View source for Chris Hegarty (footballer, born 1992)

{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Chris Hegarty (footballer, born 1984)]], a former Scottish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name        = Chris Hegarty
|image       =
|caption     =
|fullname    =
|birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1992|8|13|df=y}}<ref name="Soccerway">{{cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/christopher-hegarty/129845/|title=Northern Ireland - C. Hegarty|publisher=Soccerway|access-date=15 June 2022}}</ref>
|birth_place = [[Dungannon]], Northern Ireland
|height      = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}
|position    = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
|currentclub =
|youthyears1 = 2006–2008
|youthyears2 = 2008–2010
|youthyears3 = 2010–2011
|youthclubs1 = [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]]
|youthclubs2 = [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]
|youthclubs3 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
|years1      = 2011–2014
|years2      = 2014–2016
|years3      = 2016
|years4      = 2016–2019
|years5      = 2019–2023
|years6      = 2023-2024
|clubs1      = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
|clubs2      = [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|clubs3      = → [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] (loan)
|clubs4      = [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]]
|clubs5      = [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]
|clubs6      = [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]]
|caps1       = 25
|caps2       = 17
|caps3       = 13
|caps4       = 95
|caps5       = 85
|caps6       = 14
|goals1      = 1
|goals2      = 3
|goals3      = 0
|goals4      = 11
|goals5      = 5
|goals6      = 0
|totalcaps = 249
|totalgoals = 20
|nationalyears1 = 2010–2011
|nationalteam1  = [[Northern Ireland national under-19 football team|Northern Ireland U19]]
|nationalcaps1  = 8
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|nationalyears2 = 2013
|nationalteam2  = [[Northern Ireland national under-21 football team|Northern Ireland U21]]
|nationalcaps2  = 4
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|club-update = 7 June 2024
}}
'''Chris Hegarty''' (born 13 August 1992) is a Northern Irish [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]].
==Club career==
Born in [[Dungannon]], Hegarty began his career at youth level with local team [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]]. He joined [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]] in 2008 after being scouted playing for the [[Northern Ireland national under-16 football team|Northern Ireland under-16 team]]. He captained both the youth and reserve teams (winning the youth league in the process), before joining [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] on trial in 2010. He was offered contracts by both Hibs and fellow [[Scottish Premier League]] side [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]], and opted to sign for the latter, revealing "I fulfilled an ambition by playing for the club I grew up supporting".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/footballers-lives-with-chris-hegarty-ive-had-difficult-days-in-football-and-at-rangers-but-toughest-times-were-waiting-to-hear-from-my-brother-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-36305706.html|title=Footballers' Lives with Chris Hegarty: I've had difficult days in football and at Rangers but toughest times were waiting to hear from my brother in Iraq and Afghanistan|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=10 November 2017}}</ref>
===Rangers===
Although he made several appearances on the substitutes bench in the [[2011–12 Rangers F.C. season|2011–12 season]], it was not until May 2012 that he made his first-team appearance, in a friendly against [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]] in May 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league-football/irish-leagues-andrew-mitchell-and-chris-hegarty-look-back-on-dream-days-in-rangers-blue-2869269|title=Irish League's Andrew Mitchell and Chris Hegarty look back on dream days in Rangers blue|work=News Letter|date=29 May 2020}}</ref> In the summer of 2012, Hegarty became the first player to sign for Rangers after their demotion to the fourth tier of Scottish football.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/scottish-premier-league/2012-2013/hegarty-signs-for-rangers_sto3330215/story.shtml|title=HEGARTY SIGNS FOR RANGERS|publisher=Eurosport|date=29 June 2012}}</ref> He made 28 appearances in total during the [[2012–13 Rangers F.C. season|2012–13 season]] as Rangers won the [[2012–13 Scottish Third Division|Scottish Third Division]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-youngster-chris-hegarty-divison-1795853|title=Rangers youngster Chris Hegarty: Division 3 title means everything to me.. for most of us it's our first winner's medal|work=Daily Record|date=1 April 2013}}</ref> He scored his first Rangers goal in the opening game of the [[2013–14 Rangers F.C. season|2013–14 season]], tapping in after two minutes in a 4–1 win over [[Brechin City F.C.|Brechin City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23622899|title=Rangers 4-1 Brechin City|publisher=BBC|date=10 August 2013}}</ref> His season was blighted by injury however, and he would make just one other appearance that season.
===Linfield===
In May 2014 Hegarty signed for [[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]] on a two-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27527274|title=Defender Chris Hegarty joins Linfield on two-year deal|publisher=BBC|date=22 May 2014}}</ref> He was also made club captain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/former-rangers-defender-signs-linfield-3593550|title=Former Rangers defender signs for Linfield and takes the captaincy for the Northern Irish champions|work=Daily Record|date=23 May 2014}}</ref> However his time there was blighted by injuries, and in February 2016 he joined hometown club [[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]] on loan for the remainder of the [[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.linfieldfc.com/interview.aspx?id=2235|title=David Healy discusses loan move for Chris Hegarty|publisher=Linfield Football Club|date=1 February 2016}}</ref>
===Dungannon Swifts===
Hegarty signed for Dungannon permanently in May 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.linfieldfc.com/interview.aspx?id=2287|title=DH - Best wishes to Chris Hegarty|publisher=Linfield Football Club|date=16 May 2016}}</ref> In February 2018, he helped the Swifts to win the [[Northern Ireland Football League Cup]] (their first senior trophy), after a 3–1 victory over [[Ballymena United F.C.|Ballymena United]] in the final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/dungannon-swifts-lift-betmclean-league-14303911|title=Dungannon Swifts lift BetMcLean League Cup with 3-1 win over Ballymena United|publisher=Belfast Live|date=17 February 2018}}</ref> Hegarty was made Dungannon captain in December 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/dungannon-swifts-confirm-extended-contracts-for-christopher-hegarty-and-seanan-clucas-168911|title=Dungannon Swifts confirm extended contracts for Christopher Hegarty and Seanan Clucas|work=News Letter|date=20 December 2018}}</ref>
===Crusaders===
In May 2019, Hegarty joined [[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]] on a three-year deal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48180305|title=Chris Hegarty: Dungannon Swifts captain joins Crusaders on three-year deal|publisher=BBC|date=6 May 2019}}</ref> He scored on his competitive debut, a 2–0 victory against [[B36 Tórshavn]] in the [[UEFA Europa League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/crusaders/hegarty-and-beverland-planning-to-finish-the-job-38322903.html|title=Hegarty and Beverland planning to finish the job|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=18 July 2019}}</ref>
==International career==
Hegarty won eight caps for Northern Ireland at [[Northern Ireland national under-19 football team|under-19 level]] and four caps at [[Northern Ireland national under-21 football team|under-21 level]].<ref name="Soccerway" />
==Career statistics==
{{Updated|7 May 2023}}<ref name="Soccerway" />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!rowspan="2"|Division
!colspan="2"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup
!colspan="2"|League Cup
!colspan="2"|Europe
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
|[[2011–12 Rangers F.C. season|2011–12]]
|[[Scottish Premier League|Premier League]]
|0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|[[2012–13 Rangers F.C. season|2012–13]]
|[[Scottish Third Division|Third Division]]
|24||0||3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0||29||0
|-
|[[2013–14 Rangers F.C. season|2013–14]]
|[[Scottish League One|League One]]
|1||1||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||2||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!25!!1!!3!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!31!!1
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Linfield F.C.|Linfield]]
|[[2014–15 NIFL Premiership|2014–15]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|14||3||0||0||1||0||4||0||1||0||20||3
|-
|[[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|3||0||1||0||2||0||4||0||1||0||11||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!17!!3!!1!!0!!3!!0!!8!!0!!2!!0!!31!!3
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Dungannon Swifts F.C.|Dungannon Swifts]]
|[[2015–16 NIFL Premiership|2015–16]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|13||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||13||0
|-
|[[2016–17 NIFL Premiership|2016–17]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|32||5||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||36||5
|-
|[[2017–18 NIFL Premiership|2017–18]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|30||5||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||34||5
|-
|[[2018–19 NIFL Premiership|2018–19]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|33||1||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0||37||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!108!!11!!5!!0!!7!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!120!!11
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Crusaders F.C.|Crusaders]]
|[[2019–20 NIFL Premiership|2019–20]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|15||1||0||0||0||0||4||1||0||0||19||2
|-
|[[2020–21 NIFL Premiership|2020–21]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|25||2||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||2||0||27||2
|-
|[[2021–22 NIFL Premiership|2021–22]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|17||0||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|–||2||1||22||1
|-
|[[2022–23 NIFL Premiership|2022–23]]
|[[NIFL Premiership|Premiership]]
|27||2||2||0||1||0||3||0||1||0||34||2
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!84!!5!!3!!0!!3!!0!!7!!1!!5!!1!!102!!7
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!251!!28!!11!!0!!16!!3!!11!!1!!2!!0!!291!!32
|}
==Honours==
'''Rangers'''
*[[Scottish Third Division]]: [[2012–13 Scottish Third Division|2012–13]]
'''Dungannon Swifts'''
*[[Northern Ireland Football League Cup]]: [[2017–18 Northern Ireland Football League Cup|2017–18]]
'''Crusaders'''
*[[Irish Cup]]: [[2021–22 Irish Cup|2021–22]], [[2022–23 Irish Cup|2022–23]]
*[[NIFL Charity Shield]]: 2022
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hegarty, Chris}}
[[Category:1992 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Association footballers from County Tyrone]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Dungannon Swifts F.C. players]]
[[Category:Millwall F.C. players]]
[[Category:Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Linfield F.C. players]]
[[Category:Crusaders F.C. players]]
[[Category:NIFL Premiership players]]
[[Category:Scottish Professional Football League players]]
[[Category:Northern Ireland men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Dungannon]]
[[Category:21st-century British sportsmen]]