Charlotte FC signs its second player: Australian attacking midfielder Riley McGree
Charlotte FC’s roster is up to two players. The Major League Soccer club announced Monday the signing of its second professional player, Riley McGree, an attacking midfielder from Australia’s A-League.
The club considers McGree a big land for its inaugural team, as there were several European clubs interested in signing the 21-year-old. McGree scored 10 goals (five assists) in 23 matches for Adelaide United this season, and was named the league’s “Young Footballer of the Year.”
“Riley is a young international player who has already proven to be an impressive goal scorer,” Charlotte FC sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “We are building our team with young talent that matches the aggressive style of play, and intensity in the game, that our fans will love to watch.”
McGree will be placed on loan at Birmingham City, a team ranked eighth in the English Football League, for an undisclosed fee until the start of Charlotte FC’s inaugural season in 2022. Charlotte FC announced the move on the final day of the international transfer window, as the clock winds down on Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window, which closes at the end of the month.
McGree joins midfielder Sergio Ruiz as the second player announced on Charlotte FC’s budding roster. Ruiz is playing on loan for Las Palmas FC in the Spanish Second Division.
Krneta said he expects that McGree’s time in England’s second-tier championship league through next year “will help Riley get to the top of his game and ready for our start in 2022.”
“Riley has a unique profile for a midfielder,” Charlotte FC scouting director Thomas Schaling said in a statement. “The goal scoring ability in his game is obvious. He plays with a lot of depth without the ball and understands how and where to position himself in front of goal.”
McGree began his professional career with Adelaide United in 2016, graduating from the club’s youth academy in 2014. After two seasons with Adelaide, he signed with with Club Brugge of the Belgian Pro League, then returned to Adelaide for its most recent 2019-20 season. He finished the year as the team’s top goal scorer and was named its MVP.
His “scorpion-kick” goal for Newcastle Jets, while on loan to the team, was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award for 2018.
McGree was also called up to Australia’s national team before a pair of 2018 World Cup qualifying matches, and has competed for the country’s U23 team in international matches. Last year, he was suspended by the Australian soccer sanctioning body, Football Federation Australia, and missed U23 qualifying matches due to an incident involving a woman while in Cambodia for a tournament.
He he is expected to play for Australia’s national team as it competes for a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I’m so excited to be part of something special with Charlotte FC,” McGree said in a statement. “The opportunity to play in a fast-growing league like MLS is perfect for me and I’ll give everything I have to make our fans proud.”
Riley McGree Player Bio
- Position: Midfielder
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 159 lbs
- Date of Birth: November 2, 1998
- Age: 21
- Hometown: Gawler, South Australia, Australia
- Citizenship: Australia
- Last Club: Adelaide United (Australia)
- How Acquired: Signed on 10/5/20
- Status: International
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 6:07 PM.
