Sam_McClelland_(footballer)
Sam McClelland
Northern Irish footballer
Sam McClelland (born 4 January 2002) is a Northern Irish professional football player who plays for St Johnstone, and the Northern Ireland national team. Sam has had loan spells with Barrow and Dundee United as well as spell with Chelsea.[1][2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (2002-01-04) 4 January 2002 (age 22) | ||
| Place of birth | Derry, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | St Johnstone | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2015 | Limavady Youth | ||
| 2015–2018 | Coleraine | ||
| 2018–2022 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Barrow (loan) | 27 | (1) |
| 2023– | St Johnstone | 7 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Dundee United (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017–2019 | Northern Ireland U17 | 11 | (0) |
| 2019 | Northern Ireland U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2021– | Northern Ireland U21 | 10 | (0) |
| 2021– | Northern Ireland | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 May 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 September 2022 | |||
Chelsea
McClelland began his youth career playing for Limavady Youths before moving to the Coleraine Academy.[3] He made his Chelsea U18 debut against Arsenal in September 2018 and signed his first professional contract in July 2019.
On 23 June 2022, he signed on a year long loan for League Two side Barrow.[4] McClelland made his debut on 30 July, starting in a 3–2 away win against Stockport County.[5][6] He scored his first career goal in a 2–1 win over Walsall on 16 August 2022.[7]
On 16 June 2023, Chelsea announced that McClelland would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of June.[8]
St Johnstone
On 3 August 2023, McClelland signed for Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone.[9] He moved on loan to Dundee United in February 2024.[10]
McClelland made his international debut for Northern Ireland on 3 June 2021 against Ukraine in a friendly.[11]
Club
- As of 19 January 2024[12]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea U21 | 2021–22 | — | — | — | — | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Chelsea | 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrow (loan) | 2022–23 | League Two | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| St Johnstone | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Career total | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 1 | ||
- Appearances in the EFL Trophy
International
- As of match played 3 June 2021[13]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
- Sam McClelland at Soccerway
- "Sam McClelland". Official Site | Chelsea Football Club. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- "Meet the Northern Irish teenager who has signed for Chelsea". Belfast Telegraph. 7 July 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- "Academy defender loaned to League Two side". Chelsea FC. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- "Pete Wild Names His Barrow Side To Face Stockport County". Barrow AFC. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- "Stockport County 2 v 3 Barrow". Barrow AFC. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- "Barrow 2-1 Walsall: Summer signings Tyrell Warren and Sam McClelland end Walsall's unbeaten start to season". Sky Sports. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- "Retained list and goodbye to Bakayoko". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- "St Johnstone sign ex-Chelsea defender McClelland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- "Sam McClelland makes Tannadice loan switch". Dundee United FC. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- "Northern Ireland chasing equaliser in Ukraine". BBC Sport. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- Sam McClelland at Soccerway
- "McClelland, Sam". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- Sam McClelland at Soccerway