Bryan Byrne (footballer)
{{Short description|Irish footballer (born 1982)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bryan Byrne
| image =
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|8|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kilkenny, Ireland
| height = 5 ft 8 in{{MLS player|bryan-byrne}}
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Castle Villa
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Colaiste Lorcain
| collegeyears1 = 2003–2006
| college1 = UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
| collegecaps1 = 77
| collegegoals1 = 11
| years1 = 2002–2003
| clubs1 = Kildare County
| caps1 = 7
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2006
| clubs2 = San Fernando Valley Quakes
| caps2 = 4
| goals2 = 2
| years3 = 2007
| clubs3 = New England Revolution
| caps3 = 1
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2008–2009
| clubs4 = Ventura County Fusion
| caps4 = 22
| goals4 = 1
| totalcaps = 34
| totalgoals = 3
}}
Bryan Byrne (born 26 August 1982) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in Europe and the United States.
Early life and education
Byrne was born on 26 August 1982, in Kilkenny, Ireland, and was raised in Castledermot.{{Cite web |url=http://www.espnfc.us/player/98871/bryan-byrne |title=Bryan Byrne Player Profile – ESPN FC |website=ESPN FC |accessdate=21 March 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://kildarecountyfc.com/news/news-details.asp?NewsID=822 |title=Bryan makes it Major |date=16 January 2007 |website=Kildare County F.C. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210065553/http://kildarecountyfc.com/news/news-details.asp?NewsID=822 |archivedate=10 February 2007 |accessdate=21 March 2016}} He started his career at local club Castle Villa A.F.C., where he played from U-10's through U-18's.{{Cite news |last=McNally |first=Ger |date=11 December 2012 |title=Jordan walks on water in a season to remember |url=http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/2012/12/11/jordan-walks-on-water-in-a-season-to-remember/ |newspaper=Kildare Nationalist |location=County Kildare, Ireland |accessdate=21 March 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/byrne_bryan00.html |title=Bryan Byrne player profile – UCSB |website=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos |accessdate=21 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030207075735/http://www.kildarecountyfc.com/first-team/index.asp |archivedate=7 February 2003 }}
Byrne was signed by Dermot Keely to play senior-level soccer for Kildare County F.C. for the 2002–03 season. Byrne's stay was short, as Keely's son, Alan Keely, was returning from playing college soccer in Santa Barbara and Dermot recommended Byrne as a player to target.{{Cite web |url=http://www.irishexaminerusa.com/mt/2009/04/22/boxing_title_and_grand_slam_in.html |title=Boxing Title And Grand Slam Inspire All: Castledermot's Byrne A Role Model |date=22 April 2009 |website=www.IrishExaminerUSA.com |accessdate=21 March 2016}} He appeared 7 total times for the club.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kildarecountyfc.com/Statistics/index.asp |title=Player Statistics 02/03 |website=Kildare County F.C. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030409205649/http://www.kildarecountyfc.com/Statistics/index.asp |archivedate=9 April 2003 |accessdate=21 March 2016}}
File:UCSB men's soccer team at the White House 2007-06-18.jpg.]]
Byrne moved to the US and enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a student-athlete for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team. He appeared in 77 games for UCSB throughout his four-year career, scoring 11 goals and assisting on 19 others.{{Cite web |url=http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/archive/061404aaa.html |title=2003 Final Overall Statistics |date=14 June 2004 |website=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos |accessdate=21 March 2016 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330095509/http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/archive/061404aaa.html |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/stats/2004-2005/teamcume.html |title=2004 UC Santa Barbara Overall Individual Statistics |date=14 December 2004 |website=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos |accessdate=21 March 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/stats/2005-2006/teamcume.html |title=2005 UC Santa Barbara Overall Individual Statistics |date=23 November 2005 |website=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos |accessdate=21 March 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/stats/2006-2007/teamcume.html |title=2006 UC Santa Barbara Overall Individual Statistics |date=3 December 2006 |website=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos |accessdate=21 March 2016}} Byrne and UCSB won the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship and he was selected to the all-College Cup team.{{Cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/2006/Division+I/uc%2bsanta%2bbarbara%2bemerges%2bto%2bclaim%2bfirst%2bmen_s%2bcollege%2bcup%2b-%2b12-18-06%2bncaa%2bnews.html |title=UC Santa Barbara emerges to claim first Men's College Cup |date=18 December 2006 |website=National Collegiate Athletic Association |accessdate=21 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508024637/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/2006/Division+I/uc%2bsanta%2bbarbara%2bemerges%2bto%2bclaim%2bfirst%2bmen_s%2bcollege%2bcup%2b-%2b12-18-06%2bncaa%2bnews.html |archive-date=8 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}
While enrolled at UCSB, Byrne also played with San Fernando Valley Quakes of the USL Premier Development League, scoring two goals in four appearances.{{Cite web |url=http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2006/roster/4069052.html |title=2006 San Fernando Valley Quakes stats |website=United Soccer Leagues |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130163639/http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2006/roster/4069052.html |archivedate=30 November 2006 |accessdate=21 March 2016}}
Playing career
Byrne was drafted in the third round (38th overall) of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft by the New England Revolution and manager Steve Nicol, a former Liverpool player.{{Cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |date=23 January 2007 |title=Let the Revolution Begin |url=http://dailynexus.com/2007-01-23/let-the-revolution-begin/ |newspaper=Daily Nexus |location=Santa Barbara, California |accessdate=21 March 2016}} There had been talk before the draft that Byrne would be drafted and sign with Los Angeles Galaxy, but a disagreement over his playing position and the signing of David Beckham resulted in the team passing on him.{{Cite news |last=Becker |first=Byrne V. |date=24 January 2007 |title=Update on Bryan Byrne experience in the US |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/carlownationalist/2007/01/24/story30641.asp |newspaper=The Nationalist |location=Carlow, Ireland |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711042234/http://archives.tcm.ie/carlownationalist/2007/01/24/story30641.asp |archivedate=11 July 2010 |accessdate=21 March 2016}}
Byrne signed a contract with the Revolution in April 2007, after the Revolution cleared roster space by waiving former UCSB teammate Tony Lochhead.{{Cite news |date=14 April 2007 |title=Scoreboard: Transactions |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=4294830 |newspaper=The Index-Journal |location=Greenville, South Carolina |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=12 February 2016}} {{Open access}} He would mainly feature for the New England Reserves team, but made his MLS debut against Real Salt Lake on 2 June 2007.{{Cite web |url=http://archive.revolutionsoccer.net/games/index.cfm?ac=gamereportdetail&pid=25816&pcid=115 |title=New England Revolution 0, Real Salt Lake 0 |date=2 June 2007 |website=New England Revolution |accessdate=21 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403131521/http://archive.revolutionsoccer.net/games/index.cfm?ac=gamereportdetail&pid=25816&pcid=115 |archive-date=3 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}
Byrne left New England Revolution at the end of the year and subsequently signed for Ventura County Fusion. Byrne played two seasons with Fusion, helping them to the USL Premier Development League championship in 2009. He was released by Fusion at the end of 2009 due to the PDL's age restrictions.{{Cite web |url=http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2008/roster/6188518.html |title=2008 Ventura County Fusion stats |website=United Soccer Leagues |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602212246/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2008/roster/6188518.html |archivedate=2 June 2009 |accessdate=21 March 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2009/roster/6188518.html |title=2009 Ventura County Fusion stats |website=United Soccer Leagues |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010220611/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2009/roster/6188518.html |archivedate=10 October 2012 |accessdate=21 March 2016}}
Post-playing career
Byrne has appeared for a number of amateur teams including Hollywood United F.C., Los Angeles Celtic, and Doxa Italia.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lapremierleague.com/?opt=viewteam&id=0008&sid=000000000001 |title=LA Premier League : Celtic FC |website=LAPremierLeague.com |accessdate=21 March 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.coastsoccer.org/teams/31691093/8278163-31691183/TEAM.html |title=2010–11 Doxa Italia roster |website=CoastSoccer.org |accessdate=21 March 2016 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921195239/http://www.coastsoccer.org/teams/31691093/8278163-31691183/TEAM.html |archivedate=21 September 2013 }} Byrne was Doxa Italia's first ever goal scorer in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup.{{Cite news |last=Curley |first=Joe |date=14 June 2011 |title=Fusion fight back for win |url=http://www.vcstar.com/sports/fusion-fight-back-for-win-ep-364804014-340863771.html |newspaper=Ventura County Star |location=Camarillo, California |accessdate=21 March 2016}}
Byrne owns and runs a website where he talks about soccer cleats, SoccerCleats101.
Honours
Ventura County Fusion
UC Santa Barbara
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{MLS player|bryan-byrne}}
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014092617/http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=32491 |date=14 October 2007 |title=New England Revolution player profile }}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030207075735/http://www.kildarecountyfc.com/first-team/index.asp |date=7 February 2003 |title=UC Santa Barbara player profile }}
- [http://www.kildarecountyfc.com/stats/player.php?id=91 Kildare County player profile]
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030207075735/http://www.kildarecountyfc.com/first-team/index.asp |date=7 February 2003 |title=Kildare County player profile }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, Bryan}}
Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers
Category:Kildare County F.C. players
Category:League of Ireland players
Category:UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer players
Category:San Fernando Valley Quakes players
Category:New England Revolution players
Category:Ventura County Fusion players
Category:USL League Two players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:New England Revolution draft picks
Category:Association footballers from County Kilkenny
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Association footballers from County Kildare