The Longside Reference

Name: Shay McCartan

Date of Birth: 18th May 1994

Place of Birth:

Previous Clubs: Banbridge Town, Glenavon, Burnley, Hyde United (Loan)

Signed by Eddie Howe

Burnley Fee: From Youth

Burnley Debut: 9th April 2012, Doncaster Rovers (H0 W 2-1

Last Game for Burnley:

Burnley Stats:

Burnley Honours:

International Honours: U17 & U19 Northern Ireland International

Claret Stat:  McCartan joined Burnley in May 2010 as an apprentice on a two-year scholarship, a former player with his local side Banbridge Town where he learned his trade for several years, he moved to Glenavon where he played for just a season before Burnley stepped in beating off several other clubs in signing the Northern Irishman.

It would be Eddie Howe who gave Shay his first taste of competitive first-team football, when he was on the bench for a league cup tie against MK Dons in Sept 2011, and again against Brighton & Hove Albion in April 2012, both times he was an unused substitute. Later the same month Shay did get a taste of the action when he replaced loanee Josh McQuoid in the final minutes ain the 2-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers.
 
On 31 January 2013, he joined Football Conference side Hyde on an initial one-month loan.
 
Shays fledging International career has seen Shay make his debut for the Northern Ireland U17 side in October 2010, in the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round, a 0–0 draw with Montenegro. He scored his first goal for Northern Ireland in a 6–0 qualifying win over Azerbaijan, McCartan helped Northern Ireland qualify for the elite round of qualifying after finishing second in the group.

Their first group game was a 3–2 defeat to England, with McCartan bagging a brace. His form for the under-17s saw him get called up to the under-19 squad. He made his debut in October 2011, scoring in the 3–1 win over Belarus, in qualification for the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. On 26 April 2012, still aged just 17, McCartan was called up to the Northern Ireland U21 squad for the first time for their European Under 21 qualifying game against Macedonia. However, he remained an unused substitute.[

On 12 July 2012, McCartan was called up for the under-19's as part of the Milk Cup squad, along with fellow Burnley player Luke Conlan.