Paddy McNair, a starting defender on San Diego FC’s record-breaking inaugural roster, is heading back overseas.

The club announced Wednesday that it had transferred the 30-year-old to Hull City of England’s EFL Championship. SDFC did not announce the terms of the transfer, though Hull City said McNair has agreed to an 18-month contract with an option for an extra year. SDFC will retain a future sell-on percentage if McNair goes elsewhere.

McNair told his new club’s website that the transfer “had been in the pipeline for a couple of weeks, so I’m very happy to get it over the line.”

Hull is in the middle of its season, and at 15-8-5 is tied for fourth place in the EFL, two spots ahead of Wrexham AFC. The EFL season runs from August through May, with the top three teams earning promotion to the Champions League.

“It was a great opportunity to come to a big club that’s sitting well in the table,” McNair said. “It would be great if we can push on toward the end of the season and get that goal.”

A native of Northern Ireland who previously played for Manchester United, McNair signed with San Diego FC in July 2024 — six months before training camp began. McNair appeared in 25 matches for SDFC, starting 21 of them. The chrome and azul earned the No. 1 overall seed in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference playoffs and advanced to the conference final before falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

McNair is one of a handful of regulars who will not return for 2026. SDFC has said it is moving on from star winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, though he remains under contract while the club tries to transfer or trade him. And in late December, SDFC transferred midfielder Luca de la Torre’s rights to Charlotte FC.

SDFC opens Concacaf Champions Cup play on Tuesday against Mexico’s Pumas UNAM at Snapdragon Stadium, with the club’s MLS opener set for Feb. 21 against CF Montreal.

McNair has also played for England’s Sunderland, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion before heading stateside.

“The biggest thing I missed while playing in America was definitely the atmosphere,” he told Hull City’s website. “I can’t wait to get back among it, competing and helping the team.”