David Harrington

David Harrington changed position before he changed clubs. At Douglas Hall in Cork he played as a midfielder and a defender, and only later moved into goal. His father, Phil Harrington, was a goalkeeper too, and it is through him that the younger Harrington is eligible for both the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

He spent time with the Cobh Ramblers under-17s and in January 2018 joined the Cork City academy. He worked up through the age groups there and broke into the senior side in 2021. 2022 was his season: he kept 11 clean sheets in 19 league appearances, and 14 in 19 starts in all competitions. Cork City won the League of Ireland First Division and went up to the Premier Division, and Harrington was named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year. In September that year he also won the Munster Senior Cup with Cobh Ramblers, who beat Cork City 1–0 in the final.

Fleetwood Town had agreed a pre-contract with him in December 2022, and the move was completed the following January. He stayed there until January 2026, when Bolton Wanderers signed him on a two-and-a-half-year contract running to June 2028. Bolton won the League One play-offs in 2026 and were promoted to the Championship.

In September 2026 Grimsby Town took him on a seven-day emergency loan to cover for the injured Christy Pym. The loan was later extended.

Harrington has also been part of two senior international squads. John O'Shea, then interim Ireland manager, called him up in May 2024 for the friendlies against Hungary and Portugal, where he was third-choice goalkeeper. He has played for Ireland at Under-21 level. In November 2024 Craig Bellamy included him in the Wales squad for the Nations League games against Turkey and Iceland, as fourth-choice goalkeeper. He has not yet played a senior competitive match for either country.