A five-time league winner with the Lilywhites, Brian Gartland is one of the most decorated professional footballers at Dundalk FC.

After beginning his career at Bray Wanderers, he went on to Shelbourne and then Monaghan United. He made 53 appearances across a three-year spell at Gortakeegan where he won the club’s Supporters Player of the Year award in 2009. He departed at the end of the 2010 season to join NIFL side Portadown, where he was a first-team regular for two-and-a-half years before moving to Dundalk in the 2013 summer transfer window.

‘Garts’ went on to become a key member of Stephen Kenny’s side which won three league titles in a row between 2014 and 2016. Along with his defensive duties, he chipped in with a total of 21 goals across those three seasons as the Lilywhites also added an FAI Cup and qualification for the UEFA Europa League group stages to the roll of honour.

Gartland was named club captain in 2019 following the departure of Stephen O’Donnell and lifted the league title for the fifth time at the end of the season.

His future at Oriel Park looked uncertain during the early part of 2020 but the arrival of Filippo Giovagnoli coincided with some of Gartland’s best football and after playing a starring role in the FAI Cup final win over Shamrock Rovers, he signed a new contract in early 2021.

Brian’s campaign was curtailed after he picked up a serious injury against Shamrock Rovers in a league match at Tallaght Stadium in April but he remains an influential figure around the club.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/B_Garts
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mrbgarts/

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