Danny McNamara (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Danny McNamara

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Danny John McNamara{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2018-19.pdf |title=Club list of registered players: As at 18th May 2018: Bolton Wanderers |publisher=English Football League |page=21 |accessdate=21 August 2019}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1998|12|27}}

| birth_place = Sidcup, London, England

| height =

| position = Full back

| currentclub = Millwall

| clubnumber = 2

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Millwall

| years1 = 2017–

| clubs1 = Millwall

| caps1 = 140

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 2018–2019

| clubs2 = → Welling United (loan)

| caps2 = 9

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2019

| clubs3 = → Dover Athletic (loan)

| caps3 = 8

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2019

| clubs4 = → Havant & Waterlooville (loan)

| caps4 = 4

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2019–2020

| clubs5 = → Newport County (loan)

| caps5 = 21

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2020–2021

| clubs6 = → St Johnstone (loan)

| caps6 = 22

| goals6 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2019–2020

| nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U21

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update = 05:00, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

}}

Danny John McNamara (born 27 December 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a full back for {{English football updater|Millwall}} club Millwall. He is a former Republic of Ireland under-21 international.

Playing career

=Millwall=

McNamara began his career as a youth player at Millwall, signing his first professional contract with the club in July 2017.{{cite web|title=Young trio pen professional deals|url=https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2017/july/young-trio-pen-professional-deals/|website=millwallfc.co.uk|date=3 July 2017|accessdate=28 December 2020}}

==Loan spells==

McNamara spent time on loan during the 2018–19 season at Welling United,{{cite web|title=McNamara joins Welling United on loan|url=https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2018/november/mcnamara-joins-welling-united-on-loan/|website=millwallfc.co.uk|date=17 November 2018|accessdate=28 December 2020}} Dover Athletic{{cite web|title=YOUNG LION JOINS ON LOAN|url=http://www.doverathletic.com/news/young-lion-joins-on-loan/|last=Harvey|first=Richard|website=doverathletic.com|date=23 January 2019|accessdate=28 December 2020}} and Havant & Waterlooville.{{cite web|title=Dan McNamara joins Havant & Waterlooville on loan|url=https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2019/april/dan-mcnamara-joins-havant--waterlooville-on-loan/|website=millwallfc.co.uk|date=1 April 2019|accessdate=28 December 2020}} Upon his return in May 2019, McNamara signed a new one-year contract with Millwall with an option for a further year.{{cite web|title=Danny McNamara signs new contract|url=https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2019/may/danny-mcnamara-signs-new-contract/|website=millwallfc.co.uk|date=3 May 2019}}

On 31 July 2019, McNamara joined League Two side Newport County on a season long loan.{{cite web|title=Danny McNamara: Millwall defender joins Newport County on loan|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49186465|website=BBC Sport|date=31 July 2019}} On 3 August 2019, he made his Football League debut for Newport, being named in the starting line-up for a 2–2 draw against Mansfield Town on the opening day of the 2019–20 season.{{cite web|title=Newport County 2–2 Mansfield Town|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49135879|website=BBC Sport|date=3 August 2019}} On 6 January 2020, Millwall recalled McNamara from his loan spell at Newport.{{cite news|title=Danny McNamara returns to Millwall after Newport County loan|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/18140591.danny-mcnamara-returns-millwall-newport-county-loan/|last=Penman|first=Andrew|newspaper=South Wales Argus|date=6 January 2020}}

On 14 July 2020, McNamara and fellow Lion Isaac Olaofe joined Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone on season-long loans.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=14 July 2020|title=Isaac Olaofe and Danny McNamara join from Millwall on-loan|url=https://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/news/post/isaac-olaofe-and-danny-mcnamara-join-millwall-loan|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715034201/https://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/news/post/isaac-olaofe-and-danny-mcnamara-join-millwall-loan |archive-date=15 July 2020 |access-date=14 July 2020|website=perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk}} On 4 January 2021, McNamara was recalled by Millwall, with teammate James Brown being sent on loan to St Johnstone.{{cite web|url=https://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/news/post/james-brown-arrives-perth|title=James Brown arrives in Perth|website=perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk|date=4 January 2021|accessdate=4 January 2021}}

==Return to Millwall and breakthrough==

Following his return to Millwall in early January 2021, McNamara made his debut for the club on 9 January 2021 in an FA Cup victory over Boreham Wood{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55574363|title=Boreham Wood 0–2 Millwall|publisher=BBC Sport|date=9 January 2021|accessdate=13 January 2021}} and made his league debut three days later in a 1–1 away draw with AFC Bournemouth.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55373140|title=Bournemouth 1–1 Millwall|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 January 2021|accessdate=13 January 2021}}

On 9 April 2022, McNamara opened his account for the club with the first two goals in a 4–1 thrashing of Barnsley.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60963500|title=Millwall 4–1 Barnsley|publisher=BBC Sport|date=9 April 2022|accessdate=10 April 2022}}

On 6 November 2024, McNamara was involved in an incident during a 1-0 win at Leeds. After being headbutted by an opposing player, Junior Firpo, McNamara was rewarded justice when the referee referred the incident to the Football League and Firpo received a three game suspension. The incident, and subsequent aftermath led to Leeds manager, Daniel Farke petulantly questioning McNamara's conduct, along with the methods and consistency as to how the Football League impose retrospective sanctions, showing a severe lack of maturity throughout.{{Cite web |last=Rayner |first=Stuart |date=9 November 2024 |title=Leeds United manager Daniel Farke's extraordinary attack after Junior Firpo suspension |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-manager-daniel-farkes-extraordinary-attack-after-junior-firpo-suspension-4860131 |access-date=11 November 2024 |website=Yorkshire Evening Post}}

International

On 28 August 2019, McNamara was named in the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad.{{cite news|title=Newport County form earns Millwall defender international call-up|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/football/newportcounty/17865745.newport-county-form-earns-millwall-defender-international-call-up/|last=Penman|first=Andrew|newspaper=South Wales Argus|date=28 August 2019}} He qualifies through his grandparents from Leitrim.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National Cup{{efn\|Includes FA Cup}} !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="8"\|Millwall \|2018–19{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2018\|accessdate=28 December 2020}} \|Championship \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2019–20{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2019\|accessdate=28 December 2020}} \|Championship \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2020–21{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2020\|accessdate=28 December 2020}} \|Championship \|16	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	17	0
2021–22{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2021\|accessdate=13 May 2022}} \|Championship \|37	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	38	2
2022–23{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2022\|accessdate=19 December 2024}} \|Championship \|42	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	44	0
2023–24{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2023\|accessdate=19 December 2024}} \|Championship \|33	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	35	0
2024–25{{soccerbase season\|106427\|2024\|accessdate=19 December 2024}} \|Championship \|12	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	14	0
colspan="2"\|Total !140	2	4	0	4	0	0	0	148	2
Welling United (loan) \|2018–19{{soccerway\|dan-mcnamara/494744\|accessdate=28 December 2020}} \|National League South \|9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
Dover Athletic (loan) \|2018–19 \|National League \|8	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	1
Havant & Waterlooville (loan) \|2018–19 \|National League \|4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
Newport County (loan) \|2019–20 \|League Two \|21	0	0	0	1	0	1Appearance in the EFL Trophy	0	23	0
St Johnstone (loan) \|2020–21 \|Scottish Premiership \|22	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	22	1
colspan="3"\|Career total !204	5	4	0	5	0	1	0	214	5