Grady McDonnell

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Grady McDonnell

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2008|2|17|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

| height = 1.85m{{soccerway|grady-mcdonnell/869141}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Club NXT

| clubnumber = 60

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Coastal FC

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Supra Academy

| youthyears3 = 2022–2023

| youthclubs3 = Vancouver Whitecaps FC

| years1 = 2024

| clubs1 = Vancouver FC

| caps1 = 17

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2025–

| clubs2 = Club NXT

| caps2 = 4

| goals2 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2022–2023

| nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U15

| nationalcaps1 = 11

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2023

| nationalteam2 = Canada U15

| nationalcaps2 = 4

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| nationalyears3 = 2023

| nationalteam3 = Republic of Ireland U16

| nationalcaps3 = 2

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2023–

| nationalteam4 = Republic of Ireland U17

| nationalcaps4 = 10

| nationalgoals4 = 1

| club-update = 5 May, 2025

| nationalteam-update = 14:50, 25 March 2025 (UTC)

}}

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

Early life

Born in Surrey, British Columbia,{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/club-brugge-grady-mcdonnell-transfer/|title=Club Brugge Buys Vancouver FC Youngster Grady McDonnell|date=January 31, 2025|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}} McDonnell began playing youth soccer with Coastal FC at the age of five.{{Canada Soccer player|id=56591}}{{cite web|url=https://vancouverfc.canpl.ca/article/vancouver-fc-transfer-grady-mcdonnell-in-record-breaking-deal-to-club-brugges-academy-club-nxt|title=Vancouver FC transfer Grady McDonnell in record setting deal to Club Brugge's academy Club NXT|date=January 22, 2025|work=Vancouver FC}} Afterwards, he played with the Supra Academy, until the age of 13.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/vancouver-fc-signs-local-teen-grady-mcdonnell-to-three-year-deal/n-6048907|title=Vancouver FC Signs Local Teen Grady McDonnell to Three-Year Deal|date=January 17, 2024|work=Our Sports Central}}{{cite web|url=https://www.coastalfc.ca/post/my-journey-grady-mcdonnell|title=My Journey: Grady McDonnell|date=September 6, 2024|work=Coastal FC}} He spent some time with the Whitecaps FC Pre-Academy, before officially joining the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy in August 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/players/grady-mcdonnell/|title=Grade McDonnell Whitecaps profile|work=Vancouver Whitecaps FC}} He then had training stints with Blackburn Rovers in England, Schalke 04 in Germany, and Shamrock Rovers in Ireland.{{cite web|title=Midfielder Grady McDonnell the latest teenager to join Vancouver FC|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-midfielder-grady-mcdonnell-the-latest-talented-teenager-to-join/|first=Neil|last=Davidson|work=The Globe & Mail|date=April 12, 2024}}

Club career

On January 17, 2024, McDonnell signed a professional contract with Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League through the 2026 season.{{Cite web|url=https://canpl.ca/article/hes-got-the-ambition-vancouver-fc-sign-15-year-old-top-talent-grady-mcdonnell|title='He's got the ambition': Vancouver FC sign 15-year-old 'top talent' Grady McDonnell|date=January 17, 2024|work=Canadian Premier League|last=O'Connor-Clarke|first=Charlie}}{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/vancouver-fc-grady-mcdonnell-sign-15-year-old/|title=Vancouver FC Signs 15-Year-Old Grady McDonnell To Pro Deal|date=January 17, 2024|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}} He became the youngest player in the league's history to ever sign a professional deal, at 15 years and 11 months.{{cite web|url=https://theprovince.com/sports/vfc-sign-the-youngest-player-in-cpl-history-again|title=How Vancouver FC is leading the charge in Canadian youth development|date=January 17, 2024|work=The Province|first=J.J.|last=Adams}}{{Cite web|url=https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2024/01/17/vancouver-fc-break-their-own-canadian-premier-league-record-by-signing-15-year-old-grady-mcdonnell/|title=Vancouver FC break their own Canadian Premier League record by signing 15-year-old Grady McDonnell|date=January 17, 2024|work=Canadian Soccer Daily|first=Thomas|last=Hewitt}} He made his professional debut for the club on May 3, aged 16, in a 3–1 league loss to Cavalry FC;{{Cite web|url=https://canpl.ca/article/match-analysis-cavalrys-offence-shines-as-they-beat-vancouver-fc-3-1-for-1st-victory-of-2024-cpl-season|title=Match Analysis: Cavalry's offence shines as they beat Vancouver FC 3-1 for 1st victory of 2024 CPL season|first=Alexandre|last=Gangué-Ruzic|date=May 4, 2024|work=Canadian Premier League}} in the process, he became the second-youngest player to ever debut in Vancouver's history (behind only T.J. Tahid), and the third-youngest in the league's history.{{cite web|url=https://www.transfermarkt.us/who-is-grady-mcdonnell-vancouver-fc-talent-models-his-game-after-jude-bellingham/view/news/444031|title=Who is Grady McDonnell? Vancouver FC talent models his game after Jude Bellingham|date=September 18, 2024|work=Transfermarkt|first=Manuel|last=Veth}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://vancouverfc.canpl.ca/article/cpls-youngest-signing-grady-mcdonnell-earns-first-totw-recognition|title=CPL's youngest signing Grady McDonnell earns first TOTW recognition|date=July 22, 2024|work=Vancouver FC}}

On January 31, 2025, McDonnell moved to Club NXT, the second team of Belgian club Club Brugge,{{Cite web |last=O'Connor-Clarke |first=Charlie |date=January 31, 2025 |title='I'm ready to chase my dreams': Grady McDonnell joins Club Brugge from Vancouver FC in club-record deal |url=https://canpl.ca/article/im-ready-to-chase-my-dreams-grady-mcdonnell-joins-club-brugge-from-vancouver-fc-in-club-record-deal |work=Canadian Premier League}} for an undisclosed fee of €350,000, plus add-ons, making it the second-largest fee in Canadian Premier League history.{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/vancouver-fc-sells-16-year-old-midfielder-grady-mcdonnell-to-belgium-s-club-brugge-1.2244698|title=Vancouver FC sells 16-year-old midfielder Grady McDonnell to Belgium's Club Brugge|date=January 31, 2025|work=TSN}}

International career

McDonnell is eligible to represent Canada, where he was born, and Ireland, where his grandfather was from.{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/vancouver-fc-grady-mcdonnell-ireland-youth-call-up/|title=Eagles Youngster McDonnell Set For Ireland U-16 Duty|date=January 19, 2024|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}{{cite web|url=https://vancouverfc.canpl.ca/article/vancouver-fcs-grady-mcdonnell-to-represent-republic-of-ireland-mens-u-17-squad-in-upcoming-friendlies|title=Vancouver FC's Grady McDonnell to represent Republic of Ireland Men's U-17 Squad|date=February 12, 2024|work=Vancouver FC}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/grady-mcdonnell-called-up-to-republic-of-ireland-u-15-national-team|title=Grady McDonnell called up to Republic of Ireland U-15 national team|date=October 10, 2022|work=Vancouver Whitecaps FC}} While with the Ireland U15, he served as the team captain.{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/canada-u-15-players-to-watch-2023/|title=Five Canada U-15 Players To Watch|date=August 12, 2023|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}

In August 2023, he was called up to the Canada U15 national team for the 2023 CONCACAF Boys' Under-15 Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/three-whitecaps-fc-bmo-academy-players-named-to-canm15|title=Three Whitecaps FC BMO Academy players named to Canada for Concacaf U-15 Championship|date=August 3, 2023|work=Vancouver Whitecaps FC}} He scored two goals in a group stage victory over the Dominican Republic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/the-week-that-was-midfield-bombs-and-magic-tricks|title=The week that was: Midfield bombs and magic tricks|date=August 8, 2023|work=Vancouver Whitecaps FC}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/mcdonnell-called-up-ireland-u17s-uefa-qualifiers|title=McDonnell called up to Republic of Ireland U-17s for UEFA qualifiers|date=October 2, 2023|work=Vancouver Whitecaps FC}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/mcdonnell-helps-ireland-win-victory-shield|title=McDonnell helps Ireland win Victory Shield|date=November 12, 2023|work=Vancouver Whitecaps FC}} On 5 September 2024, McDonnell scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland U17s in a 2–1 loss to Denmark.{{Cite web |last=Jacques |first=John |date=January 15, 2025 |title=Romano: Club Brugge Moving In On Grady McDonnell |url=https://northerntribune.ca/romano-club-brugge-moving-in-on-grady-mcdonnell/ |access-date=January 16, 2025 |website=Northern Tribune}}