This week’s Airtricity/Eircom Man is Declan “Fabio” O’Brien, all time top scorer for Drogheda United.
Declan O’Brien was born in June of 1979 in Dublin. In his youth career he played for clubs such as Corduff United, Rivermount and Verona FC.
Playing Career.
Drogheda United (2001-2008)
Declan started his professional football career at Drogheda United in 2001, scoring on his debut against Cobh Ramblers.
He would eventually become the club’s captain, and would notoriously guide the club to the infamous 2005 FAI Cup win. His time in Drogheda would also entail two Setanta Cups and the clubs only ever league in 2007. He would make a total of 188 appearances for the blue and claret army, scoring 76 domestic goals for the outfit in his time.
Dundalk/St Pats (2009)
In January of 2009, O’Brien would shock Drogheda fans with a controversial move to bitter rivals Dundalk, who were newly promoted at the time. Here he was played out of position and would go on loan halfway through the season to St Pats.
His debut for Pats would see him score against Valletta in the Europa League, which he would end up scoring against in the second leg, which sent Pats into the next round.
He would again score in both legs of the next round against FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, which made him at the time St Pats’ all time scorer in European competition. Although only briefly at the club, he managed to finish joint top scorer for the season.
Valletta (2009-2010)
In December of 2009, O’Brien would sign for the Maltese side which earlier in the year his goals knocked out of the Europa League. In his debut for the club (in a triangular tournament) he managed to score a header against Parma FC.
In February of 2010 he would score his first league goal for the club against Dingli Swallows, a 6-0 win where he scored 4. Later that month he would score two goals within fifteen minutes at the end of a match, which he followed up the next game with another brace. It was at Valletta where he would win 100th League Anniversary Cup.
Athlone Town (2010)
Fabio would make his return to Ireland in 2010 as a player-coach for Athlone Town. At Athlone, he would only play 9 times, scoring 4 goals.
Monaghan United (2011)
In December of 2010 it would be announced that Declan would sign for Monaghan United for the upcoming two seasons. On his debut, he managed to score a brace in a 2-2 draw with Cork City. The following week he would score again against Longford Town.
He would also score a hat trick against Everton FC in the FAI Cup. His last game for the club saw him secure promotion against Galway United, scoring a brace.
Return to Drogheda (2012-2014)
In 2012, it would be announced that Declan would return to Drogheda United. On his first game back he scored against Bray. It was at Drogheda where he also scored his 100th goal in May of 2012. He also scored the opener in the 2012 League of Ireland Cup, which helped to secure a great 3-1 win over Shamrock Rovers, and added more silverware to his collection.
This stint at Drogheda saw him become the first player in the club’s history to score more than 100 goals. In his return to Drogheda, he amassed 101 appearances with 42 goals.
Glenavon (2015-2017)
In early 2015, it was announced that O’Brien would be joining Glenavon on an 18 month long deal. On his debut, he managed to score a hattrick against Ballymena United. In his time at Glenavon, he made 32 appearances, scoring 9 times.
Carrick Rangers (2017)
In January of 2017, O’Brien would sign for Carrick Rangers. As per usual, he scored on his debut in a historic 4-0 win over Ards, the club’s biggest margin of victory away from home. In the relegation/promotion play-off, he managed to save Carrick Rangers from being relegated with a brace in the play-off.
Post Career.
In June of 2017, it was announced that O’Brien would leave Carrick Rangers to join Leinster Senior League side Verona FC as a player-manager. As player-manager, he would make 19 starts, scoring 4 times.
The Final Word.
Declan “Fabio” O’Brien had a terrific career, whether it was winning cups and leagues with Drogheda, switching to rival teams, European glory with St Pats or expanding his horizons with Valletta, Declan’s career is nothing to scoff at.
If you want to explore more, you can check the video below in which the first segment is Declan reminiscing on his career in 2014 with RTÉ. Other segments include notable players, including one of our previous Airtricity/Eircom men Joseph N’Do.
“I’ll always be a Drogs fan”
This week’s Airtricity/Eircom man is Declan “Fabio” O’Brien.
If you enjoyed, please make sure to follow LOI Talk on all socials, and feel free to leave any feedback or suggestions. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to contact us via our contact form.