Michael O'Connor

Michael Joseph O'Connor (born 6 October 1987) is a Northern Ireland international footballer who plays as a midfielder for NIFL Premiership club Glenavon.

He began his professional career at Crewe Alexandra in 2005, and soon established himself as a first team regular. He was loaned out to Lincoln City in March 2009, and was sold to Scunthorpe United in July 2009 for a £250,000 fee. He spent three seasons with the "Iron", two of which were in the Championship, before he was allowed to sign with Rotherham United in May 2012. He helped the "Millers" to win two consecutive promotions, coming out of League Two as runners-up in 2012–13, and then winning the League One play-off final in 2014. He signed with Port Vale in July 2014, and went on to be named the club's Player of the Year in 2014–15. He signed with Notts County in June 2016, and stayed with the club for two years before joining Lincoln City in July 2018. He helped Lincoln to win the League Two title at the end of the 2018–19 season, before he joined Salford City in January 2020. He returned to Northern Ireland to sign with Glenavon in August 2020.

He was one of several Northern Irish footballers involved in a dispute between the IFA and the FAI concerning international eligibility. Having initially represented Northern Ireland up to under-21 level, O'Connor was persuaded to switch to the Republic of Ireland's under-21 squad for a brief period. However, he subsequently decided to revert permanently to Northern Ireland, to whom he became irrevocably committed.

Club Career

Crewe Alexandra

O'Connor was spotted by Crewe Alexandra scouts as a young teenager playing youth football in Northern Ireland. In 2004, shortly after he turned 16, he signed scholarship terms. He was a prominent member of the Alexandra youth team that reached the semi-final of the 2004 FA Youth Cup and he later captained the side. In July 2005 he signed a three-year professional contract. On 25 February 2006, aged 18, he made his Championshi