Neil Farrugia

Neil Farrugia (born 19 May 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for League of Ireland Premier Division club Shamrock Rovers. Born in France, he has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level.

Youth career
Born in Paris, France to a French father and Irish mother, Farrugia moved to Dublin aged 7, where he played with St James' Athletic, St Joseph's Boys and Belvedere before moving to the youth academy of UCD in 2015. He attended secondary school in St Andrew's College in Blackrock, Dublin and was named the FAI Schools Player of the Year for 2016–17.

UCD
On 24 February 2017, Farrugia made his senior debut for UCD in the opening game of the 2017 League of Ireland First Division season, in a 1–0 win away to Cabinteely. He scored the first goal of his senior career on 13 July 2018 in a 3–0 win away to Wexford at Ferrycarrig Park. Farrugia was part of the team that won the 2018 League of Ireland First Division title, gaining promotion to the Premier Division. His first ever Premier Division goal came on 25 February 2019, when he opened the scoring in an eventual 2–1 loss away to reigning champions Dundalk at Oriel Park. Farrugia went on trial with the Manchester City U23 side during the summer transfer window but opted to remain in Ireland to complete his degree in biomedical science at University College Dublin.

Shamrock Rovers
On 26 June 2019, it was announced that Farrugia had signed for Shamrock Rovers. On 3 November 2019, he came off the bench in the 2019 FAI Cup Final, as his side won the trophy after a penalty shootout win over Dundalk at the Aviva Stadium. He was part of the squad that won the 2020 League of Ireland Premier Division, his first time winning the title. His first few years at the club were blighted with injuries, resulting in a large amount of fixtures being missed, with 17 appearances being the highest amount he made in a season up until 2022. After an impressive campaign in 2022 and continued good form in 2023, Farrugia's form saw him called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for a training camp in May 2023.

International career
Farrugia is eligible to play for France, Republic of Ireland, Spain and Malta, but opted for Ireland during his youth career and turned down approaches from Malta for an international callup. Farrugia represented both the Republic of Ireland U19 and Republic of Ireland U21 teams, scoring on his debut for the U21s in a 3–0 win over Luxembourg U21 at Tallaght Stadium on 24 March 2019. In May 2023, former U21 manager Stephen Kenny called him up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad for the first time, for a training camp in Bristol, England, before putting him on standby for the June 2023 fixtures against Greece and Gibraltar.

Personal life
Farrugia completed a degree in biomedical science at University College Dublin, graduating in 2020.

Honours
UCD
 * League of Ireland First Division: 2018

Shamrock Rovers
 * League of Ireland Premier Division (4): 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
 * FAI Cup: 2019
 * President of Ireland's Cup (2): 2022, 2024