Liam McAlinden, a striker, played around seventy games for City over two seasons between 2016 and 2018.  Joining from Wolves, Liam moved on to Cheltenham after leaving Exeter and was later part of the Wrexham team that returned to the Football League in 2023.   

Liam played school-age football for Wolves from an early age and, after becoming a scholar/trainee in 2010, signed professional towards the end of that year after reaching his 17th birthday.  Liam made his Wolves debut in April 2013 and, over a six-year period at the club, made nineteen appearances. In his various loans at Shrewsbury (twice), Fleetwood (twice) and Crawley Liam played 45 times scoring on nine occasions. During this time he also represented both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at under-21 level.   

Released by Wolves in May 2016 Liam soon arrived at Exeter City just short of his 23rd birthday. Making his Grecians debut at Blackpool on 6 August 2016 Liam featured throughout his debut season playing in 37 league and cup games scoring 7 times after netting his first goal in a home game against Hartlepool. City qualified for the play-offs although Liam remained on the bench for all three games.

2017/18 was broadly similar from Liam’s perspective: 36 matches, 4 goals and again not appearing on the field of play during City’s play-off campaign. Liam was  released in May 2018 and signed for Cheltenham Town in July 2018 but only ever started four league games for the Gloucestershire club as he spent periods on loan at Brackley Town and Kidderminster Harriers. He joined National League FC Halifax Town at the start of 2019–20 but was soon on the move to Stockport County in January 2020. Liam returned to the Football League to make thirty-one league appearances for Morecambe during 2020/21.

In July 2021 Liam signed a two-year deal with National League Wrexham as the North Wales club, under new ownership, sought to return to the Football League. During his first season Liam was used more as a substitute than a starter but remained involved during the 2022/23 season when he appeared against Sheffield United in the 4th round of the FA Cup.  With Wrexham returning to the Football League in April 2023 Liam signed a new contract into the 2023/24 season but left the club at the start of February 2024 by mutual consent having made just two league appearances that season. He subsequently joined Scunthorpe United until the end of the season where he was part of the team that reached the National League North play-offs. 

Having been born in nearby Cannock, Liam returned to the Midlands to join Rushall Olympic in August 2024.