Charlotte FC midfielder Riley McGree should be well tested by the time the 2022 Major League Soccer expansion team makes its debut, after his loan to Birmingham City of the English Championship was extended until January.
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An Australian under-23 international, McGree was signed by Charlotte FC in October and was immediately sent out on loan to Birmingham City. The 22-year-old has played in 15 games for the second-tier club and scored a goal in October during a 2-1 victory over Preston North End.
McGree started playing in Australia's A-League when he was 16, scoring 22 league goals for Adelaide, Newcastle and Melbourne City in five seasons and 76 games.
Charlotte FC was approved to play in MLS in December of 2019 and will take the field for the first time next season. The team will play at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, with fan capacity limited to 40,000 in the 75,000-seat stadium.