Cameron McGeehan

Cameron Alexander McGeehan (born 6 April 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian First Division A club Oostende. He represented Northern Ireland at youth level, playing for the under-17, under-19 and under-21 teams.

Cameron McGeehan

Personal information
Full name	Cameron Alexander McGeehan[1]
Date of birth	(1995-04-06) 6 April 1995[2]
Place of birth	Kingston upon Thames, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3]
Playing position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Oostende
Youth career
2003–2005	Fulham
2005–2011	Chelsea
2011–2013	Norwich City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2015	Norwich City	0	(0)
2014	→ Luton Town (loan)	18	(3)
2015	→ Cambridge United (loan)	4	(3)
2015	→ Luton Town (loan)	15	(3)
2015–2017	Luton Town	65	(22)
2017–2020	Barnsley	61	(9)
2018	→ Scunthorpe United (loan)	13	(0)
2020	→ Portsmouth (loan)	12	(0)
2020–	Oostende	0	(0)
National team
2011	Northern Ireland U17	4	(0)
2013	Northern Ireland U19	3	(0)
2013–2014	Northern Ireland U21	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:41, 6 July 2020 (UTC)

McGeehan began his youth career at Fulham before joining Chelsea and later Norwich City. He captained Norwich to victory in the 2012–13 FA Youth Cup, scoring in both legs of the final against his former club Chelsea. While at Norwich, McGeehan had two loan spells both at Luton Town, helping the team win promotion to League Two, and a short loan spell with Cambridge United. McGeehan made his move to Luton permanent in 2015, staying for two seasons before joining Championship club Barnsley for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2017. He joined Belgian side Oostende in August 2020.

Early life and family

McGeehan was born in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London,[2] to Kevin McGeehan and Julie Allen.[4] He is the third of four children, with two older sisters, Lilli and Gracie and a younger brother, Freddie, who plays tennis at the University of Utah.[5] He attended Tiffin School where he played both rugby and cricket.[6] He also excelled academically, achieving straight As at GCSE.[6]

Youth career

Having been signed from Fulham for £80,000 aged 10, McGeehan played for Chelsea from 2005 to 2011 before being released.[7] He then signed for Norwich City in 2011 and was the captain of the 2012–13 FA Youth Cup winning team, scoring in both legs of the final against Chelsea.[8]

Senior career

Norwich City and loans

After time in the Norwich City youth teams, McGeehan signed a one-month youth loan with Conference Premier club Luton Town on 16 January 2014.[7] He made his debut nine days later in a 3–0 win over Nuneaton Town.[9] After impressing the fans and manager John Still, his loan was extended until the end of the season.[10] McGeehan scored his first goal for Luton in a 1–0 win at home to Aldershot Town on 5 April,[11] and this was followed up with a goal in the following match, a 2–0 win at home to Tamworth.[12] He completed the loan spell with three goals from 18 appearances,[13] as Luton won the Conference Premier title and promotion back to the Football League.[14] McGeehan's performances in Luton's title run-in helped him win the Conference Premier Player of the Month award for April 2014.[15]

McGeehan's first involvement with the Norwich first-team came on 26 August 2014 when he was named as an unused substitute in a 3–1 win at home to Crawley Town in the League Cup second round.[16] He signed a two-year professional contract with the club in October 2014.[17]

On 13 January 2015, McGeehan joined League Two club Cambridge United on a one-month youth loan.[18] He made his debut four days later in a 4–0 win at home to Newport County, in which he scored twice and was named man of the match.[19][20] Six days after his Football League debut, McGeehan made his first appearance in the FA Cup, playing in Cambridge's fourth round fixture with footballing giants Manchester United at the Abbey Stadium.[21] He played for 90 minutes as Cambridge pulled off a shock result, holding the team 76 places above them in the football pyramid to a 0–0 draw.[21] McGeehan's strong start to his Cambridge career continued, and he once again found himself on the scoresheet in a 1–1 draw with Dagenham & Redbridge.[22] McGeehan received the first red card of his professional career in a 1–0 defeat at home to Wycombe Wanderers in what was to be the final match of his loan spell.[23]

On 14 February 2015, McGeehan rejoined Luton Town on loan until the end of 2014–15, with a view to a permanent transfer.[24] He said that playing for Norwich's under-21 team was "pretty poor in terms of competitive football" and that he had "wanted to come back [to Luton] from the moment I left".[25] McGeehan scored his first goal since returning to Luton in a 3–2 defeat at home to Morecambe.[26] He scored a late winner on his 20th birthday in a 1–0 win away to Tranmere Rovers, to end a run of seven consecutive losses for Luton that had seen them drop out of the play-off places.[27]

Luton Town

On 1 July 2015, McGeehan joined Luton Town permanently on a two-year contract for an undisclosed six-figure fee, with a sell-on clause included.[28] His first appearance after signing permanently came in a 3–1 win at home to newly promoted Championship club Bristol City in the League Cup first round on 11 August, before scoring Luton's second goal in the following match, a 2–2 draw with Oxford United four days later.[29][30] McGeehan was introduced as a 60th-minute substitute in Luton's League Cup second round tie against Premier League team Stoke City, before scoring a last-minute equaliser to take the match to extra time.[31] Luton eventually lost 8–7 on penalties, despite McGeehan netting in the penalty shoot-out.[31] Following a suspension by the Irish Football Association for rejecting a Northern Ireland under-21 call-up,[32] McGeehan came on as a 55th-minute substitute for Luke Guttridge and scored Luton's first goal in a 3–2 defeat away to Notts County.[33] After he was dropped to the bench for the last couple of matches before John Still was sacked, McGeehan returned to the starting lineup in a 3–2 win away to Exeter City on 19 December and scored a 30th-minute penalty to increase his total to nine goals for the season.[34] McGeehan was named the Football League Young Player of the Month for February 2016, during which he scored three goals in five appearances,[35] as well as being named joint winner of the Luton Town Young Player of the Season award, shared with Jack Marriott, chosen by the Luton Town management team.[36] McGeehan finished the season with 45 appearances and 14 goals.[29]

McGeehan made his first appearance of 2016–17 in the starting lineup away to Plymouth Argyle on the opening day of the season, which finished as a 3–0 victory.[37] His first goal of the season came in the following match, a 3–1 win at home to newly relegated Championship club Aston Villa in the EFL Cup first round.[38] McGeehan scored two penalties against Newport County on 16 August, the second of which came in the sixth minute of stoppage time to give Luton a 2–1 home victory.[39] He was nominated as PFA Fans' League Two Player of the Month for October, during which he scored two goals,[40] which was eventually awarded to Ben Purrington of Plymouth Argyle.[41] McGeehan suffered a broken leg during a 1–0 defeat away to Portsmouth on 2 January 2017 that ruled him out for the rest of the season, which he finished with 28 appearances and 11 goals.[38][42]

Barnsley

On 23 June 2017, McGeehan signed for Championship club Barnsley on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[43] He made his debut on 12 September as an 88th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory at home to Derby County in the EFL Cup second round.[44][45] McGeehan scored his first goal for Barnsley in a 2–2 draw at home to Middlesbrough on 14 October.[46]

He joined League One club Scunthorpe United on loan until the end of the season on 4 January 2018, having made 10 appearances and scored one goal for Barnsley up to that point in 2017–18.[47] McGeehan made his debut as a 78th-minute substitute in a 3–1 home defeat to Gillingham on 20 January.[48][49] He scored his first goal for Scunthorpe with a late equaliser in the 88th minute of the play-off semi-final first leg 2–2 home draw with Rotherham United, having entered the match as a 75th-minute substitute.[50] McGeehan came on as a 62nd-minute substitute in the 2–0 away defeat in the second leg, meaning Scunthorpe lost the tie 4–2 on aggregate.[51] He finished the loan with 15 appearances and one goal.[52]

McGeehan was loaned to another League One club, Portsmouth, on 7 January 2020 until the end of the 2019–20 season.[53] His first goal for Portsmouth was the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over former club Scunthorpe United in the quarter-final of the EFL Trophy two weeks later.[54]

Oostende

In August 2020, McGeehan signed for Belgian First Division A club Oostende on a three-year contract.[55]

International career

Born and raised in England, McGeehan also qualifies to play for Northern Ireland through his grandmother. He has represented the nation at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.[13]

On 3 September 2015, McGeehan rejected a call-up from the Northern Ireland under-21s to face Scotland and Iceland as he was reconsidering his international future. As a result, he was suspended by the Irish Football Association for the duration of the international break, making him unavailable for selection in Luton's match against Cambridge United on 5 September.[32] Then-Luton manager John Still said of McGeehan's suspension: "[he] was chosen for Northern Ireland U21s but has decided that he doesn't want to represent Northern Ireland, even though he has done before. He's had a chat with his family, because I think the Irish comes from a grandmother, and as a very confident young man, he feels that England is his country and he doesn't want to not think he can't make that step."[32]

McGeehan was called up to the Northern Ireland national team for the first time on 16 May 2018.[56] However, he withdrew from the squad six days later due to an ankle injury.[57]

Career statistics

As of match played 6 July 2020

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Norwich City	2013–14[58]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2014–15[59]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Luton Town (loan)	2013–14[13]	Conference Premier	18	3	—		—		—		18	3
Cambridge United (loan)	2014–15[59]	League Two	4	3	2	0	—		—		6	3
Luton Town (loan)	2014–15[59]	League Two	15	3	—		—		—		15	3
Luton Town	2015–16[29]	League Two	41	12	1	0	2	1	1[lower-alpha 1]	1	45	14
	2016–17[38]	League Two	24	10	2	0	2	1	0	0	28	11
	Total		80	25	3	0	4	2	1	1	88	28
Barnsley	2017–18[52]	Championship	9	1	0	0	1	0	—		10	1
	2018–19[60]	League One	39	6	3	0	1	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	44	6
	2019–20[61]	Championship	13	2	0	0	1	0	—		14	2
	Total		61	9	3	0	3	0	1	0	68	9
Scunthorpe United (loan)	2017–18[52]	League One	13	0	—		—		2[lower-alpha 3]	1	15	1
Portsmouth (loan)	2019–20[61]	League One	12	0	1	0	—		4[lower-alpha 4]	2	17	2
Career total			188	40	9	0	7	2	8	4	212	46

1. Appearance in Football League Trophy
2. Appearance in EFL Trophy
3. Appearances in League One play-offs
4. Two appearances and two goals in EFL Trophy, two appearances in League One play-offs

Honours

Club

Norwich City

• FA Youth Cup: 2012–13[8]

Luton Town

• Conference Premier: 2013–14[62]

Barnsley

• EFL League One runner-up: 2018–19[63]

Individual

• Conference Premier Player of the Month: April 2014[15]
• Football League Young Player of the Month: February 2016[35]
• Luton Town Young Player of the Season: 2015–16[36]
• EFL League One Team Of the Season 2018/19 Barnsley FC

References

1. "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Barnsley" (PDF). English Football League. p. 4. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
2. "Cameron McGeehan". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
3. "Cameron McGeehan". ESPN FC. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
4. Nursey, James (3 February 2015). "McGeehan plotting Cup upset against players he grew up with". Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
5. "Freddie McGeehan joins Utes". University of Utah Men's Tennis. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
6. McCann, Tim. "Football Note" (PDF). The Tiffinian. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
7. "Luton Town sign Norwich City's Cameron McGeehan on loan". BBC Sport. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
8. "Cameron McGeehan fires Norwich to FA Youth Cup glory against former club Chelsea". Daily Star. London. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
9. "Luton Town 3–0 Nuneaton Town". BBC Sport. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
10. "Norwich City midfielder Cameron McGeehan extends Luton Town loan stint". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
11. "Football: Luton Town 1 Aldershot Town 0 – Norwich City loanee Cameron McGeehan strikes late to move Hatters ever closer". Bedfordshire on Sunday. Bedford. 5 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017.
12. "Football: Luton Town 2 Tamworth 0 – Hatters could clinch title on Thursday as Lambs win moves them to the brink of glory". Bedfordshire on Sunday. Bedford. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017.
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17. Freezer, David (7 October 2014). "In-demand youngster Cameron McGeehan signs new contract with Norwich City". Eastern Daily Press. Norwich. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
18. "Norwich City's Cameron McGeehan in Cambridge loan". BBC Sport. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
19. Osborne, Chris (17 January 2015). "Cambridge United 4–0 Newport County". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
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27. Cunliffe, James (6 April 2015). "Match report: Tranmere Rovers 0 Luton Town 1 – a penalty and a win at long, long last". Bedfordshire on Sunday. Bedford. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017.
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35. Mehta, Kalika (18 March 2016). "Cameron McGeehan: Signed by Chelsea as a 10-year-old, now winning awards with Luton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
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41. "Ben Purrington wins PFA Fans' League Two Player of the Month for October". Sky Sports. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
42. Simmonds, Mike (4 January 2017). "McGeehan out for a 'number of months' after leg break". Luton Today. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
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49. Crute, Paul (22 January 2018). "Conor Townsend needs to start for Scunthorpe United: Five things we learned". Scunthorpe Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
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51. Mitchell, Brendon (16 May 2018). "Rotherham United 2–0 Scunthorpe United (Agg 4–2)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
52. "Games played by Cameron McGeehan in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
53. "Cameron McGeehan: Portsmouth sign Barnsley midfielder on loan". BBC Sport. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
54. Rooney, Will (21 January 2020). "Portsmouth one win away from Wembley return after 2–1 victory over Scunthorpe in EFL Trophy". The News. Portsmouth. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
55. "Cameron McGeehan: Barnsley midfielder joins Belgian club KV Oostende". BBC Sport. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
56. "Northern Ireland: Whyte and McGeehan called up for Central American tour". BBC Sport. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
57. "Shayne Lavery and Jordan Thompson added to Northern Ireland squad". BBC Sport. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
58. "Games played by Cameron McGeehan in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
59. "Games played by Cameron McGeehan in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
60. "Games played by Cameron McGeehan in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
61. "Games played by Cameron McGeehan in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
62. Anderson, John, ed. (2014). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2014–2015. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 636–637. ISBN 978-1-4722-1251-1.
63. "League One: 2018/19: Current table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
    "Barnsley: Squad details: 2018/19". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2019.

External links

• Profile at the Barnsley F.C. website