*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 02:15, 14 April 2024 (UTC)
Ciaran Patrick Gilligan (born 5 February 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Burton Albion. Born in England, he has represented the Republic of Ireland as a youth international.
Club career
Born in Derby,[2] Gilligan signed his first professional contract with Burton in June 2020.[3] Gilligan joined Burton Albion's academy at under-8 level.[4] He broke into the club's first team in the 2020–21 season, and made his full debut for the club in a 3–3 EFL Trophy draw against Peterborough United on 8 September 2020.[5][6] He made his first League One start on 17 October 2020 against Bristol Rovers.[5][4] In doing so, he became the first Burton player to progress through every age group of Burton's youth system before appearing in the first team.[7] In November 2020, Gilligan signed a new contract with the club, valid until summer 2022, with the option for a further year.[4] Over the course of the season, he made 22 appearances, 18 of which were in the league.[5] He missed a number of games during the second half of the 2021–22 season through a hamstring injury.[8] In April 2022, he signed a new contract until summer 2024.[9] He made 10 appearances over the 2021–22 season in total.[10] Gilligan picked up a further hamstring injury in September 2022.[11]
On 10 February 2024, he scored his first senior goal with a "looping shot" in a 2–1 win away at Bristol Rovers.[12]