Paddy Fagan

Who is Paddy Fagan?

Fionan "Paddy" Fagan was an Irish footballer who played as a winger.

The son of Irish international and Shamrock Rovers outside-left John Fagan, Fionan Fagan started his career with Shamrock Rovers schoolboys and then Transport F.C., before signing for English Second Division club Hull City after Raich Carter brought him to England. He played 26 times for Hull, scoring 2 goals. He signed for First Division Manchester City on Christmas Eve 1953 for £15,000, playing a reserve game on Christmas Day and making his first team debut on St Stephen's Day, a 2-1 win against Sheffield United at Maine Road.

In his first season at Manchester City Fagan made only seven appearances, but in the 1954-55 season he became a first team regular, playing under the tactical system known as the Revie Plan. The 1954-55 season proved to be Fagan's most successful for Manchester City, playing 42 times and scoring 11 goals, including at hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford, as City reached the 1955 FA Cup final. However, his Wembley appearance ended in a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United. Manchester City reached the final again the following season, but Fagan did not play in the final, and missed out on a winners' medal. After continuing to play regularly for a further three seasons, Fagan lost his first team place to Colin Barlow in the 1959-60 season, and was transferred to Derby County for £8,000 in March 1960, after a total of 165 appearances and 35 goals for the Manchester club. Fagan was capped twice by the Irish national team while at City. The first of these international caps came on 7 November 1954 against Norway.