Conor Masterson

Conor Masterson
Masterson in 2023
Personal information
Full name Conor Ciaran Masterson[1]
Date of birth (1998-09-08) 8 September 1998
Place of birth Celbridge, Ireland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Reading
Number 23
Youth career
–2014 Lucan United
2014–2018 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Liverpool 0 (0)
2019–2023 Queens Park Rangers 17 (1)
2021 → Swindon Town (loan) 5 (0)
2021–2022 → Cambridge United (loan) 16 (0)
2022 → Gillingham (loan) 18 (0)
2023 → Gillingham (loan) 20 (2)
2023–2026 Gillingham 65 (7)
2026– Reading 0 (0)
International career
2014–2015 Republic of Ireland U17 11 (0)
2015–2017 Republic of Ireland U19 6 (0)
2019–2020 Republic of Ireland U21 13 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:29, 31 July 2025 (UTC)

Conor Ciaran Masterson (born 8 September 1998) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL League One club Reading.

Club career

Early career

Originally from Celbridge, County Kildare, in Ireland,[3] Masterson played for Lucan United before joining Liverpool on his 16th birthday for a reported fee of €1m after being spotted playing for a Dublin & District Schoolboys League select team in 2012.[4][5]

He made his U18s debut in 2014–15. Masterson went on to captain the under-18s and was an unused sub for Liverpool in their FA Cup tie at Exeter City in January 2016.[6] He moved to the U23s squad ahead of the 2017–18 season.[7]

He was named on the bench for Liverpool's UEFA Champions League 3–0 quarter final victory against Manchester City on 4 April 2018.[8][9] He was named in Liverpool's Premier League squad for the match against Everton on 7 April 2018 and was included on the substitutes' bench.[10]

Masterson was released by Liverpool at the end of the 2018–19 season.[11]

Queens Park Rangers

On 3 July 2019, Masterson signed a two-year deal with Queens Park Rangers.[12][13] On 5 January 2020, he made his debut for the club in an FA Cup third round 5–1 defeat of Swansea City.[14] On 18 July 2020, Masterson scored his first senior goal when he opened the scoring in an eventual 4–3 victory over Millwall.[15]

On 19 January 2021, Masterson joined League One side Swindon Town on loan until the end of the 2020-21 season[16] On 21 August 2021, Masterson joined another League One side, Cambridge United, on loan until January 2022.[17] Masterson was named in the starting line-up on the same day as the U's faced Burton Albion. On 4 January 2022, Masterson returned to QPR.[18] On 28 January 2022, Masterson joined a third League One club, Gillingham, on loan until 30 April 2022.[19] He again joined Gillingham on loan in January 2023.[20]

Gillingham

After Queens Park Rangers opted not to renew his contract at the end of the 2022–23 season, Masterson signed a permanent contract with Gillingham to take effect on 1 July.[21] He was named as the Kent side's Player of the Year for the 2023–24 season.[22] On 24 June 2025, the club announced he had signed a new one-year deal.[23]

He was released by Gillingham at the end of the 2025–26 season.[24]

Reading

On 25 August 2026, Masterson joined League One side Reading until January 2027.[25]

International career

On 6 March 2014, Masterson made his debut for Republic of Ireland Under-17s in a 2–1 friendly win over Austria at Dalymount Park.[5][26] At the 25th Annual FAI International Football Awards Masterson was named as the Under-16 International Player of the Year for 2014.[27]

Masterson graduated to the Under-19 side on 10 October 2015 as an unused substitute in a 1–1 friendly draw against Ukraine, before making his debut in a 1–2 loss against the same side two days later.[5]

He was first called up to the Under-21 side in March 2019 ahead of a European Championships qualifier against Luxembourg, going on to play the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 victory.[28][29]

Career statistics

As of match played 9 February 2024[2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool 2017–18 Premier League 0000000000
2018–19 0000000000
Queens Park Rangers 2019–20[30] Championship 1212000—141
2020–21[31] Championship 401010—60
2022–23 Championship 100000—10
Total 1713010—211
Swindon Town (loan) 2020–21[31] League One50———50
Cambridge United (loan) 2021–22[31] League One 160211020211
Gillingham (loan) 2021–22 League One 180000000180
Gillingham (loan) 2022–23 League Two 202000000202
Gillingham 2023–24 League Two 275301030345
Career total 10388130501199

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Notification of shirt numbers" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Republic of Ireland - C. Masterson - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  3. ↑ "Liverpool bench role for Ireland's Conor Masterson next step in steady rise". Irish Independent. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018. [Though he played] at Lucan where his father, Ciarán, was a coach [..] Masterson [..] actually grew up across the Kildare border in Celbridge
  4. ↑ Ste McGovern. "Who Is Conor Masterson? The Irish Starlet Who Could Make His Champions League Debut Tonight". Balls.ie. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Donaghy, Gerard (5 September 2017). "All you need to know about Conor Masterson, the Irish youngster in Liverpool's Champions League squad". The Irish Post. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Liverpool youngster Conor Masterson could be named on the bench against Man City". Liverpool Echo. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Liverpool FC". liverpoolfc.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Champions League: Liverpool v Manchester City & Barcelona v Roma - Live - BBC Sport". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "Watch: Jurgen Klopp reveals the ultra-confident reaction of Ireland's Conor Masterson to his Champions League bench role". Independent.ie. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Reddy, Melissa (7 April 2018). "#LFC starting XI v #EFC: Karius, Clyne, Lovren, Van Dijk, Klavan, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner, Mane, Ings, Solanke \ Subs: Mignolet, Masterson, Moreno, Alexander-Arnold, Jones, Ox, Firmino \ Clyne's first start of the season. First squad involvement for Curtis Jones, 17".
  11. ↑ Shaw, Chris (7 June 2019). "Liverpool confirm Premier League retained list". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Conor Masterson signs for QPR". QPR. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  13. ↑ "Conor Masterson: QPR sign defender after Liverpool exit". BBC Sport. 3 July 2019.
  14. ↑ "Queens Park Rangers 5–1 Swansea City". BBC Sport. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Queens Park Rangers 4–3 Millwall". BBC Sport. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "CONOR MASTERSON SIGNS ON LOAN FROM QPR". www.swindontownfc.co.uk. 19 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Cambridge United sign QPR centre-back on loan until January". BBC Sport. 21 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Cambridge United defender Conor Masterson returns to QPR after loan spell ends". Cambridge News. 4 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "Gills sign Conor Masterson on loan". Gillingham FC. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Conor Masterson returns on loan". Gillingham FC. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  21. ↑ "Conor Masterson signs permanent Gills deal". Gillingham FC. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Conor Masterson voted Player of the Year". Gillingham FC. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Conor Masterson: Gillingham defender signs new one-year contract". BBC Sport. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  24. ↑ "Released and Retained List Confirmed 2025/26". Gillingham F.C. 3 May 2026. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  25. ↑ https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2026/august/25/masterson-make-it-six-signing/
  26. ↑ Barrow, Pete (6 March 2014). "Huddersfield Town academy player Danny Kane impresses in international win". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  27. 1 2 "John O'Shea named Ireland player of the year". RTÉ. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  28. ↑ "Parrott and Masterson named in Ireland U-21 squad". RTÉ. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  29. ↑ "History: Republic of Ireland-Luxembourg | Under-21 2021". UEFA. 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  30. ↑ "Conor Masterson | Football Stats | Queen's Park Rangers | Season 2019/2020 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  31. 1 2 3 "Conor Masterson | Football Stats | Queen's Park Rangers | Season 2020/2021 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
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