Wikipedia

Ryan Hedges

Ryan Peter Hedges (born 8 July 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or left wing-back for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers. Born in England, he played for the Wales national team.

Ryan Hedges
Hedges with Aberdeen in 2019
Personal information
Full name Ryan Peter Hedges[1]
Date of birth (1995-07-08) 8 July 1995 (age 30)
Place of birth Northampton, England
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Blackburn Rovers
Number 19
Youth career
2003–2010 Everton
2010–2013 Flint Town United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Flint Town United 24 (2)
2013–2017 Swansea City 0 (0)
2015 → Leyton Orient (loan) 17 (2)
2016 → Stevenage (loan) 6 (0)
2016–2017 → Yeovil Town (loan) 21 (4)
2017–2019 Barnsley 52 (2)
2019–2022 Aberdeen 66 (11)
2022–2026 Blackburn Rovers 137 (8)
International career
2013–2014 Wales U19 5 (1)
2014–2016 Wales U21 11 (0)
2017–2019 Wales 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 April 2026 (UTC)

He made his professional debut for Leyton Orient in January 2015, on loan from Swansea City. After further loan spells at Stevenage and Yeovil Town, Hedges signed permanently for Barnsley in 2017. He joined Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen in June 2019 and later signed for EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers in January 2022.

Early and personal life

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Ryan Peter Hedges was born on 8 July 1995 in Northampton, England. At a young age, he moved to Wales, and would go on to attend Hawarden High School in Hawarden, a village in Flintshire.[2] Michael Owen, Andy Dorman, Gary Speed and Danny Ward are all fellow ex-pupils from the school who would later become professional footballers. Hedges' first involvement with football began with Liverpool-based club Everton, where he spent seven years with the club in youth as a schoolboy, eventually being released at under-16 level in 2010.[citation needed]

Club career

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Swansea City

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Hedges joined Swansea City from Flint Town in July 2013 following some impressive performances for the Welsh Schools Under-18 team.[3] Hedges linked up with the Swansea City Under-21 team in the 2013–14 season, and was rewarded for his progress with a new one-year contract until June 2014.[4]

In June 2015, Hedges signed a three-year contract extension at Swansea.[5][6]

Leyton Orient (loan)

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On 16 January 2015, Hedges joined League One team Leyton Orient on a one-month loan deal.[7] He made his professional debut for Leyton Orient against Colchester United on 24 January 2015.[8] After an impressive start, Hedges' loan was extended until the end of the 2014–15 season.[9] Hedges scored his first professional goal for Leyton Orient, and then set up a goal for Chris Dagnall, in a 2–0 win over Walsall on 28 February 2015.[10] Weeks later on 14 March 2015, Hedges scored his second goal for Leyton Orient in a 3–0 win over Yeovil Town.[11] Hedges went on to make seventeen appearances, scoring twice, as Orient were relegated to League Two.

Stevenage (loan)

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In February 2016, Hedges joined Stevenage on a one-month emergency loan.

Yeovil Town (loan)

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On 8 July 2016, Hedges signed for League Two side Yeovil Town on a six-month loan deal.[12]

Barnsley

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On 31 January 2017, Hedges was recalled from his loan spell at Yeovil,[13] and signed permanently for EFL Championship side Barnsley for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half-year contract.[14] He scored his first goal for Barnsley in a 3–1 loss at Bristol City on 5 August 2017.[15]

Aberdeen

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Hedges was offered a new contract by Barnsley at the end of the 2018–19 season,[16] but he instead opted to sign a three-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen.[17] On 27 August 2020, he scored a hat-trick as Aberdeen won 6–0 at home against NSÍ Runavík in the Europa League first qualifying round, having only come on as a half-time substitute.[18]

Blackburn Rovers

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On 30 January 2022, Hedges joined Blackburn Rovers on a three-and-a-half-year deal, with an optional 12 month extension, for an undisclosed fee.[19] He scored his first goal for the club on 13 September 2022 in a 2–0 win against Watford.[20] Almost 12 months later he scored one of the contenders for goal of the season against Watford away to secure a 0–1 win.[21]

On 19 May 2025, Blackburn announced it had triggered a one-year extension to the player's contract.[22] Hedges made 22 appearances during the 2025–26 season, primarily operating as a left wing-back, scoring once and providing two assists. On 1 January 2026, he suffered a fractured fibula in a 2–0 defeat to Wrexham.[23][24]

Manager Valérien Ismaël later confirmed that Hedges would undergo surgery and was expected to be sidelined for a minimum of eight weeks, with the full extent of the injury only to be determined following the operation, with the worst-case scenario being that Hedges would miss the remainder of the season.[25][26] On 6 February, following the conclusion of the transfer window, the club released its matchday squad list for the remainder of the season, with Hedges omitted.[27][28]

Hedges would later be re-added to the squad as the club were granted special dispensation to make changes after a spate of season-ending injuries, he made his return in a 3–0 defeat to Southampton at St Mary's Stadium and featured once more in the following match against Coventry City. Hedges departed the club at the conclusion of his contract.[29][30]

International career

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Prior to joining Swansea City, Hedges scored twice and claimed an assist as captain of the Welsh Schools Under-18s team in a 4–1 win over England.[2] Hedges has represented Wales at under-19 and under-21 level.[31]

He made his debut for the senior side on 14 November 2017 as a substitute during a 1–1 draw with Panama.[32]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 17 April 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Flint Town United 2012–13 Cymru Alliance 242———242
Swansea City 2013–14[33] Premier League 0000000000
2014–15[34] Premier League 000000—00
2015–16[35] Premier League 000000—00
2016–17[36] Premier League 00———00
Total 0000000000
Leyton Orient (loan) 2014–15[34] League One 172———172
Stevenage (loan) 2015–16[35] League Two 60———60
Yeovil Town (loan) 2016–17[36] League Two 21421203[a]0285
Barnsley 2016–17[36] Championship 80———80
2017–18[37] Championship 2320031—263
2018–19[38] League One 21020002[a]1251
Total 522203121594
Aberdeen 2019–20[39] Scottish Premiership 22420206[b]0324
2020–21[40] Scottish Premiership 28500103[b]4329
2021–22[41] Scottish Premiership 16211104[c]2225
Total 661131401368618
Blackburn Rovers 2021–22[42] Championship 110———110
2022–23[43] Championship 4344010—484
2023–24[44] Championship 1720010—182
2024–25[45] Championship 4211010—441
2025–26[46] Championship 2410000—241
Total 13785030—1458
Career total 3232912212118736539
  1. 1 2 Appearances in EFL Trophy
  2. 1 2 Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  3. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League

International

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As of match played 20 March 2019
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Wales 201710
201810
201910
Total30

Honours

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Club

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Barnsley

References

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  1. ↑ "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Barnsley" (PDF). English Football League. p. 4. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Ryan Hedges puts on a show to help Welsh Schools FA beat England". dailypost.co.uk. Daily Post. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "Ryan Hedges signs for Swansea". Pitchero.com. Pitchero. Retrieved 25 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. ↑ "Eight young Swans pros offered contract extensions". swanseacity.net. Swansea City. 30 May 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Youngsters offered pro contracts". Swansea City A.F.C. 15 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "PHOTO: @RyanHedges95 puts pen to paper on a contract extension at the Liberty Stadium. #swans". swansofficial Twitter. 9 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Hedges joins Orient on loan". swanseacity.net. 16 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Colchester v Leyton Orient". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Hedges extends Leyton Orient loan". swanseacity.net. 2 February 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Walsall 0 – 2 Leyton Orient". BBC Sport. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Yeovil Town 3 – 0 Leyton Orient". BBC Sport. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Ryan Hedges: Yeovil Town sign Swansea City winger on loan". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Hedges loan cut short". Yeovil Town F.C. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "Barnsley sign Swansea forward Ryan Hedges and Leicester defender Callum Elder". BBC Sport. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Bristol City 3–1 Barnsley". BBC Sport. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Adam Davies & Ryan Hedges: Barnsley offer Wales duo new deals". BBC Sport. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  17. ↑ "Ryan Hedges joins Aberdeen from Barnsley after taking Danny Ward advice". BBC Sport. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  18. ↑ Campbell, Andy (27 August 2020). "Aberdeen 6–0 NSÍ Runavík". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  19. ↑ Third, Paul (30 January 2022). "Aberdeen winger Ryan Hedges joins Blackburn". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Blackburn 2–0 Watford". BBC Sport. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  21. ↑ "Watford 0–1 Blackburn Rovers: Hedges strike makes Hornets pay for missed chances". BBC Sport. 27 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers offer deals to Danny Batth, Tyrhys Dolan & Andi Weimann". BBC Sport. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  23. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Wrexham: Red Dragons clinch third successive Championship win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  24. ↑ "Report: Rovers 0-2 Wrexham". www.rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  25. ↑ "Injury update: Ryan Hedges". www.rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  26. ↑ "Ryan Hedges: Blackburn Rovers midfielder could be out for rest of season". BBC Sport. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  27. ↑ "Squad list submitted". www.rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  28. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers confirm the two players left out of Championship squad". Lancashire Telegraph. 5 February 2026. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  29. ↑ "Retain List 2026". www.rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Blackburn: Sondre Tronstad, Ryan Hedges and Nathan Redmond to leave Rovers". BBC Sport. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Busy international period for Swans stars". Swansea City A.F.C. 14 September 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  32. ↑ "Wales 1–1 Panama". BBC Sport. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  33. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  34. 1 2 "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  35. 1 2 "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  36. 1 2 3 "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  38. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  40. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  41. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  42. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  43. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  44. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  45. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  46. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Hedges in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  47. ↑ "League One: 2018/19: Current table". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
    "Barnsley: Squad details: 2018/19". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
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