Wes Hoolahan

Early career

Hoolahan played as a schoolboy for Belvedere. He also played futsal with Belvedere. He started his senior career at Shelbourne where he won three League of Ireland Premier Division championships and excelled during their run in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. He was the PFAI Young Player of the Year in the 2002–03 season. He then had a brief spell at Livingston.

Blackpool

On 21 July 2006, Hoolahan joined Blackpool on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for the club on 30 September 2006, a penalty in a 3–0 win over Leyton Orient at Bloomfield Road. On 15 December 2006, he scored a goal and was sent off in a 3–1 win at Scunthorpe United. In June 2007, Hoolahan signed a two-year contract with Blackpool. Livingston, however, refused to sign the documentation sanctioning the move, stating that Blackpool had repeatedly breached the terms of the loan agreement. Blackpool denied any such default and referred the matter to the Football Association. With Livingston being backed by the Scottish Football Association the matter was passed to FIFA for a decision to be made on the player's future. On 10 August 2007, FIFA ruled in Blackpool's favour, thus confirming Hoolahan as a Blackpool player.

Norwich City

On 26 June 2008, Norwich City confirmed the deal to bring Hoolahan on a three-year player-plus-cash deal. Norwich reserve team keeper Matt Gilks moved in the opposite direction along with an undisclosed amount of…

Hoolahan was first capped at under-21 level for the Republic of Ireland. While at Shelbourne, he was an unused substitute in Don Givens' first game in charge of the Republic of Ireland, a 0–0 draw against Greece in November 2002.

Hoolahan was named in the Republic of Ireland "B" squad on 8 November 2007, for the match against Scotland on 20 November at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie. Hoolahan played in the match, which ended in a 1–1 draw. In April 2008, Giovanni Trapattoni included Hoolahan in his preliminary 40-man squad for the friendly matches against Serbia on 24 May and Colombia on 29 May. On 13 May, it was confirmed that Hoolahan had made the 28-man squad and that he would be joining a training camp in Portugal on 15 May in preparation for the matches. He came on as a 70th-minute substitute in a practice match which the Irish team drew 1–1 with Portuguese Liga de Honra club team Portimonense. He was an unused substitute in Ireland's 1–1 draw with Serbia at Croke Park in Dublin. On 29 May, he came on as a second-half substitute in the 1–0 win over Colombia held in England at Craven Cottage. On 10 August 2012, Hoolahan was recalled to the Republic of Ireland squad for 15 August friendly international against Serbia in Belgrade. However, he was unable to accept the call due to an Achilles tendon injury. On 31 October 2012, Hoolahan was called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the 14 November friendly international against Greece in Dublin. He came on at…

Club

As of match played 8 August 2025

International

Scores and results list the Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hoolahan goal.

Shelbourne

League of Ireland Premier Division: 2001–02, 2003, 2004 Blackpool

Football League One play-offs: 2007 Norwich City

Football League Championship runner-up: 2010–11; play-offs: 2015 Football League One: 2009–10 Cambridge United

EFL League Two runner-up: 2020–21 Individual

PFAI Young Player of the Year: 2002–03 PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07 League One, 2009–10 League One, 2010–11 Championship, 2020–21 League Two The Football League Team of the Decade Norwich City Player of the Season: 2016–17 League Two Player of the Month: January 2021 EFL League Two Team of the Season: 2020–21