Irish defender Conor McManus joined the Bees in the summer of 2023.

His journey began at just four years old with Cabinteely FC, where he developed a passion for the game that would take him through the youth ranks of Irish football.

McManus competed in the League of Ireland U15s and U17s before progressing to Bray Wanderers' U19 side, making his first-team debut at the age of 17.

He made a memorable debut for Ireland Under-21s in March of 2025, scoring two headers against Hungary Under-21s on his first call-up to the side.

Another highlight was stepping out in front of 40,000 fans during Brentford’s pre-season match against Benfica in July 2024 -an experience that he described as 'surreal'.

Capable of playing anywhere across the backline, McManus played most of his games in the 2024/25 season at left-back. The end of that campaign was marred by two injuries, but he still managed to make 30 appearances for the B team.

He registered two assists and a 85.2 per cent pass success rate, also averaging 7.48 ball recoveries per game and recorded a 63 per cent success rate in defensive duels.

In August 2026, he completed a permanent move to Gillingham.