Charlotte FC: Predicting the impact Riley McGree will have

Charlotte FC got it right by signing Riley McGree

Charlotte FC has officially signed its second professional player ever in 21-year-old Australian international Riley McGree. He joins Charlotte FC from Adelaide United after spending the last five years in Australia. McGree is a very interesting and exciting signing, what kind of impact will he have in Charlotte?

Riley Mcgrees position

The first thing that stands out to me when talking about his impact on the field is his role. He is an attacking midfielder who is very dangerous moving forward and spends a lot of time between the opposing midfield and defense, essentially a number 10. That position on a field can be so important and dynamic I think Charlotte’s scouting team was looking to lock down this position early and find their right fit.

More from MLS Multiplex

• Javier Milei Elected in Argentina: Potential Impacts on MLS and Signings of Argentine Players
• Orlando City and New York City FC in the Battle for Matías Arezo; Grêmio Enters Negotiations! Who Will Come Out on Top?
• USA, Honduras, Panama, and Canada Close in on a Spot in the 2024 Copa America
• De Gea Turns Down Al-Nassr’s Lucrative Offer: Speculation Points to Possible Reunion with Messi at Inter Miami
• Messi’s Magnetic Impact in the United States

For Adelaide United, they traditionally lined up in a 4-3-3 with McGree usually taking that left-center midfield position. He’s confident on the ball, he’s often looking to link up with teammates and move the ball but also ready to take opponents head-on. He will be tasked with making key plays in that final third to create scoring opportunities for Charlotte.

His goal-scoring ability

I really enjoy midfielders who can score goals. You have a great passer, playmaker, run the midfield, and score goals? He finished 2019 with 23 starts 10 goals and 5 assists, both of which were the highest on the team.

He went on to win the A-League Young Footballer of the Year for that season. He has had 22 goals over the last 4 years increasing that number each year. He’s a goal scorer and it’s exciting to think about what he can do for charlotte.

It will be interesting to see how much leash McGree is given in terms of moving forward and whether or not he’ll be that same high pressing attacker and goal scorer he was at Adelaide. McGree also became widely known throughout the football world in 2018 for a legendary, scorpion-kick goal, he scored on loan with the Newcastle jets.

If you have not seen it, now is the time to do so. For that goal, McGree was nominated for the FIFA Puskas “Most Beautiful Goal” award, showcasing the most beautiful goal across all FIFA divisions and leagues.

He is only 21

Possibly the brightest spot for McGree is his age, he is still only 21. He has plenty of time to continue to develop and grow into a more dominant player. He has increased his goals and assists each season he’s played and there’s no reason to think that can’t continue. At his young age of 21 he has put up 32 g/a playing top league first-team football as well as represented his country since 2016.  He’s not afraid of the pressure and he’ll be eager to show his abilities in America.

McGree joins Charlotte FC on an undisclosed fee and will be immediately loaned out to EFL Championship side Birmingham City for the remainder of the season. This will be a great way for McGree to continue to develop and get some really valuable experience. Playing against the high-quality historic clubs in the Championship will be a great next step in his career. McGree should be sharp and ready when the 2022 season rolls around and I think he’s going to hit the ground running.