Who is the best rated Derry City player on FC25?

The latest edition of EA’s football video game, FC, was released on September 27 as FC25 hit the market.

Derry City are once again playable in the game, after the League of Ireland's introduction to the franchise in FIFA 08, the former name of the game. 

Many young Candystripes will be desperate to bring the league title home to the Maiden City and hopefully lead the club to unimaginable European success in career mode.

Yet the major draw for players will be Ultimate Team, so consumers of the game will be interested in the ratings of the players, alongside the players within the Derry City squad who will love an ego boost as EA ranks their ability.

So who are the five best-ranked players in the Derry City squad?

5 Patrick McEleney

Starting the list off in fifth place is the club captain.

McEleney rejoined the club he started his professional career off with in 2022, longing to bring silverware to the title back to the city he grew up in for the first time since 1997.

As Derry battles it out with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne this season for the honour of lifting the top division this dream may soon be realised, following the three league titles he acquired in his time at Dundalk.

EA have given McEleney a rating of 63, which is the same rating as fourth on the list.

4 Brian Maher

The 23-year-old is next on the list, as he has the same rating as McEleney, 63.

Maher has impressed since joining City from Bray Wanderers, having kept the most clean sheets in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons in the League of Ireland.

Dublin-born Maher was part of the Derry side that lifted the 2022 FAI Cup alongside McEleney, who also won it in 2012 in his first spell at the club.

The former Ireland Under-21 has previously attracted widespread interest in his services from clubs across England and Europe, and with his contract set to expire at the end of November, clubs may once again be eyeing a move for the talented keeper.

3 Will Patching

The only English player in this list.

Patching joined Derry City in 2021, initially on loan from Dundalk before signing permanently for the following season, and has been an important fixture of Ruaidhrí Higgins ever since.

The former Manchester City academy player has been given a rating of 64 by the developers of FC25.

This will have been due to his influential season in the red and white shirt last season, scoring 11 goals across all competitions for the Candystripes.

The former England underage player’s rating is tied with second in the list.

2 Patrick Hoban

The well-travelled striker has been given a rating of 64, the same as Patching.

While Hoban struggled to find form in front of goal in England, since his return to Ireland he has been prolific at Dundalk with 108 goals in his six-year stint and now at Derry after he joined the club for a reported initial fee of £30,000.

The three-time League of Ireland winner with Dundalk was brought in to try and help the Candystripes win only their third ever title since joining the league in 1985.

1 Michael Duffy

The former Celtic player will be the envy of all his teammates, as he is the best-ranked FC25 player in the Derry City squad.

Duffy achieved a rating of 65 and managed to have a silver Ultimate Team card, while the rest of the team are bronze.

The 30-year-old returned to his hometown club in 2022, lifting the FAI Cup with the club that year to add to his previous triumph with City 10 years prior under the stewardship of manager Declan Devine.

Duffy has had a career of honours having secured three League of Ireland titles, four FAI Cups, and two League Cups.

While Duffy is rated the best player in the Derry City squad, he is only the eighth-best-ranked player in the division according to FC25.

Shamrock Rovers have three representatives in the top three rated players, with Jack Byrne being deemed the best player in the League of Ireland.