Played with two of my friends at Rochdale and they said he was unreal in training and no one could stop him... met him a few times after the games with them in the club bar and he was a really good lad with time for everyone. Went from playing there to Celtic and the champs league! Defo was a pisshead from what they all told me and seem him put a few beers away in no time.... bloody talented player and always was great to watch
I met him in Rathmullan a few years ago on holiday with his family. The barman saw I had a Celtic top on and told me he was outside. Got a chat and a selfie and he was very friendly.
I was born in Barnsley left when I was 23 to live in Dublin, I support Barnsley and St. Patrick’s Athletic so have had the joy of watching him play for Barnsley but had the torment of seeing him play for Derry City and Shamrock Rovers against St. Pats, the difference from sitting back and enjoying him play to kick him do anything to get the ball off him is huge, it’s so sad we don’t see enough Paddy McCourt’s these days, the game certainly needs players and characters who remind you of how you used to try and play as a kid, some player is Paddy.
Having had the pleasure of watching George, Denis and Bobby at United for years, I definitely believe if Paddy was around in that era he would be mentioned in the same breath as them. Today soccer in total fitness with skill generally coached out of young lads. That's why Paddy's a breath of fresh air, a throwback to the 60s and 70s when soccer had a wealth of flair players, all from British isles and Ireland, so I say thanks Paddy, keep entertaining the fans, make them smile!
haha gimme a break!! The guy played for Rochdale and Barnsley, either side of Celtic. He doesnt deserve to be anywhere near the names you mentioned. What it shows is the standard of the SPL that these lower level English players go up there and look like Pele every week, inflate their price tag, get sold back to England and then flop back down the leagues. McGeady another prime example. There are so many, Rangers players too. I am not saying some of them don't have talent, but the level of consistency you need to do it against top defenders week in week out, which Livingston for example are not, it just wouldn't happen.
I agree with Gordon Strachan, who has played all around the world with Scotland with and against some great players and played for Manchester United for years at the highest level with and against great players when he says Paddy McCourt is as gifted a player as he has ever seen, and he gets as much enjoyment watching him play than any other player. Gordon has seen far more players up and close than you or me, and he tells it straight, no bull.
@@raydoherty1196 Strachan may have enjoyed watching him as much as any other player, but he put him in the reserves and only gave him 5 appearances, which says something. Best, Law and Charlton reached the top of the game in their time because they worked to excel at what they needed to excel at in their era. Law and Charlton would no doubt have done the same in McCourt's era. McCourt didn't.
When you see from those goals (especially the last one) just what Paddy McCourt was capable of you have to wonder where it has all gone wrong for him. He was such a rarity in the modern game a player who could dribble past defenders with ease and score exquisite goals. At 31 he is now washed up and on the look-out yet again for a new club. He could have been a world beater with his natural God-given talent.
Not just the drink and fitness, players like him are overlooked generally in british football not many direct out and out wingers who beat a man for fun now or even then its a dieing breed which is a shame.
10 years ago today I witnessed the best goal I've ever seen at Windsor Park. The guy never scored boring goals. He was immune to the the living in a bubble lifestyle of modern professional footballers which is why we so seldom saw him but for what little we did, it was memorable.
One of the most naturally talented footballers to come to parkhead. If he was fit he could have been great, but thats what held him back. On his day, he is genuinely unplayable
The talent he has, he can take entire teams apart in the blink of an eye, only weak point is his fitness and consistency. An extremely entertaining player to watch nonetheless, look at his goal for NI last night, oozing ability and class
I didn't think it was possible to be a bigger enigma than samaras, but Paddy McCourt you pull it off amazingly, unbelievably, ridiculously, epic-ly well.
Looks like the most underrated player on earth tbh. Yet every player seems to be like Maradona on RU-vid, I read good things about him and videos prove a lot. Not so many people outside UK seems to know him
Strachan was such a fool not playing this man more often... Rangers fan speaking here and I used to shit myself wen the ball was at this guys feet lol.
Legend love this guy, never given a chance at Celtic always on the bench a run in the team would have seen him flourish, way more talented than mcgeady was
@@KSRugby Best talent I’ve ever seen at Barnsley. Again his fitness and work rate meant a lot of fans got on his back. But he was about 30 by the time he joined us in the championship and must have known deep down in his head that he was way too good for us! Talent wise alone he’s the best I’ve seen live
Was a shame paddy wasnt around in todays game , he would have been one of the top earners,his footwork was incredible at Rochdale , problem was he wasnt a full game player, he played an half and that was him done , his fitness was always in question , when he trained at Rochdale the older players used to lap him on the training circuit, but saying that ., he was class and could turn a game on its head
Come on Patrick, your truly outstanding skill has never been in question, just get your fitness together. Rochdale and Celtic fans are still shouting for you. I agree with the Messi comparisons on this last goal here.
Genuinely one of the most technically gifted footballers I've seen at parkhead, if he could've exerted himself and got properly fit he would have been world class
Leeds fan here, always been a fan of Celtic though. Just wondering how much you rate him because we've been linked with him in the past few days. Do you think he could ever get back to scoring these types of goals? And why has he fallen out of favour there? Cheers.
Too fond of the bevvy and his diet was terrible, when he signed for Celtic he gave it all up and he tried his best to get the fitness levels required but the damage was already done to his system. Still though, absolutely sublime and these wee moments of magic are just incredible. If only someone had been there for him at the start of his career
Hope it's a true rumor, would be a terrific signing by the looks of it, think we've missed someone that just loves to take on defenders like that since benayoun, if I was Kenny, I'd put Wilson back on loan + cash for him
i like his control, he reminds me of messi!! look at every part of the vid, he's controlling and manipulating the ball! the ball's never gone out of his control
He still has a fair bit to go fitness-wise before he would warrant a start for a premier league team. Great football brain though and technique as he can play in the middle of the park not just on the wings.
Skill like Davie Cooper & George Best BUT fitness held him back Would’ve loved had Paddy at Ibrox .Just never understood why couldn’t get him fit Terrorise the best defenders if was fit . Really was that skilful in my opinion .
@helviojr1 firstly he plays in the scottish premier league, IReland national leagues are utter crud! and secondly he is playing for Northern Ireland, the likely who of us reaaching the world cup or euros FINALS!!!! let alone to a final is very difficult. He doesnt have to play for a great national side to be a great player, Best, Giggs, all are great players but internationally they played with the smaller nations. It is early days, but to see a player with such skill for Norn Iron, is uplifitn
