Shea Emmanuel Charles (born 5 November 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Fulham. Born in England, he represents the Northern Ireland national team.
Charles is a product of the Manchester City academy and made his professional debut for the club in May 2023. He moved to Southampton in July 2023. Charles spent the 2024–25 season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday. He has represented Northern Ireland at youth and full international level.
Contents
Early life
Shea Emmanuel Charles was born on 5 November 2003 in Manchester. He is of Northern Irish descent through his mother. He joined the Manchester City academy as a seven year old.
Club career
Manchester City
Progressing through the City youth teams, he became a key player for the under-23 squad during the 2021–22 season, winning the Premier League 2, whilst still playing with the under-18, as they also won the national competition. During that season, the young player was also first called by Pep Guardiola to train with the Premier League squad.
On 22 February 2023, Charles was named as a substitute for City's UEFA Champions League last-16 tie away at RB Leipzig. On 28 May 2023, Charles made his Premier League debut coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute in the last game of the season against Brentford in a 1–0 defeat.
Southampton
On 12 July 2023, Charles joined EFL Championship side Southampton on a four-year contract. He made his professional debut for the club on 8 August 2023 in a 3–1 defeat to Gillingham in the EFL Cup. On 12 August 2023, Charles made his first appearance in the league for Southampton in a 4–4 draw against Norwich City, replacing Stuart Armstrong in the 65th minute. During a 1–0 away victory against Queens Park Rangers on 23 December 2023, he received a red card following a second bookable offence for a foul on Albert Adomah.
On 27 August 2024, Charles signed for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on a season-long loan, joining his younger brother Pierce Charles at the club. Charles made his debut starting against Millwall in the 3–0 defeat on 31 August 2024. He scored his first professional goal in the 93rd minute to beat Coventry City 2–1 on 5 October 2024. The same month he won Wednesday's player of the month award. On 15 January, Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri confirmed during a fans forum, that Charles was being recalled by Southampton but would still be available for their next two games. On 24 January 2025, it was confirmed that Charles had returned to Wednesday for the remainder of the season. He received a nomination for the EFL Championship Young Player of the Year in April alongside Jobe Bellingham and CJ Egan-Riley. He was presented with Sheffield Wednesday's Player of the Year at the final home game of the season.
On 25 October 2025, in a 2–1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers, Charles suffered a hamstring injury which was expected to prevent him playing until "late December". He returned to action as a substitute on 21 January 2026 in a 1–0 victory over Sheffield United, and scored his first league goal for Southampton on 10 February 2026, a dramatic late winner in a 4–3 victory at Leicester City. On 17 April 2026, Charles was awarded the EFL Championship Goal of the Month for March after he scored from 35-yards against Oxford United.
Fulham
On 11 August 2026, Charles joined Fulham on a five-year contract. The fee was reported as £30 million, making him the most expensive Northern Ireland footballer ever.
International career
Shea Charles was capped by Northern Ireland from the under-16 to the under-21 level. He played two games with the under-16 side before becoming a key player with the under-19s. With the under-21 side, he played in matches against Slovakia and France in March 2022.
First called to the senior team by Ian Baraclough in May 2022, Charles made his international debut for Northern Ireland on 2 June, coming on as a substitute for George Saville in the 79th minute of the UEFA Nations League match against Greece. He made his first start three days later on 5 June, in another Nations League match against Cyprus.
Style of play
Able to play as a defensive midfielder, a centre-back, a centre midfielder or a full-back, Charles is described as an athletic and technical player, already showing a great mentality from an early age.
Personal life
His younger brother Pierce, is also a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 20 September 2026
International
As of match played 25 September 2026
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.
Honours
Southampton
EFL Championship play-offs: 2024
Individual
Sheffield Wednesday Player of the Year: 2024–25