Daniel Crowley

Aston Villa

Crowley made appearances for Aston Villa's under-16s at the age of 12 and the under-21s at 15. He was involved in Villa under-19s' victorious 2012–13 NextGen Series campaign, and despite being only 15, was on the bench for the 2–0 win over Chelsea in the final. While with Villa, Crowley earned plaudits for his passing ability, with his playing style likened to that of England international Jack Wilshere. Villa academy director Bryan Jones later commented that Crowley was one of the best players to come through the academy during his time at the club, putting him in the same bracket as Jack Grealish, Daniel Sturridge and Gareth Barry.

Arsenal

During the summer of 2013, the 15-year-old Crowley moved from Aston Villa to Arsenal, Arsène Wenger had personally watched him play against Arsenal's youth sides on at least two occasions and pushed for the signing. Under the terms of the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan, Villa were only entitled to limited, fixed-rate compensation because the player was under 16. The club filed a formal complaint, noting that he had represented their under-18 side in the league that season and should be treated as an under-18. Villa's Academy Director, Bryan Jones, commented that compensation at such a level, only £209,000 for nine years of investment, would disincentivise clubs from developing young players in the English game. Crowley signed his first professional contract as soon as he turned 17. After…

Crowley is eligible to play for both England and Ireland at international level, qualifying for Ireland through his grandparents who are from Waterford and Cork. Crowley made his debut for England's under-16 team against Northern Ireland in October 2011. Three months later, he was called up to Ireland's under-16 squad for a double-header against Portugal, and made appearances for both countries at under-16 level over the course of the 2011–12 season. In August 2012, at the age of 15 years and 26 days, Crowley made the first of twelve appearances for England under-17s, against Italy in the St George's Park International Tournament. In February 2013, the Football Association of Ireland announced that Crowley had pledged his allegiance to Ireland and selected him for two under-17 friendlies against Croatia. However, the following month, Crowley returned to the England set-up to play in the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship elite round – his first appearance in a competitive international. He made his final appearance for England under-17s against Italy in September 2013. He was named again in an England under-17 squad in January 2014. In September 2015, the Irish Times reported that Crowley was on the verge of declaring for Ireland, and Republic of Ireland senior manager Martin O'Neill confirmed that he had spoken to the player's father. However, in early October, Crowley received and accepted his first call-up to an England under-19 squad. He made two appearances in…

Crowley was born in Coventry and raised in the Coundon area, where he attended Christ the King Primary School before moving on to Cardinal Newman Catholic School. He has four younger siblings. His father, Dave, came through Coventry City's youth system before playing for and captaining non-league club Nuneaton Borough. As a child Crowley played for his local GAA Club, Roger Casements and participated in the annual Feile na nGael gaelic sports festival. Interviewed as an 18-year-old, Crowley said he did not follow any particular team, although he had "supported Celtic a little bit [as] a kid" and took an interest in his hometown club. He played for Christ the King Juniors before joining Aston Villa's academy at the age of eight; he chose Villa ahead of Coventry City because he enjoyed their training sessions more.

Crowley has a son with his girlfriend and is a Christian, having been introduced to the Hillsong London megachurch by his friend Benik Afobe.