Paul McGrath

Early life Paul McGrath was born on 4 December 1959 in Greenford, Middlesex, 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.

In school, McGrath had begun to excel in sports and was invited to play for Pearse Rovers Under-13s in Sallynoggin. McGrath remained in various forms of foster care around Dublin until he turned 18. In his later teenage years, he was able to reconcile with his mother, as well as his maternal grandfather. He made his debut on 30 August 1981 in a League of Ireland Cup clash against Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park. In the game's match programme, manager Charlie Walker stated in his notes that

Although his League Cup debut ended in a 2–3 defeat, McGrath scored the winner in his next game, a Leinster Senior Cup match against Shelbourne.

Street art dedicated to McGrath outside Richmond Park, home ground of his first club St Patrick's Athletic.

He ultimately excelled at The Saints, earning the nickname "The Black Pearl of Inchicore" and winning the PFAI Players' Player of the Year award for 1982. His performances attracted the attention of Billy Behan and Manchester United, who brought McGrath over for a trial in April 1982. The club's manager at the time was Ron Atkinson, who McGrath later described as one of his "favourite men in football". McGrath joined a cohort of Irish players at United and credited Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, Ashley Grimes and Anthony Whelan with helping him to settle in. McGrath scored his first goal for United against Luton Town on 9 May 1983 at Old Trafford. However, he missed out on a place in the team's 1983 FA Cup victory over Brighton & Hove Albion later that month.

McGrath eventually ousted Gordon McQueen to become the regular partner to Kevin Moran in the centre of defence. The highlight of his Manchester United career came in the 1985 FA Cup final, where a 1–0 win over Everton secured the trophy and McGrath picked up the Man of the Match award. The team eventually finished fourth in the table, 12 points behind champions Liverpool. Their poor form continued into the 1986–87 season and, after United's worst start in 14 years, Ron Atkinson was sacked and replaced by Alex Ferguson in November 1986, but McGrath initially remained a regular member of the first team.

By the 1988–89 season, McGrath was struggling with knee injuries and was becoming a less regular member of the first team, facing competition from new signings Steve Bruce and Mal Donaghy.

The next season saw the club fighting relegation for much of the campaign after boss Graham Taylor left to take control of England. In the inaugural season of the Premier League, Aston Villa once again finished as runners-up, this time behind Manchester United. As a sign of the regard he was now held in by his fellow professionals, McGrath won the 1992–93 PFA Players' Player of the Year award. The 1995–96 season saw McGrath enter the final year of his Aston Villa contract. The campaign ended in success when McGrath won the League Cup with Villa again, this time overcoming Leeds United 3–0. McGrath was rewarded for his performances with a contract extension, which he signed in May 1996.

Despite spending the previous season as a regular in a back three alongside Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu, McGrath found himself out of the starting lineup for the start of the 1996–97 campaign. Instead, McGrath's international teammate Steve Staunton was preferred by manager Brian Little. Aged 36 and wishing to maximise his playing time, McGrath submitted a transfer request and an offer of £200,000 from newly promoted Derby County was accepted by Aston Villa.

Derby County McGrath joined Derby in October 1996 and, despite being unable to train due to severe knee pain, went straight into the starting line-up against Newcastle United. By the end of the season, McGrath had helped Derby to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League. However, McGrath's injury problems had worsened as the season came to a close and Derby decided not to offer him a new contract.

Later career After his release by Derby County, McGrath dropped down a division to sign for Sheffield United in July 1997. He made his debut for the club on 10 August 1997 against Sunderland, a 2–0 victory at Bramall Lane. He played his final game as a professional for Sheffield United against Ipswich Town on 9 November 1997, just before his 38th birthday. After a minor operation on his knees, McGrath was back in training with the club in January 1998 but by February he was struggling to return to fitness. McGrath officially announced his retirement from football on 17 April 1998.

In November 1989, McGrath was part of the Republic of Ireland team that qualified for the country's first FIFA World Cup. The tournament, hosted by Italy, was held in 1990. The Republic of Ireland reached the quarter-finals, where they lost 1–0 to the hosts in Rome, with McGrath ever present in the lineups (five matches, 480 minutes played). He received the Irish International Player of the Year award in both 1990 and 1991 in recognition of his contributions to the side and captained the team four times in 1992 after the retirement of Mick McCarthy.

McGrath started in the Republic of Ireland's Euro 92 qualifier against England at Wembley in 1991.

In the Republic of Ireland's opening game of the 1994 World Cup – a 1–0 win against favourites Italy, thanks to Ray Houghton's early goal – McGrath put up an astonishing defensive performance

Style of play and legacy Praised frequently for his physicality, McGrath has been described as one of the greatest centre-backs of the modern era and one of Ireland's greatest ever players. at Aston Villa games, fans often still chant "Paul McGrath, My Lord", a song for McGrath to the tune of Kumbaya in reference to this nickname.

In popular culture British author Lee Child is a fan of Aston Villa; in his second book in the Jack Reacher series, Die Trying (1998), the naming of the fictional characters, FBI agents Paul "Mack" McGrath and Milosevic are hidden references to players McGrath and Savo Milošević.

Post-professional football life McGrath suffers from alcoholism and missed occasional matches as a result. 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, was the inaugural winner of the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year (2006).

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

In 2011, McGrath recorded a cover version of the Gerry Goffin and Carole King song "Goin' Back". He followed that single up with an 11-track album released in 2011 with profits going to his two designated charities the Acquired Brain Injury Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Ireland.

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.

Personal life Paul's half-sister Okune McGrath died in March 1994 due to complications stemming from a lifelong rare blood disorder. Their mother Betty McGrath-Lowth died 4 September 2020, aged 83.

Until he got his drinking under control in the 2010s, the precariousness of McGrath's long-term mental health impacted his family life; McGrath has been divorced twice.

McGrath is the father of five sons and a daughter, and, as of 2019, has five grandchildren.

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Honours Manchester United FA Cup: 1984–85

Aston Villa Football League Cup: 1993–94, 1995–96

Individual PFAI Players' Player of the Year: 1982 PFA Team of the Year: 1985–86 First Division, 1992–93 Premier League Ballon d'Or nominee: 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 Aston Villa Player of the Season: 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93 FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 1990, 1991 PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1993