Photo: Jonesy702 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Paul McGrath is one of those defenders who makes you rethink what greatness looks like. Born in Ealing and capped by Ireland, he earned the nicknames The Black Pearl at Manchester United and God at Aston Villa, and neither was an exaggeration. What moves me is that he dominated despite chronic knee trouble, winning through reading of the game and serene composure rather than brute force. That is the connoisseur's version of defending. His award-winning autobiography, honest about his struggles, only deepens my respect. A Hall of Famer who let intelligence do the tackling. I hold him in very high regard.
Overview
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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paul McGrath
- Name (Japanese)
- ポール・マグラー
- Reading
- ぽーる・まぐらー
- Born
- December 4, 1959 (age 66)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Boar
- Origin
- Ealing, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 184 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player / autobiographer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- English Football Hall of Fame
- British Sports Book Awards
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Association football player — see all → · Autobiographer — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.