Charlie Reilly (footballer)

Charlie Reilly (born 5 December 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a winger and midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Dundee. He has previously played for Hamilton Academical, Partick Thistle and Albion Rovers, as well as having been on loan with Airdrieonians.

Youth career 
Reilly joined the Hamilton Academical Youth Academy at the age of 9 and would play at every age group in his nine years there. He was a member of Accies' unbeaten Under-17 team which won their Elite Youth League during the 2017–18 season and qualified them to the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League.

Reilly would play both games in their two-legged affair against Swiss side FC Basel which ended with a last-minute equaliser assisted by Reilly, followed by a famous win via penalty shoot-out. Reilly would also play both games in the following round, in which Accies lost to Danish side FC Midtjylland.

Senior career

Hamilton Academical 
Shortly after winning the Elite Youth League, Reilly signed his first professional contract with Hamilton Academical at the age of 16, penning a two-year deal. Reilly made three appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup with their U20 team over the following two seasons, but never made an appearance for the senior team.

Airdrieonians (loan) 
On 17 August 2019, Reilly joined Scottish League One club Airdrieonians on loan until January 2020. Reilly would make seven appearances while with the Diamonds before returning to his parent club in January 2020. Reilly left Hamilton Accies at the end of his contract in the summer of 2020.

Partick Thistle 
On 1 October 2020, following a successful trial period, Reilly signed a one-year deal with Scottish League One club Partick Thistle. Reilly would make three appearances in total for the Jags that season, and was a part of the squad which won the Scottish League One in the 2020–21 season. Reilly left the club upon the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2021.

Albion Rovers 
In the summer of 2021, Reilly joined Scottish League Two club Albion Rovers on a one-year deal. After making his debut for the Wee Rovers in a Scottish League Cup draw at home to Ayr United, Reilly scored his first goal for the club and his first senior goal in the same competition away to his former club, Hamilton Accies. He would tally 36 appearances and 7 goals in his first season at Cliftonhill, following a shift from his box-to-box midfielder role to further out wide as a winger. At the end of the season, Reilly signed another one-year deal with Rovers to stay the following season.

Reilly would have a stand-out 2022–23 season, scoring 24 goals and providing 19 assists over 39 games for Albion Rovers, and was awarded League Two's player of the month both in November 2022 and in January 2023. Despite immense speculation over his future in January including having supposedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Dundee, Reilly remained with Rovers, with manager Brian Reid saying it would take "something exceptional" to encourage the relegation-threatened side to sell. The success of Reilly's season was such that he was nominated for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award, alongside Celtic players Liel Abada and Matt O'Riley, and Rangers player Malik Tillman. Reilly would also be nominated for and win PFA Scotland's League Two Player of the Year award.

Dundee 
On 8 June 2023, after having trained full-time with the club during his prior season with Albion Rovers, Reilly officially signed for Scottish Premiership club Dundee on a two-year deal. After spending time out with injury, Reilly made his debut off the bench on 2 September in a league game away to St Johnstone.

Career statistics

Honours 
Partick Thistle
 Scottish League One: 2020–21

Individual
 SPFL Scottish League Two Player of the Month: November 2022, January 2023
 PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2022–23
 PFA Scotland League Two Player of the Year: 2022–23
 PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year nomination: 2022–23

References 

Living people
2001 births
Footballers from Glasgow
Men's association football wingers
Scottish men's footballers
Scottish Professional Football League players
Hamilton Academical F.C. players
Airdrieonians F.C. players
Partick Thistle F.C. players
Albion Rovers F.C. players
Dundee F.C. players
Scottish football midfielder stubs