Paddy McCarthy

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Paddy McCarthy bigraphy, stories - Irish footballer

Paddy McCarthy : biography

31 May 1983 –

Patrick Richard "Paddy" McCarthy (born 31 May 1983) is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Crystal Palace, where he is the club captain.

Notes

Honours

Crystal Palace
  • Football League Championship play-offs (1): 2013
  • Crystal Palace Goal of the Season (1): 2009

International career

McCarthy represented the Republic of Ireland Under-16 team at the 2000 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship and and the Under-19 team at the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship.

Career

McCarthy joined Leicester City in March 2005 for a fee of £100,000 from Manchester City, signing a three-year contract. He had never played for Manchester City’s first team but had enjoyed loan spells at Boston United and Notts County during 2002 and 2003. Boston had made a bid to sign McCarthy on a permanent basis in February 2003.

McCarthy became a favourite with the Leicester fans, due to his no-nonsense style of play, and in July 2006 was named club captain for the 2006–07 season. His season was cut short when he dislocated his shoulder in a training accident in February 2007. Nonetheless, McCarthy expressed his wish to leave Leicester before the start of next season, despite being offered a new contract.

He moved to Charlton Athletic for a fee of £650,000 in June 2007. He spent only a year at The Valley, moving across south-east London to sign for Crystal Palace in the summer of 2008, in a deal that saw Mark Hudson travel in the opposite direction. Since joining the Eagles, McCarthy has proved himself to be a strong and reliable central defender. He has been troubled by a series of shoulder injuries which has restricted him from playing in much of the 2008/2009 and the 2009/2010 season, but this did not stop him being named Palace captain in the run-up to the 2010/11 season.

McCarthy missed the entirety of the 2012/2013 season with a groin injury.

Club career statistics

(correct as of 28 April 2012)
Season Club Division League CupIncludes FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield Play-offs Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2002–03 Boston (loan) Third Division 12 0 0 0 12 0
Notts County (loan) Second Division 6 0 6 0
2004–05 Leicester Championship 12 0 1 0 13 0
2005–06 38 2 6 0 44 2
2006–07 22 1 3 1 25 2
2007–08 Charlton 29 2 4 1 33 3
2008–09 Crystal Palace 27 3 2 0 29 3
2009–10 20 0 2 0 22 0
2010–11 43 1 3 0 43 1
2011–12 43 2 7 0 50 2
2012–13 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career totals 251 10 28 2 278 13