Before making his first appearances in MLS in 2024, McFarlane played for NYC FC’s second team in MLS Next Pro – a USSF Division III-sanctioned league, and a professional environment meant to help young players get used to senior football.
Born in Basildon and raised in New York since the age of three, new Manchester City signing Christian McFarlane has already made regular appearances for the England youth teams from Under-16s to Under-18s and is very much part of the England youth national team pipeline.
McFarlane developed partially in the youth academy of New York City FC in Major League Soccer, where he attracted interest from English Premier League clubs as well as teams in continental Europe.
Last year, while making his initial appearances with the NYC FC first team, McFarlane was featured on the Guardian’s Next Generation 2024 which listed 60 of the most promising young players in world soccer.
He’ll initially join Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad, and how much first-team action he gets remains to be seen, but the move gets him closer to the England youth setup and a pathway to a senior national team that is lacking reliable left-back options.
