Paul McGrath (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul McGrath | ||
| Date of birth | 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. |
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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.
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.
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.
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