| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rory James Finneran | ||
| Date of birth | 29 February 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Notts County (on loan from Newcastle United) | ||
| Number | 27 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2016–2024 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2024–2026 | Newcastle United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | Newcastle United | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Notts County (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022–2023 | Republic of Ireland U15 | 13 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Republic of Ireland U17 | 29 | (1) |
| 2026– | Republic of Ireland U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2026– | Republic of Ireland U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2026– | Republic of Ireland | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:31, 15 October 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:33, 6 October 2026 (UTC) | |||
Rory James Finneran (born 29 February 2008) is a footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL League One club Notts County, on loan from Premier League club Newcastle United. Born in England, he is a senior Republic of Ireland international, having made his debut in May 2026.
In January 2024, he became Blackburn Rovers' youngest ever player, debuting in the FA Cup third round against Cambridge United.
Finneran attended St Ambrose College in Altrincham in his school years.
Described as a left-footed defensive midfielder, Finneran joined the Blackburn Rovers academy at eight years old. In December 2023, Finneran was named in the match day squad for Blackburn in the EFL Championship against Bristol City, but was an unused substitute. On 6 January 2024, he made his senior debut in the FA Cup against Cambridge United. At 15 years old, ten months and eight days, he became Blackburn's youngest ever debutant. However, he was not allowed to wear a kit with the main Blackburn shirt sponsor, an electronic cigarette manufacturer, due to his young age.
In July 2024, Finneran joined Newcastle United's academy, with a tribunal required to determine the compensation fee owed to Blackburn Rovers. On 29 August 2026, Finneran joined EFL League One side Notts County on a season-long loan.
A Republic of Ireland youth international, he first played for the U15 team against Cyprus in 2022. He went on to play for Ireland at U16 and U17 levels, making his competitive debut in a 4–0 Euro U17 qualifying win over Armenia in October 2023. He captained Ireland for the first time in a 3–1 victory over Australia at the start of 2023. Finneran was named the Republic of Ireland's under-15 player of the year in 2023. Finneran was named in the squad for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar in November 2025.
In May 2026, he received his first call up to the senior Republic of Ireland team as a late call up for a friendly against Granada. On 16 May, Finneran made his debut, replacing Jayson Molumby from the bench in a 5–0 win over Grenada.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2023–24 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Newcastle United U21 | 2024–25 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2025–26 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | – | 3 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Notts County (loan) | 2026–27 | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | |||
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |