McConnell was born on September 13, 2004, in Newcastle, England. At the age of fifteen, he swapped Sunderland’s youth academy for that of Liverpool. On October 26, 2023, he made his debut for Liverpool in the UEFA Europa League group stage match against Toulouse. Last season, he won the league title with Liverpool.
Alex Kroes: "James has a real winner’s mentality and will bring the necessary extra power to the squad. With him, we are adding a player who, as a defensive holding midfielder, can contribute valuable qualities to the team. He has been part of Liverpool’s first-team set-up for several seasons and therefore knows exactly what is required at the very highest level. He has great potential and will be given the opportunity here to continue his development. We are very pleased that he has chosen Ajax."
