 McAleny withEverton in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Conor Michael McAleny[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-08-12)12 August 1992 (age 33)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Prescot, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder /forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Harrogate Town | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2011 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2017 | Everton | 2 | (0) |
| 2012 | →Scunthorpe United (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2013 | →Brentford (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Cardiff City (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2015 | →Charlton Athletic (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2016 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 13 | (4) |
| 2017 | →Oxford United (loan) | 19 | (10) |
| 2017–2020 | Fleetwood Town | 70 | (9) |
| 2019 | →Kilmarnock (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 2020 | →Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | (21) |
| 2021–2025 | Salford City | 121 | (20) |
| 2025– | Harrogate Town | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:41, 8 August 2025 (UTC) | |||
Conor Michael McAleny (born 12 August 1992) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as anattacking midfielder orstriker forEFL League Two clubHarrogate Town. He is a product of theEverton academy.
While atEverton, he spent time on loan atFootball League teamsScunthorpe United,Brentford,Cardiff City,Charlton Athletic,Wigan Athletic, andOxford United, before leaving on a permanent basis in 2017 to joinFleetwood Town. He enjoyed little success at Fleetwood, and spent time out on loan at Scottish clubKilmarnock andShrewsbury Town. He joinedOldham Athletic in 2020, spending a year at the club and scoring 21 goals before departing for Salford.
McAleny was born inPrescot, Merseyside.[2] He joinedEverton as an 11-year-old and made his debut for the club's youth team in a 1–0Premier Academy League win overTottenham Hotspur on 25 August 2007, replacing Lewis Codling after 65 minutes.[4] He became a full-time member ofthe club's academy in 2008, at age 17,[5] making regular appearances for the youth team during the2008–09 season,[6] and received his first call up to the reserve team for aPremier Reserve League North match against rivalsLiverpool on 17 February 2009;[7] he remained on the bench for the 1–1 draw. McAleny broke into the reserve team during the2009–10 season, making his debut in a 1–0 defeat toManchester United on 6 October, replacingJose Baxter after 61 minutes.[8] His form for the youth and reserve teams saw him awarded his first call into the first-team squad for adead rubberEuropa League group match versusBATE Borisov on 17 December. Awarded the number 40 shirt, McAleny was named on the bench in a youthful squad, but did not make an appearance in the 1–0 defeat.[9] He finished the season with 26 appearances and 12 goals for the youth team.[10]
McAleny received his first call up for aPremier League match versusAston Villa on 2 April 2011.[11] Awarded the number 31 shirt, he remained on the bench for the 2–2 draw, and was included in the squad again for a 3–0 victory overWolverhampton Wanderers in the following game.[12] McAleny made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute forPhil Neville in a 1–0 league defeat away toArsenal on 10 December 2011, nearly scoring with avolley.[13] He made his first home appearance in the following game, coming on forLouis Saha in a 1–1 draw againstNorwich City.[14] McAleny signed a new two-year contract in the summer of 2012.[10] No longer eligible for the youth team, he played exclusively for the reserve team during the2012–13 season, though ankle and ligament injuries hindered his progress.[10] After spending much of the first half of the2013–14 season out with a broken leg,[15] McAleny received his first call into the first-team squad in over two years, when he was named as a substitute for an FA Cup fourth round tie versusStevenage on 25 January 2014.[16] He remained on the bench for the 4–0 victory. He also returned to reserve team action, scoring three goals in two games in March.[17] Having come to the end of his contract, McAleny was offered a new deal at the end of the season.[18] On 1 July, it was announced that McAleny had signed a new three-year contract, after being assured he was part of managerRoberto Martínez's plans.[19]
On 23 March 2012, McAleny joinedLeague One sideScunthorpe United onloan for the remainder of the season.[20] He made his debut the following day, coming on as a 65th-minute substitute forJordan Robertson in a 0–0 home draw withNotts County.[21] A knee injury saw him make just three appearances for the club.[10][22]
On 25 July 2013, he joined League One sideBrentford on loan until 6 January 2014,[23] linking up with former Everton teammatesAdam Forshaw andJake Bidwell. On 24 August, in only his fourth appearance for the club, he broke his leg in a clash withWalsall'sAdam Chambers.[15] On 2 September, Brentford announced that the loan arrangement had been brought to an early end, as McAleny was expected to miss most of the2013–14 season.[24] Brentford managerUwe Rosler said that he would be "a big miss, he would be welcome back any time".[25] McAleny attracted further transfer interest from the Bees in March and June 2014.[18][26]
On 2 February 2015, McAleny joinedChampionship sideCardiff City on loan until the end of the season.[27] On 3 March he scored his first professional goal, in a 3–1 win atRotherham United.[28] He scored again on 4 April, set up byAron Gunnarsson, to equalise in a 1–1 draw againstReading at theMadejski Stadium.[29] Cardiff managerRussell Slade praised McAleny for the manner in which he scored, saying there weren't many players who could have scored it.[30] Tactically, Slade used him in at tip of the midfield diamond in a4–4–2, allowing McAleny to impress with his quick feet, vision and ability to find a pass.[31]
On 14 September 2015, he joined Championship sideCharlton Athletic on loan until 7 November.[32] The next day, he made his debut as a 74th-minute substitute replacingMorgan Fox in a 2–1 home defeat toHuddersfield Town.[33] On 23 September, he made his first start in a 4–1League Cup away defeat toCrystal Palace. He was replaced byTony Watt in the 75th minute.[34] On 5 November, two days before the end of his loan contract, he was sent back to Everton after not scoring in any of his nine games during his short spell.[35][36] During his time at Charlton, managerGuy Luzon used him as awinger rather than an attacking midfielder.[37]
On 1 February 2016, McAleny joinedLeague One sideWigan Athletic on loan for the until the end of the season.[38] McAleny said he was persuaded to join the club by Everton manager Roberto Martinez, himself a former Wigan player and manager.[39] On 6 February, he scored on his début againstSheffield United, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 win,[40] and followed it up with the opening goal of a 2–1 win against fellow promotion chasersWalsall, a 35-yard strike he described himself as "shocked" to score.[41] Having come on as a substitute, He scored a crucial match-winner againstRochdale on 28 March, which helped extend Wigan's unbeaten run to 18.[42] Overall, he played 13 times and scored 4 goals,[43] and speaking to local newspaper theWigan Post, he said that he was "really enjoying" his time at the club.[44]
In January 2017, in the final hours of the transfer window,Oxford United of League One announced that he had joined on loan until the end of theseason. Oxford managerMichael Appleton said "he works hard, knows where the goal is and we think will give us another goal threat during the busiest part of the season".[45] He scored his first goal for the club, the only goal of the game, in a 1–0 away League One victory over Charlton on 21 February,[46] and followed up with a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win atChesterfield the following Saturday.[47] McAleny scored a second hat-trick in a 5–1 home win over Bury on 28 March.[48] He finished the season having scored 10 league goals in 14 starts.[49] On 9 June, it was confirmed that he would be leaving Everton following the expiration of his contract at the end of the month.[50]
On 23 June 2017, McAleny joinedFleetwood Town on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract.[51] Fleetwood beat off competition from several Championship clubs, according to chairman Andy Pilley.[52] ManagerUwe Rösler praised him for his ambition and attitude, acknowledging that he could have signed for another club for more money.[53] He scored twice for Fleetwood on his debut in a 2–0 win overRotherham United on 5 August.[54] On 5 April 2018, he scored a 93rd-minute winner against former club Oxford to secure Fleetwood's survival in League One.[55]
During his final two seasons at the club, he was deemed back-up toChed Evans andPaddy Madden,[56] and with Fleetwood playing only one striker, found game time hard to come by, but scored his firstFA Cup goal when he came off the bench in a 2–1 defeat toPortsmouth.[57]
On 28 January 2019, McAleny joinedScottish Premiership clubKilmarnock on loan until the end of the season.[58] He scored on his début, scoring Kilmarnock's first equaliser in a 2–2 draw withDundee.[59] He scored Kilmarnock's opening goal atIbrox Stadium in their 1–1 withRangers, securing the club's place in the top six for a second consecutive season.[60]Killie eventually finished third in the league, ensuring European football for the first time since 2001, though McAleny would return to Fleetwood at the end of the season.[61]
On 30 January 2020, McAleny joined fellow League One sideShrewsbury Town on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season.[62] He made his debut for the club on 1 February, a narrow 1–0 defeat away toRochdale atSpotland.[63] His performance was praised by local newspaper theShropshire Star, who said he was the standout performer for Shrewsbury while playing on the left of a front three.[64]
On 18 August 2020, McAleny joinedLeague Two sideOldham Athletic on a free transfer signing a one-year contract for the 2020–21 season.[65] He scored on his debut for Oldham in a 3–0EFL Cup win overCarlisle United on 5 September 2020.[66] With his contract close to expiring, Oldham held talks with McAleny about a new deal amid interest fromIpswich Town,Bradford City, andBristol Rovers.[67]
On 1 July 2021, having not reported back for Oldham's pre-season training ahead of thenew season,[68] McAleny joined fellow League Two sideSalford City on a two-year deal,[69] citing the club's ambitions for promotion toLeague One as motivation for signing.[70] On 28 August, he scored his first goal for Salford in his side's 3–0 home win against Newport County.[71] He won theEFL League Two Player of the Month award for January 2023, having scored six goals in as many matches.[72]
On 12 May 2025, the club announced he would be released in June when his contract expires.[73]
On 8 August 2025, McAleny signed a one-year contract with fellow League Two clubHarrogate Town.[74]
McAleny represented Knowsley in the 2005 Merseyside Youth Games, participating in the 80-metresprint,shot put andtriple jump.[75]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Everton | 2011–12[22] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2012–13[76] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[77] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[78] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[79] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[80] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Everton U23 | 2016–17[80] | — | — | — | 2[b] | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2011–12[22] | League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Brentford (loan) | 2013–14[77] | League One | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Cardiff City (loan) | 2014–15[78] | Championship | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| Charlton Athletic (loan) | 2015–16[79] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2015–16[79] | League One | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | |
| Oxford United (loan) | 2016–17[80] | League One | 18 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 10 |
| Fleetwood Town | 2017–18[81] | League One | 29 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 34 | 5 |
| 2018–19[82] | League One | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[83] | League One | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 17 | 3 | |
| Total | 55 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 70 | 9 | ||
| Kilmarnock (loan) | 2018–19[82] | Scottish Premiership | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 3 | |
| Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 2019–20[83] | League One | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Oldham Athletic | 2020–21[84] | League Two | 40 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2[b] | 2 | 46 | 21 |
| Salford City | 2021–22[85] | League Two | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| 2022–23[86] | League Two | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b][c] | 0 | 37 | 11 | |
| 2023–24[87] | League Two | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | 45 | 7 | |
| 2024–25[88] | League Two | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 1 | 33 | 2 | |
| Total | 121 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 141 | 22 | ||
| Career total | 288 | 63 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 6 | 336 | 72 | ||
Wigan Athletic
Individual
