J. McKiernan · career
John Joshua McKiernan
Defensive · Burton Albion · season-by-season, by competition, and every match.
Career report
Below his 2023/24 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.
Peak: 2023/24Holding levelRemarkably consistentStepped up 2024/25
The record covers 3 seasons (2023/24–2025/26) across 2 clubs — 95 appearances, 9 goals and 5 assists.
His best campaign on record is 2023/24 at Morecambe — Season rating 25, 7 goals and 1 assist in 28 games. Output has held steady across his last 3 full seasons (25 → 19). The gap to his peak is 7 Season points.
Season-to-season output barely moves — his form has stayed within a tight band (±3 points) across 3 campaigns. Made the jump to a higher division in 2024/25 (League One) and kept playing — 31 games that season.
By season
| Season | Club | Apps | G | A | Rating | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | Lincoln | 5 | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 2025/26 | Burton AlbionLoan | 36 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 19 |
| 2024/25 | Burton AlbionLoan | 31 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 21 |
| 2024/25 | Lincoln | 12 | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 2023/24 | Morecambe | 28 | 7 | 1 | 33 | 25 |
| 2022/23 | EastleighLoan | 41 | 4 | 0 | — | — |
| 2022/23 | Bohemians | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2019/20 | Watford U18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
International
| Side | Season | Competition | Apps | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland U21 | 2025/26 | UEFA U21 Championship - Qualification | 9 | 1 |
| 2021/22 | UEFA U21 Championship | 2 | 0 |
By competition
| Competition | Apps | Min | G | A | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League One | 31 | 1451 | 1 | 1 | 6.7 |
| UEFA U21 Championship - Qualificationat Northern Ireland U21 | 9 | 661 | 1 | 0 | — |
| EFL Trophy | 2 | 171 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 87 | 1 | 0 | 7.3 |
Schedule · 2025/26
35 played1 unused sub23 not in squad· 1709 min, 2g 1a
| Date | Competition | Opponent | Res | Status | Min | G | A | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8 | Friendlies Clubs | A Chesterfield | 0-5 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jul 19 | Friendlies Clubs | H Birmingham | 1-0 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jul 22 | Friendlies Clubs | H Sheffield Utd | 1-2 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jul 26 | Friendlies Clubs | H Derby | 2-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Aug 2 | League One | H Mansfield Town | 2-1 | Played | 90 | 7.0 | ||
| Aug 9 | League One | A Barnsley | 2-3 | Played | 87 | 1 | 6.9 | |
| Aug 16 | League One | H Port Vale | 0-0 | Played | 78 | 6.7 | ||
| Aug 19 | League Cup | A Tranmere | 1-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Aug 23 | League One | A Stockport County | 1-2 | Played | 82 | 6.3 | ||
| Aug 26 | League Cup | H Lincoln | 0-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Aug 30 | League One | H Luton | 0-3 | Played | 45 | 6.6 | ||
| Sep 2 | EFL Trophy | H Liverpool U21 | 2-0 | Played | 90 | 6.6 | ||
| Sep 13 | League One | H Lincoln | 0-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Sep 20 | League One | A Huddersfield | 0-0 | Played | 89 | 6.9 | ||
| Sep 27 | League One | H Plymouth | 0-4 | Played | 45 | 6.5 | ||
| Sep 30 | League One | A Cardiff | 1-0 | Played | 75 | 6.5 | ||
| Oct 4 | League One | A Doncaster | 1-1 | Played | 45 | 6.7 | ||
| Oct 7 | EFL Trophy | A Chesterfield | 0-1 | Played | 81 | 5.9 | ||
| Oct 11 | League One | H Bolton | 3-0 | Played | 11 | 6.6 | ||
| Oct 18 | League One | H Peterborough | 0-1 | Played | 31 | 6.2 | ||
| Oct 25 | League One | A AFC Wimbledon | 1-0 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Nov 1 | FA Cup | H St Albans City | 6-0 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Nov 4 | League One | A Rotherham | 2-2 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Nov 8 | League One | A Bradford | 2-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Nov 11 | EFL Trophy | H Crewe | 1-3 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Nov 15 | League One | H Blackpool | 1-0 | Played | 42 | 6.9 | ||
| Nov 29 | League One | H Leyton Orient | 0-4 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Dec 2 | League One | A Wigan | 0-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Dec 8 | FA Cup | A Brackley Town | 3-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Dec 13 | League One | H Wycombe | 0-0 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Dec 20 | League One | A Stevenage | 2-2 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Dec 26 | League One | H Northampton | 5-1 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Dec 29 | League One | H Wigan | 0-2 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jan 1 | League One | A Reading | 0-2 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jan 4 | League One | A Plymouth | 0-3 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jan 10 | FA Cup | A Boreham Wood | 5-0 | Played | 13 | 1 | 7.3 | |
| Jan 17 | League One | H Huddersfield | 3-1 | Played | 32 | 1 | 7.9 | |
| Jan 22 | League One | A Lincoln | 1-2 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Jan 27 | League One | A Bolton | 1-2 | Played | 61 | 6.2 | ||
| Jan 31 | League One | H Cardiff | 2-2 | Played | 68 | 6.3 | ||
| Feb 3 | League One | H Doncaster | 1-2 | Played | 89 | 6.7 | ||
| Feb 7 | League One | A Port Vale | 2-2 | Played | 90 | 7.0 | ||
| Feb 14 | FA Cup | H West Ham | 0-1 | Played | 74 | 7.2 | ||
| Feb 17 | League One | H Rotherham | 1-0 | Not in squad | — | |||
| Feb 21 | League One | A Luton | 1-1 | Played | 61 | 6.2 | ||
| Feb 24 | League One | H Stockport County | 3-0 | Played | 45 | 6.3 | ||
| Feb 28 | League One | A Wycombe | 0-3 | Played | 21 | 6.3 | ||
| Mar 3 | League One | A Exeter City | 1-1 | Played | 20 | 6.5 | ||
| Mar 7 | League One | H Stevenage | 0-1 | Unused sub | 0 | — | ||
| Mar 14 | League One | A Northampton | 2-0 | Played | 10 | 7.0 | ||
| Mar 17 | League One | H Reading | 1-2 | Played | 64 | 6.9 | ||
| Mar 21 | League One | H Bradford | 2-1 | Played | 15 | 6.7 | ||
| Mar 28 | League One | A Blackpool | 0-1 | Played | 1 | — | ||
| Apr 3 | League One | H Barnsley | 1-1 | Played | 9 | 6.5 | ||
| Apr 6 | League One | A Mansfield Town | 0-0 | Played | 15 | 6.6 | ||
| Apr 11 | League One | H AFC Wimbledon | 1-0 | Played | 10 | 6.7 | ||
| Apr 19 | League One | A Peterborough | 1-1 | Played | 19 | 7.0 | ||
| Apr 25 | League One | H Exeter City | 1-1 | Played | 19 | 6.7 | ||
| May 2 | League One | A Leyton Orient | 2-2 | Played | 82 | 7.2 |