Andy Lonergan
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Andrew Michael Lonergan (born 19 October 1983) is an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
. Lonergan is a former
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team ...
international and is also eligible to play for the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
. After starting his career at
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
, Lonergan soon established himself as a first-choice goalkeeper and won Preston's player of the year award in both the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons.


Career


Preston North End

Born in
Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston, Lancashire, City of Preston local government district. Preston ...
, Lonergan grew up supporting
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
. Lonergan joined
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
' academy after they spotted him at a young age and beat off competition from
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
and Everton. His time at Blackburn Rovers was short–lived and he soon joined
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
, where he started his professional career. At age nine, Lonergan began taking interest in becoming a goalkeeper, a position he plays today. After attending St. Cecilia's RC Technology College (now St. Cecilia's RC High School), Lonergan progressed through the
Youth Training Scheme The Youth Training Scheme (YTS) was the name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17 and was managed by the Manpower Services Commission. The scheme was first outlined in the 1980 white paper ''A N ...
and was offered a professional terms by Preston North End in the 2000–01 season. Lonergan then made his Preston debut managed by
David Moyes David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player, who currently manages Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton. He was the 2003, 200 ...
as a 16-year-old in a League Cup tie away at
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
. However, Lonergan made an impression on his debut despite conceding four goals, as Preston North End lost 4–1. Despite this, Lonergan went on to win the Young Player of the Year for the 2000–01 season. With his progress being closely monitored by the goalkeeping coach, Peter Williams, he was sent out on loan to
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
on 21 December 2002. After making his debut against Macclesfield Town on 21 December 2002 However, Lonergan's loan spell at Darlington ended after a week after picking up an injury. After recovering from an injury, Preston then sent him out on loan to rivals
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
. With
David Moyes David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player, who currently manages Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton. He was the 2003, 200 ...
leaving to join Everton and Craig Brown entering the managerial fray at
Deepdale Deepdale is a football stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England that is the home ground of Preston North End. Built in 1875 and in use since 1878, Deepdale is recognised as being one of the oldest continuously used football stadium ...
, Lonergan remained optimistic about his future at the club; indeed, he was promoted to the first-team squad for the final stage of the 2002–03 season as an understudy to
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
international Jonathan Gould. With Gould out injured for a period of the following season, Lonergan snapped up his goalkeeping gloves and stood between the sticks for the first time in the league against West Brom, two years after his debut. Gould fell out of favour soon after, and Lonergan remained as the first choice until the end of that season. But this was short–lived when Lonergan lost his first team place after breaking his hand, resulting in him being out for six weeks and missing out for the rest of the season. After returning to training in the pre–season, Lonergan returned to the first team as first choice goalkeeper and on 2 October 2004 he scored a goal from his own penalty area in the 39th minute against
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
to equalise. His long kick bounced over Leicester goalkeeper
Kevin Pressman Kevin Paul Pressman (born 6 November 1967) is an English football coach, former professional goalkeeper, and goalkeeping coach and assistant manager for Gainsborough Trinity. As a player, he made over 500 appearances in both the Premier Leagu ...
after defender Matt Heath had let the ball bounce. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. He remained at Deepdale for the 2004–05 season under the watchful eye of new manager Billy Davies, and played a part in 65% of the season before he ruptured his cruciate ligaments before a game against Ipswich Town, due to Lonergan's injury,
Carlo Nash Carlo James Nash (born 13 September 1973) is an English former professional footballer and goalkeeper coach. Nash started his career at North West Counties League clubs Rossendale United and Clitheroe, playing for the latter in the FA Vase fin ...
was signed as a replacement by Billy Davies from
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
to shore up the goalkeeping crisis. It wasn't the first time Lonergan suffered an injury: he broke his hand during training. After a long spell out injured with the injury it took Lonergan over two years to gain back his place. Nash kept his place for the 2005–06 term and kept a club record of over 30 clean sheets. Lonergan himself was injured in training early in 2005, and returned to training in early–September. As a result, Lonergan only returned to action with a loan spell to get himself match fit in late 2005 at
Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 188 ...
. Lonergan made his Wycombe Wanderers debut on 7 October 2005, where he kept a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win over
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
and kept another clean sheet on his second appearance on 15 October 2005, in a 0–0 draw against
Rushden & Diamonds Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town F.C., Ket ...
. However, he returned to his parent club after injuring himself in training once again, due to a screw holding his
ligament A ligament is a type of fibrous connective tissue in the body that connects bones to other bones. It also connects flight feathers to bones, in dinosaurs and birds. All 30,000 species of amniotes (land animals with internal bones) have liga ...
in place snapping. After returning to his parent club, Lonergan undergone surgery for the second time and was sidelined for eight months. On 2 November 2006, Lonergan joined
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...
on a one-month loan contract to gain first-team football. He made his Swindon Town debut on 4 November 2006, in a 2–1 loss against
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
and was praised after the match. He returned early, however, after he wasn't given the football he desired under new Swindon Manager
Paul Sturrock Paul Whitehead Sturrock (born 10 October 1956) is a Scottish former football coach and former player. As a player, Sturrock spent his entire senior career with Dundee United, making more than five hundred appearances between 1974 and 1989. He w ...
who had just replaced
Dennis Wise Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He spent the majority of his career at Chelsea, from 1990 to 2001. Beginning his career at Wimbledon, ...
. After signing a three–year contract, keeping him until 2011, Lonergan returned to the Preston bench until January 2007, when Nash's unprofessional attitude meant a recall to the first team for Lonergan in an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
Fourth round tie at
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
in which he impressed with a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory for Preston. Lonergan then made an impressive save in the local derby, in a 2–0 win over
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on 19 March 2007. Longeran went on to established himself as a first choice goalkeeper in the 2006–07 season and made thirteen appearances for the club. In the 2007–08 season, Lonergan appeared as a substitute for the first three matches at the start of the season after Wayne Henderson became a first choice goalkeeper. Lonergan regained his first choice back following Henderson's injury and made his first appearance of the season, in a 2–1 loss against
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
on 1 September 2007. From that moment on, Lonergan made 43 appearances in the 2007–08 season and helped the club finish 15th in the Championship. In the 2008–09 season, Lonergan continued to regain his first-choice goalkeeper status and played all 46 league matches throughout the season. Lonergan also helped the club finish sixth place in the league, qualifying for the Championship play–offs, but were unsuccessful. For his performance, Lonergan won Preston's 2008/09 player of the year award. After Preston North End club captain,
Paul McKenna Paul McKenna (born 8 November 1963) is a British hypnotist, behavioural scientist, television and radio broadcaster and author of self-help books. McKenna has hosted self-improvement television shows and presents seminars in hypnosis, ne ...
was sold to
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
in August 2009, Lonergan was made a vice-captain to new club captain,
Callum Davidson Callum Iain Davidson (born 25 June 1976) is a Scottish professional football player and coach who recently managed Scottish Championship club Queen's Park. Davidson played as a left-back for St Johnstone, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and P ...
. Lonergan's first match which he started as captain was at Deepdale, where he led Preston North End out to win 2–0 against
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
on 12 September 2009. Manager, Alan Irvine claimed that he believed Lonergan was good enough to play for
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. He had a fine season during the 2009–10 season, and won Preston's player of the year award. During the last few games of the season Preston managed to overcome an inferior goal difference to playoff rivals
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
by beating them 6–0, with Lonergan also saving a penalty from Ross McCormack in the same game which in the end proved vital on goal difference for the final table result to overtake Cardiff and reach the playoffs. Lonergan played a big part in helping Preston reach the playoff Semi-finals during the 2009–10 season but lost over two legs to
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...
. During the summer Premier League club
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
had three separate bids rejected for Lonergan, with Preston manager
Darren Ferguson Darren Ferguson (born 9 February 1972) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of League One club Peterborough United, in his fourth stint as manager of the club. In between his stints with Peterborou ...
claiming he valued Lonergan at £20 million and that he didn't want to sell him. Lonergan was the goalkeeper for Preston during the 2010–11 season as they were relegated to League One making 29 league starts. In September 2010, Lonergan was charged for making obscene gestures to fierce-rivals
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
's supporters during Preston's 4–3 loss. Lonergan was fined for the incident and warned of his future conduct. In the same month Lonergan also played in one of the games of the season in Preston's 6–4 win against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
, with Preston coming back to win the game after being 4–1 down. He was linked with moves to
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
and
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...
in the January transfer window. Lonergan claimed in January that he was the most overworked goalkeeper in the Championship. However, during the last quarter of the season under new manager Phil Brown, Lonergan was displaced by Everton loan goalkeeper Iain Turner. Lonergan also spent time training with Everton as part of the loan deal for Turner. Lonergan was linked with a loan move to
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
during February on an emergency loan due to injuries to Paul Rachubka and Richard Kingson. Lonergan's last appearance for Preston came in Preston's 2–1 loss against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
on 8 March 2011. After relegation from the Championship Lonergan was linked with moves to
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
, and Everton. Manager, Phil Brown revealed he needed to sell Lonergan to re-sign loan goalkeeper Iain Turner due to lack of funds. On 4 July 2011, Lonergan was linked with a move to join Leeds United in order to replace
Kasper Schmeichel Kasper Peter Schmeichel (born 5 November 1986) is a Danish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic F.C., Celtic and the Denmark national footb ...
and Shane Higgs who had both left the club. Everton also entered the race to sign Lonergan. Preston North End manager Phil Brown confirmed in early July 2011 that Andy Lonergan was set to sign for Leeds United, live on
Talksport Talksport (styled as talkSPORT) is a sports radio station in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned by News Broadcasting. Its content includes live coverage of sporting events, interviews with the leading names in sport and entertai ...
.
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
reported 25 July that Lonergan was set to sign for
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
, after the move was originally put on hold for both parties as Leeds became interested in signing David Stockdale and Lonergan was interesting Premier League club Everton. Lonergan's daughter was also in hospital at this time delaying the move further. In total Lonergan made 231 appearances during his career at
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
.


Leeds United

On 25 July 2011, Lonergan signed for
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He competed with fellow new goalkeeper signing Paul Rachubka for the number one spot left vacant by the departed
Kasper Schmeichel Kasper Peter Schmeichel (born 5 November 1986) is a Danish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic F.C., Celtic and the Denmark national footb ...
. Lonergan was briefly a teammate of then Leeds United manager
Simon Grayson Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who is head coach of National League (division), National League club Hartlepool ...
during a short loan spell at Blackpool in 2003. Lonergan made his first appearance in a Leeds shirt in the pre-season victory against
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
. Lonergan was given the number 1 shirt for the forthcoming season. On the opening day of the season, Lonergan made his debut for Leeds in the 3–1 defeat against
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. Lonergan received the man of the match award in Leeds' 1–0 loss against
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
on 14 August. Lonergan started his fourth game of the season against
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
at
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
where he put in another good performance making saves to deny Hull City as Leeds United won 4–1. After some good performances for Leeds in his first couple of months at the club, Lonergan revealed that the move to Leeds had worked out "brilliantly" for him. Lonergan made some crucial saves for Leeds to help earn them a 3–2 victory against
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
on 10 September. Lonergan saved a penalty from
Nicky Maynard Nicholas David Maynard (born 11 December 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his career at Crewe Alexandra, following over a decade in the club's Academy, and scored on his senior debut in Apr ...
on 17 September against
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
to help Leeds earn a 2–1 victory. Lonergan got his first clean sheet of the season against
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
on 1 October, with Lonergan again making some crucial saves. After keeping a consecutive clean sheet, Lonergan was substituted in the second half against
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
after fracturing his finger and replaced by Paul Rachubka on 14 October. Lonergan missed the game against
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
with the finger injury on 18 October and was replaced by understudy Paul Rachubka. After the game manager
Simon Grayson Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who is head coach of National League (division), National League club Hartlepool ...
revealed Lonergan had surgery on the finger and would be ruled out for a minimum of six weeks. After returning from injury, Lonergan was on Leeds' bench against Watford on 10 December, due to the impressive form of loanee Alex McCarthy. With McCarthy ineligible against his parent club Reading on 17 December, Lonergan came back into Leeds starting line-up. Leeds lost the game 1–0, with Lonergan feeling he was culpable for the goal conceded. Lonergan was revealed as Leeds' new
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
on 20 January, replacing the departing captain
Jonny Howson Jonathan Mark Howson (born 21 May 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for and captain (association football), captains club Middlesbrough F.C., M ...
, with Patrick Kisnorbo out until the end of the season. Lonergan was replaced as Captain by Robert Snodgrass, who was appointed the new Leeds United captain by new Leeds manager
Neil Warnock Neil Warnock (born 1 December 1948) is an English football manager and former player who is currently football advisor at Torquay United. He is also a television and radio pundit. In a managerial career spanning five decades, Warnock has managed ...
in his first game in charge against Portsmouth on 25 February. After a string of clean sheets, Lonergan conceded seven goals in a 3–7 loss against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
. Lonergan saved a penalty against Millwall's Darius Henderson in the following game to earn Leeds a crucial 1–0 victory. After the season finished, Leeds signed Q.P.R. goalkeeper Paddy Kenny to be the new number one at the club. On 12 July, Leeds confirmed that they had rejected a bid for Lonergan from an unnamed club as they deemed the offer 'not acceptable'. With Lonergan losing his first team place,
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
manager
Owen Coyle Owen Columba Coyle (born 14 July 1966) is a professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Indian Super League club Chennaiyin. He played as a striker for several clubs in England and Scotland, and made one appearanc ...
confirmed his interest in signing Lonergan.


Bolton Wanderers

On 17 July 2012, Bolton Wanderers confirmed the signing of Lonergan on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Upon joining the club, Lonergan spoke about the challenge he was expecting to face at Bolton Wanderers. His debut came on 28 August 2012 in a 2–1 defeat against
Crawley Town Crawley Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crawley, West Sussex, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1896 as Crawley Foo ...
in the League Cup second round. However, Lonergan found himself competing with
Ádám Bogdán Ádám Bogdán (; born 27 September 1987) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and is currently a free agent. Bogdán began his career in Hungary at Vasas before spending time on loan at Vecsés. In 2007, he moved ...
over the first choice goalkeeper spot. On 19 October 2012, Lonergan suffered a knee injury, which he sustained in training and was sidelined for two months. Lonergan's first experience in front of the
Reebok Stadium The Toughsheet Community Stadium is a Association football, football stadium in Horwich near Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers Football Club, with an all-seated capacity of 28, ...
crowd was the 2–2 draw between Wanderers and
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
in which he was named Man of the Match for Wanderers following appreciation of his contribution following saves from Steven Fletcher on 5 January 2013 and played against them in the FA Cup third round replay on 15 January 2013, where he kept a clean sheet, in a 2–0 win to send them through to the next round. Lonergan's first league game for Bolton came on 5 March 2013, as Bolton beat local rivals
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
by a single goal. Lonergan made four more appearances and kept two more clean sheets before Bogdán returned from injury and went on to make eleven appearances in all competitions. In the 2013–14 season, Lonergan continued to compete the first choice goalkeeper status with Bogdán, but was given an opportunity to make his first appearance of the season on 26 October 2013, in a 1–1 draw against Ipswich Town following Bogdán's injury. After the match, Lonergan said he was happy to make his first appearance of the season. From that moment on, Lonergan had become a first choice goalkeeper for the club from October to February. He soon became at fault when he conceded five goals, in a 5–3 loss against
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
on 29 December 2013 and was even at fault further when he conceded ten goals in three matches against
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
,
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
and Ipswich Town. Despite being reassured by manager
Dougie Freedman Douglas Alan Freedman (born 25 May 1974) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is currently the sporting director of Al-Diriyah, where he has been since 2025. Freedman played as a striker, primarily for Crystal Pal ...
that he would remain the first choice goalkeeper, Lonergan lost his first choice goalkeeper status to Bogdán and was on the substitute bench for the rest of the season until returning in goal, in a 2–2 draw against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
, which helped them survive relegation. Lonergan went on to finish the 2013–14 season, making twenty–three appearances in all competition. In the 2014–15 season, Lonergan made his first appearance of the season, but conceded three goals, in a 3–0 loss against
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
in the opening game of the season. By the August, the club had rotate both Lonergan and Bogdán over the first choice goalkeeper role before Lonergan won the role and was the first choice goalkeeper for most of the season, due to Bogdán's injury. On 25 October 2014, Lonergan provided an assist for Craig Davies to score the third goal of the game, in a 3–1 win over
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
. Throughout December saw Lonergan making an impression, as he kept three clean sheets and won the Bolton Wanderers Player of the Month award for December. Lonergan remained the first choice goalkeeper until he suffered a concussion after in the 65th minute and was substituted as a result, in a 4–1 loss against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
on 21 February 2015 and said the concussion he sustained could have ended his career. Despite being cleared from a serious injury after a scan, Lonergan lost his first choice goalkeeper status role following the arrival of
Ben Amos Benjamin Paul Amos (born 10 April 1990) is an English professional association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for club Port Vale F.C., Port Vale. He was capped by England up to England nationa ...
and spent the rest of the season on the substitute bench. Lonergan finished the 2014–15 season, making thirty–two appearances in all competitions. On 10 June 2015, it was announced that Lonergan would leave the club upon the expiry of his contract. During the match at Bolton Wanderers, Lonergan earned a cult status among Bolton Wanderers supporters and while playing, the supporters would chant for him to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs Robinson: "And here's to you Andy Lonergan, Bolton loves you more than you will know..."


Fulham

On 19 June 2015, Lonergan returned to the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
, signing for
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
on a two-year deal with a one-year extension option after his release from Bolton Wanderers. He was allocated the number 24 shirt. Lonergan made his Fulham debut, making his first start, in the opening game of the season, in a 1–1 draw against
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
. After
Marcus Bettinelli Marcus Bettinelli (born 24 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Manchester City. Club career Fulham Early life and career Bettinelli was born in Camberwell, Greater London. He started his career wi ...
suffered an injury in a game against
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
on 20 August 2015 and was stretchered off in the 45th minute, Lonergan came on as a substitute after Marcus Bettinelli collided with
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...
and Fulham went on to lose 2–1. In a 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers on 13 September 2015, Lonergan was named the Man of the Match following a string of impressive saves. He became the first choice goalkeeper for the club until he suffered a hamstring injury, sustained during a 2–1 loss against Bristol City on 31 October 2015, and was out for six weeks. Lonergan made his first team return on 12 December 2015, in a 2–2 draw against Brentford and despite a draw, he was once again named Man of the Match for his impressive display and again for the third time, in a 1–0 loss against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...
on 4 January 2016. Lonergan remained the first choice goalkeeper until Bettinelli returned from injury and he was placed on the substitute bench for the rest of the season.


Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 9 June 2016, Lonergan joined
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
from Fulham on a two-year deal with a one-year extension option. He was allocated the number 21 shirt. He made his first ever appearance for the club on 15 July 2016, coming on as a half-time substitute for Carl Ikeme in a 2–0 win over
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
at
Gresty Road Gresty Road or the Alexandra Stadium, currently known as the Mornflake Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. The home ground of Crewe Alexandra, it has an all-seated capacity of 10,153. History C ...
, assisting Joe Mason for the second goal. Lonergan's first competitive appearance for Wolves came on 9 August, in a 2–1 League Cup First Round win over Crawley Town at Molineux. On 28 January 2017, with Ikeme suspended, Lonergan missed Wanderers' fourth-round
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
tie at
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
due to injury. After the emergence of Harry Burgoyne and the signings of goalkeepers Will Norris and
John Ruddy John Thomas Gordon Ruddy (born 24 October 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently a free agent. Ruddy began his career at Cambridge United, before signing for Everton as a 19-year-old. He spent f ...
, Lonergan was not allocated a squad number for the 2017/18 season, despite Ikeme being out due to illness. As of September 2023, he is the only player to appear in the Football League for all three clubs with the suffix Wanderers; Wycombe, Bolton and Wolverhampton.


Return to Leeds United

In August 2017, after Leeds released
Robert Green Robert Paul Green (born 18 January 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played in the Premier League and Football League and for the England national team. Green made his first-team debut for Norwi ...
, the club re-signed Lonergan on a two-year contract on a free transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers. He made his second debut for Leeds in a League Cup tie against
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
the following month, with Lonergan proving to be the match winner with a penalty save from James Tarkowski in Leeds'
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
victory after a 2–2 draw. A deal was agreed for him to join
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
on loan in January 2018, but Lonergan decided to stay at Leeds and fight for his place in the team. That July, after being deemed surplus to requirements by new manager
Marcelo Bielsa Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (, nicknamed ''El Loco Bielsa'' , meaning 'The Madman Bielsa'; born 21 July 1955) is an Argentine professional Association football, football manager who is the current manager of the Uruguay national football team ...
, Lonergan left Leeds by mutual consent.


Middlesbrough

Lonergan signed a one-year contract with Championship club Middlesbrough in August 2018. In February 2019 he joined League One side
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
on an emergency loan, and was released by Middlesbrough at the end of the 2018–19 season.


Liverpool

In July 2019 Lonergan joined
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
on their pre-season tour of the US to provide back-up due to a shortage of goalkeepers, starting for Liverpool against
Sevilla Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...
at
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
,
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. After an injury to Liverpool's first choice goalkeeper
Alisson Becker Álisson Ramsés Becker (born 2 October 1992), better known as Alisson Becker or simply Alisson, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for club Liverpool F.C. ...
, Lonergan signed short-term contract with the club in August 2019. He was an unused substitute as Liverpool won the
2019 UEFA Super Cup The 2019 UEFA Super Cup was the 44th edition of the UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Leag ...
and the
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
, and was released by Liverpool at the end of the 2019–20 season.


Stoke City

In December 2020 Lonergan signed a short-term contract with
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...
to act as cover and competition for Josef Bursik, following injuries to first choice keeper Adam Davies, recent loan signing Angus Gunn, and Niki Mäenpää, who had also recently signed on a short-term deal. He played in a 3–1
EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
quarter final defeat against
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
on 23 December 2020.


West Bromwich Albion

On 9 January 2021, Lonergan signed a short-term contract with Premier League club
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
.


Everton

On 20 August 2021, Lonergan joined
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side Everton on a deal until the end of the season. On 11 July 2022, Lonergan signed a new 1-year deal to keep him at the club until 2023. At the end of the 2023 season Lonergan agreed to extend his stay at Everton for a further season. On 17 May 2024, the club said he would be leaving in the summer when his contract expired.


Wigan Athletic

In June 2024, Lonergan joined League One side
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...
on a free transfer, signing a player-coach role with the club. On 9 May 2025, Wigan announced the player would be leaving the club in June when his contract expired.


International career

Lonergan is eligible to play for
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
. In 2000, Lonergan was called up by England U17, but had to withdraw from the squad because at the time, he was studying for his
GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
. Lonergan revealed that his international commitment to England resulted in him missing out of school a lot. After playing just one game for the Republic of Ireland's U16s, Lonergan decided to play for the country of his birth England. He was called up to represent England's U-21 team for the first time in February 2004. He also played for England in the Under 20 World Cup. He is also eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland national team due to his Irish grandparents. Due to a change in
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
rulings Lonergan became eligible for the Republic of Ireland, with the keeper on
Giovanni Trapattoni Giovanni Trapattoni (; born 17 March 1939), popularly nicknamed "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian former Association football, football manager and former player, considered the most successful club coach of Football in Italy, Italian football ...
's radar for the squad. Former Preston teammate and Republic of Ireland international Sean St. Ledger also championed Lonergan getting a call up to the Ireland squad. In May 2010, Lonergan revealed he would welcome a call up to the Republic of Ireland national team after he had initially refused an enquiry to be called up to the Irish squad.


Personal life

Lonergan attended St. Cecilia's RC Technology College (now St. Cecilia's RC High School). He has two daughters, one of whom suffers from
Phenylketonuria Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism that results in decreased metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine. Untreated PKU can lead to intellectual disability, seizures, behavioral problems, and mental disorders. It may also r ...
.


Career statistics


Honours

Liverpool *
UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Individual *
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
Fans' Player of the Year: 2008–09, 2009–10 * Preston North End Player's Player of the Year: 2009–10 *Preston North End Young Player of the Year: 2000–01


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lonergan, Andrew 1983 births Living people Footballers from Preston, Lancashire English men's footballers England men's youth international footballers Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers Men's association football goalkeepers Blackburn Rovers F.C. players Preston North End F.C. players Darlington F.C. players Blackpool F.C. players Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Leeds United F.C. players Bolton Wanderers F.C. players Fulham F.C. players Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Middlesbrough F.C. players Rochdale A.F.C. players Liverpool F.C. players Stoke City F.C. players West Bromwich Albion F.C. players Everton F.C. players Wigan Athletic F.C. players Wigan Athletic F.C. non-playing staff English Football League players English people of Irish descent 21st-century English sportsmen 21st-century Irish sportsmen