Josh Sheehan
Welsh footballer (born 1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joshua Luke Sheehan (born 30 March 1995) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Bolton Wanderers and the Wales national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joshua Luke Sheehan[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 March 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Pembrey, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2014 | Swansea City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2018 | Swansea City | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | → Newport County (loan) | 20 | (5) |
| 2018–2021 | Newport County | 122 | (8) |
| 2021– | Bolton Wanderers | 103 | (9) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012–2014 | Wales U19 | 9 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Wales U21 | 12 | (0) |
| 2020– | Wales | 16 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:47, 1 February 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:38, 18 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Swansea City
Sheehan joined Swansea City academy at the age of 10. On 2 November 2012, he signed a professional contract with the club until the summer of 2015.[3] In April 2014, Sheehan signed a new contract at Swansea until the summer of 2016.[4] Sheehan was included in Swansea's 2014–15 pre-season tour of the United States, and later made his professional debut for the club against Rotherham United in the League Cup.[5][6]
On 17 February 2015, Sheehan signed for Yeovil Town on a month's emergency loan which was later extended until the end of the season.[7] Sheehan made 13 appearances for the Glovers as they were relegated to League Two.
Upon returning to Swansea, Sheehan captained the Under-21 team to the 2014–15 Professional U21 Development League 2 title.[8] Sheehan subsequently signed a new contract with Swansea.[9]
Sheehan rejoined Yeovil on loan in September 2015, returning to Swansea in January 2016.
On 8 August 2016, Sheehan joined Newport County on loan until 21 January 2017.[10] He made his debut for Newport on 24 September 2016 in a League Two match versus Cambridge United as a second-half substitute.[11] He scored his first goal for Newport County on 29 October 2016 in a 3–1 League Two win against Accrington Stanley.[12] On 24 January 2017, the loan was extended to the end of the 2016–17 season but he returned to Swansea on 9 March 2017 after being ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury.[13]
Newport County
On 5 January 2018, Sheehan returned to Newport County on a permanent 18-month deal.[14] He was part of the team that reached the League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 2019. Newport lost to Tranmere Rovers 1–0 after a goal in the 119th minute.[15] He signed a two-year contract extension with Newport in May 2019.[16] In July 2020 Sheehan was selected as Newport County's Player of the Year for the 2019–20 season.[17] Sheehan played for Newport in the League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 31 May 2021 which Newport lost to Morecambe, 1–0 after a 107th-minute penalty.[18] Sheehan was named in the League Two PFA Team of the year for the 2020–21 season.[19] Sheehan declined a contract extension at Newport at the end of the 2020–21 season.[20]
Bolton Wanderers
At the conclusion of his contract at Newport, Sheehan joined League One club Bolton Wanderers on a two-year deal on 7 June 2021.[21] His competitive debut came on 7 August 2021, when he scored a 20-yard free kick in a 3–3 draw against Milton Keynes Dons.[22] On 20 November 2021, Bolton confirmed that Sheehan had been ruled out for the remainder of the 2021–22 season with a knee ligament injury.[23]
On 2 April 2023, he started in the 2023 EFL Trophy final which Bolton won 4–0 against Plymouth Argyle.[24] Following defeat in the play-offs, he was offered a new contract at the end of the 2022–23 season[25] which he signed on 5 June 2023, extending his stay for two years.[26] In November 2024 Sheehan extended his contract to the end of the 2026-27 season.[27]
International career
In September 2014, Sheehan was called up to the Wales under-21 squad for matches against Finland under-21 and Lithuania under-21.[28] Sheehan made his Wales under-21 debut in a 2–2 draw against Finland.[29]
On 5 November 2020, Sheehan received his first call-up to the Wales senior squad for matches during November against the US, Finland and Republic of Ireland.[30]
He won his first senior cap on 12 November 2020 as a half time substitute in the 0–0 friendly match against the USA.[31]
On 5 June 2024, it was announced that Sheehan would captain the Wales senior squad for the first time in their friendly against Gibraltar.[32] He captained Wales to a 0–0 draw on 6 June 2024.[33]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 5 October 2024
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Swansea City | 2014–15[34] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[35] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[36] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18[37] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Yeovil Town (loan) | 2014–15[34] | League One | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[35] | League Two | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| Total | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 | ||
| Newport County (loan) | 2016–17[36] | League Two | 20 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 25 | 7 |
| Newport County | 2017–18[37] | League Two | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| 2018–19[38] | League Two | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[39] | League Two | 33 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| 2020–21[40] | League Two | 43 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 53 | 3 | |
| Total | 122 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 154 | 8 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2021–22[41] | League One | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 20 | 4 |
| 2022–23[42] | League One | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[e] | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| 2023–24[43] | League One | 43 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[f] | 2 | 51 | 4 | |
| 2024–25[44] | League One | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 91 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 116 | 11 | ||
| Career total | 259 | 24 | 21 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 325 | 28 | ||
- Appearance in Football League Trophy
- Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
- Four appearances in EFL Trophy, three appearances in League Two play-offs
- Three appearances in League Two play-offs
- Eight appearances in EFL Trophy, two appearances in League One play-offs
- Three appearances in EFL Trophy, one appearance in League One play-offs
International
- As of match played 18 November 2025[45]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | |
Honours
Bolton Wanderers
Individual