CJ Egan-Riley in Blue and White

Born in Manchester, CJ Egan-Riley came through the ranks at Manchester City, progressing through all of the youth teams. A right-footed central defender, he made his professional debut in an English League Cup match in September 2021, at just 18 years old. A few months later, he earned his first start in the Champions League under Pep Guardiola, against Sporting CP in March 2022, before being signed by Burnley FC.

He was then loaned out, first to Scottish Premiership side Hibernian FC, and then to PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. He returned to Burnley for the 2024/2025 season, which proved to be a breakout year - playing in almost every match (41 appearances) as part of a defence that conceded just 16 goals across 46 games. Solid and composed in build-up play, the powerful 22-year-old English defender was a key figure in Burnley’s historic campaign, which ended with a second-place finish and promotion to the Premier League.

Versatile and capable of playing both centrally and on the right side of defence, CJ Egan-Riley was named in the 2024/2025 EFL Championship Team of the Season. He is currently competing at the U21 Euros with the Young Lions, having been a regular in England’s youth national teams.

Welcome to OM, CJ!