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Page Last Updated
11 April 2023
 
 

Paul Ince

Manchester United FC, FC Internazionale Milano, Liverpool FC, Middlesbrough FC
53 appearances, 2 goals

P 53 W x D x L x F x: A x
*(actual F x: A x)
x% successful

1992-2000

disciplined: 13
1
captain:
seven
minutes played:
4406

Profile

Full name Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (*Actual for and against are the goals scored
while the player was on the field.)
Born 21 October 1967 in Ilford, Greater London [registered in Redbridge, December 1967].
notes: Ilford became part of the Greater London registration county in 1965.
Attended Goodmayes Primary School, Ilford and Mayfield Boys School, Goodmayes
Married to Claire M. Latter [registered in Barking & Dagenham, Essex, June 1990].
Height/Weight 5' 11", 12st. 2lbs [1999].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com

Club Career

Club(s)

He was spotted by West Ham United FC coach John Lyall when he was twelve years old, and signed for the Hammers as a YTS trainee at 14. On 18 July 1985 he signed professional terms. He went onto play 72 league appearances, scoring seven goals.  On 14 September 1989, he moved to Manchester United FC for £1m., and the self-titled Guv'nor would play 206 league matches, scoring 24. Internazionale Milano FC paid £8m. for Ince on 13 July 1995. Professionally, his time at Milan was highly successful, playing 54 league matches, scoring ten times, and on 7 July 1997, Inter accepted a £5 million bid from Everton FC, but Ince refused talks and instead, when he returned to England, he did so to join Liverpool for £4.2 million on 22 July 1997. He was appointed captain. He played 65 Premier League matches, scoring fourteen goals.  He joined Middlesbrough FC for £1m., playing 93 Premier League matches, scoring seven. Ince then joined Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on a free transfer on 6 August 2002. He played 115 league matches, scoring ten.  After failing to win a new contract at Wolves, Ince joined Swindon Town AFC on 31 August 2006 as a player-coach, playing just three times in the league. After leaving the club several weeks later, Ince joined Macclesfield Town AFC as player-manager, unable to play until January 2007, he played just the once (5 May 2007 vs. Notts County FC) before finally hanging up his boots to concentrate on his managerial duties.

Club honours FA Cup winners 1989-90, 1993-94, runners-up 1994-95, FA Charity Shield shared 1990, winners 1993, 1994, Football League Cup runners-up 1990-91, 1993-94, winners 1991-92, European Cup Winners Cup winners 1990-91, UEFA European Super Cup winners 1991, Football League runners-up 1991-92, Premier League Champions 1992-93, 1993-94, runners-up 1994-95, UEFA Cup runners-up 1996-97, Football League Division One Play-off Winners 2002-03;
Individual honours Premier League Player of the Month October 1994; Premier League Team of the Year 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95; Premier League Team of the Decade 1992-2002
Distinctions x

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

Managerial Career


Club(s)
League History
P 257 - W 97 - D 61 - L 99
Ince was appointed player manager of Macclesfield Town FC on 23 October 2006, they were seven points adrift at the bottom of League Two but he helped them avoid relegation. On 25 June 2007, he was appointed as the new manager of MK Dons FC. After a successful season, Ince became the first British BME manager in the top division of English football when, on 22 June 2008, he was appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers FC. However, he was consequently sacked on 16 December 2008 after winning just six games in 21 attempts.  Ince returned to MK Dons FC on 3 July 2009, but it was a less successful stint, and on 28 October 2010, he took the managerial job at Notts County FC, a job he held until he lost nine matches in a row, culminating on 3 April 2011 with him leaving by mutual consent. On 18 February 2013, Ince was appointed as the new manager at Blackpool FC, despite a good start, and Pools' best ever start to a season, Ince found himself in trouble with the FA, was suspended because of violent conduct and he left the Seasiders on 21 January 2014. He returned to management when he was appointed the interim manager of Reading FC on 19 February 2022, becoming a permanent appointment for the following season. He was sacked on 11 April 2023.
Club honours MK Dons 2007-08
Football League Trophy winners
2007-08,
Football League Two winners
2007-08;
Individual honours League Two Manager of the Month December 2006, October 2007, December 2007, April 2008. Championship Manager of the Month August 2013.

England Career

Player number One of two who became the 1044th player (1044) to appear for England.
BME number The 26th BME player at Senior level, the first Captain.
Position(s) Midfielder
First match No. 689, 9 September 1992, Spain 1 England 0, a friendly match at Estádio El Sardinero, Santander, aged 24 years 324 days.
Last match No. 771, 20 June 2000, England 2 Romania 3, a European Championship Finals group match at Stade Communal, Charleroi, Belgium, aged 32 years 243 days.
Major tournaments European Championship Finals 1996, 2000; World Cup Finals 1998;
Team honours Le Tournoi de France winners 1997;
Individual honours England B (one appearance), England U21 (two appearances), England Youth
Distinctions Became the England captain on winning his seventh cap. Also the first black captain of the national team.
Became the most appearanced Englishman at Inter Milan in 1996.

Beyond England

x. - Various Media

 

Paul Ince - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Starts Sub on Sub off Mins. Goals goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
- 53 29 50 3 11 4406 2 2203 min 2 7 13
 
1
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Paul Ince - Match Record - All Matches
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Away - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Neutral - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Paul Ince - Match Record - By Colour of Shirt
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
White - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Blue - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Red - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Paul Ince - Match Record - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L

WCP

0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
WCF 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
World Cup - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ECP

0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
ECF 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
European Championship - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Minor Competition - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Friendly - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Paul Ince - Match Record - Tournament Matches
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
x - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Paul Ince - Match History
 Club: Manchester United F.C. - 16 full appearances

manager: Graham Taylor - 12 full capsx

Age 24
- b 18 February 1992 - England B 3 France B 0, Rangers Stadium, Shepherds Bush Fr HW Start 7
1 689 9 September 1992 - Spain 1 England 0, Estádio El Sardinero, Santander Fr AW x x
2 - x - x, x x x x x
Age 25
3 - x - x, x x x x x
4 - x - x, x x x x x
5 - x - x, x x x x x
6 - x - x, x x x x x
7 - x - x, x Tour x captain x
8 - x - x, x x captain x
9 - x - x, x x x x
10 - x - x, x x x x x
11 - x - x, x x x x x
Age 26
12 - x - x, x x x x x
 

Coach: Terry Venables - 11 full capsx

13 - x - x, x x x x x
14 - x - x, x x x x x
15 - x - x, x x x x x
Age 27
16 - 15 February 1995 - x, x Fr Aab x x
 Club: Internazionale Milano F.C. - 17 full appearances  
Age 28
17 - 27 March 1996 - x, x x x x x
18 - x - x, x x x x x
19 - x - x, x x x x x
20 - 8 June 1996 - x, x ECF x x x
21 - 15 June 1996 - x, x x x x
22 - 18 June 1996 - x, x x x x
- - x - x, x x Suspended
23 - 26 June 1996 - x, x x x x
 

Coach: Glenn Hoddle - 21 full capsx

24 - 1 September 1996 - x, x x x x x
25 - x - x, x x x x x
Age 29
26 - x - x, x x x x x
27 - x - x, x x x x x
28 - x - x, x x x captain x
29 - x - x, x x x x x
30 - x - x, x x x x x
31 - 4 June 1997 - x, x TC x captain x
32 - 7 June 1997 - x, x x sub x
33 - 10 June 1997 - x, x x x x
 Club: Liverpool F.C. - 12 full appearances  
34 - 11 October 1997 - x, x x x captain x
Age 30
35 - 15 November 1997 - x, x x x captain x
36 - x - x, x x x sub x
37 - x - x, x x x x x
38 - x - x, x x x x x
39 - x - x, x TC x captain x
40 - 15 June 1998 - x, x WCF x x x
41 - 22 June 1998 - x, x x x x
42 - 26 June 1998 - x, x x x x
43 - 30 June 1998 - x, x x x x
44 751 5 September 1998 - Sweden 2 England 1, Rasunda Fotbollstadion, Solna ECP AL Start x
Age 31  

Coach: Howard Wilkinson - 1 full capx

45 755 10 February 1999 - England 0 France 2, Wembley Stadium, Wembley Fr HL x x
 Club: Middlesbrough F.C. - 8 full appearances

Coach: Kevin Keegan - 8 full capsx

46 762 10 October 1999 - England 2 Belgium 1, Stadium of Light, Sunderland Fr HW x x
Age 32
47   13 November 1999 - Scotland 0 England 2, ECP
P-O
AW  
48   17 November 1999 - England 0 Scotland 1, HL  
49     Fr      
50     Fr   sub  
51 769   ECF   Start 14
52 770     Start
53 771 20 June 2000 - England 2 Romania 3, Stade Communal, Charleroi NL Start

PAUL THE PIONEER
Boss Ince: My dream to be first black Prem GUV'NOR
 
As the first black player to captain his country, Paul Ince rightly regards himself as having played a pioneering role in history of the game.  When he led out England against the United States in Boston in 1993, Ince was fulfilling more than just a boyhood ambition and achieving much more than a personal career milestone.

In pulling on the captain's armband, Ince broke down one of football's most shameful barriers and paved the way for a generation of young black men to realise their dreams of becoming professional players. But 14 years on from that seminal episode in his illustrious career, Ince is appalled that, while black players form an integral part of modern English football, the Premier League cannot boast one black English boss. It is why Ince has made it his personal crusade who became the this country's first black Premier League boss and why he chose the eve of his Macclesfield side's glamour FA Cup tie with Chelsea to reveal his dismay at the current situation.

"When I became captain of England people said it was responsible for a lot of black kids in the ghetto starting to play football.  I was regarded as some sort of figurehead for black people to get into football.  So it's strange there are no black managers in the Premier League, particularly when people like Ian Wright and Les Ferdinand were such great players.  Wrighty and Les have gone into TV, but I've spoken to them loads of times and said that when you've had such great careers you have to put something back into the game.  I just feel that maybe I'm the one to take it on, who became the that first black Premier League manager.  There's Keith Alexander and Leroy Rosenior who have tried it in the lower leagues.  Keith got into the play-offs three times but no-one has been prepared to give him the chance to go higher and I can't understand why.  Hopefully I can change that.  If I keep performing the way I have started here then in another four or five years may they will have no choice but to say 'yes'."

Alexander, currently the only other black manager in England, has been ignored by many clubs and Ince said: "He's at Peterborough now but look at his great work at Lincoln.  No one would give him a chance to go to the next level.  But his record is second to none in getting teams into promotion play-offs. You wonder why and the only conclusion you can reach is that it's because of his colour.  It's strange that all the great black British players from the past have just disappeared. It would be lovely if I could break that mould.  I was the first black captain England ever had, and becoming the first black English Premier League manager would be another milestone."

Ince has been out of the limelight since his glory days with West Ham, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool and England, but he will be the centre of attention once again during Macclesfield's dream third round tie at Stamford Bridge.  In a little over two months, the 39-year-old has performed a minor miracle at the struggling League Two side. When Ince took over in October, Macclesfield were bottom of the table, seven points adrift of safety, 92nd in the Football League. But in that time Ince has transformed the club's fortunes.  Macclesfield had not won in their first 17 fixtures of the season, but under Ince they have hauled themselves off the foot of the table and are unbeaten in their last 10 games.  As a United star he was on the receiving end of Sir Alex Ferguson's infamous "hairdryer" treatment, but Ince has a more gentle way of coaxing the best out of his own players.  I don't think you can bollock lads any more because the football culture has changed.  The lads here are so passionate about their football. They've got mouths to feed, they don't get paid a lot of money, but they come in every day and work their nuts off.  You've got to make them believe they are the greatest player in the world, and if you can do that you can go on a good run like we've done."

The eyes of the football world may be on Macclesfield and their unlikely attempt to cause the biggest FA Cup upset of all time, but Ince knows that once tomorrow is over it is back to reality for him and his players.  That means journeys to places like Barnet, Torquay and Grimsby, where conditions are less than desirable, attendances are sparse and few people outside the two clubs playing each other have any interest in the outcome.  But Ince will be glad when the furore over the Chelsea game is out of the way and he can concentrate once again on his real aim - to preserve Macclesfield's League status. "I want my players to embrace the experience at Chelsea," he added. "But this game isn't important to me. Keeping Macclesfield in the League is important to me. I'll be glad when this match is gone, and we'll have to focus our attention on Barnet, our next League game."
This interview appeared in the Daily Mirror, London - 5th January 2007.

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CG