Pat McCourt

Name: Patrick James McCourt
Born: 16 December 1983, Londonderry
Height: 5.10 ft
Weight: 11.00 st
Position: Winger

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 1 Full Cap (2002), 9 Under-21 Caps / 1 Goal (2002-2005).
Club Honours: (with Derry) FAI Cup Winner 2006; FAI League Cup Winner; (with Celtic) Scottish Premier League Champion 2011/12; Scottish Cup Winner 2010/11.
Awards: PFAI Young Player of the Year 2005.

Club Career:

Clubs	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	FL Cup	Europe	Others
Foyle Harps	-	-	Youth	31(48)/ 8	2(4)/1	0(3)/0	-(-)/-	1(5)/0
Rochdale	01/02-04/05	Aug-01	Youth	-(-)/ -	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-
Norwich City	03/04	Sep-03	Trial	-(-)/ -	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-
Crewe Alexandra	03/04	-	Trial	-(-)/ -	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-
Motherwell	04/05	Dec-04	Trial	-(-)/ -	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	-(-)/-
Shamrock Rovers	2005	Jan-05	Free	*17(-)/ 7	-	-	-	-
Derry City	2005 - 2008	Jul-05	£60,000	*48(-)/ 5	-(-)/-	-(-)/-	4(1)/0	-(-)/-
Celtic	07/08	Jun-08	Undisc.	-	-	-	-	-
TOTALS				-	-	-	-	-

* All domestic games
Biography:
Paddy McCourt, the "Derry Pele", emerged as an incredibly exciting talent with Rochdale. he was just seventeen when he made his debut in a 2-0 win over Torquay in October 2001. The following February he made his Northern Ireland Under-21 debut in a 1-0 defeat by Germany at Windsor Park. Such was his early form that Manchester City reportedly had a £1.5 million bid rejected.

Just two months after his first Under-21 appearance, McCourt made his Full debut against Spain. The friendly game, organised to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of that “night in Valencia” proved a disaster. The Northern Ireland squad had been decimated by withdrawals and Sammy McIlroy’s hand had been forced into calling up a number of Under-21 players, including the Rochdale duo of Lee McEvilly and McCourt. By the time of their emergence from the bench as second-half substitutes the match was already lost and the 5-0 final score seemed almost inevitable.

From there on McCourt continued to prove himself as an exciting prospect, but one beset by inconsistencies and ill-discipline. Mid-way through the 2004/05 season he was made available by Rochdale, and after a trial at Motherwell signed for Shamrock Rovers in January 2005. The following July he moved on to his hometown club, Derry City. With the Candystripes McCourt has proved himself as one of the best footballers in Ireland with spectacular goals a regular feature of his game.

McCourt was expected to complete a move to English Premier League new-boys West Brom in June 2008 for a fee reported to be between £90,000 and £150,000. However, although Norwich City also showed an interest it was his boyhood idols Celtic that stepped in to clinch a last-minute deal for a fee believed to be close to £200,000. In February 2009 he returned to the Northern Ireland squad after a near seven year absence. He won his second cap as a substitute against San Marino.
Fitness worries and managerial instability have seen McCourt make only sporadic appearances at Celtic, even still he is a real favourite and his goal against Falkirk was named SPL Goal of the Season 2009/10. A bright start to the 2010/11 season saw McCourt recalled to the Northern Ireland squad and his performance in the centre of midfield in a friendly against Morocco earned a great deal of praise, showing not only his customary skills on the ball, but also a previously unrecognised steel to his game. 


A resurgent Celtic won the Scottish Cup in 2011 and the SPL in 2010 with McCourt only a peripheral member of the squad.

Derry City Site
Celtic Site
Wikipedia
Irish FA

Northern Ireland Cap Details:
17-04-2002 Spain........ H L 0-5 FR. sub
11-02-2009 San Marino... A W 3-0 WCQ sub
14-11-2009 Serbia....... H L 0-1 FR. sub
17-11-2010 Morocco...... H D 1-1 FR 09-02-2011 Scotland..... N L 0-3 CNC

25-03-2011 Serbia....... A L 1-2 ECQ sub

29-03-2011 Slovenia..... H D 0-0 ECQ sub

10-08-2011 Faroe Islands H W 4-0 ECQ 2 goals

still active...

Pat McCourt's elder brother, Harry McCourt, was a striker with Limavady United (3 spells), Portadown, Cliftonville (twice), Tobermore United, Omagh Town (twice), Ards (twice) and Derry City. In a playing career spanning the late-1980s to early-2000s he scored 65 Irish League and League of Ireland goals in 218 games.

Picture courtesy of OJM from OWC.