Ivan Sproule

Ivan Sproule (born 18 February 1981) is a Northern Irish retired professional footballer. Early in his career, Sproule played in Northern Ireland for Omagh Town and Institute. He became a full-time professional in January 2005, after he signed for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian, just a month before his 24th birthday. He made a significant impact at Hibernian, scoring a hat-trick against Rangers and earning selection by the Northern Ireland national team.

Ivan Sproule
Sproule playing for Bristol City.
Personal information
Full name Ivan Sproule[1]
Date of birth (1981-02-18) 18 February 1981[2]
Place of birth Castlederg, Northern Ireland[2]
Position(s) Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Moyola Park
2001–2004 Omagh Town 95 (19)
2004–2005 Institute 11 (2)
2005–2007 Hibernian 71 (12)
2007–2011 Bristol City 119 (6)
2010 → Yeovil Town (loan) 2 (0)
2011 → Notts County (loan) 5 (0)
2011–2013 Hibernian 44 (3)
2013 Ross County 24 (8)
2014–2016 Linfield 31 (5)
2016 → Ballinamallard United (loan) 7 (4)
2016–2017 Dergview 17 (2)
Total 426 (61)
National team
2005–2007 Northern Ireland 11 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Sproule moved to Football League Championship club Bristol City in 2007. After four years with the club, including loan spells at Yeovil Town and Notts County in his final season, Sproule agreed to return to Hibernian in May 2011, where he spent two more seasons. After a year with Ross County, Sproule returned to Northern Ireland. Ivan is head of quality control at the Donnell & Ellis Engineering Ltd

Career
Sproule playing for Bristol City in January 2010 in a FA Cup match against Cardiff City

Sproule, a winger who was known for his explosive pace,[3] played in the Irish Football League for semi-professional clubs Omagh Town and Institute. He combined playing football with his full-time career as an engineer.[4] Scottish Premier League club Hibernian invited him for a trial in January 2005, after he had been transfer listed by Institute.[5] He impressed manager Tony Mowbray and signed as a full-time professional until the end of the season, which meant that he had to give up his day job as a fabrication engineer.[4][6] Hibs paid Institute a transfer fee of £5,000.[7]

The gamble of signing a player from outside professional football paid off for both Sproule and Hibs. Although he had a slow start with Hibs and it was rumoured that he would return to Northern Ireland,[2] he scored one of the goals in a 3–1 win over Celtic at Celtic Park.[8] Sproule was offered an extended contract which he accepted. Sproule hit the headlines in August 2005 by scoring a hat-trick in a 3–0 defeat of champions Rangers at Ibrox Stadium.[9] His performances caused Sproule to be linked with a £1 million move to Ukrainian club FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, who had played against Hibs in the 2005–06 UEFA Cup.[4]

Sproule caused further damage to Rangers by helping Hibs eliminate them from the 2005–06 Scottish Cup.[10] Sproule scored one goal and assisted with another, as Hibs again won 3–0 at Ibrox.[10] He was part of the team that won the 2007 Scottish League Cup Final. In total, Sproule made 94 appearances in his first spell with Hibs, scoring 18 goals.

Sproule joined Bristol City on a three-year contract on 27 June 2007 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be about £500,000.[11] He made his debut for the West Country club on 29 August 2007 against Manchester City in the League Cup. He was made to sit out the first four games of the season due to a suspension which he received while playing for Hibernian. He scored his first goal for Bristol City on 24 October 2007 in their 2–1 victory over Southampton. Sproule was part of the Bristol City squad who were beaten in the Championship 2008 play-off final against Hull City.

Sproule fell out of favour at Bristol City in 2010, making his last start for the first team in August.[12] He was loaned to Yeovil Town in November.[12] He was then loaned to Notts County in March 2011.[13]

In April 2011, Sproule held discussions with Colin Calderwood about a proposed return to Hibernian.[14] Sproule signed a pre-contract agreement with the club a month later.[15] On the opening game of the season, he played his first Hibs match in a 2–0 loss against Celtic; scored on his first match two months later, in a 3–2 win over St Johnstone. Sproule fell out of favour at Hibs during the 2012–13 season, making only one starting appearance.[16]

Sproule moved to Ross County on a free transfer in January 2013.[16] He scored two goals in his first appearance for the club, in a 4–1 victory at St Mirren on 19 January.[17] After the match, Manager Derek Adams praised Sproule's performance,[18] while Sproule, himself, say his debut was a 'dream'[19] A week later, Sproule scored again but this time was against his former club Hibs in a 1–0 win.[20][21] Sproule scored 8 goals in 24 appearances for Ross County, but decided to leave the club in November 2013 due to personal reasons.[22]

Sproule agreed in December 2013 to sign for Linfield.[23][24]

International career

Sproule was called into the Northern Ireland squad for the first time in September 2005, immediately after his hat-trick for Hibernian against Rangers.[2] He came on as a substitute in the 1–0 win against England at Windsor Park to win his first cap.[25] Sproule scored a goal on his first start for Northern Ireland, against Estonia on 1 March 2006.[26] Sproule made a total of 11 appearances for Northern Ireland between 2005 and 2007.

Scottish and English career statistics
As of 29 November 2013[27]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Hibernian 2004–05 7110000081
2005–06 324432020407
2006–07 3276140424610
Total 711211460629418
Bristol City 2007–08 402101020442
2008–09 383201000413
2009–10 301102000331
2010–11 110001100121
Total 11964051201307
Yeovil Town (loan) 2010–11 2000000020
Notts County (loan) 2010–11 5000000050
Hibernian 2011–12 343503100424
2012–13 100100000110
Total 443603100534
Ross County 2012–13 146000000146
2013–14 102001000112
Total 248001000258
Career total 265292141528230837

International caps
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.
International appearances and goals
AppDateVenueOpponentResultGoalCompetition
1.7 September 2005Windsor Park, Belfast England1–002006 World Cup qualifier
2.15 November 2005Windsor Park, Belfast Portugal1–10Friendly
3.1 March 2006Windsor Park, Belfast Estonia1–01Friendly
4.21 May 2006Giants Stadium, New Jersey Uruguay0–10Friendly
5.26 May 2006Soldier Field, Chicago Romania0–20Friendly
6.16 August 2006Olympiastadion, Helsinki Finland2–10Friendly
7.6 February 2007Windsor Park, Belfast Wales0–00Friendly
8.28 March 2007Windsor Park, Belfast Sweden2–10Euro 2008 qualifier
9.17 October 2007Råsunda Stadium, Solna Sweden1–10Euro 2008 qualifier
10.17 November 2007Windsor Park, Belfast Denmark2–10Euro 2008 qualifier
11.21 November 2007Estadio Gran Canaria, Las Palmas Spain0–10Euro 2008 qualifier

Personal life

Sproule is married and has three sons.[28] A second child was stillborn in November 2009, causing him to miss Bristol City's match against Nottingham Forest.[29] City manager Gary Johnson dedicated their equalising goal in the match to Sproule, who had sent a message of support to his teammates.[30][31] Johnson commented:[31]

We respect him for thinking of us at a time when we're thinking about him. It was a major shock to all of us and we're all very close to Ivan.

References
  1. "Ivan Sproule". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  2. "Ivan Sproule". Irish Football Association website. Archived from the original on 4 May 2008.
  3. Gordon, Phil (27 November 2005). "Sproule's Best efforts can harm McLeish". The Independent on Sunday. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  4. "Beuzelin admits high expectations". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 December 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  5. "Four on Institute transfer list". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 January 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  6. "Sproule joins Scottish club Hibs". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 January 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  7. "Hibs' Ivan the Incredible". Scotland on Sunday. 28 August 2005.
  8. "Celtic 1–3 Hibernian". BBC Sport. BBC. 30 April 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  9. "Rangers 0–3 Hibernian". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  10. "Rangers 0–3 Hibernian". BBC Sport. BBC. 4 February 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  11. "Bristol City sign Hibs' Sproule". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 June 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  12. "Yeovil Town sign Bristol City winger Ivan Sproule". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  13. "Notts County sign Ivan Sproule and Njogu Demba-Nyren". BBC Sport. BBC. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  14. "Winger Ivan Sproule in line for Hibernian return". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  15. "Winger Sproule signs pre-contract deal with Hibernian". BBC Sport. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  16. "Ross County sign Hibs winger Ivan Sproule on a free transfer". STV. STV Group. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  17. Miller, Stevie (19 January 2013). "St Mirren 1–4 Ross County". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  18. "Ross County: Manager Derek Adams delight at Ivan Sproule debut". BBC Sport. BBC. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  19. "Ivan Sproule sparkles on his debut to silence critics and sink Saints". Daily Record. Trinity Mirror. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  20. "Ross County 1–0 Hibernian: Ivan Sproule strikes against his former team". Sport STV. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  21. "Ross County star Ivan Sproule: I've moved on but I'll always be a Hibee". Daily Record. Trinity Mirror. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  22. "Ivan Sproule leaves Ross County to return home for 'personal reasons'". STV Sport. STV. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  23. "Ivan Sproule signs for Linfield". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  24. McBurnie, John (18 December 2013). "Linfield sign Sproule – eight years after Ibrox hat-trick". Edinburgh Evening News. Johnston Publishing. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  25. "Northern Ireland 1–0 England". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 September 2005.
  26. "Sproule hungry for more NI goals". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 March 2006.
  27. Ivan Sproule at Soccerbase
  28. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/linfield/ivan-sproule-lives-life-in-his-own-way-29857690.html
  29. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. "Bristol City boss dedicates late equaliser to Sproule and his family after tragedy". Bristol Evening Post. 9 November 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  31. "Johnson dedicates goal to Sproule". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 November 2009.
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