Quick Facts
Biography
Grant Campbell Hanley (born 20 November 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Championship club Newcastle United and the Scotland national team.
Early years
Hanley was born in Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway. He was involved at youth level with local club Queen of the South, Crewe Alexandra and with Rangers before he joined Blackburn Rovers as a 16-year-old in 2008.
Club career
Blackburn Rovers
At Rovers, Hanley was captain of the under-18 team. Hanley made his Premier League debut for Rovers in a 1–0 win at Aston Villa on 9 May 2010. Hanley committed his future when he signed a new five-year deal with Blackburn on 21 July 2010.
Hanley made his first Premier League appearance of season 2010–11 as a 67th-minute substitute in a 1–1 draw at home to West Ham United. He made his FA Cup debut on 8 January 2011, against Queens Park Rangers in a 1–0 victory at Ewood Park. On 5 March 2011, Hanley scored his first goal for Rovers in a 3–2 defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage. That was the last of his nine Blackburn first team appearances that season although he was to make his international debut at the end of the season. On 31 December 2011, Hanley started and scored the winning goal in a 3–2 win against local rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. This win lifted Blackburn off the bottom of the table. On 14 January 2012, Hanley started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Gaël Givet in a 3–1 win over Fulham at Ewood Park. On 14 April 2012, he started the Premier League fixture with Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium and suffered ankle ligament damage. Hanley made 28 appearances and scored one goal in all competitions for Rovers but the club was relegated into the Championship.
In the 2012–13 season Hanley maintained his first team place and formed a partnership with Scott Dann. In a match against Leeds United on 1 September 2012, Hanley provided an assist for Ruben Rochina in a 3–3 draw. Two weeks later he scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 loss against Middlesbrough. One month later, Hanley scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Hanley signed a five-year contract with the club.
After Dann left for Crystal Palace in January 2014, Hanley was appointed as the new captain of the club.
Newcastle United
On 21 July 2016, Hanley signed for newly relegated Championship club Newcastle United on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He was handed the number 5 shirt, previously worn by Georginio Wijnaldum.
He scored his first goal for the club in the 79th minute in a 6-0 away thrashing against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
International career
Hanley captained Scotland at under-19 level. On 17 November 2010, he played for Scotland under-21s when aged 18 in a 3–1 win against Northern Ireland at Firhill.
On 1 February 2011, Hanley was called up to the senior Scotland squad for the first time ahead of the game against Northern Ireland in the Nations Cup. He made his full international debut as an 84th-minute substitute on 25 May 2011 coming on for Gary Caldwell against Wales in the Nations Cup in Dublin. Four days later his second full international was his first as a starter. He played against the Republic of Ireland in the final game of the 2011 Nations Cup, with the Republic of Ireland winning 1–0.
His third full international cap was his debut at home. This was a late substitute appearance in the 2–1 win against Denmark on 10 August 2011. His first Scotland goal was in his fifth full international when he opened the scoring in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier at home against Wales on 22 March 2013 at Hampden Park.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2009–10 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | Championship | 39 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 45 | 3 | ||
| 2013–14 | Championship | 38 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | Championship | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | Championship | 44 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 46 | 2 | ||
| Total | 183 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 200 | 9 | |||
| Newcastle United | 2016–17 | Championship | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | |
| Career total | 190 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | 213 | 10 | |||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 1 | |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 March 2013 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 5 |  Wales | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |