Paul McGrath: The Fall and Rise of the Irish Legend and Flawed Genius

I remember one day, not too long ago, receiving a phone call from my father. Expecting a very different outcome, I gingerly answered.

"Are you coming for a pint?" he asked.

"Ah I'm a fairly busy Dad, I might pop up in a while if I get the time."

"Believe me, come up now!" he exploded.

So I did, knowing my father does not excite so easily over having a drink with his son!

Entering the pub, I was met with the sound of laughter and the sight of a giant man sitting beside my father. Dark jeans, a big leather jacket, and a close-cropped haircut; I didn't quite know who he was until I stood beside the man once hailed "God" by Aston Villa fans.

I looked into the big brown eyes of one of the greatest players to grace the game.

Not only a “God” for Aston Villa, but for my beloved Manchester United and Republic of Ireland. A player who was typical of footballers back then, who played hard on the field and played hard off it; a game galaxies away from the standard nowadays containing metro-sexual males like Cristiano Ronaldo.

McGrath was part of an elite hard men contingent such as Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, and Norman Whitside.

He and my father both turned and looked at me, a smile cracking on my dad's face knowing I was feeling the equivalent of shell shock. Paul McGrath turned and put a big arm round me saying, "Well mate".

And that’s how the night started. My dad, Paul McGrath, and me.

He talked of Alex Ferguson. Of Manchester United. Of Aston Villa. Of Ireland. Of his life...and this is what he told me.

Paul McGrath was born on the 4th of December, 1959 to an Irish mother and a Nigerian father. Soon after he was born, his father fled the scene, leaving his fearful mother to confide in her only option—putting Paul up for adoption. McGrath was raised in various tough orphanages throughout Dublin, the grim photos of which can still be seen today.

McGrath endured an even more tough time during his youth due to the fact that he was black, something so uncommon in Ireland at the time, that it caused heads to turn at the sight of such a rarity.

However, McGrath proved that he was more than just a rarity—being an ethnic minority—but also a very special talent on the football pitch, even as a youngster.

His first club, Pearse Rovers, were the first to experience his raw but still extraordinary talents. To put it simply, Paul McGrath was a behemoth on the pitch. At 16 years of age, he was unbelievably quick for a boy who was obviously quite large.

He was fearless in both the air and in the tackle. Not long after, and although Pearse had always treated Paul well, he moved onto Dalkey United in hope of career progression. Dalkey sourced him a place to stay and a job in which to help provide for himself. Throughout the club, he found great friends who stayed loyal to him for many years.

It was while McGrath was with Dalkey that he attracted the attention of Manchester United’s chief scout at the time, Billy Behan, who constantly sent back glowing reviews of the defender to then United manager, Ron Atkinson.

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