James Lawrie (born 18 December 1990) is a Northern Irish semi-professional footballer who plays for club Hanley Town. The striker has represented Northern Ireland at youth level and won three senior caps. One of the most promising players to come through the Port Vale youth system in recent years, during the summer of 2009 he picked up interest from top-flight clubs. However, he was released by the club in the summer of 2010 after only featuring in a handful of games, and signed with AFC Telford United. He was loaned out to Altrincham in 2011, and signed permanently with the club in December that year, and helped the club to win promotion out of the Conference North via the play-offs in 2014. He signed with Hednesford Town in June 2017, and then moved on to Nantwich Town 12 months later. After three years with Nantwich, he moved on to Witton Albion in October 2021 and then joined Hanley Town in July 2022. Club career Port Vale Born in Dundonald, County Down, Lawrie attended Middlewich High School in Middlewich, Cheshire, England. Lawrie worked his way through the Port Vale youth team and in July 2007 was offered his first professional contract. His first league goal came in the 89th minute against Chester City on 27 January 2009, the goal was so well taken that it earned him the club's goal of the season award. Following that game manager Dean Glover stated his belief that Lawrie had a bright future in football and two days later signed Lawrie up to a two-and-a-half-year deal. Lawrie repaid these kind words the next month in a BBC interview; accepting responsibility for Vale's low standing on behalf of the players, as opposed to bad-management on Glover's part. On 4 April he gained his second club goal in a 1–1 draw with Bury, again impressing with his performance. The young striker's progress attracted attention from top flight clubs during the 2009–10 pre-season. The Daily Star reported that David Moyes was interested in bringing Lawrie in for a trial at Everton. Vale chairman Bill Bratt did in fact give permission for a trial, Lawrie spending the last week of July with the "Toffees", though manager Micky Adams denied it being a trial per se. Regardless of semantics, nothing came of the week at Goodison Park, Everton having apparently ended their interest in the young striker. Adams believed the