As he approached the end of his secondary education, he was faced with the decision of attending university or pursuing a football career.
[3] Eales attended Brown University, a member of the Ivy League, playing on the school's NCAA Division I soccer team from 1991 to 1994.
[5] He later moved to the Lancashire County Football Association where he played for Millhead Reserves from 2004 to 2006 and Higher Poynton from 2006 to 2007.
[2] On 10 September 2014, Eales was named the president of Atlanta United, a new expansion team in Major League Soccer.
[10] On 27 September 2024, it was announced Eales was stepping down from his role as CEO of Newcastle United after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer.