CJ Egan-Riley career started after joining Man City’s academy in 2010. He began attracting attention with youth performances, culminating in a senior debut on 21 September 2021 in the EFL Cup against Wycombe Wanderers. Months later, he earned UEFA Champions League exposure against Sporting CP and debuted in the Premier League on 8 May 2022, as City hammered Newcastle United.
However, opportunities were sparse and rarely came by in a star-studded City squad. So, looking for better opportunities, Egan-Riley moved to Burnley in July 2022. After three years at the club, he recently signed for Ligue 1 side Marseille.
Born in Manchester, England, it was natural for Egan-Riley to enrol in either of the two notable clubs in the city. It was a choice between two, the 'Red of United' and the 'Blue of City', and he chose the latter. Egan-Riley trained with Manchester City for over a decade. He made his professional debut when he was named in the starting line-up for Manchester City's EFL Cup tie against Wycombe Wanderers. His UEFA Champions League debut came on March 9, 2022, in a 0–0 home draw against Sporting CP in the Round of 16. Egan-Riley made his Premier League debut as a second-half substitute in a 5–0 home win over Newcastle United.
In July 2022, Burnley declared they had acquired Egan-Riley on a permanent transfer from Manchester City.CJ made his much-anticipated debut in August 2022. He started in a 1–0 win against Shrewsbury Town in the EFL Cup.
This was followed by brief stints at Hibernian and PSV Eindhoven. Despite getting a chance to play for the senior team in the Scottish side (Hibernian), he was deployed in the youth ranks of Eindhoven. He returned to his parent club in May 2024 once his loan term came to an end.
Within a few months of his comeback to the Lancashire-based team, Egan-Riley scored his first goal for Burnley in a 2–0 win against Coventry City in the EFL Championship. Having established himself as part of Burnley's record-breaking defence in the 2024–25 season, Egan-Riley was named EFL Young Player of the Month for February 2025 following five clean sheets in the league. His outrageous performances during the season earned him a spot in the 2024–25 EFL Championship Team of the Season.
His litany of outstanding performances pushed the Burnley management to discuss a new contract with the player. Needless to say, the club was determined to keep him at Turf Moore. But Egan-Riley had other plans and opted to pursue his career in the French league with Marseille. He joined the club officially just a couple of days prior, on June 14, 2025.
Egan-Riley has represented England at every youth level from under-15 to under-21. He is also eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland and Jamaica through his mixed ancestry. Now it's only a matter of time before he makes his way to the senior team. As a very technical defender, his presence in the squad will be very reassuring for Thomas Tuchel's side.
Egan-Riley was in prime form when he played for Burnley in the 2024-25 season. The defender won a lot of accolades for bringing the much-needed solidarity in the backline. He basically marshalled the defence line, not allowing any seepage or creaks to leak through.