James McCarthy
Scottish-born Ireland internationalist and lifelong Hoops fan James McCarthy started his playing career for Celtic at Under-17s level, turning out at the club’s Barrowfield training centre and the Science Park in Glasgow’s Maryhill area.
Since joining the Hoops, McCarthy has been part of the recent title and cup winning squads of 2021/22 & 2022/23; with wins in the Scottish League Cup twice, the SPFL Championship twice and the Scottish Cup in 22/23.
The central midfielder swapped Paradise for Hamilton Academical’s youth set-up in 2005, before graduating to the South Lanarkshire side’s first-team fold the following year. Between 2006 and 2009, McCarthy made over 100 appearances for the New Douglas Park outfit, during which time he caught the eye of then English Premier League side Wigan, then managed by Roberto Martinez.
In 2013, McCarthy helped the Latics clinch the FA Cup in a 1-0 win over Manchester City, but despite this accolade, Wigan were relegated from England’s top-flight at the end of the 2012/13 campaign. At the beginning of 2013/14, Roberto Martinez took over from the departing David Moyes at Everton and brought James McCarthy with him to Goodison Park – where the central midfielder would call home for the next six years of his career.
Injury overshadowed spells of McCarthy’s time in the blue half of Merseyside – namely a broken leg sustained against West Ham in 2019 – but he nevertheless recorded 133 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and assisting 10 times for his teammates along the way. In the summer of 2019, Roy Hodgson signed the Irishman at Crystal Palace on a two-year deal during which time he made 52 appearances, helping the Eagles to a 14th-place Premiership finish for two successive seasons.
In the summer of 2021, McCarthy’s career went full-circle when he signed at Paradise for his boyhood heroes on a four-year deal.
COUNTRY BHOY
Born and raised in Glasgow, James McCarthy was invited to play for Ireland aged 16 by way of his Irish grandfather. The central midfielder accepted, and received his first senior-level call-up three years later in March, 2010 under Giovanni Trapattoni. McCarthy has since accrued 42 appearances for his country.
