Paddy McCourt

Patrick James McCourt (born 16 December 1983) is a Northern Irish former footballer who played as a winger.

McCourt began his career with an early move from Derry-based youth club Foyle Harps to English Third Division club Rochdale on a youth contract in 2000.

He started his professional career with Third Division club Rochdale in 2001 before moving to League of Ireland club Shamrock Rovers in 2005.

He made his first-team debut in the Football League Trophy on 16 October 2001 and his potential prompted his signing to the Spotland club on a three-and-a-half-year professional contract in December 2001.

McCourt made his Northern Ireland international debut in 2002, but did not play again until 2009.

His first season ended with four goals in 23 appearances, and making 30 appearances in 2002–03.

His skillful playing style attracted the attention of Premier League clubs Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City.

In the 2003–04 season, McCourt managed just a handful of starts for the club and had two spells away on trial with First Division clubs Norwich City and Crewe Alexandra, though neither club followed up their initial interest in him.

Later that year he moved to his hometown club, Derry City, where he won the League of Ireland Cup three times in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and the FAI Cup in 2006.

At Derry, he gained the nickname "The Derry Pelé" for his skilful play.

A combination of injuries and loss of form hastened his departure from Rochdale in February 2005.

After Rochdale manager Steve Parkin informed him that he was to be released, McCourt headed for another trial, this time with Scottish Premier League outfit Motherwell.

However, after two weeks at Fir Park a move failed to take place.

In March 2005, McCourt was signed by Roddy Collins, manager of League of Ireland club Shamrock Rovers.

McCourt scored three goals in his first six appearances for the Dublin club and topped the goalscoring charts by May 2005.

As the club ran into financial difficulty, mainly due to the costs surrounding the building of Tallaght Stadium, Rovers were forced to place all players except McCourt on the transfer list.

After seven goals in 17 appearances, and following interest from Bristol City and Queens Park Rangers, the club, in dire need of funds, decided to sell McCourt.

He was signed by his home-town club, Derry City, for a fee thought to be around £60,000.

Despite leaving the club halfway through the season, McCourt was their top goalscorer that season and won the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland Young Player of the Year award.

In his first few months at the club, McCourt helped Derry City to the League of Ireland Cup and runners-up in the league in 2005.

In the 2006 season, he played in Derry's UEFA Cup run, in which the club eventually lost to French giants Paris Saint-Germain, and helped them to win a cup double with victories in both the FAI Cup and League of Ireland Cup finals.

McCourt scored four goals in 25 appearances in the 2007 season and won a third League of Ireland Cup medal.

In 2008 he signed for Scottish Premier League club Celtic; the club he supported as a boy.

His performances interested English club West Bromwich Albion and Derry announced in June 2008 that they had reached an agreement with the newly promoted Premier League club.

However, Derry also agreed a fee with Scottish Premier League club Celtic, leaving McCourt to make his choice.

The lure of joining Celtic, the club he had supported as a boy, persuaded McCourt to move to Glasgow and, on 19 June 2008, he signed for a fee of £200,000 after agreeing a three-year contract.

The manager who signed him, Gordon Strachan, would later claim that McCourt was "as gifted a footballer as I have ever seen."

McCourt made his competitive debut for Celtic on 25 October 2008 in a 4–2 win over Hibernian.

In his first season, he featured primarily for the Celtic reserve team, playing in the deciding game on 28 April 2009 against Rangers reserves to clinch the Reserve League title for the eighth season in succession.

On 23 September 2009, McCourt opened his goalscoring account for Celtic with a memorable goal in a League Cup match at Falkirk, in which he beat five defenders before chipping the ball over goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik.

He then scored his first Scottish Premier League goal on his first league start three days later against St Mirren, which saw him go past six defenders before beating the goalkeeper.

In a five-season spell there, he won the Scottish Cup in 2011 and 2013 and the SPL title in 2011–12 and 2012–13.

He scored his first two goals against the Faroe Islands in 2011.

McCourt was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, and educated at Steelstown Primary School.

Despite being a fan favourite at the club, he failed to gain a regular first-team place and was released in June 2013.

McCourt then signed a one-year contract at Championship club Barnsley, though the club was relegated during the 2013–14 season and McCourt was released.

He signed a one-year deal with Brighton & Hove Albion for the following campaign, but featured little and joined League One club Notts County on loan for the final third of the season.

He left Brighton and in July 2015 signed for League Two club Luton Town on a two-year contract.

He was released by mutual consent halfway through to enable him to return to Northern Ireland, where he signed a one-year contract with NIFL Premiership club Glenavon.

He left by mutual agreement in December 2016, and the following March he signed for League of Ireland side Finn Harps, where he retired in 2018.