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 (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
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) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013 | Australia U17 | 2 | (3) |
| 2017–2021 | Australia U23 | 9 | (3) |
| 2021– | Australia | 31 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:21, 30 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 July 2025 |
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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. Riley also plays for the Australian national team.
Riley was born in Gawler, South Australia. He played for youth teams like Gawler, FFSA NTC, and Adelaide United. His professional career began with Adelaide United in 2016. In 2017, he joined Club Brugge in Belgium. He then had two loan spells back in Australia with Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City. After that, he returned to Adelaide United.
Later, Riley was sold to Major League Soccer team Charlotte FC. They loaned him to the English club Birmingham City for 18 months. In 2022, he moved permanently to Middlesbrough. Riley first joined the Australian national team in 2017. Before that, he played for the under-17 team in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Soccer
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 stayed with the Eagles for eight years. He joined because the local Australian rules football club was full.
Club Career Highlights
Riley has played for several clubs, showing his skills in Australia, Belgium, and England.
Playing for Adelaide United
Riley McGree made his first team debut for Adelaide United on 19 March 2016. This was in a draw against Western Sydney Wanderers. He signed a senior contract with Adelaide two weeks later. On 29 January 2017, Riley scored his first goal for the club. It was a shot from outside the box in a game against Wellington Phoenix.
Moving to Club Brugge
After playing well for Adelaide United, Riley moved to the Belgian club Club Brugge in July 2017. This was a big step in his career.
Loan to Newcastle Jets
On 19 December 2017, Riley joined the Newcastle Jets on a short loan. This was for the rest of the 2017–18 A-League season. During the A-League semi-finals that season, Riley scored an amazing goal. It was a scorpion kick! This goal became famous worldwide. It was even nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award for the most beautiful goal of the year.
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 three-year contract. He had a fantastic season, scoring 10 goals in the league. He also scored 3 goals in the cup, including one in the FFA Cup final against Melbourne City. Riley won the Aurelio Vidmar Club Champion award for being the best 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 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 EFL Championship. He played his first game for Birmingham City on 17 October 2020. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal in his first start. He quickly became a key player for Birmingham City. He scored two goals and made two assists in 13 league games before his loan ended.
Playing for Middlesbrough
Riley McGree signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Middlesbrough on 14 January 2022. This is another club in the EFL Championship. He made his debut for Middlesbrough on 12 February 2022. On 17 July 2024, Riley signed a new contract with Middlesbrough, showing he is an important part of the team.
International Career
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Riley was first called up to the Australia under-17 team in August 2013. He scored a hat-trick in a game against Brunei.
In March 2017, Riley was called up to the senior Australian team for the first time. This was for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.
He made his senior debut on 3 June 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 win against Kuwait. 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, helping Australia beat Vietnam 4–0.
In November 2022, Riley was chosen to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He started in Australia's first game against France. In their final group game, Riley assisted Mathew Leckie's goal, which helped Australia beat Denmark 1–0. He also started in Australia's game against Argentina.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Adelaide United | 2015–16 | A-League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | A-League | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 21 | 2 | |||
| Total | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 22 | 2 | ||||
| Club Brugge | 2017–18 | Belgian Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Newcastle Jets (loan) | 2017–18 | A-League | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | |||
| Melbourne City (loan) | 2018–19 | A-League | 27 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 30 | 8 | |||
| Adelaide United | 2019–20 | A-League | 23 | 10 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 28 | 13 | |||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2020–21 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | Championship | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
| Total | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 | ||||
| Middlesbrough | 2021–22 | Championship | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Championship | 43 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 46 | 6 | ||
| 2023–24 | Championship | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 25 | 6 | |||
| 2024–25 | Championship | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Total | 91 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 97 | 15 | |||
| Career total | 198 | 39 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 219 | 46 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2021 | 7 | 0 |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 1 | |
Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 January 2022 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia |  Vietnam |
4–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Awards and Achievements
Riley McGree has won several awards during his career:
With Adelaide United
- A-League Premiership: 2015–16 (This means his team finished first in the league before the finals)
- FFA Cup: 2019 (A major knockout cup competition in Australia)
Individual Awards
- Middlesbrough Goal of the Season: 2022–23 (Award for the best goal scored by a Middlesbrough player that season)
See also
In Spanish: Riley McGree para niños
