Hull City signed Sean McLoughlin from Cork City for an undisclosed fee in July 2019 on a three-year deal, with a club option of a further year.

Having combined football and education as he began studying for a degree in Business Information Systems at University College Cork, he joined Cork City in 2017. A senior debut for the Rebel Army came against St Patrick's in October 2017, but it would be 2018 before he truly established himself as a full part of the squad.

An impressive pre-season laid down a marker, with McLoughlin going from strength to strength as he racked up a total of 35 appearances and two goals in all competitions. That campaign saw McLoughlin make nine appearances alongside ex-Tiger Damien Delaney, including four of his six European appearances in a Cork shirt.

His quick development and impressive contribution on the pitch saw him called into the Republic of Ireland U21s squad for the first time in September 2018, making his debut against Germany.

Further progress was made in 2019 as he added a further 27 games - and another two goals - to his tally in a Cork shirt. His impressive performances for the League of Ireland champions at such a young age attracted interest from clubs across the channel and a move to the Tigers

After spending the first half of the 2019/20 season on loan at St Mirren, where he made 21 appearances, he returned to the MKM Stadium to feature seven times for Grant McCann's side in the Championship.

He made a further 12 appearances for the Tigers in 2020/21, with the majority of those coming in the Papa John’s Trophy. McLoughlin finally broke into the Tigers' team in October 2021 and went on to play 33 times that season in the heart of defence. 

The defender was rewarded with a new long-term deal in April 2023, keeping 13 clean sheets in 29 appearances during the 2022/23 campaign.