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Northern Ireland Players in the Premier League (Overview)

NIFG presents a series of tables graphs to present the pattern of players by season in the English Premier League to illustrate those teams where our talent thrives.

Appearances by Season
The table below shows the number of players who made Premier League first-team appearances in each of the competitions eighteen seasons, the number of players who made their Premier League debut, the total appearances, games started, appearances from the bench, and finally, goals scored.
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Season
Players
Debuts
App
St
Sb
Gls
Debut Players
92/3
11
11
263
240
23
25
Donaghy, Sanchez, Worthington, Black, McDonald, Dowie, Wilson, Morrow, Williams, Jenkins, Rowland
93/4
12
5
248
216
32
10
Horlock, Robinson, Lomas, Wright, Magilton
94/5
15
7
332
303
29
31
Nolan, Hill, Patterson, Gillespie, Wright, Hughes, McMahon
95/6
14
2
281
260
21
20
Taggart, Davison
96/7
16
6
268
231
37
12
Lennon, O'Neill, Taylor, McVeigh, Fettis, Boyle
97/8
16
2
243
219
24
13
Hughes, Mulryne
98/9
13
3
207
177
30
9
Johnson, Sonner, Morrison
99/0
10
2
232
207
25
14
Williams, Kennedy
00/1
12
4
198
186
12
7
Whitley, Healy, McCartney, McCann
01/2
10
1
143
110
33
8
Carroll
02/3
9
1
205
165
40
2
Baird
03/4
9
2
145
130
15
1
Clyde, Blayney
04/5
9
1
232
211
21
5
Davis
05/6
7
1
173
169
4
4
Bruce
06/7
5
0
112
87
25
2
-
07/8
9
1
218
201
17
5
Evans
08/9
7
1
126
101
25
10
Brunt
09/0
9
2
149
130
19
4
Paterson, Duff
10/1
7
3
152
139
13
8
Cathcart, Ferguson, McGivern
11/2
7
2
136
116
20
5
McAuley, Gorman
12/3
10
2
192
153
39
12
Camp, Reeves
13/4
7
0
166
152
14
7
-
14/5
15/6
16/7
9
7
6
2
1
0
186
164
154
160
152
140
26
12
14
3
8
11
McNair, D. Lafferty -
K. Lafferty -
-
62
4378
3897
481
206
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The graph shows how Northern Ireland player's impact has declined with the influx of foreign talent to the Premier League, and illustrates our problems in the ongoing search for regular goalscorers.

Appearances by Club
The table below illustrates the clubs who have featured Northern Ireland players in the Premier League. Generally it is the small-to-middling clubs who feature highly in this table, and whilst a big club like Manchester United has brought through a number of youngsters, few made a significant impact on their first-team until the emergence of Jonny Evans.


Teams in bold featured in the Premier League's 2014/15 season (to be updated).
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Club
Seasons
Players
App
St
Sb
Gls
Arsenal
23
1
60
39
21
1
Morrow
Aston Villa
23
2
145
120
25
5
Davis, Hughes
Barnsley
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
Birmingham C.
7
3
298
288
10
2
Taylor, Johnson, Bruce
Blackburn R.
18
3
111
73
38
6
Fettis, Gillespie, Johnson
Blackpool
1
1
30
28
2
1
Cathcart
Bolton W.
13
2
28
27
1
1
Taggart, Davison
Bradford City
2
2
29
24
5
0
Nolan, Davison
Burnley
2
3
56
48
8
4
Paterson, Duff, Lafferty
Cardiff City
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
Charlton Athletic
8
0
-
-
-
-
-
Chelsea
23
1
68
63
5
3
Donaghy
Coventry City
9
3
9
4
5
0
Williams, Rowland, O'Neill
Crystal Palace
6
3
73
71
2
7
Patterson, Dowie, Hughes
Derby County
7
1
14
14
0
0
Carroll
Everton
23
1
1
1
0
0
Jenkins
Fulham
13
5
396
348
48
9
Taylor, Hughes, Davis, Healy, Baird
Hull City
4
1
42
36
6
0
Bruce
Ipswich Town
5
1
57
48
9
1
Magilton
Leeds United
12
2
44
33
11
1
Worthington, Boyle
Leicester City
9
4
278
264
14
13
Hill, Taggart, Lennon, Gillespie
Liverpool
23
0
-
-
-
-
-
Manchester C.
18
5
153
132
21
8
Lomas, Horlock, Whitley, Wright, McGivern
Manchester U.
23
6
207
185
22
5
Gillespie, Mulryne, Healy, Carroll, Evans, McNair
Middlesbrough
14
0
-
-
-
-
-
Newcastle U.
21
4
347
299
48
15
Wright, Gillespie, Hughes, Ferguson
Norwich City
7
4
50
41
9
1
Wright, McVeigh, Mulryne, Camp
Nott'm Forest
5
3
41
30
11
7
Black, Wright, Fettis
Oldham Athletic
2
0
-
-
-
-
-
Portsmouth
7
0
-
-
-
-
-
Q.P.R.
7
1
117
116
1
3
McDonald
Reading
3
0
-
-
-
-
-
Sheffield U.
3
1
31
27
4
2
Gillespie
Sheffield Wed.
8
6
341
311
30
12
Worthington, Wilson, Nolan, Magilton, Morrison, Sonner
Southampton
16
7
354
319
35
38
Dowie, Magilton, Taylor, Blayney, Baird, Davis, Reeves
Stoke City
7
0
-
-
-
-
-
Sunderland
14
3
126
93
33
1
McCartney, Evans, Healy
Swansea City
4
0
-
-
-
-
-
Swindon Town
1
2
46
38
8
0
Horlock, Sanchez
Tottenham H.
23
3
21
12
9
1
Robinson, McMahon, McVeigh
Watford
2
2
40
37
3
2
Kennedy, Williams
West Brom
9
3
333
301
32
30
Brunt, McAuley, Baird
West Ham U.
19
7
520
468
52
24
Rowland, Hughes, Dowie, Lomas, McCann, McCartney, Carroll
Wigan Athletic
8
0
-
-
-
-
-
Wimbledon
8
2
131
119
12
14
Sanchez, Hughes
Wolves
4
2
10
6
4
0
Clyde, Gorman
4607
4063
544
217
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Managers:
Seven Northern Ireland-born or qualified men have managed in the Premier League.
Iain Dowie Crystal Palace (2004/05), Charlton Athletic (2006/07), Hull City (2009/10 "Management Consultant" aka caretaker)
Martin O'Neill Leicester City (1996/97-1999/00), Aston Villa (2006/07-2009/10), Sunderland (2011/12-2012/13)
Pat Rice Arsenal (1996/97 caretaker)
Brendan Rodgers Swansea City (2011/12), Liverpool (2012/13-2015/16), Leicester City
Danny Wilson Barnsley (1997/98), Sheffield Wednesday (1998/99-1999/00)
Nigel Worthington Norwich City (2004/05)
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See also:
NI's English Champions
20+ Goals in a Season - NI Players with 20 plus goals in a Football League season (46/47-date)
Champion Players - NI Players in the UEFA Champions League (92/93-date) 
Europa League Players (09/10-date)
NI Players in the SPL (98/99-date)
NI Players in the NASL and MLS (1968-1984)
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