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Paul Devlin (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Paul John Devlin is a former Scotland international
professional footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League
and Premier League.
, Devlin began to play competitive football for Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves in the early 1980s. He joined Stafford Rangers
in 1991, following his release by Tamworth
, in just one season playing for the club Devlin was spotted by a number of Football League
scouts.
side Notts County
on 22 February 1992, to work under the guidance of Neil Warnock
.
Although Devlin had limited chances in his first season the club suffered the pain of relegation from the Football League First Division
by finishing 21st. With the Premier League been formed the following season the club were effectively relegated to the same league although they were now in the second tier of English football.
The following season did not look much better for Notts County and Devlin as the club were again involved in a relegation battle, manager Neil Warnock left the club and Mike Walker came in and put a stop to the club's drop by steering the club to a 17th place finish.
The following season Devlin began to show his form and his performances shot the club to a 7th place finish and missed out on the play-offs by one position.
County, now under the guidance of Russell Slade
, finished bottom of the Football League First Division
and were relegated, this was Devlin's second relegation in four seasons with the club.
Devlin, however stayed loyal to the club and began the 1995/96 season in the Football League Second Division
and some of the impressive displays that Devlin had showed previously returned and sent Notts County to the top end of the table and an instant return to the First Division looked on the cards, but Devlin was a wanted man and in January 1996 his form was enough to attract the attention of Birmingham City
, who signed him for a fee of £250,000.
During his time with Notts County Devlin made a total of 141 appearances and scored 25 goals.
career got off to a great start and the player showed he was still more than capable of playing in the First Division by scoring a further seven times for the club before the end of the 1995/96 season.
The following season Devlin scored 16 times, and he contributed a further five goals. In total Devlin played 76 games scoring 28 goals.
in February 1998, signed by Steve Thompson for £200,000. After a string of substitute appearances he made his full debut on 13 April in a 1–1 draw away at Swindon Town
. He scored his first goal for the Blades in another away draw later that month, this time finishing 3–3 at Tranmere Rovers
.
Devlin showed himself to be a hard-working player, but with a habit of getting booked, picking up 11 yellow cards in his first season with the club. He notched 24 goals in his 145 games for the club. November 1998 briefly saw him loaned back to Notts County where he played a further five times.
signing him to provide cover for his main strikers. This second spell, including promotion to the Premier League, saw Devlin play 77 times, scoring seven goals, however at the end of the 2003/04 season he was released.
. He added steel and experience to the Championship
side. During his first season, the 2003/04 season he made 39 appearances and scored 3 goals, the club finished in 16th position in the table.
The 2004/05 was an eventful one for Watford and Devlin in his second season with the club, again Devlin was a regular with the club, but after February he did not play for the club again that season due to injury. Lewington found himself on his way out in March, much to the anger of many Watford fans, who believed that the dismissal was harsh and that he had done his best with resources available to him, even so Watford hired Leeds United
coach Aidy Boothroyd for his first taste as a manager. Boothroyd masterminded the club to safety when relegation had looked a certainty. During the season Devlin made 17 appearances and scored just once, with Watford finishing 18th and avoiding relegation.
The 2005/06 was Devlins chance to try and impress new manager Boothroyd, who had failed to see him play the previous season with the injury coming when it did. It turned out to be Devlin's last season as a Watford player, he returned to the squad at the start of the season, and played as a regular for the season and made 23 appearances and scored two goals, before Boothroyd allowed him to leave on a free transfer to Walsall
on 17 January 2006.
career took the worst possible start when he was injured on his debut just a week later. Upon his return to the first team he was sent off for an elbow to the face of an opponent in a 2–2 draw with Scunthorpe United
. After just eight appearances and a goal against Swansea City for Walsall, Devlin asked to be released after being left on the bench by then manager Kevan Broadhurst
for a game against A.F.C. Bournemouth
in April 2006. It was a controversial move, coming as it did whilst Walsall were in the midst of a struggle to remain in League One, in which they ultimately failed.
in July 2006 where he was signed until the end of the Irish season. He left the club in late August 2006 following the dismissal of Gypsies manager, Gareth Farrelly
.
. This bridged a 16 year gap away from the club. However on 4 October, and just four appearances under his belt, it was announced that Devlin had left the club by mutual consent, as he was unable to commit the necessary time.
He then had a brief stint with Sutton Coldfield Town
before signing for Halesowen Town
on 19 February 2007, where he played in midfield. He joined Rugby Town
as player/assistant manager in January 2008, but left for personal reasons after little more than a week in the post.
Devlin rejoined Sutton Coldfield Town at the end of March 2008 – the fourth time he had returned to a former club, the previous three being Notts County, Birmingham City and Tamworth – but left at the start of the 2008–09 season citing a "breakdown in communication" with the manager.
He joined Stratford Town
in October 2008, marking his debut with the equalising goal in a 2–2 draw against Rocester
.
caps in the 2002 friendly against Canada
, and last played for them in September 2003, against the Faroe Islands
in a Euro 2004 qualifying match. Devlin qualified to play for Scotland via his father being from Coatbridge
.
Devlin said of his home debut against Republic of Ireland at Hampden Park, "Playing at Hampden has always been a dream of mine and to finally achieve that made the match the proudest night of my career. I had 30-odd people in the stand watching me and it cost me an absolute fortune to make sure they could all be here. There were 23 of the clan from up here and a further seven flew up from down south."
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
professional footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and Premier League.
Stafford Rangers
Born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Devlin began to play competitive football for Boldmere St. Michaels Reserves in the early 1980s. He joined Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
in 1991, following his release by Tamworth
Tamworth F.C.
Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....
, in just one season playing for the club Devlin was spotted by a number of Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
scouts.
Notts County
Devlin then made the massive leap up to the top tier of English football, by joining Football League First DivisionFootball League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
on 22 February 1992, to work under the guidance of Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
.
Although Devlin had limited chances in his first season the club suffered the pain of relegation from the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
by finishing 21st. With the Premier League been formed the following season the club were effectively relegated to the same league although they were now in the second tier of English football.
The following season did not look much better for Notts County and Devlin as the club were again involved in a relegation battle, manager Neil Warnock left the club and Mike Walker came in and put a stop to the club's drop by steering the club to a 17th place finish.
The following season Devlin began to show his form and his performances shot the club to a 7th place finish and missed out on the play-offs by one position.
County, now under the guidance of Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...
, finished bottom of the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and were relegated, this was Devlin's second relegation in four seasons with the club.
Devlin, however stayed loyal to the club and began the 1995/96 season in the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
and some of the impressive displays that Devlin had showed previously returned and sent Notts County to the top end of the table and an instant return to the First Division looked on the cards, but Devlin was a wanted man and in January 1996 his form was enough to attract the attention of Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, who signed him for a fee of £250,000.
During his time with Notts County Devlin made a total of 141 appearances and scored 25 goals.
Birmingham City
Devlin's Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
career got off to a great start and the player showed he was still more than capable of playing in the First Division by scoring a further seven times for the club before the end of the 1995/96 season.
The following season Devlin scored 16 times, and he contributed a further five goals. In total Devlin played 76 games scoring 28 goals.
Sheffield United
Devlin joined Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
in February 1998, signed by Steve Thompson for £200,000. After a string of substitute appearances he made his full debut on 13 April in a 1–1 draw away at Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
. He scored his first goal for the Blades in another away draw later that month, this time finishing 3–3 at Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.
Devlin showed himself to be a hard-working player, but with a habit of getting booked, picking up 11 yellow cards in his first season with the club. He notched 24 goals in his 145 games for the club. November 1998 briefly saw him loaned back to Notts County where he played a further five times.
Birmingham City
In February 2002, Devlin was to return to Birmingham, manager Steve BruceSteve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
signing him to provide cover for his main strikers. This second spell, including promotion to the Premier League, saw Devlin play 77 times, scoring seven goals, however at the end of the 2003/04 season he was released.
Watford
Soon after Devlin joined Ray Lewington and WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. He added steel and experience to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side. During his first season, the 2003/04 season he made 39 appearances and scored 3 goals, the club finished in 16th position in the table.
The 2004/05 was an eventful one for Watford and Devlin in his second season with the club, again Devlin was a regular with the club, but after February he did not play for the club again that season due to injury. Lewington found himself on his way out in March, much to the anger of many Watford fans, who believed that the dismissal was harsh and that he had done his best with resources available to him, even so Watford hired Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
coach Aidy Boothroyd for his first taste as a manager. Boothroyd masterminded the club to safety when relegation had looked a certainty. During the season Devlin made 17 appearances and scored just once, with Watford finishing 18th and avoiding relegation.
The 2005/06 was Devlins chance to try and impress new manager Boothroyd, who had failed to see him play the previous season with the injury coming when it did. It turned out to be Devlin's last season as a Watford player, he returned to the squad at the start of the season, and played as a regular for the season and made 23 appearances and scored two goals, before Boothroyd allowed him to leave on a free transfer to Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
on 17 January 2006.
Walsall
Devlin's WalsallWalsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
career took the worst possible start when he was injured on his debut just a week later. Upon his return to the first team he was sent off for an elbow to the face of an opponent in a 2–2 draw with Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. After just eight appearances and a goal against Swansea City for Walsall, Devlin asked to be released after being left on the bench by then manager Kevan Broadhurst
Kevan Broadhurst
Kevan Broadhurst is an English former professional footballer, coach and football manager.Broadhurst was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire...
for a game against A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
in April 2006. It was a controversial move, coming as it did whilst Walsall were in the midst of a struggle to remain in League One, in which they ultimately failed.
Bohemians
Devlin joined Irish side BohemiansBohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
in July 2006 where he was signed until the end of the Irish season. He left the club in late August 2006 following the dismissal of Gypsies manager, Gareth Farrelly
Gareth Farrelly
Gareth Farrelly is an Irish footballer. He currently plays for Warrington Town and Paul Hastings FC ....
.
Later career
On 7 September 2006, Devlin returned to his roots by joining his youth team club, TamworthTamworth F.C.
Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....
. This bridged a 16 year gap away from the club. However on 4 October, and just four appearances under his belt, it was announced that Devlin had left the club by mutual consent, as he was unable to commit the necessary time.
He then had a brief stint with Sutton Coldfield Town
Sutton Coldfield Town F.C.
Sutton Coldfield Town F.C. are a football club based in Sutton Coldfield, England. They were formed in 1879 and currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division South ....
before signing for Halesowen Town
Halesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town is an English association football club formed in 1873, since 2011 playing in the Southern League Division One South & West]]. The team is nicknamed "The Yeltz".-History:...
on 19 February 2007, where he played in midfield. He joined Rugby Town
Rugby Town F.C.
Rugby Town F.C. is a football club based in Rugby, Warwickshire, which plays in the Southern Football League Division One Central. It is nicknamed The Valley, and plays its home matches at Butlin Road...
as player/assistant manager in January 2008, but left for personal reasons after little more than a week in the post.
Devlin rejoined Sutton Coldfield Town at the end of March 2008 – the fourth time he had returned to a former club, the previous three being Notts County, Birmingham City and Tamworth – but left at the start of the 2008–09 season citing a "breakdown in communication" with the manager.
He joined Stratford Town
Stratford Town F.C.
Stratford Town Football Club is a football club based in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Midland Football Alliance.-History:The club was formed in 1941 as Stratford Rangers, changing their name in 1949...
in October 2008, marking his debut with the equalising goal in a 2–2 draw against Rocester
Rocester F.C.
Rocester Football Club is a football club based in Rocester, near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England.-History:Rocester Football Club was formed in 1876 and for over a century played in various local leagues including the Stafford Amateur League and Uttoxeter and District League until they became...
.
International career
Devlin won the first of his 10 ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
caps in the 2002 friendly against Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
, and last played for them in September 2003, against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
in a Euro 2004 qualifying match. Devlin qualified to play for Scotland via his father being from Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
.
Devlin said of his home debut against Republic of Ireland at Hampden Park, "Playing at Hampden has always been a dream of mine and to finally achieve that made the match the proudest night of my career. I had 30-odd people in the stand watching me and it cost me an absolute fortune to make sure they could all be here. There were 23 of the clan from up here and a further seven flew up from down south."