| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Conor James Grant[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-04-18)18 April 1995 (age 30)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Fazakerley, England[2] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.84 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder;wing-back[4] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Accrington Stanley | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2013 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2018 | Everton | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Motherwell (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | →Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 19 | (2) |
| 2016 | →Ipswich Town (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2017 | →Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 21 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | →Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 2018–2023 | Plymouth Argyle | 112 | (14) |
| 2023–2025 | Port Vale | 34 | (0) |
| 2025– | Accrington Stanley | 16 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | England U18 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:21, 13 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
Conor James Grant (born 18 April 1995) is an Englishfootballer who plays as amidfielder forEFL League Two clubAccrington Stanley.
A formerEngland under-18 international, Grant turned professional atEverton in July 2013. He spent five years on the club's books without making a first-team appearance, instead spending time onloan atMotherwell,Doncaster Rovers,Ipswich Town andCrewe Alexandra. He helped Doncaster to winpromotion out ofLeague Two in the 2016–17 campaign. He joinedPlymouth Argyle in June 2018, where he would remain for five seasons, helping the club to win promotion out of League Two in 2019–20 and out ofLeague One in 2022–23. Having made 137 appearances for Plymouth, he joinedPort Vale on afree transfer in June 2023. He left Vale for Accrington Stanley in February 2025.
Grant joined theAcademy atEverton at the age of 13.[5] In July 2013, he signed his first professionalcontract at the club after featuring in pre-seasonfriendlies.[5] However, he missed much of the2013–14 season due to a chronic back injury.[6] His first involvement with the senior team in a competitive fixture came on 11 December 2014, when he was named as a non-playingsubstitute againstFC Krasnodar in theEuropa League.[2]
On 2 February 2015, Grant signed forMotherwell of theScottish Premiership on a six-monthloan.[7] Twelve days later he made a scoring debut, curling in a free kick in a 3–2 away defeat againstRoss County.[8] He made eleven further appearances underIan Baraclough across the2014–15 season, and then featured as a substitute in therelegation/promotion play-off final second leg win overRangers atFir Park.[9] On 29 October 2015, he joinedLeague One clubDoncaster Rovers on a one-month loan deal.[10] Two days later he made his debut againstColchester United at theKeepmoat Stadium, opening a 2–0 win with a 20 yards (18 m) strike.[11] On 6 March, he scored a brace in theFA Cup as Doncaster recorded a 3–1 victory atCambridge United.[12] The loan was later extended till the end of the2015–16 season, though was curtailed in mid-March after he sustained anAchilles injury.[13] Relegated Doncaster expressed an interest in signing him permanently, but he instead signed a new two-year deal with Everton.[14]
Grant signed forChampionship clubIpswich Town on a season-long loan on 4 August 2016, making his debut atPortman Road two days later in a 4–2 win overBarnsley.[15] However, he returned to Everton early on 18 November, having played seven games for Ipswich.[16]ManagerMick McCarthy said that he couldn't give Grant playing time ahead of the likes ofTom Lawrence,Kundai Benyu andAndre Dozzell and that it would be better for the player's development to return toFinch Farm.[17] On 2 January 2017, Grant once again signed for Doncaster Rovers for the remainder of the2016–17 season. He was in the starting line-up againstStevenage on the same day,[18] and opened up his goal account on 21 January by lashing ashot to the bottom corner from 18 yards (16 m) out, the first in a 3–1 victory overCrewe Alexandra.[19] Rovers managerDarren Ferguson said Grant was "disappointing" in his second spell at the club, despite him starting twenty matches as Doncaster secured aLeague Two automatic promotion spot.[14] Ferguson had initially talked of an agreement with Everton to sign Grant on a permanent deal in the summer, with reports indicating only personal terms had yet to be agreed.[20]
On 30 August 2017, Grant signed for Crewe Alexandra on loan until 10 January 2018,[21] and made his Crewe debut on 2 September againstGrimsby Town but was stretchered off after 18 minutes following a head injury,[22] and missed the next game as a result of theconcussion suffered.[23] ManagerDavid Artell decided against extending his loan spell in January, having limited the midfielder to 14 starts and four substitute appearances.[24] He was released from Everton without having made a first-team appearance, having retained the #39 shirt throughout his five years as a professional atGoodison Park.[14]
On 7 June 2018, Grant signed for League One sidePlymouth Argyle after his contract with Everton had expired.[25] ManagerDerek Adams had attempted to sign him six months earlier, but the deal was thwarted by aFIFA rule that prevented players from appearing for more than two teams in a single season.[13][26] The2018–19 season was poor both on an individual and a club level as injuries kept him sidelined for long spells and Argyle were relegated ongoal difference.[27] On 28 September 2019, he scored his first goal for the club with a "blockbuster 30 yards (27 m) finish" in a 1–0 away win atMansfield Town inLeague Two.[28] The goal, which later finished second in the club's Goal of the Season poll, was credited with starting Plymouth's promotion charge following an indifferent start to the campaign.[29][30] He signed a new contract of undisclosed length in June 2020.[31]
He was voted as Argyle's Player of the Month for September 2020 by Plymouth Live readers, having formed an effective triumvirate withDanny Mayor andLewis Macleod in the centre of thepitch.[32] The following month he won the club's Player of the Month award and was nominated for League One's PFA Fans' Player of the Month award after scoring three goals in consecutive home matches againstBurton Albion,Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town and also picking up anassist.[33][34][35] He spent most of the2020–21 season playing at wing-back, where he scored four goals and provided twelve assists in 46 games.[4] His goal atMilton Keynes Dons on 16 March earned him the League One Goal of the Month award, whilst his strike atAFC Wimbledon on 19 September was voted as the club's Goal of the Season, and a free kick againstSwindon Town was shortlisted for the League One Goal of the Month award.[36] He signed a two-year contract extension in the summer to become the longest-serving senior player atHome Park, as well as the only one to have not been signed by managerRyan Lowe.[37]
Grant underwent surgery on hisgroin in summer 2022, returning to fitness in September.[38] He played nine games before tearing a thigh muscle two months later, which required surgery and kept him out of action for five months; he marked his return to fitness with a goal in a 2–0 win atAccrington Stanley on 21 March.[39] He was released by the club at the end of the2022–23 season,[40] following Argyle's promotion to theChampionship as League One champions.[41] ManagerSteven Schumacher said that "my head had to sort of rule my heart" as injuries had limited Grant to just three starts during the campaign.[42]
On 27 June 2023, Grant agreed a two-year deal with League One sidePort Vale to start on 1 July; managerAndy Crosby praised his technical ability, footballing experience and personal drive.[43] On 7 October, Grant sustained a calf injury in a 2–0 defeat atPortsmouth that would keep him out of action for around eight weeks.[44] Injuries restricted him to 20 league starts in the2023–24 relegation season.[45] He also missed the start of the2024–25 season due to injury.[46] He made his first start of the season on 22 October, in a 1–0 win atHarrogate Town.[47] He departedVale Park following a mutual termination of his contract on 3 February 2025 after 44 appearances for the Valiants.[48]
On 7 February 2025, Grant joined League Two sideAccrington Stanley on a short-term contract for the remainder of the2024–25 season, where assistant managerGed Brannan said "you can never have enough experienced midfielders and he will make us stronger".[49] He said he had left the Vale to join the relegation-threatened "Reds" because had been craving first-team football.[50] He made six starts and ten substitute appearances and signed a new one-year contract in the summer.[51][52][53]
Grant is a left-footedmidfielder well regarded for his level of professionalism.[6][54] He is also able to play as a left-sidedwing-back.[4] He is excellent at set pieces and long-rangeshooting.[55]
His uncle is former Everton andBurnley midfielderTony Grant.[56]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Everton | 2014–15[57] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015–16[58] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[59] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18[60] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Motherwell (loan) | 2014–15[57] | Scottish Premiership | 12 | 1 | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 2015–16[58] | League One | 19 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 22 | 4 | ||
| Ipswich Town (loan) | 2016–17[59] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 2016–17[59] | League Two | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Everton U23 | 2017–18[60] | — | — | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Crewe Alexandra (loan) | 2017–18[60] | League Two | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | 2018–19[61] | League One | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2019–20[62] | League Two | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 22 | 2 | |
| 2020–21[63] | League One | 38 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 46 | 4 | |
| 2021–22[64] | League One | 38 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 7 | |
| 2022–23[65] | League One | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 112 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 137 | 14 | ||
| Port Vale | 2023–24[66] | League One | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 2024–25[51] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
| Accrington Stanley | 2024–25[51] | League Two | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||
| 2025–26[67] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 237 | 18 | 19 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 279 | 20 | ||
Doncaster Rovers
Plymouth Argyle