Craig Cathcart

Club

International

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.

Early career

Born in Belfast, Cathcart was spotted playing football for Glengormley High School at the age of 14, and, despite being coveted by clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Rangers upon winning the Northern Ireland Youth Player of the Year award in 2003, he began training at the Manchester United School of Excellence in Belfast. He signed trainee terms at Manchester United in July 2005, and turned professional on his 17th birthday in February 2006. Cathcart became a regular in the Manchester United Under-18s team, and was a member of the Under-17s team that played at the 2007 Northern Ireland Milk Cup, scoring the first goal in a 5–0 win over Liechtenstein. During the 2006–07 season, he was made captain of the United youth team that reached the FA Youth Cup Final, although he missed both legs of the final, the first through selection for the first team and the second through injury.

Manchester United

On 19 March 2007, Cathcart received his first call-up to the Manchester United senior squad for the FA Cup Sixth Round replay with Middlesbrough. After an injury to Nemanja Vidić, Cathcart was promoted to the first team squad as cover on 31 March 2007. He was an unused substitute in Manchester United's 7–1 win against Roma in the Champions League less than two weeks later, the FA Cup semi-final victory over Watford a further four days later, and the victory over Sheffield United on 17 April. Speculation that a defensive injury crisis would lead to Cathcart…

Cathcart was involved with the Northern Ireland national team since Under-17 level, and was part of the team that attempted to qualify for the 2006 European Under-17 Championship. By November 2006, still just 17 years old, Cathcart had been promoted to the Northern Ireland Under-21 team, and was named in the squad for a friendly against Germany on 14 November 2006. In February 2007, Cathcart was selected in the European squad for the 2007 Meridian Cup, a competition between two "all-star" Under-18 teams from Europe and Africa. After his first call-up, Cathcart was a consistent name in Northern Ireland under-21 squads, also playing a 3–0 defeat by Germany on 5 September 2008. Cathcart was called up to the Northern Ireland squad in May 2009, along with nine other uncapped players for the international friendly against Italy on 6 June. Cathcart made his full international debut in Northern Ireland's 1–0 win against Slovenia in Maribor on 3 September 2010. Playing out of position at left-back, due to an injury to Jonny Evans, Cathcart put in a strong performance and set up the winning goal for Corry Evans. He played for the side at UEFA Euro 2016, when Northern Ireland made it out of the group before being knocked out by Wales in the round of 16; it was the nation's best performance at a UEFA European Championship.

Watford

FA Cup runner-up: 2018–19 Individual

Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year: 2006–07