Daniel Crowley

Club career

Aston Villa Crowley made appearances for Aston Villa's under-16s at the age of 12 and the under-21s at 15. He was involved in Villa under-19s' victorious 2012–13 NextGen Series campaign, and despite being only 15, was on the bench for the 2–0 win over Chelsea in the final.

Arsenal

During the summer of 2013, the 15-year-old Crowley moved from Aston Villa to Arsenal, Arsène Wenger had personally watched him play against Arsenal's youth sides on at least two occasions and pushed for the signing. Villa's Academy Director, Bryan Jones, commented that compensation at such a level, only £209,000 for nine years of investment, would disincentivise clubs from developing young players in the English game.

Crowley signed his first professional contract as soon as he turned 17. After impressing with Arsenal's under-age teams in his first two seasons, he was included in the first-team squad for the 2015 Premier League Asia Trophy in Singapore.

Loan spells On his return, Crowley joined Barnsley on loan until 3 January 2016. He made his senior debut on 9 August in the starting eleven for their opening League One fixture, and played 57 minutes of a 3–1 defeat against Chesterfield. On 26 August, he scored his first senior goal in the 60th minute of a League Cup match at home to Everton, but could not help prevent a comeback from the visitors as Barnsley lost 5–3 after extra time. and Barnsley's manager Lee Johnson, himself an Arsenal academy graduate, but also pointed out that "it's important he just gets the balance between ego and confidence".

On 1 July 2016, League One club Oxford United signed Crowley on loan for the season. He scored his first goal for the club on 23 August, an injury-time consolation in a 4–2 EFL Cup second-round defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, and his first League goal, another injury-time consolation, after coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to Coventry City on 18 October. In a 2018 interview, Crowley admitted that his inability to handle being left out of the team caused a problem: "I started to fall out with people because I wasn't playing. I was getting on the gaffer's nerves and he just said 'You have got to go'." He made 11 appearances in all competitions (6 as a substitute) and scored three goals. He said that playing in a more technical and tactical league than League One, where the long ball predominated, would suit his creative attacking style as well as help him improve the defensive aspects of his game. He made his debut on 13 January with his side losing 1–0 to AZ Alkmaar, and came close to setting up an equaliser when his neat pass was played over the goalkeeper but cleared off the line; AZ won 3–1. Crowley's first goal at De Adelaarshorst for Eagles came late in a 3–1 defeat to Vitesse on 26 February, He finished the season with 16 appearances, all but one in the starting eleven, He made his debut in the opening game of the season, playing 69 minutes in a 2–1 loss against SBV Excelsior, and started twice more before dropping to the bench where he remained largely unused by manager Erwin van de Looi, for reasons including a change of formation and a disciplinary issue. He was disappointed with the way the first half of his season had panned out, He made his SC Cambuur debut as a 68th-minute substitute in a 2–0 loss against MVV Maastricht, started the next, and rapidly became a regular in the side. and the following week he provided another assist as well as hitting the bar in a 1–1 draw with league leaders NEC.

His first goal for the club, on 30 March in a 2–2 draw with FC Volendam, He scored in the first leg of the play–off first round against FC Dordrecht and assisted in both legs, as Cambuur won 4–1 away only to lose at home by the same score and go out on penalties; Crowley missed his kick. He finished the season with 17 appearances and 4 goals in all competitions. He was linked with a possible return to Aston Villa in January 2019, but he did not leave. Between 27 January and 24 February 2019, Crowley scored three goals in five appearances. but was shocked by coach Adrie Koster's decision to leave him out in order to surprise opponents Ajax by adopting a different system. He was a 62nd-minute substitute as Willem II lost 4–0. He made 40 appearances and scored six times in all competitions in the 2018–19 season. He made his debut in the starting eleven for Birmingham's opening fixture of the season, a 1–0 win away against Brentford, and scored his first goal on 4 January 2020 in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers. Crowley was a regular in the matchday squad, and when the season resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic-related interruption, he started all nine of the remaining matches, He played little in the first half of the 2020–21 season, an omission attributed by manager Aitor Karanka to an enforced change of team shape away from one that included his favoured number 10 position. In January 2021, Karanka confirmed that Crowley, together with David Davis and Josh McEachran, were no longer part of his first-team squad. Birmingham chose not to take up the option of a further year on his contract, and confirmed that he would be released when it expired at the end of the season.

Loan to Hull City Crowley joined League One club Hull City on 18 January 2021, on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. He made his debut the next day as a substitute for Gavin Whyte in the 3–0 home win against Accrington Stanley, and went on make 23 appearances, mainly from the bench,

Cheltenham Town Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Crowley played in pre-season friendlies for League One clubs Cheltenham Town, whose manager Michael Duff said they had come close to agreeing terms, After Cheltenham lost loanee Callum Wright to injury, Duff offered Crowley a short-term contract to run until January 2022, and his signing was confirmed on 2 October 2021. He made his debut on 5 October, playing the whole of the EFL Trophy match against Exeter City, and went on to make 16 appearances in all competitions, 12 in the league. so on 4 January 2022, Crowley left Cheltenham following the expiry of his short-term contract.

Second return to Willem II Crowley rejoined his former Eredivisie club, Willem II, on 3 February 2022, where he signed a 18-month deal.

Morecambe On 10 January 2023, Crowley signed for League One club Morecambe on a short-term contract. Following Morecambe's relegation, all out-of-contract players, including Crowley, were released.

Notts County Crowley signed for newly promoted League Two club Notts County in June 2023 on a two-year deal. On his home league debut he headed the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Grimsby Town, and he went on to score 15 league goals over the season. He made his debut on 18 January 2025 in a 4–2 defeat away to Walsall.

On 24 January 2026, Crowley scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 win over Shrewsbury Town. Although limited to mostly substitute appearances during his second season, he went on to achieve promotion with the club, finishing in second place.

International career Crowley is eligible to play for both England and Ireland at international level, qualifying for Ireland through his grandparents who are from Waterford and Cork.

Crowley made his debut for England's under-16 team against Northern Ireland in October 2011. Three months later, he was called up to Ireland's under-16 squad for a double-header against Portugal, and made appearances for both countries at under-16 level over the course of the 2011–12 season.

In August 2012, at the age of 15 years and 26 days, Crowley made the first of twelve appearances for England under-17s, against Italy in the St George's Park International Tournament. In February 2013, the Football Association of Ireland announced that Crowley had pledged his allegiance to Ireland and selected him for two under-17 friendlies against Croatia. However, the following month, Crowley returned to the England set-up to play in the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship elite round – his first appearance in a competitive international. He made his final appearance for England under-17s against Italy in September 2013.

In September 2015, the Irish Times reported that Crowley was on the verge of declaring for Ireland, and Republic of Ireland senior manager Martin O'Neill confirmed that he had spoken to the player's father. However, in early October, Crowley received and accepted his first call-up to an England under-19 squad. He made two appearances in 2016 Under-19 Championship qualifiers and a further two in friendlies that year, and scored his first international goal in a 5–1 win against Japan.

In September 2018, Crowley told the press that he had ambitions to play for Ireland and would welcome contact with manager Martin O'Neill. O'Neill's successor as Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, watched Crowley in the KNVB Cup final against Ajax in May, and said he would continue to do so after he joined Birmingham.

Personal life Crowley has a son with his girlfriend and is a Christian, having been introduced to the Hillsong London megachurch by his friend Benik Afobe.

Career statistics

Honours Aston Villa U19 NextGen Series: 2012–13

Individual PFA Team of the Year: 2023–24 League Two