Yahoo Sports Former Manchester United academy player Paddy McNair joins San Diego FC
Manchester United academy product Paddy McNair has completed a move to Major League Soccer side San Diego FC as a free agent.
The Ulsterman joined United’s academy in 2011, joining from local side Ballyclare Colts.
He would eventually break through to the first team under Louis van Gaal and would go on to make 27 senior appearances in two seasons.
McNair eventually left for Sunderland in 2016 before spending six seasons in the Championship with Middlesborough.
According to The Sun, as part of the deal to join San Diego, the Northern Irishman will originally head out on loan to West Bromwich Albion until the end of 2024.
“McNair signed a free three-year deal with San Diego following the end of his contract with Championship side Boro this summer,” The Sun reports.
One of the reasons behind the move is that the club are awaiting the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
On joining the MLS side the 29 year old commented “joining San Diego FC is an exciting new chapter in my career.”
“When I first heard of San Diego, I had this gut feeling of excitement to play outside of England and have a chance to play in MLS.”
“It’s going to be very special to be a part of history. I look forward to bringing my experience to the team and building a team San Diego can be proud of.”
San Diego are a new expansion team who will become the 15th member of the Western Conference of the MLS when they start competing in 2025. They will play their home games as the Snapdragon Stadium, where United will face Real Betis in only four days time in the second game of their pre-season tour of the United States.
McNair has gone on to have a relatively successful international career, representing Northern Ireland 69 times while playing a plethora of positions across the defence and midfield.
Interestingly, he believes that this tactical flexibility hindered his chances of making it at United as the then manager, Van Gaal, would regularly play him out of position as a defender even though he came through the academy as a midfielder.
Speaking in 2016 he said, “until I was 18, I played in midfield. Van Gaal played me at centre-back. So a lot of people think I’m a defender but I’ve not really ever been a defender. In midfield, a No10, I’ll play wherever – so long as I score two!”
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