Ryan Schofield
Ryan Schofield (born 11 December 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Coleraine F.C. in the NIFL Premiership.[1][2] Schofield was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and began his youth career with local club Lepton Highlanders before joining the Huddersfield Town academy in 2008 at age eight. Schofield represented England at youth international level, earning caps for the under-18 and under-20 teams.[1] He signed his first professional contract with Huddersfield in 2017 and made his senior debut for the club on 13 August 2019 in a 0–1 EFL Cup loss to Lincoln City. Over the next three seasons, he established himself as Huddersfield's primary goalkeeper in the EFL Championship, appearing in 30 matches during the 2020–21 season and recording seven clean sheets.[3][4] To gain further experience, Schofield was loaned out to several lower-tier clubs, including FC United of Manchester (2017), AFC Telford United (2018), Notts County (2019), Livingston (2020), Hibernian (2022), and Crawley Town (2023).[2] In July 2023, following his release from Huddersfield, Schofield signed a one-year contract with Portsmouth, where he contributed to their successful 2023–24 League One title-winning campaign, though he was not a regular starter.[5] Released by Portsmouth at the end of the 2023–24 season, he signed a short-term deal with League Two side Morecambe in January 2025 until the end of the 2024–25 campaign.[6] Following the expiration of his Morecambe contract, Schofield joined Northern Irish club Coleraine on a multi-year deal in July 2025, signing until 2029 and becoming the team's first-choice goalkeeper.[7][8] Standing at 1.90 metres (6 ft 3 in), Schofield is known for his shot-stopping ability and command of the penalty area, with over 100 senior appearances across his career as of November 2025.[1][9]Club career
Huddersfield Town (2017–2023)
Schofield joined the Huddersfield Town academy at the age of eight and progressed through the youth ranks, signing his first professional contract in July 2017 on a two-year deal.[10] His first senior loan came in April 2017 to FC United of Manchester, where he made 5 appearances in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.[11] He gained early senior experience on loan, first to National League North side AFC Telford United in January 2018, where he made 3 appearances, and then to League Two club Notts County in January 2019 for the remainder of the 2018–19 season, featuring in 17 matches.[12][13] Schofield made his Huddersfield debut on 13 August 2019 in the EFL Cup first round against Lincoln City, where he made four saves to help keep the score level at half-time despite a 1–0 defeat.[14][4] His league debut followed on 23 October 2019 in a 0–0 Championship draw with Middlesbrough, securing a clean sheet in his first league start for the club.[15] He was then loaned to Scottish Premiership side Livingston in January 2020, playing three matches before the season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] The 2020–21 season marked Schofield's breakthrough, as he became the first-choice goalkeeper for the second half of the campaign following Ben Hamer's transfer to Swansea City in January 2021.[17] He made 30 league appearances, conceding 40 goals and keeping 7 clean sheets, contributing to Huddersfield's third-place finish in the Championship and their run to the play-off semi-finals, where they lost to Sheffield Wednesday on penalties. Schofield retained his starting role at the start of the 2021–22 season but lost his place after a 5–1 defeat to Fulham in August 2021 and subsequently suffered a long-term injury that sidelined him for much of the campaign.[18] He made only 4 appearances that season before being loaned to Hibernian in August 2022, where he did not feature in the first team and was recalled in January 2023.[19] Following a brief loan to Crawley Town from January to June 2023, where he played 2 matches, Schofield departed Huddersfield on a free transfer to join Portsmouth in July 2023 after his contract expired.[20][21]Portsmouth (2023–2024)
Schofield signed for Portsmouth on a one-year contract on a free transfer from Huddersfield Town on 26 July 2023.[22][5] He joined as a backup goalkeeper to first-choice Will Norris, competing with Matt Macey for the number two spot during the 2023–24 EFL League One season. Despite Portsmouth's successful campaign, which culminated in the League One title and promotion to the EFL Championship, Schofield did not feature in any league matches.[23] His opportunities came exclusively in cup competitions, where he made six appearances. In the EFL Cup, Schofield started both of Portsmouth's early-round ties: a 3–1 away win over Forest Green Rovers on 8 August 2023, where he conceded one goal and made four saves, and a 1–1 draw with Peterborough United on 29 August that ended in a 4–5 penalty shootout defeat after extra time, conceding one goal across 120 minutes.[24][23] Schofield also played all four of Portsmouth's EFL Trophy fixtures in 2023. He conceded one goal in a 5–1 home win against Gillingham on 10 October but conceded three in a 3–3 group-stage draw with Fulham U21 on 22 August (won 5–4 on penalties), one in a 2–1 away victory over Leyton Orient on 7 November, and five in a 2–5 second-round home loss to AFC Wimbledon on 19 December.[23][25] Overall, he played 540 minutes in these cup games, conceding 12 goals with no clean sheets.[23] Schofield was released upon the expiry of his contract in May 2024.[26]Morecambe (2025)
On 14 January 2025, Schofield signed a short-term contract with EFL League Two club Morecambe, lasting until the end of the 2024–25 season, after becoming a free agent following his release from Portsmouth.[6][27] During his time at Morecambe, Schofield served as a backup goalkeeper but featured in five league matches from February 2025 onward.[28] He recorded one clean sheet and conceded nine goals across these appearances, contributing to the team's defensive efforts amid a challenging campaign that saw Morecambe finish near the bottom of the League Two table.[29] Schofield did not feature in any cup competitions for the club.[28] Schofield's contract expired at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season in May 2025, after which he departed Morecambe as a free agent without securing an extension.[2]Coleraine (2025–present)
Schofield joined Coleraine FC on a multi-year contract on 3 July 2025, following the expiration of his deal with Morecambe.[8][7] The 25-year-old English goalkeeper, who had previously featured for clubs including Huddersfield Town and Portsmouth, was signed to bolster the Bannsiders' goalkeeping options ahead of the 2025–26 Northern Ireland Football League season.[1] His arrival was viewed as a key addition by manager Ruaidhri Higgins, given Schofield's experience in the English Football League and international youth caps for England.[7] However, Schofield's time at Coleraine was immediately disrupted by injury. During a pre-season friendly against Fleetwood Town on 26 July 2025, he suffered a shoulder injury in the final minute of a 2–1 defeat, requiring surgery shortly thereafter.[30][31] The operation, performed around early August, sidelined him for an estimated three to four months, ruling him out of the Premiership opener against Larne and the early campaign fixtures.[32][33] As of November 2025, Schofield has yet to make his competitive debut for the club due to ongoing recovery.[28][2]International career
Youth career
Schofield represented England at under-18, under-19, and under-20 levels, earning a total of 10 caps across these age groups (1 at U18, 3 at U19, 6 at U20).[2] He made his youth international debut for the under-18 team in a 4–0 friendly win against Qatar on 27 March 2017 at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha, starting in goal and securing a clean sheet during the tour's final match.[34] With the under-19s, Schofield appeared in UEFA European Championship qualifiers, including starting in a 1–3 defeat to Germany on 5 September 2017 at the One Call Stadium in Mansfield.[35] He was also named in the squad for a 7–1 friendly victory over Poland on 1 September 2017 at St. George's Park, though he remained an unused substitute.[36] Schofield's under-20 career highlighted his contributions at the 2017 Toulon Tournament, where he debuted with a clean sheet in a 1–0 group-stage win over Angola on 29 May 2017 and made four appearances overall as England retained the title.[3][37] In the final against Ivory Coast on 10 June 2017, which ended 1–1 before penalties, he saved a crucial spot-kick in the shoot-out to secure the victory.[21] He earned six caps at this level.Senior career
Schofield has not yet earned a cap for the England senior national team as of November 2025.[38] Despite his professional experience in the English Football League and subsequent moves to clubs in England and Northern Ireland, he has not been called up to the senior squad for any competitive or friendly matches.[38] His international involvement remains limited to youth levels, where he previously featured for England U20 and U18 teams.[39]Career statistics
Club
As of 16 November 2025[9][11]| Club | Season | League | Apps | Cups | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC United of Manchester (loan) | 2016–17 | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2017–18 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AFC Telford United (loan) | 2017–18 | National League North | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2018–19 | Championship | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Notts County (loan) | 2018–19 | League Two | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2019–20 | Championship | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Livingston (loan) | 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2020–21 | Championship | 30 | 3 | 33 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2021–22 | Championship | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Hibernian (loan) | 2022–23 | Scottish Premiership | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Crawley Town (loan) | 2022–23 | League Two | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2022–23 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Portsmouth | 2023–24 | League One | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Morecambe | 2024–25 | League Two | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Coleraine | 2025–26 | NIFL Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 58 | 23 | 81 |
International
Schofield represented England at youth levels, earning caps for U18 and U20 teams. No senior international appearances.[40]Youth
| National team | Year | Apps | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| England U18 | 2017 | 3 | 1 |
| England U20 | 2017 | 5 | 2 |
| Total | 8 | 3 |
Honours
International
Schofield earned his only international honour by winning the Toulon Tournament with the England under-20 team in 2017.[41] As the starting goalkeeper, he featured in multiple matches during the tournament, including keeping a clean sheet against Angola in the group stage.[3] In the final against Ivory Coast, which ended 1–1 after extra time, Schofield made a crucial penalty save during the shootout, helping England secure a 5–3 victory on penalties and retain the title.[41]Club
- EFL League One: 2023–24[42]