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Fullname: Paul George
aka: –
Born: 27 Jan 1994
Birthplace: Killough, Co. Down
Signed: February 2008; 1 Aug 2011 (full)
Left: 19 January 2015 (free)
Position: Winger/Forward
Debut: Ross County 0-2 Celtic, League Cup, 21 Sep 2011
Squad No.: 50
Internationals: Northern Ireland U16/19; Rep of Ireland U16/19; none for senior sides
International Caps: […]
International Goals: […]
Biog
Paul George was one of Celtic’s youngest ever signings when he joined Celtic at 14 in early 2008, initially going into the U15 team with a guaranteed three-year professional contract when he turned 16. He was playing for Celtic Boys Club, Belfast and had been on trial with major English clubs.
One article claimed that:
“When he was just 16 years of age, the silky attacker was considered the jewel in the crown at Celtic’s Lennoxtown academy. He was the talk of Glasgow’s East End and widely regarded, alongside Somalian forward Islam Feruz, as the hottest prospect in Scotland, borne out by the fact he was fast-tracked for first team action not long after his 17th birthday”.
Presented to the fans at half-time of the 1-0 win over Kilmarnock, he then came over full-time in July 2008 and attended St. Ninian’s, Kirkintilloch on the Celtic scholarship scheme. He made his first team debut in a friendly against AZ Alkmaar when he came on as a replacement for his fellow countryman Niall McGinn.
He made his competitive debut in Sep 2011 v Ross County (as a late sub on at the 89mins mark) in a 2-0 win in the league cup. He came close to scoring late in the game but it was saved at close range by the keeper. That was sadly his only game for the first team, and so he possibly holds the record for least minutes played by any player for the first team (non-friendly matches): 3mins total (1min normal + 2min injury time). Celtic went on to win the league by a country mile, 20pts over Rangers so he got a very minor bit-part in the campaign. If he’d got that goal maybe he could have won the argument for a further chance.
He represented Northern Ireland U-16 in the 2009 Victory Shield, scoring their only goal of the tournament in the 2-1 defeat by Scotland in October 2009, and went on to gain three caps at that age level. However, he caused a little bit of controversy by joining certain other counterparts in controversially opting for the Republic of Ireland side for the U-17s & U-19s. A contentious issue that is best left for other forums.
He suffered a broken leg in April 2012 in a match v Rangers U19, suffering the dreaded tibia and fibula double leg break and sadly, but inevitably, struggled to recapture his best form since:
“When I was at Celtic, I had the leg break and I never really seemed to get back from it. Every time I tried to come back, it kept getting worse and worse.”
Effectively his chances were to disappear thereafter, and he didn’t play for the first team again. However, he was rated by various commentators, and had won the Under 19 League Player of the Season award for 2011/12.
To assist him he was sent out on loan to Hamilton in January 2014, but was given few appearances with just the one start; injuries were hampering his development. He returned to Celtic in June 2014, but few were confident that he could turn things around at Celtic.
Ronnie Deila became manager in the summer of 2014, and despite a wish to utilise youth players more, Paul George was not to win further first team opportunities at Celtic, and was released in January 2015.
Post-Celtic
After Celtic, his career admittedly didn’t reach any great heights. He moved to Dunfermline before moving back to Northern Ireland with Cliftonville, and helped them to become the Northern Ireland Football League Cup winners in 2015/16. He then had a spell in Australia with the wonderfully named Ballarat Red Devils.
He later returned back home to play for Portadown where on his signing he was rated as a ‘potential gem’ by his new manager, and then had spells with Dromara Village, […]
[….]
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES (subs) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2011/12 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | (1) |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Pictures
The Big Interview: Former Celtic starlet Paul George ready to rebuild his career at Portadown
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/big-interview-former-celtic-starlet-14285519
The Shamrock Park new boy recently returned from a spell playing Down Under
ByMaxie Swain
16:30, 13 FEB 2018
Paul George celebrates a goal for Celtic Under 19s
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Former Celtic wonderkid Paul George admits now is the time to start delivering on his huge promise.
The Shamrock Park new boy, just recently returned from a spell playing Down Under, has hooked up with Niall Currie’s promotion-chasing Portadown until the end of the season as he looks to resurrect a career once tipped for greatness.
Back then, when he was just 16 years of age, the silky attacker was considered the jewel in the crown at Celtic’s Lennoxtown academy.
He was the talk of Glasgow’s East End and widely regarded, alongside Somalian forward Islam Feruz, as the hottest prospect in Scotland, borne out by the fact he was fast-tracked for first team action not long after his 17th birthday.
Indeed, such was the hype around George, he even found himself the centre of an IFA-FAI tug-of-war over his eligibility, with both countries desperate to secure his loyalty.
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Alas for George, the intervening years have been beset by serious set-backs, and none of his making.
George celebrates with the Glasgow Cup in 2011
The first, and cruelest, of those blows came when towards the end of his best season to date in 2011/2012 – a year in which he was crowned Scotland’s under-19 player of the year – he was cut down by a challenge from Rangers youngster Lewis MacLeod.
He suffered the dreaded tibia and fibula double leg break and sadly, but inevitably, has struggled to recapture that kind of form since.
Short loan spells at Hamilton Academicals and Dunfermline as he embarked on the comeback trail were similarly cursed by injury, while his eagerly-anticipated bow in Irish League football following his switch to Cliftonville in 2015 was equally frustrating.
Having just recently turned 24, George acknowledges that he’s no longer one for the future.
It’s time to prove himself all over again – but perhaps even more so, it’s time for his luck to change.
He’s confident he’s found the right club for that to happen, however, and hopes Ports fans will be the ones to witness the re-emergence of the classy playmaker of old.
“When I was at Celtic, I had the leg break and I never really seemed to get back from it,” said George.
“Every time I tried to come back, it kept getting worse and worse.
Portadown manager Niall Currie
“I went to Hamilton on loan, and I went to Dunfermline, and the same thing kept happening, bad luck with injuries.
“When I was across the water, I just really couldn’t find my feet, so I came back here, went to Cliftonville, still couldn’t get over the injuries, went to Australia, and that was the final straw for me until now.
“I haven’t had the best of luck, but I’ve started training again and because I’ve been away for so long, I want to do everything right this time.
“I want to be dedicated and I want to try to work hard and I feel like I’m getting fitter and I feel quite sharp early on so that’s a good thing.
“I just want to get the smile back on my face when I’m playing. Obviously when I was at Celtic I had my injuries and I was going to other clubs and I wasn’t enjoying it because I wasn’t playing a lot. So I’m glad that Niall has given me this opportunity.
“After my first training session he said he wanted to sign me straight away. I was thrown in at the deep end and everything has happened really quick.
George in Portadown’s colours
“Talking about where he sees me fitting in, he says I have got something different, a bit of creativity, and he also said it’s going to take a bit of time to get fit. We are working on that side of it but he is expecting me to play as a No10.
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“I can also play out wide but I think the No 10 striker role is what he wants from me.”
Although George’s burgeoning career over in the place they call Paradise would ultimately end up unfulfilled, he still retains priceless memories from his time with his boyhood club, both on the field of play and off it, where he was taken under the wing of the Irish contingent.
“I was a Celtic fan growing up,” said George, who hails from Killough on the Co Down coast.
“When I was younger I had a lot of trials over in England, but it was actually Tommy Burns who was the head of youth and that’s what persuaded me to sign for Celtic.
“Obviously breaking my leg was a low point and that happened when I was just breaking into the first team, which was a bit of bad luck, but there were some good times as well. Obviously, I got to play with a lot of good players.
George in action against Barcelona in the Nextgen Series
“When I was breaking through as a schoolboy, I had a similar playing style to Aiden McGeady so I would have looked up to him at the time.
“And when I broke into the first team, there was the likes of Paddy McCourt and Niall McGinn there, the Irish lads, the Northern Irish lads, who were over there looked after me.
“The highlights were making my debut, and I played a few friendlies and things for the first team as well, and I won a lot of youth cups and leagues so there were a lot of good times and good memories. But I’d say making my debut was the best. That was my dream, and to do it so young too.
“Obviously, I thought I was going to have a long career over there ahead of me, but injury knocked it back. But now I’m back in the frame, I’m back in love with the game and hopefully I can kick- start my career again with Portadown.”
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On a personal front George, who played in Saturday’s massive derby win over Loughgall as the Ports kept alive their promotion hopes, is determined to finally put to bed his injury hell and show the Irish League what he’s all about.
While at club level, he wants to help fire the Mid Ulster men back to where they feel they belong – in the top flight slugging it out for honours with the cream of the Premiership.
Eoghan O’Connell, Bahrudin Atajic and George celebrate with the SFA Youth Cup trophy
“For me personally I want to maintain my spot in the team, get fit and hopefully chip in with a few goals as well,” he said.
“For the team, we are just taking every game as it comes, every game is a cup final from now until the end of the season.
“Obviously we want to make the play- offs. The league is not out of sight either but we just have to take every game as it comes.
“Long term, I want to get back playing in the top flight of Irish football.
“I’m at Portadown at the minute so hopefully I can achieve that and hopefully we’re back in the Premier League before you know it.
“In the next couple of years I want to be back playing regular football and back enjoying it again.
“Obviously when I was at Cliftonville that was my goal then.
“But that didn’t work out through injuries and stuff, but now I have got my head sorted and my feet back on the ground.
“And hopefully now I can let people know who I am over here.”