Robbie Cleary
Canadian soccer player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Cleary (born May 15, 2003) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for English EFL League Two club Salford City.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert James Karl Cleary | ||
| Date of birth | May 15, 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Oakville, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Salford City | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2014 | RVDL Lions | ||
| 2014–2016 | Burlington Bayhawks | ||
| 2017–2022 | Sigma FC | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021 | Oakland Golden Grizzlies | 10 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021 | Forge FC | 5 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Sigma FC (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2022 | Sigma FC | 18 | (2) |
| 2024– | Salford City | 0 | (0) |
| 2024 | → F.C. United of Manchester (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2025 | → Bamber Bridge (loan) | 17 | (4) |
| 2025 | → Kerry (loan) | 12 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of January 18, 2026 | |||
Early life
Cleary began his career with the RVDL Lions, created by former Dutch player Robin van der Laan, later playing for the Burlington Bayhawks in OPDL and then moved to Sigma FC at age 14.
College career
In January 2021, Cleary committed to Oakland University.[1] On October 9, 2021, he recorded his first two collegiate assists in a 4–3 victory over the Cleveland State Vikings.[2] He played 10 games in 2021, recording 3 assists.[3]
Club career
In June 2021, Cleary signed a developmental contract with Canadian Premier League club Forge FC.[4] He made his professional debut on July 1 against FC Edmonton, subbing in for Chris Nanco in an eventual 2–0 defeat.[5] As part of his developmental contract, he also played with Sigma FC in League1 Ontario.[6]
In 2022, he played for Sigma FC in League1 Ontario,[7] also playing for the Sigma FC U21 in the Reserve Division where he scored 6 goals in 10 games.[8]
In May 2024, Cleary signed with English EFL League Two club Salford City FC, with the deal taking effect upon the opening of the transfer window on July 1, 2024.[9][10] He made his English professional debut on August 20, 2024 in an EFL Trophy game against Port Vale FC.[citation needed] In September 2024, he went on a month-long loan to F.C. United of Manchester in the seventh tier Northern Premier League Premier Division.[11] In January 2025, he joined Northern Premier League Premier Division team Bamber Bridge FC, initially on a month-long loan.[12][13] The loan was later extended to the end of April 2025.[14] In July 2025, Cleary joined League of Ireland First Division side Kerry on loan for the remainder of the season.[15]
Career statistics
- As of match played October 10, 2025[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Forge FC | 2021 | Canadian Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Sigma FC (loan) | 2021[6] | League1 Ontario | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Sigma FC | 2022[7] | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 2 | — | — | — | 19 | 2 | |||||
| Salford City | 2024–25 | EFL League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| F.C. United of Manchester (loan) | 2024–25[17] | Northern Premier League Premier | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Bamber Bridge (loan) | 2024–25[18] | Northern Premier League Premier | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 4 | |
| Kerry (loan) | 2025 | League of Ireland First Division | 12 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 57 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 65 | 9 | ||
- Appearances in EFL Trophy