Biography
James McGarry rejoined the Wellington Phoenix in June to help the club lift its first major trophy.
The experienced fullback, who has played close to 100 A-League matches, was one of the first players to graduate from the Phoenix academy and started his professional career in Wellington.
McGarry made his first team debut in January 2016 as a 17-year-old, having been a part of the reserves team for the previous two years.
He made one further appearance in the A-League the following season before joining Willem II in the Netherlands in 2018.
McGarry made six appearances in the Eredivisie while also playing 26 times for Willem II’s under-21 team.
He rejoined the Phoenix for the first time in October 2020 and featured 38 times for the Nix over the next two seasons while the men were based in Australia due to the Covid pandemic.
McGarry signed with the Newcastle Jets for the 2022-23 A-League before making a mid-season switch to Central Coast Mariners.
He won the A-League championship with the Mariners in 2023 and scored three goals.
McGarry’s performances for Central Coast secured him a move to Aberdeen FC for the 2023-24 Scottish Premiership.
He made 28 appearances for Aberdeen over the next one and a half seasons before being loaned to Kallithea in Greece.
James McGarry has also represented New Zealand at U-17, U-20, U-23 and senior level.
> 2025-26 season
James McGarry signed a three-year contract with the Brisbane Roar at the start of July 2025.
McGarry went on to start 24 of the Roar’s 26 A-League matches and scored one goal and contributed three assists.
He secured an early release from Brisbane in June and signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix.
“This will be my third spell at the club, but I think I bring a lot more this time in terms of experience.
“I’ve had experience in Europe playing at a good level and I’ve also had some fantastic experiences in the A-League.
“I won a championship with Central Coast, which was massive. I know what that’s like and I know what that feeling can bring to players.
“I want to bring that feeling to Wellington.”
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