Charlie Grainger

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Charlie Grainger

|image =

|full_name = Charlie Martin Grainger{{cite news |title=The Football League Limited: Club list of registered players as at 16th May 2015 |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/documents/pages-from-fl-professional-retain-list-free-transfers-2014-15-2.pdf-...549-2491536.pdf |publisher=The Football League |page=50 |date=16 May 2015 |access-date=1 December 2015}}

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|7|31|df=y}}{{cite web |title=Charlie Grainger|url=http://www.11v11.com/players/charlie-grainger-239759/|publisher=11v11 |access-date=1 December 2015}}

|birth_place = Enfield, England

|height = {{convert|1.87|m|order=flip}}

|position = Goalkeeper

|currentclub = Hastings United

|clubnumber =

|youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2009

|youthclubs1 = Norwich City

|youthyears2 = 2009–2014

|youthclubs2 = Leyton Orient

|years1 = 2012–2019

|clubs1 = Leyton Orient

|caps1 = 26

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 2013–2014

|clubs2 = → Cray Wanderers (loan)

|caps2 = 10

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 2014

|clubs3 = → Histon (loan)

|caps3 = 5

|goals3 = 0

|years4 = 2014

|clubs4 = → Farnborough (loan)

|caps4 = 8

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 2014

|clubs5 = → Farnborough (loan)

|caps5 = 3

|goals5 = 0

|years6 = 2015

|clubs6 = → Farnborough (loan)

|caps6 = 1

|goals6 = 0

|years7 = 2016

|clubs7 = → Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan)

|caps7 = 1

|goals7 = 0

|years8 = 2019–2023

|clubs8 = Dulwich Hamlet

|caps8 = 95

|goals8 = 0

|years9 = 2023–

|clubs9 = Hastings United

|caps9 = 50

|goals9 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 2014

|nationalteam1 = England U18

|nationalcaps1 = 1

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|medaltemplates =

|club-update = 31 October 2p24

|nationalteam-update =

}}

Charlie Martin Grainger (born 31 July 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Hastings United.

Career

Born in Enfield, Greater London, Grainger joined the youth ranks of Leyton Orient from Norwich City's in 2009. Due to injuries and departures, he was their substitute goalkeeper for 20 games in 2012–13 at the age of 16.

On 21 February 2014, Grainger joined Conference North club Histon on a month-long work experience loan, having previously been at Cray Wanderers in the Isthmian League.{{cite news|last1=Cottle|first1=Robin|title=Orient's Grainger joins Histon on work experience|url=http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/sport/football/leyton-orient/orient_s_grainger_joins_histon_on_work_experience_1_3345584|access-date=2 September 2015|work=Ilford Recorder|date=21 February 2014}} He made his debut the following day in the 2–1 defeat away to Hednesford Town,{{cite news|title=Hednesford Town 2-1 Histon FC|url=http://www.hednesfordtownfc.com/2014/02/hednesford-town-2-1-histon-fc|access-date=2 September 2015|publisher=Hednesford Town F.C.|date=23 February 2015}} and returned to Leyton with five appearances to his name.

On 19 May 2014, Grainger was one of three players given their first professional contracts by Leyton Orient.{{cite news|last1=Mail|first1=Simon|title=Leyton Orient offer pro contract to England keeper Charlie Grainger|url=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/sport/11223079.Leyton_Orient_offer_pro_deal_to_England_keeper_Grainger/|access-date=2 September 2015|work=Guardian |date=19 May 2014}} The following season, he had three loan spells at Farnborough in the Conference South. The first began in August 2014 but Grainger was recalled in September when Orient's first-choice keeper Adam Legzdins suffered an injury. Once Legzdins had recovered, Grainger's second loan period at Farnborough began in November 2014 and was intended to continue until January 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.farnboroughfc.co.uk/2014/farnborough-loan-in-goalkeepers-grainger-and-barnes/ |title=Farnborough loan in goalkeepers Grainger and Barnes |date=14 November 2014 |access-date=5 September 2015 |publisher=Farnborough F.C.}} but he was soon recalled again by Orient. The third loan period began in late March 2015 but he made only one appearance.{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/sport/11883409.Orient_keeper_Grainger_moves_back_to_Farnborough/ |title=Orient keeper Grainger moves back to Farnborough |date=26 March 2015 |access-date=5 September 2015 |publisher=Guardian Series}} In February 2015, his Orient contract was extended until 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/sport/football/leyton-orient/grainger_extends_contract_at_orient_1_3947027 |title=Grainger extends contract at Orient |date=6 February 2015 |access-date=5 September 2015 |publisher=Newham Recorder}}

While Orient's first-choice goalkeeper Alex Cisak was away on international duty, Grainger made his professional debut on 1 September 2015 in the first round of the Football League Trophy, a 2–1 defeat for the O's against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, conceding a last-minute winner by Stephen O'Donnell.{{cite news|title=Luton in the hat for the next round as Orient concede late on|url=http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/leyton-orient/luton_in_the_hat_for_the_next_round_as_orient_concede_late_on_1_4216660|access-date=2 September 2015|work=East London Advertiser|date=1 September 2015}} He followed this with his Football League debut for Orient at Exeter City on 5 September. He conceded an early penalty in Orient's 4–0 defeat.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34093883 |title=Exeter City 4–0 Leyton Orient |date=5 September 2015 |publisher=BBC Sport}} He kept his first senior clean sheet in the FA Cup Second Round 0–0 draw at home to Scunthorpe United on 5 December.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34951077 |title=Leyton Orient 0–0 Scunthorpe United |date=5 December 2015 |publisher=BBC Sport}}

He signed a further two-year contract with Leyton Orient on 30 June 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40459986 |title=David Mooney: Leyton Orient sign former Southend United striker |date=30 June 2017 |access-date=1 July 2017 |publisher=BBC Sport}}

On 25 June 2019, Grainger joined National League South side Dulwich Hamlet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet/news/keeper-comes-in-from-the-orient-2435966.html|title = Keeper Comes in from the Orient}}

Grainger signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Hastings United in 2023.{{cite web |title=Our New Number 1|publisher=Hastings United Football Club | date=2 June 2023 | url=https://www.hastingsunited.com/news/2023/06/02/our-new-number-1/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607103522/https://www.hastingsunited.com/news/2023/06/02/our-new-number-1/ | archive-date=7 June 2023 | url-status=dead}}

International career

In February 2014, Grainger was called up to the England U18 squad to face Croatia in two friendly matches. He was an unused substitute for the first, but played the full 90 minutes of the second match, a 2–1 defeat on 5 March 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/news/england/development/2014/mar/england-u18s-1-2-croatia-match-report |title=Déjà-vu for England U18s as they slip to Croatia defeat |date=5 March 2014 |access-date=6 September 2015 |publisher=The FA}}

Personal life

He is the son of Martin and Nicola Grainger. Martin played professional football as a defender, most significantly at Birmingham City.{{cite news|first1=Jonny|last1=Davies|title=THE BIG INTERVIEW: Charlie Grainger|url=http://www.leytonorient.com/news/article/grainger-big-interview-160413-774555.aspx|access-date=2 September 2015|publisher=Leyton Orient F.C.|date=16 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205659/http://www.leytonorient.com/news/article/grainger-big-interview-160413-774555.aspx|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}