# Ben Doherty

Ben Doherty (born 24 March 1997) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a left back for League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City. He previously played for NIFL Premiership clubs Institute, Glenavon, Coleraine and Larne.

## Career
### Institute

A native of Derry, Doherty played in the academy of Institute, before making his debut in a 3–2 loss at home to Cliftonville on 16 August 2014. He went on to make a total of 13 appearances for the side in all competitions before departing the club in January 2015.

### Derry City

Doherty joined League of Ireland club Derry City's under 19 side in 2015, remaining there for 2 seasons before being called up to the first team by manager Kenny Shiels. He made his debut on 27 August 2016 in a 2–2 draw away to Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds. Doherty scored the first goal of his senior career on 30 August 2017 in a 3–0 win over Limerick at Maginn Park. He made the first European appearances of his career in July 2017 when Derry faced Danish side Midtjylland.

#### Glenavon loan

On 17 August 2018, Doherty was loaned out to NIFL Premiership club Glenavon until January 2019. He scored 1 goal in 20 appearances in all competitions during his loan spell.

### Coleraine

On 28 December 2018, Doherty joined NIFL Premiership club Coleraine on a permanent basis, with midfielder Ciaron Harkin going in the opposite direction and joining Derry City as part of the deal. In later years, he described leaving Derry for Coleraine as the hardest decision of his career. He scored his first goal for the club on 18 January 2019, opening the scoring in a 2–1 win away to Ards. Doherty scored 5 goals in 3 appearances in the club's run to winning the 2019–20 Northern Ireland Football League Cup, but missed out on the final as his side defeated Crusaders 2–1 at Windsor Park. He finished the 2019–20 season with 14 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions, his best goalscoring return to date. On 17 September 2020, Doherty scored the first European goals of his career, scoring twice in a 2–2 draw with Motherwell in a 2–2 draw before his side were knocked out of the UEFA Europa League on penalties by the Scottish Premiership club. On 8 July 2021, Doherty made his final appearance for the club, scoring his side's goal in a 2–1 loss away to Velež Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

### Larne

Doherty signed for NIFL Premiership club Larne on 27 July 2021, on a 3 year contract, with Conor McKendy signing for Coleraine as part of the deal. On 11 January 2022, Doherty started the final of the 2021–22 County Antrim Shield as his side defeated Linfield 1–0 at Seaview.

### Return to Derry City

On 6 January 2023, Doherty returned to League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City on a 3 year contract. He made his returning debut on 10 February 2023, in the 2023 President of Ireland's Cup as his side defeated Shamrock Rovers at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. He made 43 appearances in all competitions during his first season with the club, scoring 5 goals as he helped them to secure UEFA Conference League football again for the following season. At the end of the 2023 season, he was named in the PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year by his fellow professionals. On 11 October 2024, Doherty suffered a hamstring injury in a 1–1 draw with Bohemians which required surgery that ended his season and resulted in missing the 2024 FAI Cup final which his side lost 2–0 to Drogheda United at the Aviva Stadium.

## International Career

Doherty received his first call up to the Northern Ireland U21 squad in August 2017 ahead of their game with Albania U21 in which he made his debut in a 1–0 win. He made a total of 4 appearances for the side.

## Career statistics

    As of match played on 21 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Institute | 2014–15 | NIFL Premiership | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 13 | 0 |
| Derry City | 2016 | LOI Premier Division | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 13 | 0 |
| Derry City | 2017 | LOI Premier Division | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 1 |
| Derry City | 2018 | LOI Premier Division | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 0 |
| Derry City | Total | Total | 47 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 |
| Glenavon (loan) | 2018–19 | NIFL Premiership | 19 | 2 | – | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 20 | 2 |
| Coleraine | 2018–19 | NIFL Premiership | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 4 |
| Coleraine | 2019–20 | NIFL Premiership | 27 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 31 | 14 |
| Coleraine | 2020–21 | NIFL Premiership | 27 | 14 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 2 | – | – | 31 | 16 |
| Coleraine | 2021–22 | NIFL Premiership | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Coleraine | Total | Total | 70 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | – | – | 92 | 35 |
| Larne | 2021–22 | NIFL Premiership | 38 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | 46 | 5 |
| Larne | 2022–23 | NIFL Premiership | 21 | 4 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| Larne | Total | Total | 59 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 69 | 9 |
| Derry City | 2023 | LOI Premier Division | 34 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 5 |
| Derry City | 2024 | LOI Premier Division | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 1 |
| Derry City | 2025 | LOI Premier Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Derry City | Total | Total | 61 | 6 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 6 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 191 | 44 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 240 | 53 |
* ↑ Includes Irish Cup & FAI Cup
* ↑ Includes Northern Ireland Football League Cup & League of Ireland Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa League
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa Conference League
* ↑ 2 appearances in the NIFL Premiership UEFA Europa Conference League play-offs; 3 appearances in the County Antrim Shield
* ↑ Appearance(s) in the County Antrim Shield
* ↑ Appearance in the President of Ireland's Cup
* ↑ Appearance(s) in the UEFA Conference League

## Honours
### Club
#### Coleraine

* Northern Ireland Football League Cup (1): 2019–20

#### Larne

* County Antrim Shield (1): 2021–22

#### Derry City

* President of Ireland's Cup (1): 2023

### Individual

* PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year (1): 2023