{{Short description|Irish footballer (born 2003)}} {{for|the rower|Joshua O'Brien (rower)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Josh O'Brien | image = Joshobrien221022.jpg | caption = O'Brien playing for Salford in October 2022 | fullname = Joshua Manfred O'Brien | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|2|7|df=y}} | birth_place = Dublin, Ireland | height = | position = Defender | currentclub = Indy Eleven | clubnumber = 5 | youthyears1 = 20??–2020 | youthclubs1 = Seattle Sounders FC | youthyears2 = 2020–2021 | youthclubs2 = De Anza Force | youthyears3 = 2021–2022 | youthclubs3 = Watford | years1 = 2022–2023 | clubs1 = Salford City | caps1 = 2 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2022–2023 | clubs2 = → Telford United (loan) | caps2 = 10 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2023–2024 | clubs3 = Hamilton Academical | caps3 = 8 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2024– | clubs4 = Indy Eleven | caps4 = 54 | goals4 = 2 | club-update = 19:30, 26 October 2025 (UTC) }}
'''Joshua Manfred O'Brien''' (born 7 February 2003) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for USL Championship club Indy Eleven.
==Early life== O'Brien was born in Dublin, but moved to the United States at ten weeks old due to a change in his father's job.<ref name="Leventhal">{{cite news |last=Leventhal |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Leventhal |title=Josh O'Brien, the Irish-American who went on trial at Watford and ended up winning a pro deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2747158/2021/08/05/josh-obrien-the-irish-american-who-went-on-trial-at-watford-and-ended-up-winning-a-pro-deal/ |access-date=10 December 2022 |work=The Athletic |date=6 August 2021}}</ref> O'Brien's father is Irish and his mother, Nicole, is German.<ref name="Leventhal"/> O'Brien has four brothers; Aran represented Santa Clara University and Ethan played for the University of Notre Dame.<ref name="Leventhal"/> O'Brien was educated at Eastside Catholic in Washington state and Archbishop Mitty in California.<ref name="Leventhal"/>
==Career==
=== Youth career === O'Brien began his career with the Crossfire academy, though moved to Northern California to join developmental team De Anza Force in 2020.<ref name="Leventhal" /> He attended the University of Washington, but in 2021 put his studies on hold to join English Premier League club Watford on a one-year contract (with the option of a further year) following a successful trial.<ref name="Leventhal" /> O'Brien had been recommended to the club by the brother of Northern Ireland international George Saville.<ref name="Leventhal" /> O'Brien was released by Watford in the summer of 2022 and joined the development squad at Salford City of EFL League Two.<ref>{{cite web |title=Josh O'Brien |url=https://salfordcityfc.co.uk/players/josh-obrien/ |website=Salford City Football Club |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref>
=== Professional career === O'Brien made his senior debut for Salford on 30 August 2022, playing the full ninety minutes of a 2–1 win over Liverpool U21 at Moor Lane,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/salford-city-vs-liverpool-u21/471669 |access-date=10 December 2022 |work=Sky Sports |title=EFL Trophy (Sky Sports) }}</ref> and his first league start came against Northampton Town, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win at Sixfields.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cox |first=Lewis |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/afc-telford-united/2022/12/20/kevin-wilkin-hoping-telford-loanee-will-be-success/ |title=Kevin Wilkin hoping Telford loanee will be success |date=20 December 2022 |access-date=7 January 2023 |work=Shropshire Star}}</ref> On 12 December he joined Telford United on loan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Josh O'Brien joins AFC Telford United on loan |url=https://salfordcityfc.co.uk/obrien-loaned-to-telford-121222/ |website=Salford City Football Club |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
O'Brien joined Scottish League One side Hamilton Academical in August 2023, making 10 total appearances for the South Lanarkshire club.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGilvray |first=Andy |date=2023-08-05 |title=Hamilton Accies boss not finished in transfer market despite double signing |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/hamilton-accies-boss-not-finished-30637669 |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Daily Record |language=en}}</ref>
On 1 February 2024, Indianapolis-based club Indy Eleven announced the signing of O'Brien ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indy Eleven Announces Addition of Defender Josh O'Brien |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news/2024/02/01/indy-eleven-announces-addition-of-defender-josh-obrien/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Indy Eleven |language=en-US}}</ref> The USL Championship club's owners had been interested in signing O'Brien since he joined Watford's development squad in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Healy |first=Tommy |title=Irish American defender Josh O'Brien signs with USL Championship team Indy Eleven |url=https://www.extratime.com/articles/32804/irish-american-defender-josh-obrien-signs-usl-championship-team-indy-eleven/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=extratime.com |language=en}}</ref> O'Brien made his first appearance with the Eleven in their 2–1 season opening defeat against Oakland Roots as a substitute in the 75th minute, replacing Younes Boudadi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Recap - OAK 2:1 IND |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news/2024/03/10/indy-eleven-falls-in-season-opener-at-oakland/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=Indy Eleven |language=en-US}}</ref> O'Brien scored his first goal for the Eleven on 1 June in a 2–1 away win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RECAP - PIT 1:2 IND |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news/2024/06/01/recap-pit-12-ind/ |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=Indy Eleven |language=en-US}}</ref> On 20 November 2024, Indy Eleven announced O'Brien would return for the 2025 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indy Eleven Announces Returnees for 2025 |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news/2024/11/20/indy-eleven-announces-returnees-for-2025/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Indy Eleven |language=en-US}}</ref>
O'Brien scored his first goal of the 2025 season, and second for Indy Eleven, in a 1–1 draw against Birmingham Legion FC on 28 June in the USL Cup.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jägermeister Cup Recap-IND 1(7):1(6) BHM |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news/2025/06/28/jagermeister-cup-recap-ind-1716-bhm/ |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Indy Eleven |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Personal == O'Brien's brother, Ethan O'Brien, is also a professional footballer, with the brothers playing together at Indy Eleven in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indy Eleven Announces Signing of Notre Dame Standout Ethan O'Brien |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news/2024/03/06/indy-eleven-announces-signing-of-notre-dame-standout-ethan-obrien/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Indy Eleven |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{Updated|match played 2 August 2025.}}<ref>{{Soccerway|624213|access-date=20 February 2025}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes FA Cup, Scottish Cup, U.S. Open Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup, USL Cup}} !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Salford City |2022-23 |League Two |2||0||0||0||0||0||2{{efn|name="EFT"|Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy}}||0||4||0 |- |Telford United (loan) |2022-23 |National League North |10||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||1{{efn|name="FAT"|Appearance(s) in FA Trophy}}||0||11||1 |- |Hamilton Academical |2023-24 |Scottish League One |8||0||0||0||0||0||2{{efn|name="SCC"|Appearance(s) in Scottish Challenge Cup}}||0||10||0 |- | rowspan="4" |Indy Eleven |2024 |USL Championship |25||1||5||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||30||1 |- |2025 |USL Championship |21 |0 |2 |0 |5 |1 |0 |0 |28 |1 |- |2026 |USL Championship |3 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |5 |0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !69 !2 !9 !0 !5 !1 !0 !0 !88 !2 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !88!!2!!9!!0!!5!!1!!5!!0!!88!!3 |} {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Indy Eleven squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Josh}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:Association footballers from Dublin (city) Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Salford City F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:University of Washington alumni Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Irish people of German descent Category:AFC Telford United players Category:American men's soccer players Category:De Anza Force players Category:Indy Eleven players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century Irish sportsmen