Grace Clinton: 10 things you may not know

In partnership with

Manchester City F.C.

·4. September 2025

Grace Clinton: 10 things you may not know

Grace Clinton is officially a Manchester City player!

The England international’s arrival signals our final summer signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign with the midfielder penning a four-year deal at the Joie Stadium.

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Her transfer from Manchester United represents a new chapter in her impressive career so far which has included individual and team accolades both domestically and internationally.

And she arrives fresh from helping England to Euro 2025 glory in Switzerland – but despite being just 22 years old she’s had a storied career so far.

Find out more about Grace below…

HUGGER

Grace is a self-described ‘hugger’ and she told England’s official YouTube channel: “I just crave a hug every day.

“I think it’s just so nice to hold onto someone and sometimes make them feel uncomfortable.

“[I get through] 10 [on England camp] I reckon, but it depends on how long the hug is and they’re not always at the same time, but 10 I reckon.”

You could say she 'hugs' the touchline when playing out wide…

ACCOLADES

After joining Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the 2023/24 campaign, her performances for the north London club earned her the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year Award at the end of the term.

Then, after helping Marc Skinner’s side to a third-place finish in the top-flight last season, she was placed in the EA Sports WSL Team of the Season alongside Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Mary Fowler.

WATCH: Clinton reflects on ‘surreal’ Euros success

FAVOURITE FOOD

When it comes to food, Clinton revealed to England on Lionesses Unfiltered that one of her favourite things to eat is a medium steak.

And, maybe controversially, she also explained how she’s an advocate for pineapple and ham on pizza!

ANIMALS

Clinton is also a lover of animals and when it comes to pets – she’s in no doubt as to which she’d pick in an ideal world.

She told England’s YouTube channel: “I'd love to have a goat, but I’ve heard they eat everything, but I think they’re so cute in the way they make those noises.

“A sloth too. I think they are adorable. So if I could put them into one maybe then it would become [a] mythical [creature].

PROUDEST OFF PITCH

Among her many accolades and achievements on the pitch, Clinton explained that her moving out of her family home at a young age is one of her proudest moments to date.

When speaking to She’s A Baller she said: “One of my proudest off-pitch moments is that from quite a young age, moving out. I’d say I’m quite proud of moving away from home and meeting new people.

“When you go into a team you meet 20 new people and it can be daunting and then living away from home – I moved when I was 19 – living on my own and cooking for myself.

“I’m quite proud of probably how quickly I grew up and the independence.”

NICKNAMES

On and off the pitch Clinton says she has a number of nicknames which include ‘Gracie’, ‘Grace’ and ‘Cherry Paw’ with the latter conjured up by her sister on the spot.

CITY DUO

When putting together a dream Barclays Women’s Super League five-aside in August 2024, Clinton elected new City team-mates Yui Hasegawa and Vivianne Miedema into the team.

Then, in an interview back in October of the same year, she described the Japan international as the best player in the world at the time.

ENGLAND DEBUT

After progressing through England’s youth levels, she was named in two senior squads before gaining her maiden first-team cap.

Her Lionesses bow then came in an emphatic 7-2 win over Austria in February 2024 where she made her presence felt immediately by scoring in the 19th minute.

Since then, she has tallied 16 caps including five outings at the 2025 European Championships.