Paul McGrath (born 4 December 1959) is an Irish former professional footballer, who played as a defender. Regarded as one of the greatest centre-backs in modern football, McGrath was known for his tackling ability, determination, composure and reading of the game, and was known by the nickname "The Black Pearl" at Manchester United. He was also known by the nickname "God" at Aston Villa.[3][4][5][6][7]
McGrath was born in Greenford, Middlesex,[1] to a Nigerian father who met his Irish mother during his medical studies in Dublin.[8] 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. She was strongly advised to give her son up for adoption at the Mother and Baby home in Acton, where she refused to do so numerous times. Upon her arrival back in her hometown Paul was forcibly taken away from her, placed with a foster family and later transferred to the Smyly Trust Home. This was arranged and carried out by the Catholic Crusade members in Dublin.[8] It was assumed that Betty McGrath gave him up for fostering in Ireland when he was four weeks old.[9]
When he was five years old, one of the daughters of the family he had been fostered by came to Betty to say they could not control him. At that stage, his mother had him back for a number of days before having to put him into an orphanage. Despite being Paul McGrath on his birth certificate, the admission form required the name of the father, hence he was known as Paul Nwobilo for a time.[10]
Betty would later have a second black child, a daughter named Okune, and both Betty and Okune would visit Paul while he was in care. Regretting giving Paul into care, Betty kept Okune with her, but growing up, this caused confusion within Paul who also wanted to live with her.[11][12][13]
In school, McGrath had begun to excel in sports and was invited to play for Pearse Rovers Under-13s in Sallynoggin.[14][15] 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.[11][12]
By age 17, McGrath had begun playing for the junior football club Dalkey United.[14][15] However, within months of leaving foster care he suffered a "catastrophic mental breakdown" that would ultimately last for a year. McGrath was placed in the psychiatric hospital St. John of God in Stillorgan, where he lay in a "trance-like state, unspeaking, incontinent and covered in bedsores". Doctors informed McGrath's mother that he might never walk again.[12] McGrath was eventually able to recover from his episode and resume his sporting career.[15]
"Since the end of last season I have been acquiring new players: three are local lads from junior clubs — Billy Reid (Fatima Rangers), Paul McGrath (Dalkey United) and John Cleary (Ballyfermot United). Given time and a little encouragement I feel that by the end of the season they will have done the club proud."
In 1982, McGrath moved to Manchester United, then managed by Ron Atkinson, who McGrath later described as one of his "favourite men in football".[21] McGrath scored his first goal for United against Luton Town on 9 May 1983 at Old Trafford.[22] He missed out on a place in the team's 1983 FA Cup victory over Brighton & Hove Albion later that month but eventually ousted Gordon McQueen to become the regular partner to Kevin Moran in the centre of defence.[23] 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.[14]
In 1985–86, it appeared that McGrath was on course to pick up a league title medal after United won their first 10 league games of the season, but injuries to key players including Bryan Robson soon took their toll on the side and they eventually finished fourth in the table, 12 points behind champions Liverpool.[24] A dismal start to the 1986–87 season saw Ron Atkinson sacked as manager and replaced by Alex Ferguson in November 1986, but McGrath initially remained a regular member of the first team. United finished second behind Liverpool in the league a year later.[25]
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.[26][14] His relationship with manager Ferguson had also become strained and United offered McGrath a pay deal to retire rather than sell him to another club. However, then aged only 29, McGrath decided to continue playing.[27][28] During this period, McGrath was offered terms at S.S.C. Napoli, but the deal did not come to fruition.[28][15]
Aston Villa
McGrath signed for Aston Villa in August 1989. While at Villa, McGrath played some of the best football of his career, despite recurrent problems in his knees. Villa had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season, yet came close to winning the title in McGrath's first season, finishing second to Liverpool. The next season saw the club fighting relegation for much of the campaign after boss Graham Taylor left to take control of England.[14]
Despite the managerial upheaval, McGrath's performances continued to impress. Under Jozef Vengloš, the first top-flight manager to hail from the European mainland, McGrath became a consistent mainstay of the Villa lineup.
After Vengloš' solitary season (1990–91) at Villa, McGrath was reunited with Ron Atkinson who took over as manager and built a squad that managed a seventh place finish. In the inaugural season of the Premier League, Aston Villa 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.[29][14] He added further silverware in 1994, winning his first trophy with Villa as they lifted the League Cup, beating Manchester United 3–1 in the final. In November 1994, Atkinson was dismissed following a poor start to the season that left Villa in the relegation places.[30] The 1995–96 season saw McGrath enter the final year of his Aston Villa contract.[31] The campaign ended in success when McGrath won the League Cup with Villa again, this time beating Leeds United 3–0. McGrath was rewarded for his performances with a contract extension, which he signed in May 1996.[32]
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.[32][33]
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.[32] When Derby County achieved a 3–2 away win to McGrath's old club Manchester United, Alex Ferguson credited McGrath with a man-of-the-match display. Before and after a 3–1 home win against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, the travelling Villa fans sang McGrath's name.[32] Another victory against Villa on 12 April 1997 meant Derby secured their Premier League status with four games to play. In a post-match press conference, with half of McGrath's fee due to Villa upon avoiding relegation, manager Jim Smith said he was "delighted to cough up the money" and labeled McGrath's performance as "tremendous".[32][34] By the end of the season, McGrath had helped Derby to a 12th place finish in the Premier League.[35] However, McGrath's injury problems had worsened as the season came to a close and Derby decided not to offer him a new contract.[36][37]
Later career
After his release by Derby County, McGrath dropped down a division to sign for Sheffield United in July 1997.[38] He made his debut for the club on 10 August 1997 against Sunderland, a 2–0 victory at Bramall Lane.[39][40] 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.[41][42] McGrath officially announced his retirement from football on 17 April 1998.[43][44]
International career
In 1990, the Republic of Ireland qualified for its first FIFA World Cup, in 1990 in Italy, eventually reaching the quarter-finals, where they lost to the hosts (1–0 in Rome), with McGrath ever present in the lineups (five matches, 480 minutes played). He captained the team four times in 1992 after the retirement of Mick McCarthy.[45]
McGrath started in the Republic of Ireland's Euro 92 qualifier against England at Wembley in 1991.[46]
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 – in a perfect example of his commitment to the game, McGrath put up an astonishing defensive performance despite excruciating shoulder problems, including blocking a shot from Roberto Baggio with his face.[19]
McGrath ended his international career in 1997 as Ireland’s most-capped player, as well as the country's first black captain.[16][47]
Style of play and legacy
Praised frequently for his physicality,[48][49][35] tackling,[48][50] determination[51][52][35] and reading of the game,[51][49][53] McGrath has been described as one of the greatest centre-backs of the modern era[49][52][50][54] and one of the best defenders in Premier League history.[55][56] He was given the nickname "the Black Pearl of Inchicore" while at St Patrick's Athletic, and Manchester United fans dubbed McGrath "the Black Pearl" during his time at the club. Aston Villa fans referred to McGrath by the nickname "God";[57][58][59] 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.[60][61]
Post-professional football life
McGrath suffers from alcoholism and missed occasional matches as a result.[62] 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).[63]
Upon retiring, he settled in Monageer, County Wexford. In 2004, one year after being taken to court, charged with a breach of the peace,[64] McGrath returned to the football world after five years, moving to Waterford United in Ireland as director of football.[65]
In 2011, McGrath recorded a cover version of the Gerry Goffin and Carole King song "Goin' Back".[66] 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.[67]
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.[68]
Personal life
Paul's half-sister Okune McGrath died in March 1994 due to complications stemming from a lifelong rare blood disorder.[69] Their mother Betty McGrath-Lowth died 4 September 2020, aged 83.[69]
As a result of the trauma of his early life and his subsequent alcoholism, McGrath has openly discussed through his autobiography and through interviews that he suffered at least four major suicide attempts in his life. One attempt came in November 1989 after Manchester United sold him to Aston Villa.[9] McGrath would return to play for Aston Villa on 5 November 1989, in a 6–2 victory over Everton, but during the game had to hide wounds to his wrists using wristbands.[70]
Until he got his drinking under control in the 2010s,[71] the precariousness of McGrath's long-term mental health impacted his family life; McGrath has been divorced twice.[9] In 2019, McGrath claimed to have been roughly functional since 2014, although admitted to still occasionally consuming alcohol.[72]
McGrath is the father of five sons and a daughter, and, as of 2019, has five grandchildren.[72]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[73]
↑ Philip, Robert (20 October 2006). "McGrath loved by all but himself". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 September 2025. Paul McGrath is one of the all-time greats," Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton is moved to say afterwards. "Someone to compare with Bobby Moore...
↑ Gibbons, Margaret (1927). "Margaret Aylward (1810-1889.) (Foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Faith)". The Irish Monthly. 55 (647): 247–259. ISSN2009-2113. JSTOR20518114.
1 2 "Paul McGrath: One-on-One". FourFourTwo. January 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2016. I got an enquiry from Napoli when Maradona played for them and they were Italy's best team in the late '80s. I was holidaying near Naples on the coast in Sorrento when a delegation of Napoli officials came to see me at my hotel. I was amazed that they knew I was there. We had a big chat, but nothing came of it.
↑ "Smith refutes McGrath rumours". The Irish Times. 16 April 1997. Retrieved 7 October 2025. McGrath has made 23 appearances since he was signed in October from Aston Villa for £100,000 which will double when Derby's Premiership survival is finally guaranteed.
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