Garath McCleary

Early career

McCleary was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire. His football career began with Oxford City, and spent time with Oxford United but never signed a contract with the team despite spending three months with the club. He joined Slough Town playing in 24 games and scoring on six occasions. He then moved to Bromley in January 2007. In total McCleary made over 40 appearances for Bromley scoring 11 goals. Nottingham Forest manager Colin Calderwood offered him a trial where he did well enough to secure a contract on 31 January 2008.

Nottingham Forest

McCleary made his first team debut as an 87th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 home defeat against Carlisle United, on 3 March 2008. He scored his first goal for the club on 1 April 2008 in injury time, in a 2–0 win at Carlisle. On 5 April he was handed his first start where he was voted Man of the Match as Forest beat Cheltenham Town 3–1 at the City Ground. In the 2011/12 season McCleary scored nine goals after returning from injury in December 2011; six of which came in March 2012. Four came in a high-scoring game away to Leeds United at Elland Road, where Forest won 7–3. These performances resulted in McCleary being named as the Football League Championship Player of the Month. He was voted Forest's Player of the Season by the Forest supporters, beating Joel Lynch and Chris Gunter into second and third respectively.

Reading

On 16 May 2012 it was announced that McCleary had turned down a new contract at…

In October 2012 he was earmarked by the Jamaica Football Federation to play for Jamaica during their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. He received his first call up on 24 January 2013 alongside Reading teammates Jobi McAnuff and Adrian Mariappa for the World Cup qualifier against Mexico on 6 February. McCleary started the match and helped Jamaica to a 0–0 draw at the Estadio Azteca.

Club

As of match played 26 October 2024

International

As of match played 2 September 2016.

International goals

Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first.

Wycombe Wanderers

EFL Trophy runner-up: 2023–24 Individual

Nottingham Forest Player of the Season: 2011–12