Northern Ireland international Ryan McLaughlin has been backed to bring “a high level of experience” to Brooklyn FC after joining the American club ahead of their maiden USL Championship campaign.

McLaughlin, who has earned five senior international caps for Northern Ireland, moves Stateside after a spell at League of Ireland outfit St Patrick’s Athletic, where he made 36 Premier Division appearances.

He scored for the Dubliners in a Conference League qualifying clash away at Turkish giants Besiktas, putting his side into a 2-0 lead before losing 3-2 on the night and 7-3 on aggregate.

The full-back joined Liverpool’s academy from Glenavon in 2011 and spent five years with the club, during which time he enjoyed loan spells at Barnsley and Aberdeen, before moving on to Oldham Athletic.

placeholder image — Northern Ireland's Ryan McLaughlin in European action for St Patrick's Athletic against Besiktas. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

He has also since starred for Blackpool, Rochdale and Morecambe, making over 100 appearances in League One, while his last outing for Northern Ireland came against Costa Rica in June 2018.

Michael O’Neill handed him his debut aged 19 with McLaughlin coming off the bench as a late substitute in a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay four years prior.

Brooklyn FC was founded in 2023 but will make their debut this weekend in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference when they take on Indy Eleven.

They’ll play their matches at Maimonides Park, which is also home to New York Mets-affiliated Brooklyn Cyclones, and has a capacity of 7,000.

“Ryan brings a high level of international experience to our back line,” said Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc. “He reads the game well, competes hard every day, and he is comfortable under pressure.

"He has played in big games during his career, and that experience matters as we set our standards from day one.”