John Thorrington

Early career

Thorrington attended the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. Thorrington was the CIF-SS Division V Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997. After his junior year of high school and while playing for the Pateadores, Thorrington was spotted by an Englishman, Steve Kelly, who had connections to Manchester United, and Kelly got Thorrington a trial at Manchester United. At age 17, Thorrington signed with Manchester United in 1997. Later, he moved to Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. After his time in Germany, he spent a short spell on trial with Bolton Wanderers in the 2000–2001 season.

Huddersfield Town

After failing to make a first-team appearance with Manchester United and Leverkusen, Thorrington signed with Huddersfield Town in the summer of 2001 on a free transfer. Huddersfield had recently suffered relegation to the third tier of English soccer and were managed by former Manchester United player Lou Macari. Macari handed Thorrington his full professional debut on August 11, 2001, in a 1-0 league victory over AFC Bournemouth. He scored his first Town goal September 2, 2001 in a 2–1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers. At the end of a promising first season, he developed a hamstring injury, which led to chronic leg troubles. Thorrington said that he considers his debut with Huddersfield Town as one of his favorite moments professionally along with his debuts with the U.S. National Team and the Chicago Fire. Thorrington made 97…

Thorrington was born in Johannesburg to a South African father and Armenian mother, but moved to California at age two. From age four, he began playing in the American Youth Soccer Organization. He was spotted by Octavio Zambrano and invited to join Mission Viejo Pateadores. His mother Monique drove him to training there twice a week. He is the son of South African 400-meter runner Peter Thorrington, who was denied a chance to compete in the Olympics because of the sporting boycott of South Africa during the apartheid era.