Connor Ripley
Connor James Ripley (born 13 February 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for League One club Morecambe. He will become a free agent on 30 June 2023.
![]() Ripley in 2012 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Connor James Ripley[1] | ||
Date of birth | 13 February 1993 | ||
Place of birth | Middlesbrough, England | ||
Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Morecambe | ||
Number | 1 | ||
Youth career | |||
Blackburn Rovers | |||
–2011 | Middlesbrough | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2019 | Middlesbrough | 2 | (0) |
2012 | → Oxford United (loan) | 1 | (0) |
2013–2014 | → Bradford City (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2014 | → Östersund (loan) | 14 | (0) |
2015–2016 | → Motherwell (loan) | 36 | (0) |
2016–2017 | → Oldham Athletic (loan) | 46 | (0) |
2017–2018 | → Burton Albion (loan) | 2 | (0) |
2018 | → Bury (loan) | 15 | (0) |
2018–2019 | → Accrington Stanley (loan) | 21 | (0) |
2019–2022 | Preston North End | 3 | (0) |
2021 | → Salford City (loan) | 7 | (0) |
2022– | Morecambe | 45 | (0) |
International career | |||
2011–2012 | England U19 | 4 | (0) |
2013 | England U20 | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:26, 7 May 2023 (UTC) |
He began his professional career at his local team Middlesbrough, going on to depart on eight individual loan spells. These included multiple spells at various English clubs as well as Motherwell in Scotland and Östersund in Sweden. During this time, he represented England at under-19 and under-20 levels.
Early life
Born in Middlesbrough, Ripley is the son of former player Stuart Ripley.[3]
Club career
Middlesbrough
Ripley began his career with Blackburn Rovers.[3] After moving to Middlesbrough in 2009,[4] he signed a two-and-a-half-year professional contract in January 2011.[5] Ripley made his professional debut on 5 March 2011 in a 5–2 loss to Reading, conceding three goals after coming on as a substitute for Jason Steele.[6] Ripley made his full debut on 14 January 2012, in a 2–0 loss at home to Burnley.[7]
Oxford United loan
He then went out on an emergency loan to Oxford United, after both their goalkeepers had suffered injuries.[8] Ripley made his only appearance for Oxford United, in which he conceded a goal from Ryan Hall's free kick, in a 2–0 loss against Southend United the next day.[9] After this, manager Chris Wilder was unhappy with Ripley's performance and decided to terminate his loan spell at the club.[10] After returning to Middlesbrough, Ripley became the third-choice goalkeeper around the 2012–13 season and in January 2013 signed a new contract with the club.[11]
Bradford City loan
He moved on loan to Bradford City in August 2013,[12][13][14] and later spoke about his hope of extending the month-long deal.[15] In September 2013 the deal was extended until January 2014.[16][17] The loan deal ended in January 2014.[18]
Östersund loan
On 3 March 2014, Ripley joined Swedish side Östersund, playing in the Superettan for the remainder of the 2014 season.[19] Ripley went on to make fourteen appearances for the club, having faced competition from Peter Augustsson and Aly Keita. Upon his return to Middlesbrough in October 2014, Ripley was praised by Peter Beardsley.[20]
Motherwell loan
On 31 July 2015, Ripley moved on loan to Scottish Premiership club Motherwell until January 2016.[21] He made his debut the following day, in a 1–0 win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[22]
Oldham Athletic loan
Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Ripley was sent out on loan again, agreeing a season-long move to League One club Oldham Athletic on 9 July 2016.[23]
Burton Albion loan
Despite being considered for the first-choice goalkeeper spot at Middlesbrough, he moved on loan to Burton Albion in August 2017.[24]
Bury loan
Having returned from his loan from Burton prematurely, he departed once again and signed on loan for Bury in January 2018.[25]
Accrington Stanley loan
He moved on loan to Accrington Stanley in August 2018.[26]
Preston North End
In January 2019, Ripley signed for fellow Championship club Preston North End, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract.[27] He moved on an emergency loan to League Two team Salford City on 16 October 2021,[28] and kept a clean-sheet on his debut the same day, a 2–0 win against Hartlepool United.[29] Ripley was released by the club at the end of the 2021–22 season.[30]
Morecambe
In June 2022 it was announced that Ripley would sign for Morecambe on 1 July 2022.[31] On 1 November 2022, Ripley saved two penalties as his side earned a 1–1 draw with Derby County,[32] also making crucial saves in Morecambe's further two matches as he was awarded the EFL League One Player of the Month award for November 2022.[33] After being named Morecambe's Player of the Season,[34] he was released at the end of the season.[35]
International career
Under-19s
On 7 October 2011, Ripley made his debut for the England U19s in the 1–0 win against Portugal during the Limoges Tournament in France.[36] Two days later, he replaced Jamal Blackman in the 3–1 against Ukraine as England won the tournament.[36] Ripley made two further appearances before being named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Estonia.[36][37] He didn't feature in the tournament as England reached the semi-finals.[36]
Under-20s
On 28 May 2013, he was named in manager Peter Taylor's 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[38] He made his debut on 16 June, in a 3–0 win in a warm-up game against Uruguay.[39]
Personal life
He has one son, born in August 2016.[40]
Career statistics
- As of 7 May 2023
Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Middlesbrough | 2010–11[41] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2011–12[42] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
2012–13[43] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2013–14[44] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2014–15[45] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2015–16[46] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2016–17[47] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2017–18[48] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2018–19[49] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Oxford United (loan) | 2011–12[42] | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bradford City (loan) | 2013–14[44] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Östersund (loan) | 2014[50] | Superettan | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
Motherwell (loan) | 2015–16[46] | Scottish Premiership | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2016–17[47] | League One | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 54 | 0 |
Burton Albion (loan) | 2017–18[48] | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Bury (loan) | 2017–18[48] | League One | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
Accrington Stanley (loan) | 2018–19[49] | League One | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
Preston North End | 2018–19[49] | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
2019–20[51] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
2020–21[52] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
2021–22[53] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
Salford City (loan) | 2021–22[53] | League Two | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Morecambe | 2022–23 | League One | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
Career total | 191 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 226 | 0 |
- Appearance(s) in the Football League Trophy/EFL Trophy.
Honours
Individual
- EFL League One Player of the Month: November 2022[33]
- Morecambe Player of the Year: 2022–23[34]
References
- "Professional retain lists & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 496. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
- "Player profile". Middlesbrough F.C. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- "Boro's Optimism For New Scholars". Middlesbrough F.C. official website. 4 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "Challenge Starts Now For Connor". Middlesbrough F.C. official website. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- "Reading 5 – 2 Middlesbrough". BBC Sport. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- "Middlesbrough 0 – 2 Burnley". BBC Sport. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- "Oxford sign Middlesbrough keeper on emergency loan". BBC Sport. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- "Oxford United 0 – 2 Southend United". BBC Sport. 28 April 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- "Oxford United step up search for new keeper". Oxford Mail. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- "New Deal For Keeper". Middlesbrough F.C. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "Ripley arrives on loan". Bradford City A.F.C. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- "Bradford City sign Middlesbrough keeper Connor Ripley". BBC Sport. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- Simon Parker (3 August 2013). "Bradford City sign keeper on loan". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- Simon Parker (14 August 2013). "Middlesbrough loanee Connor Ripley wants to get his teeth into Bantams goalkeeper role". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
- Simon Parker (2 September 2013). "Ripley extends Bradford City stay until January". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- "Ripley loan deal extended". Bradford City A.F.C. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- "Ripley returns to Middlesbrough". Bradford City A.F.C. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- "ÖFK lånar målvakt från Championship klubb". Östersunds FK (in Swedish). 3 March 2014.
- "Boro goalkeeper Connor Ripley hailed by Peter Beardsley". Gazette Live. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- "'Well sign goalkeeper Connor Ripley". Motherwell F.C. 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- Dowden, Martin (1 August 2015). "Inverness CT 0–1 Motherwell". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- "Oldham: Josh Law, Connor Ripley and Lee Erwin sign as Stephen Robinson's first deals". BBC Sport. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- Murray, Josh (9 August 2017). "Connor Ripley turned down other offers to join Brewers". burtonmail.
- "Connor Ripley: Bury sign goalkeeper from Middlesbrough on loan". BBC Sport. 4 January 2018.
- "Accrington Stanley: Andy Mangan and Connor Ripley join League One club". BBC Sport. 9 August 2018.
- "Connor Ripley: Preston sign goalkeeper from Middlesbrough". BBC Sport. 9 January 2019.
- Seddon, Dave (16 October 2021). "Preston North End goalkeeper joins Salford on emergency loan deal". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- Dawes, Olly (17 October 2021). "Beginning of the end for Connor Ripley as Preston agree Salford loan deal". Deepdale Digest. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- "Preston North End Retained List Confirmed". www.pnefc.net. 9 May 2022.
- "Morecambe sign ex-Preston goalkeeper Ripley". BBC Sport.
- "Morecambe 1–1 Derby County". BBC Sport. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- "Ripley Named Sky Bet League One POTM". www.morecambefc.com. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- Morecambe F.C. [@MorecambeFC] (8 May 2023). "And finally, The Morecambe FC 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐/𝟐𝟑 is, 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙍𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙮 🏆 Connor receives this award, voted for by the MFC supporters, after a hugely impressive campaign for the Shrimps. Congratulations Connor" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 May 2023 – via Twitter.
- "Club News Retained List announced". www.morecambefc.com. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen. "Match Results Under 19 2010–2019". England Football Online. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- Veevers, Nicholas (20 June 2012). "Noel Blake Names His Squad For U19 Euro Finals In Estonia". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- "Final squad named" TheFA.com. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- "Training win for Three Lions" TheFA.com. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- "Whirlwind Couple Of Days For Connor Ripley". Oldham Athletic F.C. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- Connor Ripley at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- "Games played by Connor Ripley in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
