Richard Patrick Towell (born 17 July 1991) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Towell started his career with Scottish club Celtic and made his debut in the first half of the 2010âÂÂ11 season. He then had two loan spells with Hibernian before leaving Celtic in 2012.
Towell has represented the Republic of Ireland under-21, under-19 and under-17 teams.
Towell started his career at Crumlin United and in 2007 moved to Celtic. In November 2010, he made his professional debut coming on as a substitute for Jos Hooiveld in the 57th minute of Celtic's 2âÂÂ2 draw against Inverness, he provided an assist for Paddy McCourt.
On 25 January 2011, he joined Hibernian on loan until the end of the 2010âÂÂ11 season. Towell made his debut a day later, in a 2âÂÂ0 loss to Rangers. He was at fault for the concession of the second Rangers goal, as a misplaced pass allowed Nikica Jelaviàa clear chance to score. Despite this bad start, Towell helped to solidify the Hibs defence during the latter part of the 2010âÂÂ11 season. Hibs manager Colin Calderwood stated in April 2011 that he hoped to sign Towell for a longer period. Towell said in April 2011 that he received abuse from Hearts supporters in Edinburgh derby matches because he was Catholic. However, he also said that this made him more determined to play better. Towell returned to Celtic at the end of the season, having made 15 starting appearances for Hibs.
Towell re-signed on loan for Hibs on 25 August 2011, on a deal due to run until June 2012. He played the first match of his second loan spell only 3 days later, starting as Hibs lost 2âÂÂ0 to Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts. Towell started to find first-team opportunities limited after new manager Pat Fenlon made several signings in the January transfer window. Two right backs and two central midfielders came in with one other right back going out. However, Fenlon said that once Towell had got his fitness levels up he would be back in the first team picture.
Towell was signed by Stephen Kenny for Dundalk in December 2012, ahead of the 2013 Airtricity Premier Division season.
Towell made his League of Ireland debut against Shamrock Rovers on the opening night of the 2013 season and was hugely influential in Dundalk's second-placed finish that year, scoring seven times in 31 league appearances. He also picked up the PFAI Young Player of the Year award. He won back to back league titles with Dundalk in 2014 and 2015 scoring 11 and 25 goals in the respective seasons, and got his first taste of UEFA Champions League football with the League of Ireland champions. He scored in the 2014âÂÂ15 UEFA Europa League at Jeunesse Esch Jeunesse Esch-Dundalk 2015 History | UEFA Europa League.
On 9 October, Towell scored an 85th minute equalising penalty against Shamrock Rovers to win Dundalk their second consecutive league title, and followed this by scoring the only goal of the game in extra time in the FAI Cup Final against Cork City.
Towell signed for Brighton & Hove Albion on 30 November 2015. Towell made his debut for the Sussex club in the third round of the 2015âÂÂ16 FA Cup on 9 January 2016 away against Hull City where The Seagulls lost 1âÂÂ0 to a Robert Snodgrass penalty. Despite not playing a single league game in the 2015âÂÂ16 Football League Championship season Towell made an appearance in the 2016 Championship play-offs as a substitute away against Sheffield Wednesday where Brighton were beaten 2-0 and 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate. Towell scored his first goal for The Albion in a 3-1 FA Cup loss away to then National League side Lincoln on 28 January 2017. Towell's only league game with The Seagulls came against his then future loan club Rotherham United on 7 March 2017 where he came on as a substitute where Brighton won 2âÂÂ0 at the New York Stadium. At the end of the season Brighton & Hove Albion were promoted to the Premier League. In May 2017, following Brighton's promotion to the Premier League, Towell signed a deal to keep him at the club until 2019.
On 31 August 2017, he signed for League One's Rotherham on a season-long loan where he helped them regain their Championship status, winning the 2018 EFL League One play-offs. On 31 August 2018 he returned to Rotherham United for a second season-long loan spell. He made 34 Championship appearances scoring 4 times as Rotherham were relegated back to League One.
On 31 May 2019 Towell joined Salford City on a two-year contract. He made his début on the opening day of the 2019âÂÂ20 season, a 2âÂÂ0 victory against Stevenage. On Boxing Day, Towell opened the scoring with a "thunderbolt" in a 2âÂÂ1 win over Crewe Alexandra on Boxing Day, helping Salford to their first victory in five games. On 19 January 2020, he was sent off in a 2âÂÂ1 away victory against Forest Green Rovers after committing two bookable offences. He scored Salford's second in a 2âÂÂ0 win against Macclesfield Town on 29 February.
At the end of the 2020âÂÂ21 season, it was announced that Towell would be leaving the club to return to Ireland and join Shamrock Rovers. He scored his first goal against à  K Slovan Bratislava in UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, but Rovers were eliminated 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
In May 2008, Towell made his Republic of Ireland under-17 debut in a European championship match against Switzerland. He gained his second Ireland under-17 cap four days later, against Spain.
Towell made two appearances for Republic of Ireland under-21s in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification campaign.
TowellâÂÂs contract with Shamrock Rovers concluded at the end of the 2024 season, making him a free agent from January 2025. In February 2025, he addressed rumors about his playing future, affirming that he had no plans to retire and felt âÂÂabsolutely fantasticâ both physically and mentally, while noting that his family, his wife, and two young daughters, were his primary consideration in deciding his next step.
By September 2025, Towell had moved into coaching, joining Templeogue United to lead their Foundations Academy. There, he runs training sessions for youth players aged 8 to 12 and oversees a mentoring program for coaches. As of November 2025, he remains unattached to any professional club. Reflecting on his time at Shamrock Rovers, Towell credited manager Stephen Bradley with helping him secure three league titles and appearances in European group stages, though he acknowledged frustrations over limited game time during his final season.
Across his club career in Scotland, England, and Ireland, Towell totaled 408 appearances and 86 goals, but never earned a senior cap for the Republic of Ireland despite participating at youth levels. At 33, during early 2025 discussions, he cited a desire for improved work-life balance after the intense demands of the 2024 season as a major factor in moving away from professional play.
Dundalk
Rotherham United
Salford City
Shamrock Rovers
Individual