Paul McGrath (footballer)
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| Paul McGrath | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 4, 1959 | |
| Place of birth | Ealing, England | |
| Height | 1.84 m (6ft 0.5in) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Retired | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Pearse Rovers Dalkey United |
||
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1981-1982 1982-1989 1989-1996 1996-1997 1997 1997-1998 |
St Patrick's Athletic Manchester United Aston Villa Derby County → Sheffield United (loan) Sheffield United |
? (?) 163 (12) 252 (9) 24 (0) 7 (0) 5 (0) |
| National team | ||
| 1985-1997 | Republic of Ireland | 83 (8) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Paul McGrath (born December 4, 1959 in Ealing, London, England) is a former international football defender, a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national team. He is one of the first Irish celebrities of mixed-race background.
The fans of Aston Villa F.C., one of McGrath's playing clubs, remember his services by singing a terrace chant on matchdays dedicated to him to the tune of "Kumbayah"
Contents |
[edit] Biography
McGrath is the son of an Irish mother and a Nigerian father [1].
According to Donald McRae, McGrath's father disappeared soon after his conception. His mother, Betty McGrath, had given Paul up for adoption when he was four weeks old.
Terrified that her father would find out she had become pregnant, and that the child would come from an interracial relationship, McGrath's mother travelled in secret to London to have her child, who was also considered illegitimate.
Although McGrath's mother would eventually track him down again, Paul Nwobilo, as he was then known, was brought up in a number of orphanages in Dublin such as the Glen Silva orphanage.
McGrath currently lives in Monageer, County Wexford.
[edit] Career
[edit] Club
He began as a schoolboy with Pearse Rovers and played junior football for Dalkey United. It while at the latter club that McGrath attracted the attention of the Manchester United scout, Billy Behan. McGrath worked briefly as an apprentice sheet metal worker and a security guard in Dublin before becoming a full time professional with Football League of Ireland club St Patrick's Athletic in 1981. He made his debut for St Pat's in a League Cup clash with Shamrock Rovers in August at Richmond Park. He excelled at St Pat's, earning the nickname "The Black Pearl of Inchicore" and receiving the PFAI Player of the Year Award in his first and only season.
He moved to Manchester United managed by Ron Atkinson. His only honour there was the 1985 FA Cup, where United defeated Everton 1-0. McGrath was named Man of the Match in a game in which Kevin Moran was sent off - the first person to do so in an FA Cup Final - and where Norman Whiteside scored the winner, which has been regularly repeated on TV ever since. McGrath was one of the best defenders in the game but several injuries to his knees stopped him from becoming a regular under the new United manager Alex Ferguson. McGrath and Ferguson had a turbulent relationship and McGraths alcohol addiction and troublesome knees 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 Ron Atkinson made an offer from Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa's offer was accepted and McGrath signed for them in 1989. While at Villa, McGrath played some of the best football of his life despite the problems with his knees. Villa came close to winning the title in McGrath's first season, finishing 2nd to Liverpool. The next season saw Villa fighting relegation for much of the season, a shadow of the side the previous season under Graham Taylor, who had left to take control of England. Ron Atkinson then took over and Villa came close again in the 1992/93, finishing 2nd again, this time to McGrath's former team Manchester United. In these years, McGrath was the cornerstone of the defence and was causing problems for all strikers in the Premier League. His performances and ability were recognised when McGrath won the PFA Player of the Year award in 1993. McGrath would also win his first trophy for Villa in 1994, defeating his old team Manchester United in the League Cup Final. Villa would also win the League Cup again in 1996. He is considered one of the greatest players in Villa's history and is nicknamed "God" by their fans. His name is still put on the back of replica shirts now (2007)and he has his own drinking song. McGrath later played for Derby County (1996-97), and Sheffield United (1997-98).
For many years he suffered from alcoholism, and missed occasional matches as a result. In an interview with FourFourTwo, McGrath admitted to playing football while still under the influence of alcohol and domestos. On one occasion he marked Alan Shearer out of the game.[citation needed] His career was also blighted with injury, which resulted in him undergoing a total of eight knee operations during his career. McGrath's autobiography, Back from the Brink, co-written with journalist Vincent Hogan, was the winner of the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year in 2006.[1]
[edit] International
He was a major part of the breakthrough of Ireland's national team of the late 1980s and early 1990s, led by manager Jack Charlton. He was capped 83 times for his country, scoring 8 goals, and played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He captained the team four times in 1992 after the retirement of Mick McCarthy[2], but stepped aside in favour of Andy Townsend as he felt he was not cut out for the role.[3].
[edit] Playing Style
In his early years at Manchester United he had searing pace which unfortunately, as a result of numerous knee problems, he had lost a fair bit of it. Yet he was able to show his extraordinary ability to anticipate and to read what his opponent was about to do. He had great strength which helped him deal with the likes of John Fashanu, Graeme Sharp, Andy Gray and other strikers of that ilk.
[edit] Trivia
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- In 1997, on the popular Irish television program The Late Late Show, McGrath was named by former Republic player and now controversial journalist Eamon Dunphy as one of Ireland's three best ever footballers. The other two Dunphy named were Johnny Giles and Roy Keane.
- A great career moment occurred at the 1994 World Cup. Ireland was drawn to play one of the favorites, Italy. With Ireland leading by one goal to nil, Italy were besieging Ireland's goal. McGrath was marking Roberto Baggio who had the ball at his feet. McGrath slid across the front of him, and tackled the ball straight off his toes, knocking it back to the feet of an Italian player, who immediately chipped the ball into the air, to try and set Baggio up for a half-volley. As the ball was dropping, McGrath got off the ground, leapt up and headed the ball away, beating Baggio in the air. McGrath landed on all fours, facing out from the goal. The ball landed on the half-volley right in front of an Italian player who shot for goal which McGrath took straight in the face and began to chase the ball. McGrath's tenacity that day lifted the entire Irish team to achieve one of the most memorable single results in Irish football history.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ McGrath autobiography wins Book of the Year. Radio Telefís Éireann (2006-11-20). Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
- ^ Byrne, Peter (1996). Football Association of Ireland: 75 years. Dublin: Sportsworld, 229. ISBN 1-900110-06-7.
- ^ McGarrigle, Stephen (1996). The complete who's who of Irish international football, 1945-1996. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 129. ISBN 1-85158-894-9.
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Gary Pallister |
PFA Players' Player of the Year 1993 |
Succeeded by Eric Cantona |
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