John Egan returns to Premier League and into Ireland squad after career revival
John Egan has played in every Premier League game for Hull City since their return to the top flight, a report published on 22 September 2026 notes. The 33-year-old centre-back has also signed a new two-year deal earlier this month and won a recall to the Republic of Ireland squad after impressing for the Tigers.
Egan’s path back began 18 months ago when, as a 31-year-old, he moved in January from promotion-chasing Burnley to Championship side Hull City after struggling for minutes off the bench at Turf Moor. His Premier League future had seemed uncertain following a season-ending Achilles injury sustained while playing for Sheffield United against West Ham in September 2023, when he was taken off on a stretcher. Released by the Blades the following summer, he rebuilt his career with a short spell at Burnley before joining Hull in 2024.
Across six seasons with Sheffield United, Egan made 208 appearances and was part of teams promoted to the Premier League in 2019 and 2023. He was named club captain in the summer of 2023 but played his last game for the Blades in September that year; the Achilles problem kept him out for close to 10 months and his contract expired the following summer without renewal.
After trials with Burnley and West Ham, then-Clarets boss Scott Parker offered Egan a one-year deal as Burnley sought a quick return to the top flight. With the Clarets enjoying a strong Championship start, Egan was limited to seven appearances and five months later swapped a promotion push at Turf Moor for an 18-month contract at Hull. He completed his first 90 minutes in over a year in a 2-0 loss against Burnley in February and went on to make 10 more appearances as Hull stayed up on goal difference on the final day.
Sergej Jakirovic then took charge and, with a fully fit Egan a regular selection, Hull advanced the following season. Egan 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. This season he has featured in five of Hull’s league games and has been ever-present as they adjusted to life back in the top tier.
Egan’s performances in the Premier League include the opening-day 2-0 victory over Manchester United, in which he made 18 clearances, and involvement in clean sheets against Coventry and Aston Villa; Hull also took a point at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea and suffered a narrow defeat to Newcastle. Hull’s results across those fixtures have kept Egan prominent in their defensive configuration.
Internationally, Egan has accumulated 38 caps for the Republic of Ireland and earned a recall in October last year after two years without a call-up. Under Heimir Hallgrimsson he has been a bit-part player; he came off the bench in the closing stages of the 1-0 defeat against Portugal, was on the bench for the subsequent wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary, was an unused substitute in the shootout defeat against Czech Republic, and won his 38th cap by starting in a 0-0 friendly draw against North Macedonia in May.
Hallgrimsson’s preference for three centre-backs places Egan in contention for a role in the Nations League opener against Kosovo, with captain Nathan Collins out injured, Jake O'Brien limited to three appearances for Everton and Dara O’Shea deployed at right-back for Ipswich Town. The other centre-back options named — new call-up Liam Kitching, Jimmy Dunne and James Abankwah — are described in the report as inexperienced at international level, and the compressed international window, which includes a game against Austria sandwiched between two fixtures against Israel in 12 days, makes it likely Egan will see game time.
Egan’s immediate programme with Ireland begins with the Nations League opener against Kosovo in Pristina, followed by matches against Austria and two games against Israel across the 12-day window.
