Dennis Cirkin
Full nameDennis Cirkin[1]
Birth date6 April 2002 (age 24)[2]
Birth placeDublin, Ireland
Height6.0 ft (1.82 metres)[2]
PositionLeft-back
CurrentclubSunderland
Clubnumber3
Youthyears 1–2021
Youthclubs 1Tottenham Hotspur
Years 12021–
Clubs 1Sunderland
Caps 1114
Goals 18
Nationalyears 12018
Nationalteam 1England U16
Nationalcaps 15
Nationalgoals 10
Nationalyears 22018–2019
Nationalteam 2England U17
Nationalcaps 26
Nationalgoals 20
Nationalyears 32019
Nationalteam 3England U18
Nationalcaps 32
Nationalgoals 30
Nationalyears 42021
Nationalteam 4England U20
Nationalcaps 42
Nationalgoals 40
Pcupdate17:02, 2 May 2026 (UTC)

Dennis Cirkin (Latvian: Denniss Cirkins, born 6 April 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club Sunderland. Born in Ireland, he has represented England at youth level.

Club career

Cirkin was born in Dublin, Ireland to parents from Daugavpils, Latvia and the family then moved to London when he was three years old.[3][4] His father is of Azerbaijani-Turkish descent from Antakya (Antioch), Hatay, Turkey.[5] He attended Wanstead High School while signed to the Tottenham Hotspur academy.[6] On 11 August 2021, Cirkin joined Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.[7][8] On 14 August 2021, he made his debut for Sunderland in an away game against Milton Keynes Dons which Sunderland won 2–1.[9][10] On 15 October 2022, he scored his first professional goal for Sunderland in a 2–1 home win against Wigan Athletic. In November 2024, the club announced that Cirkin was unavailable to play against Millwall after having surgery on his wrist.[11]

International career

In November 2018, Cirkin was sent off for the England under-17 team in an away game against the Republic of Ireland.[12] Having represented England at U16, U17 and U18 level, Cirkin made his debut for the England U20s during a 6–1 victory over Romania U20s at St. George's Park on 6 September 2021.[13]

On 14 March 2025 Cirkin received his first call up to the England U21 squad however a hamstring injury sustained in a match against Coventry City forced him to withdraw.[14] On 23 May 2025, he was called up to Lee Carsley's squad for the second time for the U21 European Championship, but he had to withdraw again due to a "medical issue".[15]

In March 2026, Cirkin was invited to the training camp of the Latvia national team.[16]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sunderland2021–22[17]League One34010303[a]0410
2022–23[18]Championship285000000285
2023–24[19]Championship8000000080
2024–25[20]Championship36300003[b]0393
2025–26[21]Premier League902000—110
Career total11483030601268
  1. ^ Appearances in EFL League One play-offs
  2. ^ Appearances in EFL Championship play-offs

Honours

Sunderland

References

  1. ^ "Club list of registered players: As at 17th May 2025". English Football League. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Dennis Cirkin". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  3. ^ Fennessy, Paul (15 January 2020). "The 17-year-old Dublin-born player who made the Spurs bench last night". The42. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Latvijas izcelsmes futbolists debitē Anglijas premjerlīgā – Denisa Cirkina daudzslāņainā identitāte" [A footballer with roots in Latvia debuts in the English Premier League - The multi-layered identity of Deniss Cirkins] (in Latvian). Delfi. 2025-12-29. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  5. ^ Harrington, Eoin (2025-08-16). "Report: Ireland-Eligible Prospect Makes Unexpected Nationality Choice". Balls.ie. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
  6. ^ "Dennis Cirkin profile". Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Cirkin makes Sunderland transfer". Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Dennis Cirkin: Sunderland sign defender from Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Milton Keynes Dons 1–2 Sunderland". BBC Sport. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. ^ Hunter, James (15 August 2021). "Dennis Cirkin's debut proves Sunderland transfer market patience has paid off, says Lee Johnson". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Millwall 1-1 Sunderland: Substitute Femi Azeez scores added-time equaliser for Lions". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  12. ^ "Ireland U-17s lose to strong England side in Tallaght". RTÉ Sport. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  13. ^ Veevers, Nicholas (6 September 2021). "Six at SGP for MU20s". England Football. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Defender Cirkin out of England Under-21 games". BBC Sport. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  15. ^ "Summer blow for Sunderland defender who is forced to make reluctant decision". The Northern Echo. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  16. ^ "Latvijas futbola izlasei negaidīts pastiprinājums – Anglijas premjerlīgas spēlētājs (3)" (in Latvian). delfi.lv. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
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  22. ^ Paddy, Chris (21 May 2022). "Sunderland 2–0 Wycombe". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Sheffield United 1–2 Sunderland: Line-ups". BBC Sport. 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  • Profile at the Latvian Football Federation website (in Latvian)