Grant Lillard


Grant Lillard is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Inter Miami in MLS.

Early life

Youth

Lillard grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois, playing soccer for the Chicago Fire Academy. While living in Arizona, he played soccer for the Scottsdale Soccer Club 96 Blackhawks, winning Arizona State Championships in 2009, 2010, and 2011. One of his close childhood friends is Ryan Scales. Scales was one of the all-time leading scorers for the Hinsdale Central High School Men's Basketball program.

College

Lillard attended Indiana University, where he played college soccer as a center back for the Hoosiers from 2014–2017, tallying a total of 14 goals and 9 assists in 86 appearances. During his time at Indiana, Lillard was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and a First-Team All-American.

Professional career

Chicago Fire

On January 10, 2018, Lillard signed a one-year contract with Chicago Fire as a Homegrown Player, with options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Lillard made his professional debut on April 7, 2018 as a 64th minute substitution in a 1–0 win over the Columbus Crew SC. He made his first professional start on April 14, 2018 in a 1–0 loss to the LA Galaxy.
On November 14, 2019, Lillard was traded to Inter Miami in exchange for $75,000 in General Allocation Money.