Paddy McNair

Manchester United

Born in Ballyclare, County Antrim, McNair began playing with Ballyclare Colts and was first discovered by Manchester United's Northern Ireland-based scout, Tony Coulter, when McNair was 12, and began travelling to train with United during his school holidays. He eventually signed for the club in 2011, having impressed the club scouts in a midfield role for Ballyclare Colts, but was later converted into a defender by United youth coach Paul McGuinness. While making the transition from midfield to defence, McNair was frequently compared to Michael Carrick by McGuinness. McNair made his senior debut for United on 27 September 2014 against West Ham United in a 2–1 victory in the Premier League at Old Trafford, starting the game due to an injury crisis in defence. He was praised by fans and manager Louis van Gaal for his solid defending in that match, including a vital headed clearance while United were down to 10 men. Despite McNair's inexperience in England's top division, Manchester United won all of the first four matches when McNair was in the starting line-up. On 4 January 2015, McNair was in the starting line-up for a FA Cup third round tie with Yeovil Town which concluded with a 2–0 result, playing as a right-back in a 3–5–2 formation. He started again in the same formation and role for a later round of the tournament against Cambridge United that ended 3–0. Following his impressive performance, Van Gaal publicly praised McNair and claimed that…

On 4 November 2014, McNair was called up to the Northern Ireland senior team for the first time, ahead of a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match away to Romania, but did not play. He made his debut on 25 March 2015 in a friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park, playing the entirety of a 1–0 defeat. He made his competitive debut on 4 September 2015 in a 3–1 away win over the Faroe Islands in a European qualifier. On 8 October 2015, McNair was drafted into the starting line-up for a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Greece. Northern Ireland went on to secure a decisive 3–1 victory, qualifying for the competition, a first major tournament the team would have qualified for in thirty years. After the final qualifying match, a 1–1 away draw with Finland on 11 October 2015, McNair remained in a Helsinki hospital due to concerns of a ruptured liver. On 24 March 2016, McNair was selected in the starting line-up for an international friendly against Wales, which subsequently ended in a 1–1 draw. Notably, McNair was deployed in a holding midfielder role instead of his more conventional position as a central defender. Following his display in the match, Northern Ireland head coach, Michael O'Neill, "believes midfield could be where McNair's future lies". On 28 May 2016, McNair was selected as part of the 23-man squad to represent Northern Ireland at UEFA Euro 2016. He was selected to start for Northern Ireland's opener against Poland in Nice, but was substituted at half time for…

Club

As of 25 August 2026

International

As of match played 26 March 2026

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each McNair goal.

Hull City

EFL Championship play-offs: 2026 Individual

Middlesbrough Player of the Year: 2020–21