Paul McGrath (footballer)

Paul McGrath (born December 4, 1959 in Ealing, England) is a former international football (soccer) defender, a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national team. He was one of the first black Irish celebrities.

McGrath worked briefly as an apprentice sheet metal worker in Dublin before becoming a full time professional. Brought up in a number of orphanages, McGrath was a secondary school student by the time he played his first organised game of football. He began as a schoolboy with Pearse Rovers and played junior football for Dalkey United. It was at this time that he wanted to join Leinster Junior League side Drimnagh Dynamos because of their "drinking culture", but was rejected as being "not good enough". In 1981 he moved to Football League of Ireland club St Patrick's Athletic. 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 (1982-89), and later Aston Villa (1989-96), Derby County (1996-97), and Sheffield United (1997-98). While at Villa Park he was nicknamed God, and was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1993. He is considered one of the greatest players in Villa's history.

McGrath was born in England to an Irish mother and a Ghanaian father. 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.

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.

Paul is currently living in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. For many years he suffered from alcoholism, and missed occasional matches as a result. His career was also blighted with injury which resulted in him undergoing a total of eight knee operations during his career.

Great Career Moments

At the 1994 World Cup, Ireland was drawn to play one of the favorites, Italy. With Ireland leading by one goal to nil, Italy was 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.

Great Career Moments

See also