Irish Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2007) Winner
Paul McGrath
ポール・マグラス
Pōru Magurasu
Aliases:
ブラック・パール / ゴッド
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1959-12-04 （Greenford, England）
- Nationality
- Ireland
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Catholic
- Residence History
- Dublin → Monageer, County Wexford
Career
- Occupations
- professional footballer, centre-back, author
- Active Years
- 1981-1998
- Affiliations
- St Patrick's Athletic, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Derby County, Sheffield United
- Memberships
- English Football Hall of Fame, FAI Hall of Fame, Football League 100 Legends
- Nominations
- Ballon d'Or nominee (1987), Ballon d'Or nominee (1990), Ballon d'Or nominee (1991), Ballon d'Or nominee (1993)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | PFAI Players' Player of the Year | — | — | Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland | winner |
| 1993 | PFA Players' Player of the Year | — | — | Professional Footballers' Association | winner |
| 1990 | FAI International Player of the Year | — | — | Football Association of Ireland | winner |
| 1991 | FAI International Player of the Year | — | — | Football Association of Ireland | winner |
| 2006 | William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year | Back from the Brink | — | William Hill | winner |
PFAI Players' Player of the Year
1982
Organization:
Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland
Result:
winner
PFA Players' Player of the Year
1993
Organization:
Professional Footballers' Association
Result:
winner
FAI International Player of the Year
1990
Organization:
Football Association of Ireland
Result:
winner
FAI International Player of the Year
1991
Organization:
Football Association of Ireland
Result:
winner
William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year
2006
Work:
Back from the Brink
Organization:
William Hill
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
British Sports Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2007) Winner
Works
Major Works
Back from the Brink
2006 autobiographyAutobiography of footballer Paul McGrath, detailing his troubled childhood, battles with alcoholism, knee injuries, mental health issues, and football successes.
recoveryresiliencealcoholismmental healthfootball
Bibliography
- Back from the Brink
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- candid and introspectiveconversational tone
- Recurring Motifs
- recovery from adversityself-destruction and redemption
Health
-
knee injuries1980年代-1990年代8 knee operations, missed training, shortened career
-
alcoholismキャリア中および引退後missed matches, personal crises, suicide attempts
-
mental breakdown1976-1977psychiatric hospitalisation, risk of never walking again, eventual recovery
Legacy
One of the greatest centre-backs in modern football. Starred for Manchester United and Aston Villa, key in Ireland's World Cup quarter-finals. Nicknamed 'The Black Pearl' and 'God', autobiography won sports book award.
In Popular Culture
- Aston Villa fans chant 'Paul McGrath, My Lord' (to tune of Kumbaya)
- Street art tribute outside Richmond Park
Quotes
-
I played football while still under the influence of alcohol.
Source: FourFourTwo interview -
Paul McGrath is one of the all-time greats, someone to compare with Bobby Moore.
Source: Jack Charlton (2006)
Trivia
- Born in London to Nigerian father and Irish mother, raised in foster care and orphanages.
- Ireland's first black captain.
- Ireland's most-capped player upon retirement (83 caps).
- Released a music album in 2011.