosyth (loan)
2010	→ Kelty Hearts (loan)
2015–2017	Forfar Athletic	60	(7)
2017–	Arbroath	180	(12)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 03:03, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

Thomas 'Tam' ^[1] O'Brien (born 7 August 1991) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a central defender for Scottish Championship side Arbroath, where he is also club captain ^[2]

Career

O'Brien began his footballing career at Dunfermline Athletic's Academy, but moved to Cowdenbeath in 2003. He signed professional terms in 2007, and after loan spells with Rosyth and Kelty Hearts, ^[3] he made his first team debut on 7 August 2010, in a 2–0 home loss against Ross County. ^[4] O'Brien scored his first professional goal on 1 October 2011, in a 1–1 away draw against Arbroath. ^[5]

At the end of the 2014–15 season, O'Brien signed a two-year contract with Scottish League One side Forfar Athletic. ^[6] He spent two seasons with Forfar, and was named in the 2016–17 PFA Scotland League Two Team of the Year after helping his club return to League One. ^[7]

O'Brien subsequently signed a two-year deal with Angus rivals Arbroath on 1 June 2017. ^[8]

In 2019, O'Brien was part of the Arbroath squad that won the Scottish League One title, gaining promotion to the Scottish Championship. The Lichties would remain in the second tier for five seasons, the last three of which were spent as the only part-time club in the division, with O'Brien ever-present throughout much of this time. This included a memorable promotion challenge in season 2021-22, with Arbroath eventually succumbing to champions Kilmarnock on the penultimate matchday. ^[9] Persistent injuries in the 2023–24 season limited O'Brien to just 19 league appearances, as Arbroath were relegated from the Championship. ^[10]

In April 2025, O'Brien captained Arbroath to the Scottish League One title with three games to spare, following a 4-0 victory over Stenhousemuir that secured an immediate return to the Championship. ^[11]

Career statistics

As of 5 May 2023

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Scottish Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Cowdenbeath	2010–11 [12] [13]	Scottish First Division	13	0	0	0	1	0	3 [a]	0	17	0
	2011–12 [14] [13]	Scottish Second Division	16	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	17	1
	2012–13 [15] [13]	Scottish First Division	30	0	1	0	1	0	4 [b]	0	36	0
	2013–14 [16]	Scottish Championship	24	1	1	0	1	0	5 [c]	3	31	4
	2014–15 [17]	Scottish Championship	31	0	1	0	1	0	1 [b]	0	34	0
	Total		114	2	4	0	4	0	13	3	135	5
Forfar Athletic	2015–16 [18]	Scottish League One	26	0	3	0	1	0	2 [b]	0	32	0
	2016–17 [19]	Scottish League Two	34	7	1	0	3	1	6 [d]	0	44	8
	Total		60	7	4	0	4	1	8	0	76	8
Arbroath	2017–18 [20]	Scottish League One	33	3	2	0	4	0	3 [e]	0	42	3
	2018–19 [21]	Scottish League One	32	2	1	0	3	1	3 [b]	1	39	4
	2019–20 [22]	Scottish Championship	25	0	4	0	4	0	2 [b]	0	35	0
	2020–21 [23]	Scottish Championship	26	2	1	0	4	2	0	0	31	4
	2021–22 [24]	Scottish Championship	35	3	3	0	2	1	3 [f]	0	43	4
	2022–23 [25]	Scottish Championship	29	2	2	0	4	0	1 [b]	1	36	3
	2023–24 [26]	Scottish Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		180	12	13	0	21	4	12	2	226	18
Career total			354	21	21	0	29	5	32	5	437	31

1. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Scottish First Division play-offs
2. Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
3. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and four appearances and three goals in the Scottish Championship play-offs
4. Two appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup and four appearances in the Scottish League One play-offs
5. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Scottish Championship play-offs
6. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Scottish Premiership play-offs

Honours

Club

Cowdenbeath

• Scottish Second Division: 2011–12 ^[13]

Arbroath

• Scottish League One: 2018–19 ^[13]

Individual

• Scottish League Two Player of the Month: September 2016 ^[27]
• PFA Scotland Scottish League Two Team of the Year: 2016–17 ^[7]
• PFA Scotland Scottish League One Team of the Year: 2017–18, ^[28] 2018–19 ^[29]
• PFA Scotland Scottish Championship Team of the Year: 2022–23 ^[30]

References

1. Cairns, Craig (12 December 2023). "Arbroath's Tam O'Brien gives first impressions of new boss ahead of taking on 'flying' Raith Rovers". The Courier. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
2. "Thomas O'Brien Contract Extension". Arbroath FC. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
3. Size matters insists Kelty Hearts boss; Dunfermline Press, 4 March 2010
4. Cowdenbeath 0–2 Ross County; BBC Sport, 7 August 2010
5. Arbroath 1–1 Cowdenbeath; SPFL, 1 October 2011
6. "Tom O'Brien joins the 'Loons'". Forfar Athletic F.C. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
7. "Liam Lindsay with Celtic & Dons players in Premiership team of the year". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
8. "Thomas O'Brien and Danny Denholm". Arbroath F.C. 1 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
9. "Dick Campbell on 'miracle' Arbroath season and 'irritating' exit". BBC Sport. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
10. "Ayr United 5-0 Arbroath: Visitors relegated as Ayr move to sixth". BBC Sport. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
11. "The inside story of how Arbroath went from being League 1 bottom dogs to champions". The Herald. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
12. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
13. Thomas O'Brien at Soccerway
14. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
15. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
16. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
17. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
18. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
19. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
20. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
21. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
22. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
23. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
24. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
25. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
26. "Games played by Thomas O'Brien in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
27. "SPFL Awards". spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
28. "Scottish PFA League 1 Team of the Year". Arbroath F.C. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
29. @PFAScotland (5 May 2019). "And the League 1 Team of the Year 2019 is...congratulations to all the players #PFAS #ToY" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 August 2019– via Twitter.
30. "PFA Scotland Championship Team of the Year". Arbroath FC. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.

External links

• Thomas O'Brien at Soccerbase