John Egan signs new Hull City deal after remarkable Premier League resurgence

From stretcher to starter: Egan's unlikely road back to the top

Just 18 months ago, a 31-year-old John Egan was struggling for minutes off the bench for promotion-chasing Burnley and decided to make a January switch to fellow Championship side Hull City. Fast forward to the present day and the now 33-year-old is a Premier League regular for the Tigers, who have taken everyone by surprise upon their return to the top flight.

It's been quite a turnaround for a player who, only recently, feared his top-flight career was over. Egan's last Premier League appearance for Sheffield United came when he was carried off on a stretcher with a season-ending Achilles injury against West Ham in September 2023. His late career resurgence back to the Premier League is, in the words of those charting his story, "a story of perseverance and unwavering belief despite considerable adversity."

Hull move proves the catalyst

Egan made 208 appearances for Sheffield United across six seasons, winning promotion to the Premier League with them in 2019 and 2023. Named club captain in the summer of 2023, he would play his final game for the Blades that September as the Achilles injury curtailed his return and kept him out for close to 10 months. When his contract expired the following summer, the club opted not to renew, leaving Egan "hurt and in the lurch" as he fought back to fitness.

Trials at Burnley and West Ham followed, with then Clarets boss Scott Parker persuaded enough by the experienced centre-back to offer a one-year deal. With Burnley flying high, a still-recovering Egan managed just seven appearances and chose to swap a promotion push at Turf Moor for a relegation battle with Hull five months later. He signed an 18-month deal, completed his first 90 minutes in over a year against Burnley in a 2-0 February loss, and made 10 further appearances as Hull stayed up on goal difference on the final day.

Under manager Sergej Jakirovic, a fully-fit Egan became a linchpin. He played 48 times as Hull reached the play-offs and beat Middlesbrough in the final to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. The Republic of Ireland centre-back then starred on the opening day, making 18 clearances in a 2-0 win against Manchester United. Clean sheets against Coventry and Aston Villa, a point at Chelsea and a narrow defeat at Newcastle have since followed.

New contract and international revival

Egan signed a new two-year deal earlier this month and has played five of Hull's league games this season. His form also earned an international recall with the Republic of Ireland in October last year, after two years without a call-up, taking his cap tally to 38.

Previously an automatic starter, the emergence of Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea and Jake O'Brien had pushed him down the pecking order, and he played a bit-part role under Heimir Hallgrimsson — coming off the bench against Portugal and remaining unused in the shootout defeat to the Czech Republic before starting a 0-0 draw with North Macedonia in May.

With captain Collins injured, Jake O'Brien limited to three Everton appearances and Dara O'Shea playing out of position at right-back for Ipswich Town, Egan has staked a strong claim for one of three centre-back slots in the Nations League opener against Kosovo. Newer call-ups Liam Kitching, Jimmy Dunne and James Abankwah offer little international experience by comparison. Seamus Coleman, meanwhile, was left out of the latest squad.

Given what he has overcome just to return to the top flight and the Irish set-up, Egan will fancy his chances of re-establishing himself as a starter for country as he has at club level.