Tom Atcheson
Northern Irish association football player (born 2006)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tom Joseph Atcheson (born 22 September 2006) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers and the Northern Ireland national team.[2]
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Atcheson in 2026. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tom Joseph Atcheson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 22 September 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Blackpool, England | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2023 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Blackburn Rovers | 16 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Marine (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | Northern Ireland U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2024 | Northern Ireland U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Northern Ireland U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2025– | Northern Ireland U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2026– | Northern Ireland | 2 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:00, 22 August 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:00, 4 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Atcheson was born in Blackpool, England and attended Rossall School in nearby Fleetwood.[3] He joined Blackburn Rovers at under-12 level.[4] He made his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Harrogate Town and also featured for the club in the FA Cup against Wrexham during the 2023–24 season.[5] On 29 February 2023, he signed his first professional contract with Blackburn until 2026.[6]
He spent time on loan at Marine during the 2024–25 season.[7] In November 2024, he signed a new four-year contract with Blackburn.[4]
On 20 December 2025, he debuted in the EFL Championship with Blackburn in a 2–0 win over Millwall.[8]
International career
A Northern Ireland youth international, qualifying through his grandparents, he featured for Northern Ireland U19 at the European U19 Championships in 2024.[9][10]
Atcheson earned his first senior call-up to the Northern Ireland national team as an injury replacement for Daniel Ballard, with his Blackburn Rovers manager Michael O'Neill selecting him ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off against Italy.[11] He made his senior debut on 31 March 2026 as an 80th minute substitute in a 1–1 friendly draw with Wales at Cardiff City Stadium.[12]
Atcheson made his full debut in a friendly match against Guinea on 4 June 2026, scoring his first senior goal of the match to secure a 1–0 victory. He was later sent off in the second half after receiving a straight red card.[13][14]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 22 August 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2023–24 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | Championship | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2026–27 | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Marine (loan) | 2024–25 | National League North | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
International
- As of match played 4 June 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 2026 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 June 2026 | Estadio Municipal de La Línea de la Concepción, La Línea de la Concepción, Spain |  Guinea | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |