From Turners Cross to Celtic Park - The Rise of Sean McLoughlin

Last week, former Cork City footballer Sean McLoughlin graduated from UCC with a degree in Business Information Systems. This week, he will line out in front of over 55,000 supporters at Celtic Park.

It’s been quite the rise for the young football from Cobh who, as recently as 2017, was playing in the Munster Senior League.

Having played a couple of seasons with Cork City’s underage sides, McLoughlin went in search of regular first team football, signing for College Corinthians. He returned to the Turners Cross outfit two years later but had to bide his time before things took off for him.

“When I initially joined the first team they were flying, miles ahead in the league and winning every game. So, I didn’t play many games at all in that first season.

“My goal really for the second season was to try to become a regular in the squad because I hadn’t even been managing that the previous year.

“About five games into the season we did pick up a few injuries and I was thrown in against (Shamrock) Rovers at home. We won one-nil and ever since then I played every game really.

“There was a bit of luck there and that allowed me to probably overachieve on my own expectations. Getting almost two years of regular first team football there has really stood to me.”

McLoughlin had the benefit of rubbing shoulders with two experienced centre backs during his time at Cork City and credits them with playing an important role in accelerating his progression.

“I probably played most of my games alongside Benno (Alan Bennett). And then Damien Delaney came in as well. I had the opportunity to learn a huge amount from the two of them.

“They both played the game at the highest level and had great careers. Playing alongside them and even working with them in training definitely helped me learn a lot quicker. I was very lucky in that respect.”



McLoughlin managed to combine his football in Cork with his studies at UCC, completing his final exams earlier this year.

“I was four years in UCC altogether. It was natural progression for me to go to college. I wasn’t an exceptional footballer at the time so that was always going to happen.

“I was two years there and playing football for the college when I signed for Cork City. And then I had the two years with them, so it was all perfect timing in terms of allowing me to do the degree before getting the move over.”

He confesses that the juggling act was a difficult challenge.

“People ask me about balancing it at all but to be honest there probably wasn’t any balance really. I was going to training in the morning, missing most of the lectures and trying to catch up then. But I managed it and it’s great to know that I have something to fall back on now.”

As is the case when many young footballers get their break, there was a large slice of luck involved in how McLaughlin came to make his eventual move across the water to Hull City.



Former Northern Ireland international, and then Doncaster manager Grant McCann, was impressed by him while actually over to assess one of his teammates.

“At the end of last year Grant showed some interest in me. I think he had been over watching Kieran Sadlier at the (FAI) Cup final in November.

“He signed Sad’s (Kieran Sadlier) during the Christmas and was looking to bring me over too. But then he got the job at Hull. Thankfully he reignited his interest again when he moved, and it just went from there then really.”

Upon his arrival at Hull City, McLoughlin was immediately loaned out to Scottish Premier Division side St Mirren to gain further first team experience.

“Coming from the League of Ireland, the Championship was going to be a huge step up for me as a young defender. It probably would have been a big ask. So, I was always open to the idea of going straight out on loan.

“I’d become used to playing every game for the past two years, so I really didn’t want to go in and be struggling to make squads. Therefore, when the opportunity came up to go to Glasgow, I jumped at it.”

The loan move saw McLoughlin paired with another Irish manager, Waterford’s Jim Goodwin.

“Jim is a top man. I didn’t really know of him, but he’s had a great playing career.”

“Being Irish, he understands the challenges that go with coming over and he’s been great to me from that regard.”

Having never had to leave the confines of his parent’s house until now, living away from home is new to McLoughlin.

“It’s a first for me because I’ve been living at home all my life. So, to come over here and live with someone else has been a bit of a change. But it’s going well.”

The experience has been made all the more interesting on account of his flatmate Ilkay Durmus, having little to no English.

“I’m living with one of the boys on the team, a German lad. I’ve been kind of tutoring him and trying to help out with a few words here and there.

“If there’s anything that the club needs in relation to him then they have to go through me. I’m like his secretary or something!”

St Mirren started the season as one of the relegation favourites but so far have managed to hold their own.

“Our first few games were Hibs, Aberdeen and Rangers which was a really tough start. But we managed to pick up a few points along the way.

“We’re sitting in about 9th at the moment. I think a lot of people would have expected us to be bottom by now.

“It’s still early days and we have a long season ahead of us yet but it’s going alright. I’m playing anyway and that’s the main thing.”

This evening St Mirren make the short trip up the road to Celtic Park. McLoughlin, an ever present so far this season, is looking forward to the challenge of playing in front of a passionate Celtic crowd but acknowledges that he didn’t grow up as a Hoops supporter.

“When I came over here, all the Scottish lads automatically thought I’d be a diehard Celtic fan because of the relationship with Ireland obviously. But I never was really to be honest.

“There wasn’t much of an interest in Celtic in our family. They’re a huge club and because of the link you’d like to see them do well. Just not when they’re up against us.

“The goal has been to go somewhere and try and play every week and I’ve been lucky enough to that here. We’ll see what Grant’s thinking is when this period is up. He’ll decide what’s best for me.”