Paul McGrath (footballer)

Paul McGrath
Personal information
Full name Paul McGrath
Date of birth (1959-12-04) 4 December 1959
Place of birth Ealing, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position Centre-back
Youth career
Pearse Rovers
Dalkey United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1982 St Patrick's Athletic 26 (4)
1982–1989 Manchester United 163 (12)
1989–1996 Aston Villa 253 (9)
1996–1997 Derby County 24 (0)
1997 → Sheffield United (loan) 7 (0)
1997–1998 Sheffield United 5 (0)
Total 478 (25)
National team
1985–1997 Republic of Ireland 83 (8)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Paul McGrath (born 4 December 1959) is an Irish former footballer, who played as a defender. McGrath is widely considered one of the greatest ever Irish players.

In a career greatly hampered by injuries and off-the-field problems, he played 14 professional seasons with Aston Villa and Manchester United (seven apiece). He also played for St Patrick's Athletic, Derby County and Sheffield United

Also a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national team, he appeared at the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 1988, the team's first-ever international tournament.

Early life

McGrath was born in Ealing, London to an Irish mother and a Nigerian father. His father disappeared soon after his conception. His mother, Betty McGrath, was terrified that her father would find out she had become pregnant outside marriage and in an interracial relationship. She travelled in secret to London to have her child, who was considered illegitimate, and gave him up for fostering when he was four weeks old.[1]

When he was five years old, one of the daughters of the family he had been fostered by came to Betty to say they couldn't control him. At that stage his mother had him back for a number of days before having to put him into an orphanage. Despite being Paul McGrath on his birth certificate, the admission form required the name of the father, hence he was known as Paul Nwobilo for a time. He was brought up in a number of orphanages in Dublin, but had regular visits from his mother and sister until the time he left.

Club career

St Patrick's Athletic

McGrath began as a schoolboy with Pearse Rovers and played junior football for Dalkey United. While at the latter, he attracted the attention of Manchester United scout Billy Behan. Before becoming a full-time professional with League of Ireland club St Patrick's Athletic in 1981, he briefly worked as an apprentice metal worker and a security guard in Dublin.

McGrath made his debut in a League of Ireland Cup clash with the Shamrock Rovers in August at Richmond Park. He ultimately excelled at St Patrick's, earning the nickname "The Black Pearl of Inchicore"[2] and receiving the PFAI Player of the Year Award in his first and only season, scoring four goals in 31 total appearances.

Manchester United

In 1982, McGrath moved to Manchester United, then managed by Ron Atkinson. His only honour there was the 1984–85 FA Cup, in a 1–0 defeat of Everton. He was named Man of the match in the game, which was remembered for the sending off of Kevin Moran – the first ever in the competition's final. In his early years at Manchester United, McGrath was frequently used as a midfielder, changing to defender still at Old Trafford. While he had a lazy running style, he did not lack pace.

Several knee injuries stopped McGrath from becoming a regular under new United manager Alex Ferguson. The pair also faced a turbulent relationship,[3] as McGrath's alcohol addiction and physical problems led to United offering him a retirement package of £100,000 with a testimonial. McGrath refused, and instead Ferguson began to inform clubs of his availability. Although McGrath's former manager Atkinson made an offer from Sheffield Wednesday, former European Champions Aston Villa's offer was accepted and McGrath signed on 3 August 1989 for a fee of £400,000, after 194 official appearances for The "Red Devils", with 16 goals - the last of which came in a 2–1 league defeat against Norwich City at Carrow Road on 25 February 1989.

Aston Villa

During the late 1980s McGrath was offered terms at S.S.C. Napoli, but the deal did not come to fruition.[4] McGrath signed for Aston Villa in August 1989. While at Villa, McGrath played some of the best football of his career, despite recurrent problems in his knees. Villa came close to winning the title in McGrath's first season, finishing second to Liverpool. The next season saw the club fighting relegation for much of the campaign, after boss Graham Taylor left to take control of England. Despite the managerial upheaval, McGrath's performances continued to impress. Under Josef Venglos, the first top flight manager to hail from the European mainland, McGrath became a consistent mainstay of the Villa line up. After one season of Venglos, Ron Atkinson took over, building one of the finest sides of the early Premier League era. Aston Villa again ended as runner-up, this time to McGrath's former employer. As a sign of the regard he was now held in by his fellow professionals he won the PFA Player of the Year award at the end of the season,[5] and would also win his first trophy with the "Villans", defeating Manchester United in the 1993–94 Football League Cup. In 1996 McGrath won a second League Cup for Villa. By the end of his Villa career he had chalked up 252 appearances in the claret and blue. He is affectionately referred to as 'God' by many Villa fans.

Later career

After winning another League Cup, McGrath departed Aston Villa in 1996, leaving a legacy as one of the greatest players in the club's history. He is immortalized most match days, when supporters sing the 'Paul McGrath, my Lord' terrace chant to the tune of "Kumbaya". Subsequently, he retired from the game at almost 39, after very brief spells with Derby County and Sheffield United: he helped the former to a secure 12th-place finish in its first Premier League season. He played his final game as a professional for Sheffield United against Ipswich Town on 9 November 1997.[6]

International career

McGrath won his first full cap against Italy in 1985, last playing 12 years later, against Wales. During that time, he was often regarded as the single most influential player Ireland had in the national team's glory days. He was capped 83 times, scoring eight goals.

McGrath was a major part of the breakthrough of Ireland's national team of the late 1980s and early 1990s. During the early part of Jack Charlton's era, he played as a defensive midfielder, due to the wealth of talent Ireland had in defence. In UEFA Euro 1988, as the national side first qualified for an international tournament, McGrath was present in the 1–0 group stage win against England.

In 1990, Ireland qualified for its first FIFA World Cup, in 1990 in Italy, eventually reaching the quarter-finals, where they lost to the hosts (1–0 in Rome), with McGrath ever present in the lineups (five matches, 480 minutes played). He captained the team four times in 1992 after the retirement of Mick McCarthy,[7] and ignored a painful shoulder virus to play in the 1994 World Cup.

In Ireland's opening game of the 1994 World Cup – a 1–0 win against favourites Italy, thanks to Ray Houghton's early goal – in a perfect example of his commitment to the game, McGrath put up an astonishing defensive performance in spite of excruciating knee problems, including blocking a shot from Roberto Baggio with his face.[2] Even after his retirement from international football in 1997, he is still regarded today as one of the greatest ever players to put on Ireland's green shirt.

Later life

For many years, McGrath suffered from alcoholism, and missed occasional matches as a result.[8] In an interview with FourFourTwo, he admitted to playing football while still under the influence of alcohol; additionally, his recurrent knee problems resulted in him undergoing a total of eight operations during his career. McGrath's autobiography, Back from the Brink, co-written with journalist Vincent Hogan. It was the inaugural winner of the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year (2006),[9] won the 'Best Autobiography' of the British Sports Book Awards (2007), and won the 'Sports Book' category of the Irish Book Awards (2007).

Upon retiring, he settled in Monageer, County Wexford. In 2004, one year after being taken to court, charged with a breach of the peace,[10] McGrath returned to the football world after five years, moving to Waterford United in Ireland as director of football.[11]

In 2011, he launched his singing career with a cover version of the Gerry Goffin and Carole King song "Goin' Back". The recording is to be followed by an album of covers by the footballer, with a percentage of the album's proceeds going to the Acquired Brain Injury Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Ireland.[12]

On 29 June 2013, McGrath was arrested over an alleged public order offence at a hotel in County Offaly. He was bailed and appeared at Tullamore district court on 17 July.[13]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
St Patrick's Athletic[14] 1981–82 League of Ireland 264264
Manchester United 1982–83 First Division 1431010163
1983–84 First Division 910030121
1984–85 First Division 2307220322
1985–86 First Division 4034091534
1986–87 First Division 3521040402
1987–88 First Division 2220021243
1988–89 First Division 2015010261
Total 1631218222220316
Aston Villa 1989–90 First Division 3515070471
1990–91 First Division 3502070440
1991–92 First Division 4115020481
1992–93 Premier League 4244041505
1993–94 Premier League 30120120441
1994–95 Premier League 4002070490
1995–96 Premier League 3024060400
1996–97 Premier League 00001010
Total 253924046132310
Derby County 1996–97 Premier League 2402000260
Sheffield United 1997–98 First Division 1200020140
Career total 4782544270359230
Republic of Ireland national team
YearAppsGoals
198570
198661
198772
198860
198971
199090
199171
199281
199361
199480
199591
199620
199710
Total[14]838

Honours

Individual
Manchester United
Aston Villa

See also

References

Specific
  1. ↑ McRae, Donald (24 October 2006). "'I remember the blood pouring and the nanny screaming'". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 Philip, Robert (20 October 2006). "McGrath loved by all but himself". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  3. ↑ Austin, Simon (4 November 2006). "Ferguson's human side revealed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "Paul McGrath: One-on-One". FourFourTwo. January 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2016. I got an enquiry from Napoli when Maradona played for them and they were Italy’s best team in the late ’80s. I was holidaying near Naples on the coast in Sorrento when a delegation of Napoli officials came to see me at my hotel. I was amazed that they knew I was there. We had a big chat, but nothing came of it.
  5. ↑ "Only here for the peers". BBC Sport. 20 April 2001. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  6. ↑ "Games played by Paul McGrath in 1997/1998". Soccerbase.com. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Byrne, Peter (1996). Football Association of Ireland: 75 years. Dublin: Sportsworld. p. 229. ISBN 1-900110-06-7.
  8. ↑ Austin, Simon (27 October 2006). "McGrath back from the brink". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  9. ↑ Staff writer (6 November 2008). "Sports stars longlisted for Irish award". The Bookseller. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Ex-football star in court". BBC. 12 November 2003. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  11. ↑ "McGrath gets Waterford post". BBC Sport. 13 February 2004. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  12. ↑ "Ex-Manchester United and Aston Villa star Paul McGrath begins music career". The Metro. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  13. ↑ Paul McGrath arrested over alleged public order offences The Guardian, 2 July 2013.Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Paul McGrath". National Football Teams. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
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