Paul Jason McCarthy (4 August 1971 – 19 February 2017) was an Irish footballer who last played for Ebbsfleet United as a defender. He made over 500 appearances in the Football League and Football Conference, notably for Brighton & Hove Albion, Wycombe Wanderers and Ebbsfleet United.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul Jason McCarthy[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 4 August 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Cork, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 19 February 2017 (aged 45) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1996 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 181 | (6) |
| 1996–2003 | Wycombe Wanderers | 212 | (9) |
| 2003 | → Oxford United (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | Oxford United | 29 | (2) |
| 2004 | Hornchurch | 7 | (2) |
| 2004–2013 | Ebbsfleet United | 141 | (6) |
| Total | 576 | (26) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–1994 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 10 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editBorn in Cork, County Cork, McCarthy began his career as a trainee with Brighton & Hove Albion, where he made over 200 league and cup appearances before joining Wycombe Wanderers for a fee of £100,000 in July 1996.[2] He made over 250 appearances for Wycombe in seven seasons at the club,[2] helping the club to a FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool in April 2001.[3] He scored Wycombe's first goal in their quarter-final win over Premier League side Leicester City, paving the way for Roy Essandoh to score the winner. McCarthy joined Oxford United on loan in March 2003,[4] joining the club on a permanent basis at the end of the season.[5]
After 35 appearances for Oxford,[2] he was released on a free transfer in summer 2004 and joined non-League club Hornchurch.[6] He became available after Hornchurch ran into financial trouble and signed for Conference National club Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United) in November 2004.[7] He became club captain[8] and by the end of the 2007–08 season, had made over 110 appearances for Ebbsfleet[2] and collected a winners medal when Ebbsfleet won the FA Trophy in May 2008.[9][10] He signed a new one-year contract with Ebbsfleet in June 2008 and a year later he was appointed as player–assistant manager at the club.[11][12] Paul left Ebbsfleet in July 2013 following a change of owner at the club. He subsequently signed with Crowborough AFC on 4 August 2013.
McCarthy died suddenly on 19 February 2017, aged 45,[13] of a suspected heart attack.[14]
International career
editHe played and scored for the Republic of Ireland national football team at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.[15]
Honours
edit- FA Trophy: 2008
References
edit- ^ Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 387. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
- ^ a b c d "Paul McCarthy". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "Liverpool end Wycombe's fight". BBC Sport. 8 April 2001. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "Deadline-day transfers". BBC Sport. 27 March 2003. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "McCarthy poised to join U's". BBC Sport. 3 July 2003. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "Another Urchin finds pastures new". Non-League Daily. 25 November 2004. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "McCarthy secures Gravesend switch". BBC Sport. 24 November 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "Ebbsfleet re-sign experienced duo". BBC Sport. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "McCarthy wants another taste of Football League". Kent News. 18 May 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Ebbsfleet 1–0 Torquay". BBC Sport. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
- ^ "Daish reshuffles Ebbsfleet squad". BBC Sport. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- ^ "Daish is hoping to retain players". BBC Sport. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- ^ "Paul McCarthy". Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. 20 February 2017. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ Higgins, Erica Doyle. "Former Ireland U21 international and Brighton and Hove defender Paul McCarthy dies suddenly aged 45". The Irish Post. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "FIFA Player Statistics: Paul McCARTHY". FIFA. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012.
External links
edit- Paul McCarthy at Soccerbase
