.jpg) Ryan Sweeney in 2025. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan Sweeney[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-04-15)15 April 1997 (age 28) | ||
| Place of birth | Kingston upon Thames, England,United Kingdom | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mansfield Town | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2015 | AFC Wimbledon | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | AFC Wimbledon | 13 | (0) |
| 2016–2019 | Stoke City | 0 | (0) |
| 2017 | →Bristol Rovers (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | →Bristol Rovers (loan) | 23 | (3) |
| 2018–2019 | →Mansfield Town (loan) | 25 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | Mansfield Town | 82 | (4) |
| 2021–2023 | Dundee | 67 | (8) |
| 2023–2025 | Burton Albion | 80 | (3) |
| 2025– | Mansfield Town | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 10 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:00, 20 September 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:00, 16 October 2018 (UTC) | |||
Ryan Sweeney (born 15 April 1997) is a professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forEFL League One clubMansfield Town. Born in England, he has represented theRepublic of Ireland internationally.
Sweeney was born inKingston upon Thames and attendedRichard Challoner School inNew Malden where he was captain of the school football team.[3][4] Sweeney's brotherDan was also in the academy atAFC Wimbledon[5] and currently plays forStevenage.
Sweeney began his career with his local clubAFC Wimbledon, joining their youth academy at the age of eight in 2005.[6] He signed his first professional contract with AFC Wimbledon in February 2015.[7] Sweeney made hisFootball league début for AFC Wimbledon on 6 April 2015, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute during the 4–0 away loss againstDagenham and Redbridge.[8] He started Wimbledon's next match on 11 April 2015, a 0–0 draw againstOxford United atKingsmeadow, and was named man of the match.[9]
Sweeney began the2015–16 season with the club's under-21 side before injury toKarleigh Osborne sawNeal Ardley give Sweeney his chance in defence againstLuton Town on 13 February 2016.[10] Wimbledon won the match 4–1 and Sweeney earned praise for his performance.[11] He kept his place in the side until he was sent-off for conceding a penalty in a 2–1 defeat atMorecambe on 12 March 2016.[12] Sweeney signed a new contract with Wimbledon in March 2016 after attracting interest fromPremier League clubsTottenham Hotspur andWest Ham United.[13] On 4 August 2016 Wimbledon announced that they had agreed a fee withStoke City for the transfer of Sweeney.[14][15]
On 5 August 2016, Sweeney completed his move toStoke City for an undisclosed fee, understood to be in the region of £250,000.[16]
On 20 January 2017 Sweeney joinedBristol Rovers on loan for the remainder of the2016–17 season.[17] He impressed on his debut for the club, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory over local rivalsSwindon Town during which he had a header cleared off the line.[18] He played 16 times for the Gas helping he club finish in 10th position.[19]
Sweeney rejoined The Pirates on loan for the2017–18 season.[20] He scored his first goal for the Gas in a 3–1 win againstBlackpool.[21] Sweeney made 27 appearances in 2017–18 scoring four goals as Rovers finished in 13th position.[22]
Sweeney joinedMansfield Town on loan for the2018–19 season.[23] After a successful six-month loan, Sweeney signed for the Stags on a permanent basis in January 2019. He helped the club reach the 2018/19 EFL League 2 play offs, where they ultimately lost toNewport County in the semi-final stage. Sweeney left the club in the summer of 2021 after rejecting a new contract in Mansfield to seek a new challenge.[24]
In June 2021, Sweeney signed withScottish Premiership sideDundee on a two-year deal.[25] He would make his debut from the bench in a 2–2 league draw againstSt Mirren.[26] Sweeney scored his first goal for Dundee in a league game away toSt Johnstone in October 2021.[27] Although the club would be relegated that season, Sweeney impressed enough to be awarded Dundee's Players' Player of the Year and the Andrew De Vries Player of the Year awards.[28][29]
After taking over the role ofcaptain from the retiredCharlie Adam the following season, Sweeney would have a very strong season and would lead Dundee to theScottish Championship title, and an immediate return to the top flight.[30] Sweeney would be named toPFA Scotland'sScottish Championship Team of the Year at the end of the season, as well as being named in theSPFL's Championship Team of the Season.[31][32] On 5 June 2023, Dundee announced that Sweeney would leave the club.[33]
On 14 July 2023, Sweeney returned to England when he joined League One clubBurton Albion on a two-year deal.[34] Sweeney scored his first goal for Burton in anEFL Trophy victory away toWrexham.[35] At the end of the2023–24 season, Sweeney was named as Burton's Players' Player of the Year.[36] Thefollowing season saw Sweeney retain the award, also winning men's Player of the Season.[37]
On 13 May 2025, the club said it had offered the player a new contract, which Sweeney ultimately rejected.[38]
On 20 May 2025, Sweeney returned to former clubMansfield Town on a two-year permanent deal.[39]
On 18 May 2015 Sweeney was called up to the Ireland U-18s squad for the first time.[40]
On 15 March 2017, Sweeney was called up to theRepublic of Ireland national under-21 football team for the first time for theUnder 21 European Championship qualifier match againstKosovo.[41] He played the whole game as Ireland ran out as 1–0 winners thanks to a 2nd half goal fromOlamide Shodipo.[42]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AFC Wimbledon | 2014–15[43] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015–16[44] | League Two | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Stoke City | 2016–17[19] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bristol Rovers (loan) | 2016–17[19] | League One | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2017–18[22] | League One | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 4 | |
| Total | 39 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 43 | 4 | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2018–19[45] | League Two | 38 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 1 |
| 2019–20[46] | League Two | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[47] | League Two | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 5 | |
| Total | 107 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 127 | 7 | ||
| Dundee | 2021–22[48] | Scottish Premiership | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 3 |
| 2022–23[49] | Scottish Championship | 32 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 44 | 5 | |
| Total | 67 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 82 | 8 | ||
| Burton Albion | 2023–24 | League One | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[b] | 1 | 45 | 2 |
| 2024–25 | League One | 42 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 1 | 46 | 3 | |
| Total | 80 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 91 | 5 | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2025–26 | League One | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Career total | 313 | 19 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 366 | 24 | ||
AFC Wimbledon
Dundee
Individual
