Paul McCarthy (footballer)
Irish footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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) | ||
| Position | 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
Born 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] His daughter is cricketer Cassidy McCarthy.[15]
International career
He played and scored for the Republic of Ireland national football team at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.[16]
Honours
- FA Trophy: 2008
