Liverpool left-back James Norris was shown a straight red card just 16 minutes into Shelbourne’s third game of the UEFA Conference League – their third without a win.
Norris joined Irish club Shelbourne on a season-long loan in February, meaning he would spend the rest of the calendar year in Dublin.
While their League of Ireland campaign concluded at the beginning of the month – with a 0-0 draw with St Patrick’s Athletic ensuring a third-placed finish – Joey O’Brien’s side are still involved in Europe.
However a 1-0 defeat to Kosovan side FC Drita on Thursday night means their hopes of progressing beyond the league phase are slim.
That loss came with Norris shown a red card 16 minutes into the game, and now facing a three-match ban it all but confirms he has played his final game for the club.
Shelbourne have just three more games left as it stands and only progress to the knockout stages will extend the 22-year-old’s stay into 2026.
This would still hinge on an agreement with Liverpool to prolong his loan, but any negotiations can be considered moot given the likelihood of Shelbourne’s early exit from the Conference League.
Norris’ red card came after a heavy touch resulted in him planting his studs on Alamir Ajzeraj, with referee Oliver Reitala making the decision following a VAR review.
A decision to make in January
Overall, Norris’ spell with Shelbourne should be considered a resounding success, having made 45 appearances for the club and totalled 2,891 minutes on the pitch.
His switch to Ireland came after spending the first half of last season back at Liverpool, filling the first-team bench on four occasions but failing to make it onto the pitch in any of those games.
The Scouser’s only other previous experience of senior football came with 20 games on loan at Tranmere in 2023/24, while he was part of academy sides who represented the first team in cup clashes with Aston Villa (2019) and Shrewsbury (2022).
While technically the sixth-youngest player to ever feature for Liverpool, Norris will turn 23 in April and therefore a decision will need to be made over his future.
That will almost certainly lead him away from Merseyside – and the reputation he has built throughout a season with Shelbourne should boost his chances of a move.
He is not the first Liverpool player to enjoy success on loan in Ireland, with Vitezslav Jaros winning the FAI Cup and being named Player of the Season with St Patrick’s in 2021.
Marcelo Pitaluga, the Brazilian goalkeeper, then joined St Patrick’s in 2024 only for his spell to be terminated early.