Sean Long (footballer)

Sean Martin Long (born 2 May 1995) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a full-back for League Two club Cheltenham Town.

Sean Long
Personal information
Full name Sean Martin Long[1]
Date of birth (1995-05-02) 2 May 1995[2]
Place of birth Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Full-back
Club information
Current team
 Cheltenham Town
Number 2
Youth career
0000–2012 Cherry Orchard
2012–2013 Reading
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Reading 0 (0)
2015–2016 → Luton Town (loan) 9 (0)
2016 → Braintree Town (loan) 9 (0)
2016–2017 → Cambridge United (loan) 7 (0)
2017 → Lincoln City (loan) 14 (0)
2017–2018 Lincoln City 17 (0)
2018– Cheltenham Town 39 (1)
National team
Republic of Ireland U16
Republic of Ireland U17
Republic of Ireland U18
2013–2014 Republic of Ireland U19 12 (0)
2014–2016 Republic of Ireland U21 11 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:40, 13 September 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Reading

Long joined Reading from Irish club Cherry Orchard in 2012.[3] He made his professional debut on 26 August 2014 as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 League Cup win over Scunthorpe United.[4]

On 16 October 2015, Long signed for League Two club Luton Town on an initial one-month loan.[5] He made his debut for the club a day later in a 2–1 defeat away to Crawley Town.[6] Long made four further appearances including three in League Two and one in the FA Cup before his loan was extended on 16 November 2015 until 2 January 2016, continuing to cover for Stephen O'Donnell who was recovering from a double hernia injury.[7] He returned to Reading on 5 January 2016 after making 11 appearances for the club in all competitions.[8]

On 15 March 2016, Long signed for National League club Braintree Town on loan until the end of the season.[9] He made his debut for the club later that day in a 0–0 draw with Gateshead.[10] Long made nine league appearances for Braintree,[11] helping them to secure a place in the National League play-offs after a 3–0 win at home to Altrincham on 30 April 2016 and would face Grimsby Town in the semi-finals over two legs.[12] He featured in the semi-final first leg as Braintree earned a 1–0 away win to gain a slender advantage over their opponents.[13] Long featured again in the semi-final second leg, as Braintree were defeated 2–0 after extra time and 2–1 on aggregate, ending their hopes of promotion.[14]

On 9 May 2016, Long was one of 15 Reading youth-team players offered a new contract by the club,[15] with confirmation of his new deal being signed coming on 1 July 2016.[16]

On 28 July 2016, following a pre-season trial, Long signed a six-month loan deal with League Two club Cambridge United.[17] He made his debut on the opening day of 2016–17 in a 1–1 draw at home to Barnet.[18] Long made 12 appearances and returned to Reading following the expiration of his loan spell.[18][19]

Lincoln City

On 5 January 2017, Long signed a loan deal with National League club Lincoln City for the remainder of 2016–17 with a view to a permanent transfer.[20] He made his debut two days later in Lincoln's 2–2 draw away to Ipswich Town in the FA Cup third round, having entered the match as a stoppage time substitute and completed the loan spell with 19 appearances.[11]

Reading announced that Long would be released when his contract expired at the end of the season.[21] He was named in Lincoln's retained list for 2017–18.[22] Long came on as a 95th-minute substitute as Lincoln beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 at Wembley Stadium in the 2018 EFL Trophy Final on 8 April 2018.[23]

Cheltenham Town

Long signed for League Two club Cheltenham Town on 26 June 2018 on a two-year contract after rejecting a new contract with Lincoln.[24] He signed a one-year extension to his contract in September 2019.[25] At the end of the 2019-20 season he helped Cheltenham reach the League Two play-off semi-finals, only to lose 3-2 on aggregate to eventual promotion winners Northampton Town.[26] In January 2021, he featured as a substitute in Cheltenham's FA Cup televised fourth round 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.[27]

International career

Long has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 level.[28] He made 12 appearances for the under-19 team between 2013 and 2014.[29]

Long was called up to the under-21s for the first time in May 2015,[30] along with Reading teammates Pierce Sweeney and Shane Griffin.

Career statistics
As of match played 22 June 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Reading 2013–14[31] Championship 000000—00
2014–15[32] Championship 000010—10
2015–16[33] Championship 00—00—00
2016–17[18] Championship 0000——00
Total 000010—10
Luton Town (loan) 2015–16[33] League Two 9020——110
Braintree Town (loan) 2015–16[11] National League 90——2[lower-alpha 1]0110
Cambridge United (loan) 2016–17[18] League Two 7000104[lower-alpha 2]0120
Lincoln City (loan) 2016–17[11] National League 14020—3[lower-alpha 3]0190
Lincoln City 2017–18[34] League Two 17010107[lower-alpha 4]0260
Total 3103010100450
Cheltenham Town 2018–19[35] League Two 5000001[lower-alpha 2]060
2019–20[36] League Two 34130105[lower-alpha 5]1432
2020–21[37] League Two 0000000000
Total 391301061492
Career total 95180402211292
  1. Appearances in National League play-offs
  2. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  3. Appearances in FA Trophy
  4. Six appearances in EFL Trophy, one in League Two play-offs
  5. Three appearances and one goal in EFL Trophy, two appearances in League Two play-offs

Honours

Reading

Lincoln City

References
  1. "EFL: Retained list: 2015/16" (PDF). English Football League. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  2. "Sean Long". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  3. "U19 Squad profiles: 2013–14". Football Association of Ireland. 14 August 2013. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014.
  4. "Taylor strikes late to secure cup win". Reading F.C. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  5. "Town sign full-back Sean Long on loan from Reading". Luton Town F.C. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  6. Lawson, Ross (17 October 2015). "Report: Crawley Town 2–1 Luton Town". Luton Town F.C. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  7. "Sean Long: Reading defender extends Luton Town loan spell". BBC Sport. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  8. "Sean Long returns to Reading". Luton Town F.C. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  9. "Braintree: Full-back Sean Long signs on loan until the end of the season". BBC Sport. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  10. "Braintree Town 0–0 Gateshead". BBC Sport. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  11. "S. Long". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  12. "Braintree Town 3–0 Altrincham". BBC Sport. 30 April 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  13. Shepka, Phil (5 May 2016). "Grimsby Town 0–1 Braintree Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  14. "Braintree Town 0–2 Grimsby Town (agg: 1–2, aet)". BBC Sport. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  15. "Contract offers made to Academy talent". Reading F.C. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  16. "15 youngsters sign new pro deals with Reading". Reading F.C. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  17. "Cambridge United sign full back Sean Long on six month loan deal". Cambridge United F.C. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  18. "Games played by Sean Long in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  19. Beyeler, Marc (3 January 2017). "League 2 transfer rumours: Keith Keane leaves Cambridge United to join Rochdale, Leyton Orient pair leave the club". Cambridge News. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  20. Whiley, Mark (5 January 2017). "Reading defender Sean Long joins Lincoln City with view to permanent move". Lincolnshire Echo. Lincoln. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  21. "Club offer contracts to young talent". Reading F.C. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  22. "Retained list for 2017/18 season". Lincoln City F.C. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  23. Scott, Ged (8 April 2018). "Lincoln City 1–0 Shrewsbury Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  24. "Sean Long: Cheltenham Town sign Lincoln City full-back on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  25. Palmer, Jon (27 September 2019). "Cheltenham Town's former Lincoln City defender Sean Long signs extended deal". Gloucestershire Live. Local World. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  26. "Cheltenham Town 0-3 Northampton Town". BBC Sport. 22 June 2020.
  27. "Cheltenham Town 1-3 Manchester City". BBC Sport. 23 January 2021.
  28. "News Archive". Cherry Orchard F.C. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  29. "Sean Long". SoccerScene.ie. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  30. "Long, Sweeney and Griffin get Ireland U21s call". Reading F.C. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  31. "Games played by Sean Long in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  32. "Games played by Sean Long in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  33. "Games played by Sean Long in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  34. "Games played by Sean Long in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  35. "Games played by Sean Long in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  36. "Games played by Sean Long in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  37. "Games played by Sean Long in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  38. "Reading turn tables on Man City to lift U21 PL Cup". Premier League. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.