sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Rory Nicholas Gaffney (born 23 October 1989) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Shamrock Rovers.

Rory Gaffney

Gaffney playing for Bristol Rovers in April 2016
Personal information
Full name	Rory Nicholas Gaffney[1]
Date of birth	(1989-10-23) 23 October 1989 (age 32)[2]
Place of birth	Tuam, Ireland
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Position(s)	Forward
Club information
Current team	Shamrock Rovers
Number	20
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2011	Mervue United	59	(13)
2011–2014	Limerick	85	(29)
2015–2016	Cambridge United	6	(2)
2015–2016	→ Bristol Rovers (loan)	7	(5)
2016–2018	Bristol Rovers	93	(16)
2018–2020	Salford City	45	(11)
2019–2020	→ Walsall (loan)	15	(1)
2020–	Shamrock Rovers	64	(15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:02, 1 September 2022 (UTC)

Career

Limerick

Gaffney started his career at League of Ireland First Division team Mervue United before joining Premier League team Limerick in July 2011.[3] He completed his studies at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology while playing in Ireland.[4]

Cambridge United

On 25 November 2014 Gaffney agreed a move to League Two club Cambridge United when the transfer window opened. His first season was beset with injury and he made his Football League debut on 26 September 2015, replacing Conor Newton in the 81st minute in a 1–0 win against Stevenage at the Abbey Stadium providing the cross from which Cambridge scored.[5] Gaffney went on to score twice on his first start for Cambridge United in the 3–2 away win over Yeovil Town on 23 October.[6]

Bristol Rovers

On 14 January 2016, Gaffney moved permanently to League Two club Bristol Rovers after a successful loan spell. After scoring 5 goals in 7 games for the West Country Club. Gaffney ended the season with a tally of 8 league goals as he played a useful part in the club's promotion to Football League One.[7]

Gaffney scored his first goal in Sky Bet League One and his first for the club since 16 April 2016 on 1 October 2016 with his club's first goal in a dramatic 3–2 win over Northampton Town.[8] Rory scored his first goal since 10 December 2016 in the 4–2 victory over Bury[9] on 11 March 2017 in a 2–0 victory over Southend United.[10] He scored his second goal in a week scoring what would prove to be the winner in a 2–1 victory over Chesterfield taking his season total to 4 league goals.[11] Gaffney ended the season with a total of 9 goals including two in a 4–2 loss vs Peterborough United as his side narrowly missed the playoffs.[12]

Gaffney scored his first goal of the 2017–18 season to make it 3–1 in a 4–1 defeat to Peterborough United on 12 August 2017 when he headed home a Lee Brown cross at the back post.[13]

Salford City

In June 2018 he joined Salford City on a three-year contract.[14] He made his debut in the opening match of the 2018–19 season on 4 August as Salford drew 1–1 at home to Leyton Orient.[15] His first season with the club ended in success as Salford City won promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history in their first season in the fifth tier. Gaffney scored a penalty in a play-off semi-final shootout victory against Eastleigh[16] and came off of the bench in the 3–0 final victory over AFC Fylde.[17]

Walsall (loan)

On 31 August 2019 he joined Walsall on loan for the remainder of the 2019–20 season, linking up with former-Rovers manager Darrell Clarke.[18] After 25 appearances, scoring just once, Gaffney had his loan terminated in February 2020.[19]

Shamrock Rovers

On 24 February 2020, Salford City announced they and Gaffney had mutually parted ways and he had left the club[20] and later that day signed for Shamrock Rovers.[21] In April 2021, Gaffney opened his scoring for the club with a late equaliser against Sligo Rovers.[22]

Gaffney scored twice at KF Teuta Durrës in a 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League tie where Rovers won 2-0 [23]

In the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League Gaffney scored against Hibernians F.C.[24]

Career statistics

As of match played on 28 August 2022

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Mervue United	2009[25]	League of Ireland First Division	14	3	0	0	1	0	—		—		15	3
	2010[25]		31	6	0	0	0	0	—		—		31	6
	2011[25]		14	4	0	0	0	0	—		—		14	4
	Mervue United Total		59	13	0	0	1	0	—		—		60	13
Limerick	2011[25]	League of Ireland First Division	11	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	11	0
	2012		24	10	0	0	3	0	—		0	0	27	10
	2013[25]	League of Ireland Premier Division	19	5	0	0	2	0	—		0	0	21	5
	2014[25]		31	14	0	0	1	0	—		0	0	32	14
	Limerick Total		85	29	0	0	6	0	—		0	0	91	29
Cambridge United	2014–15	EFL League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0
	2015–16[26]		6	2	1	0	0	0	—		0	0	7	2
	Cambridge United Total		6	2	1	0	0	0	—		0	0	7	2
Bristol Rovers (loan)	2015–16[26]	EFL League Two	7	5	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	7	5
Bristol Rovers	2015–16[26]		17	3	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	17	3
	2016–17[27]	EFL League One	34	6	2	3	2	0	—		3[lower-alpha 1]	0	41	9
	2017–18[28]		42	7	1	0	3	0	—		1[lower-alpha 1]	0	48	7
	Bristol Rovers Total		100	21	3	3	5	0	—		4	0	120	29
Salford City	2018–19[29]	National League	43	11	3	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	0	—		3[lower-alpha 3]	0	49	12
	2019–20[29]	EFL League Two	2	0	0	0	1	0	—|0		0	3	0
	Salford City Total		45	11	3	1	1	0	—		3	0	52	12
Walsall (loan)	2019–20[29]	EFL League Two	15	1	3	0	0	0	—		4[lower-alpha 1]	0	22	1
Shamrock Rovers	2020[29]	League of Ireland Premier Division	6	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		6	0
	2021[29]		33	8	2	1	—		6[lower-alpha 4]	2	1[lower-alpha 5]	0	42	11
	2022[29]		25	7	2	1	—		7[lower-alpha 6]	2	1[lower-alpha 5]	0	35	10
	Shamrock Rovers Total		64	15	4	2	—		13	4	2	0	83	21
Career Total			374	89	14	6	13	0	13	4	13	0	428	99

Honours

Limerick

• League of Ireland First Division: 2012[31]

Bristol Rovers

• Football League Two third-place promotion: 2015–16[32]

Salford City

• National League play-offs: 2019[33]

Shamrock Rovers

• League of Ireland Premier Division (2): 2020, 2021
• President of Ireland's Cup: 2022

References

External links

• Rory Gaffney at Soccerbase

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