Egan's late career resurgence back to Premier League — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- John Egan went from struggling for minutes off the bench at Burnley in January to becoming a Premier League regular for Hull City, signing a new two-year deal earlier this month after first joining on an 18-month contract.
- Sheffield United released Egan after he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in September 2023, despite having named him club captain that summer and making 208 appearances across six seasons that included two promotions.
- Hull City returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 with Egan playing 48 times in their promotion campaign, and the defender started their opening day 2-0 win over Manchester United with 18 clearances.
- Egan earned an international recall with the Republic of Ireland in October after two years without a call-up, winning his 38th cap in a 0-0 friendly against North Macedonia in May.
- Heimir Hallgrimsson favours a three centre-back system, and with captain Nathan Collins injured and other options like Liam Kitching, Jimmy Dunne and James Abankwah inexperienced internationally, Egan has staked a claim for a Nations League start against Kosovo.
- Hull have backed up the opening day win with clean sheets against Coventry and Aston Villa, a point at Chelsea and a narrow loss to Newcastle, signalling they can compete in the top flight.
Why it matters: A centre-back released after a career-threatening Achilles injury has anchored Hull's Premier League return and forced his way back into Ireland's squad. His 48-game promotion campaign and 18 clearances against Manchester United give Hull a defender built for a relegation fight, while his recall addresses a thin Ireland centre-back pool ahead of a Nations League window featuring two games against Israel.
Ask SkimNews
