Stephen McPhail

Football player infobox
playername = Stephen McPhail


fullname = Stephen John Paul McPhail
height = 5ft 8in
nickname = Macca
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|12|9|df=y
cityofbirth = Westminster, London
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Cardiff City
clubnumber = 10
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs = Rush Athletic
Home Farm
Leeds United
years = 1997-2004
2002
2003
2004-2006
2006-
clubs = Leeds United
→ Millwall (loan)
→ Nottingham Forest (loan)
Barnsley
Cardiff City
caps(goals) = 78 (3)
03 (0)
14 (0)
70 (4)
90 (3)
nationalyears = ?
2006-
2001-
nationalteam = Republic of Ireland U21
Republic of Ireland B
Republic of Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 0? (?)
01 (0)
10 (1)
pcupdate = 14:45, 2 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 4/11/2007

Stephen John Paul McPhail (born 9 December 1979 in Westminster, London, raised in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish footballer currently playing in the Football League Championship for Welsh side Cardiff City. He has won 10 caps for his country, the Republic of Ireland, and scored one goal. He plays as an attacking central midfield player but can play on the left as well. He has the nickname of Macca due to his surname.

Club career

Leeds United

McPhail started his career by coming through the youth ranks at Leeds United and attracted interest from several teams which even led to former Arsenal manager George Graham to christen him "the new Liam Brady". He began to make an impact on the first team during the 1997/98 season, making his debut in February 1998 against Leicester City, when he made several substitute appearances and impressed with his hard working play and strong passing ability, which was showcased during one league match when he made a 50-yard lob pass to Leeds and future Cardiff City teammate Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink which some Leeds fans described as "one of the passes of the season".

He started to become a regular for the side during the 1999/00 season, after making several sub appearances, when he was given a long run in the first team squad and was rewarded with a new five-year contract at the Yorkshire club [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/831647.stm "Leeds aim to keep stars"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] . During this time McPhail went on to break his scoring duck for Leeds that year when he scored twice in a league match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

After David O'Leary left Leeds the club went on to have several different managers over the next few years and due to injuries he failed to break into the team first under Terry Venables and later Peter Reid. During this time he spent time on loan at Millwall [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/millwall/1876199.stm "McPhail explains move"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] and Nottingham Forest [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/nottm_forest/3181859.stm "Forest agree McPhail deal"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] in order to get some first team games. He nearly made his move to Forest permanent as both player [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/nottm_forest/3222131.stm "McPhail eyes Forest deal"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] and manager [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/nottm_forest/3193825.stm "Hart wants McPhail to stay"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] felt the move would be beneficial to his career but the propsed move eventually broke down as Leeds were reluctant to let him leave. During his time at Leeds United Stephen took part in the club's Champions League Semi Final run, taking part in memeorable games against the likes of Barcelona and playing well against Lazio at Elland Road. Andy Gray once referred to him as the "best midfielder in the premiership".

Barnsley

He left Leeds in July 2004 to sign for Barnsley [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnsley/3830517.stm "Barnsley sign McPhail"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] on a free transfer, becoming the first international player from Great Britain and Republic of Ireland to sign for the club since Gary Fleming in 1990. He spent two years at Barnsley where he was a major part of the squad and was part of the team that gained promotion to the English Championship via the League One play-offs. Had he stayed with Barnsley he would have been playing in the Championship the following year but instead he opted to leave the club.

Cardiff City

Due to being out of contract he attracted interest from teams all over The Football League but on 13 June, 2006 he signed for Football League Championship side Cardiff City on a free transfer from Barnsley. He was seen as a replacement for Jason Koumas when the club failed to secure his permanent transfer from West Bromwich Albion after he had spent the previous year on loan at Ninian Park. During his first season at Ninian Park, he showed his potential, being ever-present in the starting line-up and in July 2007 he was rewarded with a new four-year contract at the club [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6925073.stm "McPhail signs Cardiff extension"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] . Manager Dave Jones continued to show faith in the midfielder when, at the start of the 2007/08 season, he made McPhail temporary captain in the absence of normal captain Darren Purse and vice-captain Riccardo Scimeca. On 27 October, 2007 he finally broke his scoring drought for Cardiff, in his 55th league game, by finding the net in a 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe United.

On 30 November, 2007 after a poor start to the season for the Bluebirds McPhail spoke to local paper the South Wales Echo and claimed that the teams poor start was "all his fault". [ [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city-fc/2007/11/30/it-s-all-my-fault-mcphail-s-shock-admission-91466-20184334/ "Its all my fault - McPhail's shock admission"] South Wales Echo Retrieved on 30 November, 2007] Cardiff's form improved towards the new year as they moved back towards the play off places with McPhail's midfield partnership with Gavin Rae beginning to produce, as he found the net twice within the space of two months with goals against Hull City and Blackpool. McPhail also led the team as captain to the FA Cup Final, played on 18 May, playing in four of the five games en route to the final, being replaced by Aaron Ramsey for the third round tie against non-league Chasetown due to picking up his fifth booking of the season the previous week.

The start of the 2008-09 season saw McPhail make his 100th appearance for Cardiff, in a 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers on 16 August. On 23 September Cardiff met rivals Swansea City in the first South Wales derby to take place in seven years and, after being booked in the first half, McPhail was sent off in the 75th minute resulting in a one match ban which saw him miss the league match against Birmingham City.

International career

He received his first call up in May 2000 when manager Mick McCarthy selected him in the squad for a match against Scotland [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000530/ai_n14316703 "McPhail joins Republic's swing to left"] The Independent Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] . McPhail currently holds 10 caps for the Republic of Ireland national football team and has also played for the Ireland under-21 side earlier in his career however he has not earned a full cap for Ireland since a match against Nigeria in 2004. [ [http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1429&Itemid=9 "Opportunity knocks for Ireland's B side and Stephen McPhail"] FAI.ie Retrieved on 4 November, 2007] Due to some good form at Cardiff he had publicly declared his hopes of returning to the international scene due to the return of an Ireland B team. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6144644.stm "McPhail targets Republic return"] BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 October, 2007] . In October 2006 he was named in the Ireland B squad for a match against Scotland B and captained the side in a 0-0 draw. [ [http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1436 "Ireland B vs Scotland B match report"] FAI.ie Retrieved on 4 November, 2007] In May 2008, new Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni selected McPhail for his first squad for the friendly games agains Serbia and Colombia.

Club stats

As of 3 February, 2008

Honours

With Barnsley:
* English Division Two play-off winners: 2005-06

With Cardiff City:
* FA Cup runners-up: 2007-08

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=13638|name=Stephen McPhail
* [http://www.football.co.uk/cardiff/players/stephen_mcphail_24321.shtml Stephen McPhail player profile] at football.co.uk
* [http://www.4thegame.com/club/cardiff-city-fc/player-profile/27272/stephenmcphail.html Stephen McPhail player profile] at 4thegame.com
* [http://www.cardiffcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10335~5721,00.html Stephen McPhail Profile] at Cardiff City FC.co.uk.
* [http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10309~5721,00.html Stephen McPhail Profile] at barnsleyfc.co.uk.