Riley McGree facts for kids
McGree with Melbourne City in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Riley Patrick McGree | ||
| Date of birth | 2 November 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Gawler, South Australia | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Middlesbrough | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2011 | Gawler Eagles | ||
| 2013 | FFSA NTC | ||
| 2014–2015 | Adelaide United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2015–2016 | Adelaide United NPL | 27 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Adelaide United | 17 | (1) |
| 2017–2019 | Club Brugge | 0 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Newcastle Jets (loan) | 12 | (5) |
| 2018–2019 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 27 | (7) |
| 2019–2020 | Adelaide United | 23 | (10) |
| 2020–2022 | Charlotte FC | 0 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 28 | (3) |
| 2022– | Middlesbrough | 91 | (13) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2013 | Australia U17 | 2 | (3) |
| 2017–2021 | Australia U23 | 9 | (3) |
| 2021– | Australia | 27 | (1) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Riley Patrick McGree (born 2 November 1998) is an Australian professional soccer player. He plays as an attacking midfielder for the English club Middlesbrough. He also plays for the Australian national team.
Riley was born in Gawler, South Australia. He started playing youth football there. He then played for FFSA NTC and Adelaide United. In 2016, he began his professional career with Adelaide United. In 2017, he moved to Club Brugge in Belgium. He had two loan spells back in Australia with Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City. After that, he returned to Adelaide United.
Later, he was sold to Major League Soccer team Charlotte FC. They loaned him to the English club Birmingham City. In 2022, he joined Middlesbrough permanently. Riley first played for the Australian national team in 2017. Before that, he played for the under-17 team in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Football
Riley McGree grew up in Gawler, South Australia, which is north of Adelaide. He started playing soccer at age four for Gawler Eagles FC. He joined this club because the local Australian rules football club was full. He played with the Eagles for eight years.
Riley's Club Career
Playing for Adelaide United
Riley McGree made his first appearance for Adelaide United in the A-League on 19 March 2016. This was a draw against Western Sydney Wanderers. He got his first start for the club in a 2016 FFA Cup match on 3 August 2016. Two weeks later, Riley signed a one-year contract with Adelaide's senior team. He scored his first goal for Adelaide on 29 January 2017. It was a shot from the edge of the box in a draw with Wellington Phoenix.
Moving to Club Brugge
Riley played very well for Adelaide United. He even got called up to the Australian national team. Because of his great performance, he left Australia in July 2017. He joined the Belgian club Club Brugge.
Loan to Newcastle Jets
On 19 December 2017, it was announced that Riley would join the Newcastle Jets. This was a short loan deal for the rest of the 2017–18 A-League season. He joined the team in late January after playing in the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.
During the A-League semi-finals that season, Riley scored an amazing goal. It was a scorpion kick. This goal became famous around the world. It was even nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award. This award is for the most beautiful goal scored anywhere in the world that year. After the season, Riley went back to Club Brugge.
Loan to Melbourne City
In June 2018, Riley returned to the A-League. He joined Melbourne City on a loan for the whole season.
Back to Adelaide United
On 5 July 2019, Riley McGree returned to Adelaide United. He signed a contract for three seasons. Riley was a star player for Adelaide United in his season back. He scored 10 goals in the league and 3 goals in the cup. One of his cup goals was in the FFA Cup final against Melbourne City. He also won the Aurelio Vidmar Club Champion award. This award is for the best and fairest player at Adelaide United. He also won the club's golden boot award for scoring the most goals.
Joining Charlotte FC
On 5 October 2020, Riley McGree was sold to Major League Soccer team Charlotte FC.
Loan to Birmingham City
Right after joining Charlotte FC, Riley was loaned to Birmingham City. This is an English club in the Championship league. He played his first game for Birmingham City on 17 October. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for them. He finished the season with 15 games played. His loan was then extended until January 2022.
In October 2021, he started playing more often. He impressed everyone with his hard work and skill. He scored two goals and made two assists in 13 league games. After his loan ended, he was expected to go back to Charlotte FC. However, he chose to sign with another English club.
Playing for Middlesbrough
Riley McGree signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Middlesbrough on 14 January 2022. He made his first appearance for Middlesbrough on 12 February. This was in a 4–1 win against Derby County. On 17 July 2024, Riley signed a new contract with Middlesbrough.
Riley's International Career
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Riley was first called up to the Australia under-17 team in August 2013. This was for a championship in Myanmar. He scored three goals in one game against Brunei.
In March 2017, Riley was called up to the Australian senior team for the first time. This was for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.
In November 2019, he was one of four players suspended from the Australia national under-23 soccer team. This was due to not following team rules. Because of this, Riley could not play in the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship. However, he was still able to be chosen for the World Cup team if Australia qualified.
Riley made his senior team debut on 3 June 2021. This was in a 3–0 win against Kuwait. It was a World Cup qualifier. In his first start, he played very well and helped Australia win 5–1 against Chinese Taipei. He scored his first international goal on 27 January 2022. This was in Australia's 4–0 win over Vietnam during a World Cup qualifier.
In November 2022, Riley was chosen to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He started in Australia's first game against France. Australia lost that game 4–1. In their last group game, Riley helped Mathew Leckie score a goal. This led to Australia beating Denmark 1-0. Riley also started in Australia's 2-1 loss to Argentina.
Honours and Awards
Riley McGree has won several awards and championships during his career:
- Adelaide United
- A-League Premiership: 2015–16
- FFA Cup: 2019
- Individual Awards
- Middlesbrough Goal of the Season: 2022–23
Images for kids
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McGree with Melbourne City in 2019
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Riley McGree playing for Australia U-23 at the 2020 Summer Olympics
See also
In Spanish: Riley McGree para niños
