![]() McAlinden playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Liam James McAlinden[1] | ||
Date of birth | 26 September 1993 | ||
Place of birth | Cannock, England | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
2001–2010 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2010–2016 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 14 | (1) |
2013 | → Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 9 | (3) |
2014 | → Fleetwood Town (loan) | 5 | (2) |
2015 | → Fleetwood Town (loan) | 14 | (2) |
2015 | → Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 8 | (0) |
2016 | → Crawley Town (loan) | 6 | (1) |
2016–2018 | Exeter City | 61 | (7) |
2018–2019 | Cheltenham Town | 6 | (0) |
2018–2019 | → Brackley Town (loan) | 5 | (1) |
2019 | → Kidderminster Harriers (loan) | 15 | (0) |
2019–2020 | FC Halifax Town | 27 | (10) |
2020 | Stockport County | 9 | (2) |
2020–2021 | Morecambe | 28 | (2) |
2021–2024 | Wrexham | 64 | (1) |
International career | |||
2012 | Northern Ireland U21 | 3 | (0) |
2014 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:22, 3 January 2023 (UTC) |
Liam James McAlinden (born 26 September 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward. Born in England, he is a former youth international for Ireland.
McAlinden signed his first professional contract in 2010 with Wolves,[3] before making his senior debut on 27 April 2013 as a substitute in a 1–2 defeat to Burnley.[4]
The striker has represented Northern Ireland at youth levels as, although born in England, he qualified through his grandfather.[5] However, in June 2013, he switched his allegiance to the Republic of Ireland, from which his parents hail.[6]
He scored his first senior goal on 3 September 2013 in a Football League Trophy tie against Walsall.[7] Later in the season, he scored his first Wolves league goal to earn a 1–0 victory at MK Dons in March 2014 as the team went on to win promotion back to the Championship.[8]
In October 2013 McAlinden was loaned to fellow League One club Shrewsbury Town for three months.[9] He scored on his club debut after coming on as a substitute against Gillingham,[10] the first of three goals in nine appearances before being recalled by Wolves in early December.[11]
In October 2014 McAlinden moved on a three-month-loan deal to League One Fleetwood Town.[12] However, after scoring twice in his first 5 appearances for Fleetwood, he was recalled to cover injuries at his parent club. On 15 January 2015 McAlinden returned on loan to Fleetwood for the remainder of the season,[13] where he scored two further goals during 14 appearances.
McAlinden returned to Shrewsbury Town for a second time on a half-season loan in July 2015.[14] In March 2016 he signed a loan deal with Crawley Town until the end of the 2015–16 season.[15]
McAlinden was released by Wolverhampton at the end of the 2015–16 season after his contract was not renewed.[16]
On 31 May 2016, McAlinden signed for League Two club Exeter City.[17] He scored his first goal for Exeter in a 2–1 defeat to Hartlepool United on 13 August 2016.[18]
He was released by Exeter at the end of the 2017–18 season.[19]
Follow his release from Exeter, McAlinden signed a two-year deal with League Two side Cheltenham Town on 28 July 2018.[20] On 15 December 2018, McAllinden joined Brackley Town on an initial month's loan.[21] He then returned to Cheltenham after one month, and two days later, he then joined Kidderminster Harriers also on loan deal for one month.[22] The club announced on 21 February 2019, that the loan deal had been extended until the end of the season.[23]
At the start of the 2019–20 season he signed for FC Halifax Town.[24]
On 14 January 2020, he signed for Stockport County.[25]
On 4 August 2020, McAlinden signed for League Two club Morecambe.[26] He was released at the end of the 2020–21 season after a disappointing spell at the club.[27]
On 9 July 2021, McAlinden signed for National League side Wrexham on a two-year deal.[28] He was released by Wrexham on 1 February 2024 after 64 apperances.[29]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2012–13[30] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
2013–14[31] | League One | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 1 | 10 | 2 | |
2014–15[32] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
2015–16[33] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 2 | ||
Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 2013–14[31] | League One | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | |||
Fleetwood Town (loan) | 2014–15[32] | League One | 19 | 4 | — | — | — | 19 | 4 | |||
Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 2015–16[33] | League One | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 1 | 11 | 1 |
Crawley Town (loan) | 2015–16[33] | League Two | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||
Exeter City | 2016–17[34] | League Two | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[a] | 2 | 37 | 7 |
2017–18[35] | League Two | 29 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 1 | 36 | 4 | |
Total | 61 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 73 | 11 | ||
Cheltenham Town | 2018–19[36] | League Two | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Brackley Town (loan) | 2018–19[37] | National League North | 5 | 1 | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
Kidderminster Harriers (loan) | 2018–19[37] | National League North | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
FC Halifax Town | 2019–20[37] | National League | 27 | 10 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 28 | 10 | |
Stockport County | 2019–20[37] | National League | 9 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | ||
Morecambe | 2020–21[38] | League Two | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5[c] | 1 | 37 | 3 |
Wrexham [39] | 2021–22[37] | National League | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
2022–23 | National League | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
2023–24 | League Two | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
Career total | 219 | 31 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 256 | 38 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Morecambe
Wrexham