# Josh Magennis
**Josh Magennis** (Joshua Brendan David Magennis, born 1990 in Bangor) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for [Stevenage](https://www.edgepedia.org/stevenage) and is a long-serving forward for the [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland) national team[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [2](https://fafifa.com/player/joshua-brendan-david-magennis). He is unusual among senior internationals in having begun his career as a goalkeeper, converting to an outfield player in his youth and reaching a major tournament, [UEFA Euro 2016](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-euro-2016), as a striker[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / born | Joshua Brendan David Magennis, 1990, Bangor; height 1.88 m[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) |
| Position / club | Striker, Stevenage[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [2](https://fafifa.com/player/joshua-brendan-david-magennis) |
| Senior debut | 26 May 2010 v Turkey (friendly in the USA, lost 0-2), as a substitute[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis) |
| Northern Ireland record | 92 caps, 12 goals, 4,016 minutes per the Irish FA; Opta's competition-by-competition table records 79 appearances and 15 goals across senior and U21 levels[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career) |
| Major tournament | UEFA Euro 2016, 3 appearances, 32 minutes[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career) |
| Most prolific club season | 2015/16 at Kilmarnock, 13 goals in 39 appearances[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) |
| Career path | Glentoran youth, Cardiff City, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Hull City, Wigan Athletic, Exeter City, Stevenage[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [5](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/20819) |
## Youth career and conversion from goalkeeper
Magennis started out with Glentoran in the Irish League before signing trainee forms with Cardiff City in 2007 as a goalkeeper[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis) • [1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). He even made the substitutes' bench for the Cardiff first team in a League Cup tie at Anfield, but the coaches at Ninian Park saw his potential as an outfield player rather than a goalkeeper[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). He first played as a striker for Northern Ireland at Under-19 level, having previously represented his country at U17, U19 and Under-21 level as a goalkeeper[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis).
## Club career
Released by Cardiff City in the close season of 2010, Magennis moved to Scotland and joined Aberdeen on a free transfer[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). He spent four years at Pittodrie, scoring 12 goals in 123 appearances for the Dons, who did not offer him a new deal at the end of that spell[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis).
In July 2014 he signed a three-year contract with [Kilmarnock](https://www.edgepedia.org/kilmarnock), remaining in Scotland despite interest from clubs in England[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28324891). The 2015/16 season was his most prolific as a striker to that point, with 13 goals in 39 appearances for Kilmarnock[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis).
He returned to England in August 2016 with League One Charlton Athletic on a two-year contract, then signed a two-year deal with Championship side Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee before the 2018/19 season[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). In August 2019 he moved to Championship club Hull City on a two-year deal[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). Wigan Athletic signed him in January 2022 on a two-and-a-half-year contract[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis).
After his release from Wigan at the end of the 2023/24 season, Magennis joined League One side Exeter City on a twelve-month deal in June 2024[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [5](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/20819). He now plays for Stevenage[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [2](https://fafifa.com/player/joshua-brendan-david-magennis).
## International career with Northern Ireland
Magennis made his senior debut on 26 May 2010 against Turkey in [Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut) during an end-of-season tour of the USA, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 defeat[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis). He also played against Chile on that tour and in a friendly against Morocco six months later, then waited until February 2013 for his next senior appearance[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis).
**The Greece goal.** His first international goal came in October 2015, and it was a decisive one: he scored Northern Ireland's second in the 3-1 win over Greece at [Windsor Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/windsor-park) that secured Michael O'Neill's side a place at Euro 2016, the national team's first major tournament in 30 years[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis) • [4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis). At the finals in France he made three substitute appearances totaling 32 minutes[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career).
**Later international highlights.** He scored against Germany in a 2018 World Cup qualifier at the National Football Stadium in October 2017[7](https://www.irishfa.com/media/17716/2017-18-activity-report.pdf), and won his 50th cap in a Euro qualifier against Germany in [Frankfurt](https://www.edgepedia.org/frankfurt)[8](https://www.irishfa.com/media/29224/irish-fa-annual-report-2019-2020.pdf).
**Longevity.** By the summer of 2024 he had scored 11 goals in 79 internationals[5](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/20819). The Irish FA's current squad page credits him with 92 senior caps and 12 goals, with 38 wins, 16 draws and 38 losses[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). Opta's career table, which covers his senior international competitions from 2014 onward plus his 2011-2013 record, lists 66 senior appearances with 11 goals and 2,920 minutes in that span, alongside 13 Under-21 appearances with 4 goals[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career). He remained in the squad into the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career).
## Playing profile
Magennis is a 1.88 m striker whose defining career feature is the position change: a youth-team goalkeeper who became a target-playing forward good enough to start for his country for more than a decade[1](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis). His international scoring has clustered in qualifying campaigns, with goals in Euro 2016 qualifying, 2018 World Cup qualifying, Euro 2020 qualifying, Nations League, and 2024 Euro qualifying[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career).
## References
1. [Josh Magennis, Irish FA squad profile](https://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/josh-magennis)
2. [Joshua Magennis, FAFIFA player profile](https://fafifa.com/player/joshua-brendan-david-magennis)
3. [Josh Magennis International Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/2195/josh-magennis/national/career)
4. [Born to Play: Josh Magennis, Irish FA](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/august/born-to-play-josh-magennis)
5. [Magennis, Josh, The Grecian Archive, Exeter City](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/20819)
6. [Kilmarnock: Josh Magennis signs after leaving Aberdeen, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28324891)
7. [Irish FA 2017-18 Activity Report](https://www.irishfa.com/media/17716/2017-18-activity-report.pdf)
8. [Irish FA Annual Report 2019-2020](https://www.irishfa.com/media/29224/irish-fa-annual-report-2019-2020.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › Northern Irish footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license