Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Patrick James Coleman McNair [1] [2] | ||
Date of birth | 27 April 1995 | ||
Place of birth | Ballyclare, Northern Ireland | ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | West Bromwich Albion (on loan from San Diego) | ||
Number | 21 | ||
Youth career | |||
2006–2011 | Ballyclare Colts | ||
2011–2014 | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2014–2016 | Manchester United | 24 | (0) |
2016–2018 | Sunderland | 25 | (5) |
2018–2024 | Middlesbrough | 198 | (14) |
2024– | San Diego | 0 | (0) |
2024– | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 1 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2009–2010 | Northern Ireland U16 | 7 | (0) |
2011 | Northern Ireland U17 | 1 | (0) |
2012–2013 | Northern Ireland U19 | 5 | (0) |
2014 | Northern Ireland U21 | 2 | (0) |
2015– | Northern Ireland | 73 | (7) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 November 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2024 |
Patrick James Coleman McNair (born 27 April 1995) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or right-back for EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Major League Soccer club San Diego, and the Northern Ireland national team.
McNair signed for Manchester United in 2011 and made his professional debut for them in the Premier League in September 2014. In August 2016, McNair joined Sunderland with Donald Love in a joint transfer deal for £5.5 million. Two years later, he signed for Middlesbrough.
Having represented Northern Ireland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, McNair made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in March 2015. He was selected in their squad at UEFA Euro 2016, where they reached the Round of 16.
Born in Ballyclare, County Antrim, McNair began playing with Ballyclare Colts and was first discovered by Manchester United's Northern Ireland-based scout, Tony Coulter, when McNair was 12, and began travelling to train with United during his school holidays. [3] He eventually signed for the club in 2011, having impressed the club scouts in a midfield role for Ballyclare Colts, but was later converted into a defender by United youth coach Paul McGuinness. [4] While making the transition from midfield to defence, McNair was frequently compared to Michael Carrick by McGuinness. [5]
McNair made his senior debut for United on 27 September 2014 against West Ham United in a 2–1 victory in the Premier League at Old Trafford, [6] starting the game due to an injury crisis in defence. [7] He was praised by fans and manager Louis van Gaal for his solid defending in that match, including a vital headed clearance while United were down to 10 men. [8]
Despite McNair's inexperience in England's top division, Manchester United won all of the first four matches when McNair was in the starting line-up. [9] On 4 January 2015, McNair was in the starting line-up for a FA Cup third round tie with Yeovil Town which concluded with a 2–0 result, playing as a right-back in a 3–5–2 formation. He started again in the same formation and role for a later round of the tournament against Cambridge United that ended 3–0. Following his impressive performance, Van Gaal publicly praised McNair and claimed that he could go on and establish himself as the new Gary Neville, suggesting he could be a regular in that position for the next decade. [10] On 10 February 2015, he signed a new contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until June 2017. [11]
On 28 November 2015, after being kept out of the starting line-up by the consistency and form of Manchester United's back four, McNair made his first start of the 2015–16 season for Manchester United alongside team-mates Daley Blind and Chris Smalling in a three-man defence against Leicester City. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. [12]
On 11 August 2016, McNair signed a four-year contract with Sunderland after a £5.5 million joint deal was agreed with Manchester United for McNair and Donald Love. [13] Two days later, he made his debut in an away fixture against Manchester City, coming on as a substitute in the 83rd-minute for Jermain Defoe. The match eventually ended 2–1 in Manchester City's favour, with McNair netting an own goal during his defence against a cross from Jesús Navas. [14] McNair scored a brace for Sunderland in their 2–1 EFL Cup third round win against Queens Park Rangers on 21 September, his first two professional goals. [15] On 20 November, McNair ruptured his ACL in a 3–0 win over Hull City and Sunderland stated it was likely that he would miss the remainder of the season. [16]
After over 11 months absence, McNair returned to action on 28 October 2017, playing 11 minutes as a substitute in a 2–1 home loss to Bristol City in the Championship. [17] Three days later he scored his first league goal of his career, equalising in a 3–3 draw with Bolton Wanderers at the Stadium of Light four minutes after coming on in place of Darron Gibson. [18] The Sunderland Echo praised his second season, which ended with the club's second consecutive relegation. [19]
On 26 June 2018, McNair signed a four-year deal at Championship club Middlesbrough, for a fee that could rise past £5 million. [20] He made his debut in the first game of the season, a 3–0 win over Sheffield United on 7 August, in which he came on in the 71st minute for Jonathan Howson. [21] He scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in a 1–1 draw with Millwall on 24 August. [22] On 22 May 2021, McNair was named Middlesbrough Player of the Year for the 2020–21 season. [23] At the end of the 2023–24 season, McNair confirmed that he would leave Middlesbrough at the end of his contract in the summer. [24]
On 25 July 2024, Major League Soccer club, San Diego FC announced the signing of McNair on an initial three-year contract ahead of their inaugural season. [25] Upon his arrival, he was confirmed to have returned to England, joining West Bromwich Albion on loan until 31 December 2024. [26]
On 4 November 2014, McNair was called up to the Northern Ireland senior team for the first time, ahead of a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match away to Romania, [27] but did not play. He made his debut on 25 March 2015 in a friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park, playing the entirety of a 1–0 defeat. [28] He made his competitive debut on 4 September 2015 in a 3–1 away win over the Faroe Islands in a European qualifier. [29]
On 8 October 2015, McNair was drafted into the starting line-up for a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Greece. Northern Ireland went on to secure a decisive 3–1 victory, qualifying for the competition, a first major tournament the team would have qualified for in thirty years. [30] After the final qualifying match, a 1–1 away draw with Finland on 11 October 2015, McNair remained in a Helsinki hospital due to concerns of a ruptured liver. [31]
On 24 March 2016, McNair was selected in the starting line-up for an international friendly against Wales, which subsequently ended in a 1–1 draw. Notably, McNair was deployed in a holding midfielder role instead of his more conventional position as a central defender. Following his display in the match, Northern Ireland head coach, Michael O'Neill, "believes midfield could be where McNair's future lies". [32]
On 28 May 2016, McNair was selected as part of the 23-man squad to represent Northern Ireland at UEFA Euro 2016. [33] He was selected to start for Northern Ireland's opener against Poland in Nice, but was substituted at half time for compatriot Stuart Dallas in an eventual 1–0 loss. [34] He came on in added time for the next match, in a 2–0 win over Ukraine, but did not feature again for the rest of the competition. [35] The Northern Ireland national team was eventually eliminated in the Round of 16, after a 1–0 loss to Wales. [36]
McNair scored his first international goal against Belarus in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier on 11 June 2019, [37] and followed it up with two more in a 3–2 friendly win away to the Czech Republic on 14 October. [38]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Manchester United | 2014–15 [40] | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
2015–16 [41] | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
Total | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
Sunderland | 2016–17 [42] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 12 | 2 | |
2017–18 [43] | Championship | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 5 | ||
Total | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 28 | 7 | |||
Middlesbrough | 2018–19 [44] | Championship | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
2019–20 [45] | Championship | 41 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 44 | 6 | ||
2020–21 [46] | Championship | 46 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 47 | 2 | ||
2021–22 [47] | Championship | 42 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 46 | 5 | ||
2022–23 [48] | Championship | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
2023–24 [49] | Championship | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
Total | 198 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 219 | 14 | |||
Career total | 247 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 274 | 21 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Northern Ireland | 2015 | 4 | 0 |
2016 | 11 | 0 | |
2017 | 1 | 0 | |
2018 | 8 | 0 | |
2019 | 9 | 3 | |
2020 | 8 | 1 | |
2021 | 10 | 1 | |
2022 | 7 | 1 | |
2023 | 9 | 0 | |
2024 | 6 | 1 | |
Total | 73 | 7 |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 11 June 2019 | Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus | Belarus | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
2 | 14 October 2019 | Stadion Letná, Prague, Czech Republic | Czech Republic | 1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
3 | 3–0 | |||||
4 | 7 September 2020 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Norway | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B |
5 | 2 September 2021 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania | Lithuania | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
6 | 12 June 2022 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Cyprus | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C |
7 | 5 September 2024 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Luxembourg | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2024-25 UEFA Nations League C |
Individual
Stewart Downing is an English former professional footballer. He played most of his career as a winger. As of 2024 he is the assistant coach for Leeds United Under 21s.
Bengt Ulf Sebastian Larsson is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Beginning his career at hometown club IFK Eskilstuna, Larsson was signed by Arsenal. He made three Premier League appearances for the Gunners, before joining Birmingham City, initially on loan for the 2006–07 season, before a permanent transfer in the winter of 2007. Larsson spent five years at Birmingham, experiencing promotion to, and relegation from, the Premier League on two occasions. He joined Sunderland on 1 July 2011 upon the expiry of his contract, after Birmingham suffered relegation. He left Sunderland in 2017 to sign for Hull City in the EFL Championship where he spent one season. He returned to his native Sweden in 2018 to sign for AIK, and helped them win the 2018 Allsvenskan title before retiring in 2022. Larsson is renowned for being a set-piece specialist.
Paul David McShane is an Irish professional football coach and former player. Upon retirement in 2022 he was named the Professional Development Phase coach at Premier League side Manchester United.
Patrick Joseph Kenny is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He recently served as joint manager of Goole A.F.C. alongside Nathan Helliwell.
Daryl Michael Murphy is an Irish former professional footballer.
Adam Johnson is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. A product of the Middlesbrough youth academy, he came to prominence after making his debut aged 17 in a UEFA Cup match. He made 120 appearances for Middlesbrough, also spending time on loan at Leeds United and Watford.
Patrick Richard McCarthy is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is currently first-team coach of Premier League club Crystal Palace.
Darron Thomas Daniel Gibson is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for the Republic of Ireland national team.
Darren Edward Andrew Randolph is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently a free agent. Randolph has also represented Ireland at basketball.
Keiren Westwood is a professional footballer and coach who plays as a goalkeeper for Crewe Alexandra. Born in England, he played international football for the Republic of Ireland.
Patrick James McCourt is a Northern Irish former footballer who played as a winger.
Craig George Cathcart is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, mostly for Watford. He won 73 caps for the Northern Ireland national team. He also captained his country's under-21 side.
William Donald Grigg is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League Two club Chesterfield.
Corry John Evans is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or centre-back for League Two side Bradford City. A Northern Ireland under-21 and senior international, he came through the Manchester United youth academy, like his older brother, Jonny Evans. Corry Evans is capable of operating in defence or the centre of midfield.
James Joseph McClean is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL League One club Wrexham.
Michael Vincent Keane is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Everton.
Duncan Ian Watmore is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Millwall. Watmore previously played for Altrincham, Clitheroe, Curzon Ashton, Sunderland, Hibernian, and Middlesbrough.
Patrick John Joseph Roberts is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Sunderland.
Ashley Michael Fletcher is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League One club Blackpool.
Jordan Lewis Jones is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Carlisle United, and the Northern Ireland national team.