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Grady McDonnell

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Grady McDonnell
Personal information
Date of birth (2008-02-17) February 17, 2008 (age 16)
Place of birth Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Club NXT
Youth career
Coastal FC
Supra Academy
2022–2023 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024 Vancouver FC 17 (0)
2025– Club NXT 0 (0)
International career‡
2022–2023 Republic of Ireland U15 11 (0)
2023 Canada U15 4 (2)
2023 Republic of Ireland U16 2 (1)
2023– Republic of Ireland U17 8 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 19, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 5, 2024

Grady McDonnell (born February 17, 2008) is a professional footballer who plays for Club NXT in the Belgian Challenger Pro League. Born in Canada, he is a youth international for Ireland.

Early life

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Born in Surrey, British Columbia,[1] McDonnell began playing youth soccer with Coastal FC at the age of five.[2][3] Afterwards, he played with the Supra Academy, until the age of 13.[4][5] He spent some time with the Whitecaps FC Pre-Academy, before officially joining the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy in August 2022.[6] He then had training stints with Blackburn Rovers in England, Schalke 04 in Germany, and Shamrock Rovers in Ireland.[7]

Club career

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On January 17, 2024, McDonnell signed a professional contract with Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League through the 2026 season.[8][9] He became the youngest player in the league's history to ever sign a professional deal, at 15 years and 11 months.[10][11] He made his professional debut for the club on May 3, aged 16, in a 3–1 league loss to Cavalry FC;[12] in the process, he became the second-youngest player to ever debut in Vancouver's history (behind only T.J. Tahid),[13] and the third-youngest in the league's history.[13] In July 2024, he was named to the CPL Team of the Week for the first time, being included in the Best XI for week 15.[14]

In January 2025, McDonnell moved to Club NXT, the second team of Club Brugge, in the Belgian second tier Challenger Pro League for a fee of 350,000€, the second-largest fee in Canadian Premier League history.[15][16]

International career

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McDonnell is eligible to represent Canada, where he was born, and Ireland, where his grandfather was from.[17][18]

In September 2022, McDonnell was invited to join a training camp with the Ireland U15 national team for the first time; the following month, he was subsequently called up to the squad for the UEFA Development Tournament.[19] While with the Ireland U15, he served as the team captain.[20]

In August 2023, he was called up to the Canada U15 national team for the 2023 CONCACAF Boys' Under-15 Championship.[21] He scored two goals in a group stage victory over the Dominican Republic.[22]

In October 2023, he was called up to the Republic of Ireland U17 national team for three 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification matches.[23] In November of the same year, he played with the Republic of Ireland U16 team, helping them win the Victory Shield, a friendly tournament involving the U16 teams of Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.[24] On 5 September 2024, McDonnell scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland U17s in a 2–1 loss to Denmark.[25]

References

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  1. ^ Jacques, John (January 31, 2025). "Club Brugge Buys Vancouver FC Youngster Grady McDonnell". Northern Tribune.
  2. ^ Grady McDonnell at the Canadian Soccer Association
  3. ^ "Vancouver FC transfer Grady McDonnell in record setting deal to Club Brugge's academy Club NXT". Vancouver FC. January 22, 2025.
  4. ^ "Vancouver FC Signs Local Teen Grady McDonnell to Three-Year Deal". Our Sports Central. January 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "My Journey: Grady McDonnell". Coastal FC. September 6, 2024.
  6. ^ "Grade McDonnell Whitecaps profile". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  7. ^ Davidson, Neil (April 12, 2024). "Midfielder Grady McDonnell the latest teenager to join Vancouver FC". The Globe & Mail.
  8. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (January 17, 2024). "'He's got the ambition': Vancouver FC sign 15-year-old 'top talent' Grady McDonnell". Canadian Premier League.
  9. ^ Jacques, John (January 17, 2024). "Vancouver FC Signs 15-Year-Old Grady McDonnell To Pro Deal". Northern Tribune.
  10. ^ Adams, J.J. (January 17, 2024). "How Vancouver FC is leading the charge in Canadian youth development". The Province.
  11. ^ Hewitt, Thomas (January 17, 2024). "Vancouver FC break their own Canadian Premier League record by signing 15-year-old Grady McDonnell". Canadian Soccer Daily.
  12. ^ Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (May 4, 2024). "Match Analysis: Cavalry's offence shines as they beat Vancouver FC 3-1 for 1st victory of 2024 CPL season". Canadian Premier League.
  13. ^ a b Veth, Manuel (September 18, 2024). "Who is Grady McDonnell? Vancouver FC talent models his game after Jude Bellingham". Transfermarkt.
  14. ^ "CPL's youngest signing Grady McDonnell earns first TOTW recognition". Vancouver FC. July 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "Vancouver FC sells 16-year-old midfielder Grady McDonnell to Belgium's Club Brugge". TSN. January 31, 2025.
  16. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (January 31, 2025). "'I'm ready to chase my dreams': Grady McDonnell joins Club Brugge from Vancouver FC in club-record deal". Canadian Premier League.
  17. ^ Jacques, John (January 19, 2024). "Eagles Youngster McDonnell Set For Ireland U-16 Duty". Northern Tribune.
  18. ^ "Vancouver FC's Grady McDonnell to represent Republic of Ireland Men's U-17 Squad". Vancouver FC. February 12, 2024.
  19. ^ "Grady McDonnell called up to Republic of Ireland U-15 national team". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. October 10, 2022.
  20. ^ Jacques, John (August 12, 2023). "Five Canada U-15 Players To Watch". Northern Tribune.
  21. ^ "Three Whitecaps FC BMO Academy players named to Canada for Concacaf U-15 Championship". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. August 3, 2023.
  22. ^ "The week that was: Midfield bombs and magic tricks". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. August 8, 2023.
  23. ^ "McDonnell called up to Republic of Ireland U-17s for UEFA qualifiers". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. October 2, 2023.
  24. ^ "McDonnell helps Ireland win Victory Shield". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. November 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Jacques, John (January 15, 2025). "Romano: Club Brugge Moving In On Grady McDonnell". Northern Tribune. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
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