Daniel Mahaffy (born 15 December 2005) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Burscough.
Mahaffy was a youth team player with Preston North End, Marine and Port Vale, playing on loan at Newcastle Town and AFC Liverpool. He joined AFC Liverpool for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons, winning the 2026 North West Counties Football League League Challenge Cup. He moved on to Burscough in June 2026.
Career Mahaffy joined the Port Vale youth system from Marine, having previously been with Preston North End. He captained the youth team. He made his first-team debut on 7 November 2023, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute for Ryan Loft in a 2–1 defeat at Wrexham in the EFL Trophy. On 23 December, he joined Northern Premier League Division One West club Newcastle Town on a work experience loan, alongside youth-team teammates Andrew Buah and Eli Fisher. He did not play a game for Newcastle, however, as the club underwent a change in management. On 4 April 2014, it was confirmed that he had joined North West Counties League Premier Division side AFC Liverpool on a work experience loan. By the end of the 2023–24 season, he had played 16 games for AFC Liverpool, during which the club kept two clean sheets. He was once named as man of the match. He left Vale Park after not being offered a professional contract when his two-year youth scholarship ended.
He subsequently joined AFC Liverpool on a permanent basis and scored 16 goals in 30 league games during the 2024–25 season. He made 36 appearances in the 2025–26 season, scoring six goals. This included an appearance in the League Challenge Cup final victory over West Didsbury & Chorlton. He joined Burscough in June 2026.
Style of play Mahaffy is a hard-working midfielder with excellent leadership skills.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupEFL CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsPort Vale2023–24EFL League One0000001010Newcastle Town (loan)2023–24Northern Premier LeagueDivision One West0000—0000AFC Liverpool (loan)2023–24North West Counties LeaguePremier Division16000—00160AFC Liverpool2024–25North West Counties LeaguePremier Division301600—4034162025–26North West Counties LeaguePremier Division29530—41366Total75213000818622Burscough2026–27North West Counties LeaguePremier Division3011—0041Career total78214100919123
Honours AFC Liverpool North West Counties Football League League Challenge Cup: 2026
References