Graham Cummins

Graham Rickard Cummins (born 29 December 1987) is a retired Irish footballer.

Graham Cummins
Cummins playing for Rochdale in 2013
Personal information
Full nameGraham Rickard Cummins[1]
Date of birth (1987-12-29) 29 December 1987 (age 36)
Place of birthCork, Ireland
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)Forward / Defender
Youth career
20xxTramore Athletic
20xxCollege Corinthians
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2006–2008Cobh Ramblers77(17)
2009Waterford United28(17)
2010–2011Cork City62(42)
2012–2014Preston North End34(4)
2013–2014Rochdale (loan)27(4)
2014–2015Exeter City34(7)
2015–2017St Johnstone77(14)
2017–2019Cork City52(18)
2019Shamrock Rovers (loan)8(3)
2020Waterford2(0)
2020Cork City0(0)
International career
2010Republic of Ireland U231(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 September 2020

Playing career

Early career

Cummins played the majority of his schoolboy football with Tramore Athletic and also had a spell with College Corinthians.

Cobh Ramblers

Cummins joined Cobh Ramblers in 2006 and achieved promotion with them in his second season under Stephen Henderson. He scored 11 league goals as Cobh won the First Division, and he was named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year.[2] He continued to play for Cobh in the Premier Division in 2008, but they were relegated that year.

Waterford United

After Cobh were relegated from the league the following season, Cummins moved onto Waterford United,[3] where he again linked up with Stephen Henderson, former Cobh Ramblers manager. He won the Munster Senior Cup with Waterford that year. Graham enjoyed great personal success in his first and only season with the club, he became one of the club's top scorers, scoring 17 league goals, and he was named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year for the second time in his career.

Cork City

In March 2010 Cummins signed for his local club Cork City.[4] Graham was called up to the Ireland U23 squad versus Estonia in September 2010.[5] He played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win.[6] In October 2010 Graham was named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year and won the PFAI First Division Player of the Year award.[7][8] He finished the season as City's top scorer, and joint top scorer in the First Division with 18 league goals. Graham scored his first hat-trick for City in a 5–0 league win over Finn Harps on 15 April 2011.[9][10] He scored the winner against St.Pats in the quarter final of the Ea sports cup.

Record Breaker

On 4 October 2011, in a game against Monaghan, Cummins scored his 21st goal of the season, becoming the first ever Cork City player to score more than 20 league goals in a season. The previous record was held by Pat Morley (who is a first cousin of Grahams mother, Susan Morley and son of the late Jack Morley ex West Ham), who had on two occasions scored 20 league goals in a season. He went on to score 24 goals that season including the goal that clinched the First Division title for Cork City away to rivals Shelbourne in the 94th minute of the final game of the season at Tolka Park

Preston North End

On 30 January 2012, Cork City announced that they had accepted a transfer bid for Cummins from Preston North End.[11]

On 2 September 2013, Cummins signed for Rochdale on loan until January 2014.[12]

Exeter City

On 15 August 2014, Cummins signed a one-year contract with Exeter City on a free transfer following his release from Preston North End. Cummins made his debut in the 3–0 defeat at Home Park, coming on as a substitute.[13] He was released at the end of the 2014–15 season[14]

St Johnstone

On 25 May 2015, Cummins signed a one-year contract with St Johnstone of the Scottish Premiership,[15] and began his Saints career by scoring off the bench on his debut against Hearts at Tynecastle in a 4–3 defeat.[16] Cummins made 92 appearances for St Johnstone, scoring 15 goals.[17] His last goal for the club was in a win against Rangers at Ibrox.[17]

Return to Ireland

Cummins signed for City on a two-year deal on 30 December 2017.[18] He scored for City in a 4–2 win on his first competitive start against Dundalk in the 2018 President's Cup at Oriel Park. On his first start in the league against St. Pat's on the opening night of the season, Cummins scored City's second goal of the night but was later sent off in a 3–2 away victory. On his return from suspension, Cummins scored a hat-trick as City beat Sligo Rovers 4–1 away from home.[19]

Cummins joined Waterford F.C. ahead of the 2020 season where he featured as a centre half before COVID-19 halted the season for nearly five months. Before the season's resumption, he joined Cork City for a third time. He was an unused substitute in two league games and received a red card in a FAI Cup game against Longford Town. In September, he announced his retirement to pursue a career in journalism.

Career statistics

As of 5 October 2020.[20]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cobh Ramblers2006League of Ireland First Division
2007
2008
Cobh Ramblers Total77177717
Waterford2009League of Ireland First Division28172817
Cork City201032180000003218
201130242032003526
Preston North End2011–12League One152000000152
2012–13192101031243
2013–140000000000
Preston North End Total344101031395
Rochdale (loan)2013–14League Two274200020314
Exeter City2014–15347100000357
St Johnstone2015–16Scottish Premiership328102010368
2016–173052041366
2017–18151001020181
St Johnstone Total77143071309015
Cork City2018League of Ireland Premier Division3413311030234317
20191851030225
Shamrock Rovers (loan)201983202000123
Waterford20202020
Waterford Total30170000003017
Cork City2020League of Ireland Premier Division001010
Cork City Total11460615230536844
Career total40112615113380104447134

Honours

Club

Cobh Ramblers

Waterford United

Cork City

Individual

  • PFAI First Division Player of the Year (2): 2011, 2010
  • PFAI First Division Team of the Year (4): 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007

References

External links