Eighteen months ago, John Egan was scraping for minutes off the bench at Burnley, a 31-year-old fringe figure at a club chasing promotion from the Championship. Today, he is a first-team regular at Hull City in the Premier League — and one of the more compelling stories of English football's top flight this season.

From the stretcher to the starting XI

The turning point that nearly ended it all came in September 2023, when Egan — then wearing the captain's armband at Sheffield United — was carried off on a stretcher against West Ham United with a season-ending Achilles injury. The damage kept him out for close to 10 months, and when he returned, the Blades chose not to renew his contract, leaving the defender to rebuild his career from scratch at 32.

He went on trial at Burnley and West Ham United before Scott Parker offered him a one-year deal at Turf Moor. Burnley's strong start to the Championship season, however, limited Egan to just seven appearances. In January 2024, rather than ride out a promotion push from the bench, he made the decision to drop into a relegation fight with Hull City — a move that would change everything.

Hull move that changed everything

Egan signed an 18-month deal at Hull City and was thrown straight into the side, completing his first full 90 minutes in more than a year — coincidentally against Burnley, in a 2-0 defeat in February. He went on to make 10 more appearances as the Tigers survived on goal difference on the final day of the season.

When manager Sergej Jakirovic arrived the following summer, Egan became central to a Hull City transformation. He played 48 times as the Tigers clawed their way into the play-offs, then beat Middlesborough in the final to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

This season, Egan has picked up exactly where he left off. He made 18 clearances in the opening-day 2-0 win over Manchester United, and has since helped Hull City keep clean sheets against Coventry and Aston Villa, earn a point at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, and push Newcastle United hard before a narrow defeat. The now 33-year-old signed a new two-year deal earlier this month — a firm statement of intent from both player and club.

Republic of Ireland recall and a World Cup window

Egan's revival at club level has carried over to international football. After two years without a call-up, he returned to the Republic of Ireland squad in October, earning his 38th cap as a starter in a 0-0 friendly against North Macedonia in May.

Competition for centre-back places under Heimir Hallgrimsson has grown fierce, with Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea, and Jake O'Brien all pushing ahead of him. But circumstances have opened a door: Collins is out injured, O'Brien has managed only three appearances for Everton, and O'Shea has been deployed out of position at right-back for Ipswich Town.

With Hallgrimsson favouring a three-centre-back system, Egan's experience and current form make him a genuine contender to start in the Nations League opener against Kosovo in Pristina. A packed schedule — two games against Israel and one against Austria crammed into 12 days — means he will see action regardless.

For a player who once feared his top-flight days were behind him, Egan's story is one of perseverance against the odds — and it appears far from over.