LouCity Original Niall McCabe Retires After 11 Seasons with Club
USL Louisville City FC

LouCity Original Niall McCabe Retires After 11 Seasons with Club

Published on November 17, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Will Carlon)

Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe has retired following an 11-season professional career spent entirely with the club - the longest stint of any USL Championship player with one team in league history.

McCabe is the only player from LouCity's inaugural roster of 2015 to have never left. He appeared in multiple games - registering at least one goal or assist - in each season of Louisville City's 11-year history.

"Well, folks, the time has come: After 11 seasons at Louisville City, I have decided to call time on my career and retire from football," McCabe said.

"To the staff and players at Louisville past and present, thank you for making me better. I'll miss the intensity and competition we had on the daily. I know sometimes I was probably a bit much, but I just wanted to win. Everyone says it, but I'll miss the changing room just as much - all the ping pong, games of Mafia and Left Right Center. Enjoy the little things because it goes by in a flash.

"To the LouCity board and owners, your commitment to winning and being the best aligned perfectly with my own mindset. To see what you've built in such a short time is remarkable.

"To the fans who spent hard-earned money to watch me play games, I appreciate you showing up in the freezing cold or the blistering heat. You created an incredible environment for me to play in and stuck with me from Slugger Field onward to Lynn Family Stadium.

"Finally to my wife, you've given me so much and given up some too in order for me to be successful. I hope you know how much I appreciate you and all that you do for me and the kids.

"Eleven years for number 11 is a nice way to end it. I've loved every minute of this journey and have experienced some amazing things along the way. So thank you, football. It's been a pleasure."

McCabe started and played 90 minutes in LouCity's inaugural game, a 2-0 win over Saint Louis FC on March 15, 2015 before 6,067 fans at Louisville Slugger Field.

In over a decade since, McCabe has helped Louisville City become the USL Championship's all-time winningest club and to fill its trophy cabinet with two USL Championship titles (2017 and 2018), two USL Championship Players' Shields (2024 and 2025) and four USL Championship Eastern Conference titles (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022).

In 2018, McCabe became the first player to record 100 appearances for the club. It was part of a career-best season in which he scored six goals and registered six assists between the regular season and playoffs, en route to the club's second consecutive title. McCabe scored a pair of goals in a playoff win over Indy Eleven, then registered assists in playoff wins over the Bethlehem Steel and New York Red Bulls II. He played all 90 minutes in the USL Championship Final, as LouCity defeated Phoenix Rising FC.

McCabe finishes his career second all time in club history in games played, third in assists, third in minutes played and tied for ninth in goals.

"I cannot thank Niall enough for his contributions to Louisville City FC. On the field and in the community, his character is what we will forever be grateful for," LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said. "When I got the chance in 2021 to become the interim head coach, it was players like Niall that helped push me to become a better coach. He is a great leader, a great person, and will be missed here at Louisville City. On behalf of the club, I want to thank him for everything that he contributed over a fantastic career, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for him. There is not a doubt in my mind that he will be successful in his next endeavor because he is a winner."

Raised in East Wall in inner-city Dublin, Ireland, McCabe played for local clubs Cambridge Boys and Ashbourne United, among others, moving to Ratoath in nearby County Meath as a teenager.

In 2010, McCabe played for the City of Dublin's Coláiste Íde College of Further Education, where he had enrolled in a football course. On a trip to the United States he was scouted by Mark McKeever, the head coach at Young Harris College in Georgia, who offered him a scholarship.

He joined the Mountain Lions soccer program during its transition from a junior college outfit to NCAA Division II program, competing in the Peach Belt Conference. McCabe played for Young Harris from 2010 to 2014, alongside future LouCity teammates Ilia Ilic and Paco Craig. McCabe graduated tied for the program's all-time assist lead and as its second-leading scorer. He earned multiple All-Region team selections during his collegiate career.

While in college, McCabe played in the pre-professional National Premier Soccer League for the Knoxville Force and Chattanooga FC, where he was part of a league runners-up team in 2014.

In November 2014, McCabe traveled to Louisville for a tryout with Louisville City FC where he earned a contract. McCabe signed with the club under head coach James O'Connor in February 2015 ahead of the club's inaugural season.

"Niall has been an amazing role model to our community for over a decade, and for that, we are both thankful and very appreciative of all his efforts," said O'Connor, who now serves as the club's president. "I can still remember him in that first year working his tail off in preseason at 6:30 a.m. as we were surrounded by eight inches of snow and had to train indoors. He pushed hard to maximize what he had and made sure his teammates were as committed as he was. It's been an amazing journey we have all shared with Niall and as he moves on to the next chapter, he goes with our very best wishes."

McCabe and his wife, Ashleigh, have two children, Luca and Charlotte. The McCabe family has made their home in Louisville's East End.

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
(Will Carlon)		   



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