Meet the Researcher - John O'Neill (PhD Psychology)

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Posted on November 3, 2025

John O’Neill, studying for his PhD in the Department of Psychology at MIC, tells us about his really interesting research topic, which delves into the concept of vulnerability in professional football. His study aims to enhance our understanding of vulnerability across all roles in the football landscape, from players to directors and various departments within.

John also talks about what he enjoys most when undertaking his research, what he likes about supervising students and his advice for anyone considering taking up a postgraduate programme by research.

Tell us a bit about your research
For my PhD, I am doing a psychology research project that delves into the concept of vulnerability in professional football. This study aims to enhance our understanding of vulnerability across all roles in the football landscape,



from players to directors and various departments. We want to understand how can vulnerability serve as a compass for our learning in professional football. By understanding it through (?) our own vulnerability (??) how vulnerability may be different between and within departments of a club (???) how vulnerability may impact senior management/leadership at the board level (??) how vulnerability may impact sport psychology. We have developed a psychological framework around these phases and now we are building a psychometric scale to measure and understand how and when we can use our vulnerability throughout all the roles and people who make up a professional club.

What did you study as an Undergraduate and Postgraduate?
Before coming to MIC to undertake my PhD, I completed a Sports & Exercise Science Degree, and a Master in Sport Psychology at the University of Limerick. I always wanted to do sports psychology and apply it to professional fo

📌 PhD Football Psychology Researcher (España)
🏢 Cabinteely Community School
📍 España