Johnny Carey facts for kids

Johnny Carey (born February 23, 1919 – died August 22, 1995) was a famous Irish football player and manager. He played most of his career for Manchester United, where he was the team captain from 1946 until he stopped playing in 1953. Johnny was special because he played for and captained two different Irish national teams: the FAI XI and the IFA XI. In 1947, he even captained a team of players from all over Europe against a team from Great Britain.

In 1949, Johnny was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year. That same year, he captained the FAI XI team that beat England 2–0 at Goodison Park. This was a huge moment because it was the first time a team from outside the UK had beaten England on their home ground. Johnny Carey was also the first player from outside the UK and the first Irishman to captain a winning team in both the FA Cup Final and the top division of English football, the First Division. He was a very flexible player and played in nine different positions during his career. He even played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United once!

Johnny Carey's Early Football Days

When Johnny Carey was a schoolboy, he played football for a team called Home Farm. He also played Gaelic football as a young person. He was even chosen to play for the Dublin county team at a junior level.

In 1936, he joined St James's Gate. He played in the League of Ireland for only two months. Then, a scout for Manchester United named Billy Behan noticed him. In November 1936, Manchester United signed Johnny for £250, which was a record fee for the League of Ireland at that time.

Johnny made his first appearance for Manchester United on September 23, 1937. He played as an inside-left against Southampton. In his first season, Johnny and his teammates helped United get promoted to the First Division.

Playing During World War II

During the Second World War, Johnny Carey continued to play for Manchester United. Between 1939 and 1943, he played 112 games and scored 47 goals in special wartime leagues. He also played as a guest player for several other clubs. These included Cardiff City, Manchester City, Everton, Liverpool, and Middlesbrough.

On April 28, 1940, Johnny played for a League of Ireland XI team against a Scottish League XI. The Irish team lost 3–2. He also played as a guest for Shamrock Rovers. He scored in a 5–0 win against Limerick in April 1941. He scored twice more for Rovers in April 1942 in a 7–1 win.

Johnny also served in the British Army in Italy and the Middle East. While he was in Italy, he played football part-time for different clubs. He used the nickname Cario during this time. After the war, he had offers to stay and play in Italy.

Back to Manchester United

When Johnny Carey returned to Manchester United, he started playing as a midfielder and defender. The team's manager, Matt Busby, made him the team captain. Johnny led United to win the FA Cup final in 1948. His team also finished second in the First Division four times. Finally, they won the league title in 1952.

Some of his teammates at United during this time were Jack Rowley, Charlie Mitten, and John Aston. During his time with United, Johnny played 304 league games and scored 17 goals. He also played 38 games in the FA Cup and scored one goal. Johnny also played twice in the FA Charity Shield.

He was the first player from Ireland to win a major trophy with Manchester United.

Playing for Ireland's National Teams

When Johnny Carey started playing internationally in 1937, there were two different Ireland teams. These teams were chosen by two different football associations. The IFA was based in Northern Ireland, and the FAI was based in Ireland. Both groups claimed to represent the whole island and picked players from all over Ireland. Because of this, many famous Irish players, including Johnny, played for both teams.

In September 1946, Johnny and Bill Gorman even played for both teams within three days. Both games were against England. On September 28, he played for the IFA XI in a 7–2 loss. Then, on September 30, he played for the FAI XI in a 1–0 loss.

Playing for the FAI XI

Between 1937 and 1953, Johnny Carey played 29 games and scored 3 goals for the FAI XI. His first game was against Norway on November 7, 1937. This game was a qualifier for the 1938 FIFA World Cup and ended in a 3–3 draw.

He scored his first goal for the FAI XI in a 3–2 win against Poland on November 13, 1938. He scored his second goal in the very next game, a 2–2 draw with Hungary in March 1939. Johnny captained the FAI XI team 19 times.

On September 21, 1949, he was captain when the FAI XI beat England 2–0 at Goodison Park. This was a historic win, as it was the first time a team from outside the UK had beaten England on their home ground. Johnny scored his third goal, a penalty, for the FAI XI in a 2–2 draw with Norway in November 1950. His last game for the FAI XI was on March 25, 1953, in a 4–0 win over Austria.

Playing for the IFA XI

Johnny Carey also played 9 games for the IFA XI between 1946 and 1949. In 1946, he played in special "Victory Internationals" against Scotland and Wales. On November 27, 1946, he played for the IFA XI in a 0–0 draw with Scotland.

In that game, Johnny was one of seven players born in the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) to play for the IFA XI. The draw helped the team finish as runners-up in the 1947 British Home Championship.

Johnny Carey's Coaching Career

Johnny Carey's first experience as a coach was while he was still playing. He was in charge of the Ireland team at the 1948 Olympics. Ireland lost 3–1 to the Netherlands in their first game.

Johnny stopped playing football in 1953. Soon after, he became the manager of Blackburn Rovers. In 1958, he helped Rovers get promoted to the First Division.

Next, he became the manager at Everton. Even though he led them to fifth place in the 1960–61 season (their highest position after the war), he was let go. This led to the famous saying, "Taxi for...!" which is now used when a manager might be fired.

He then managed Leyton Orient. He helped them reach the First Division in 1962, which was their only season in the top league. However, his biggest success as a manager came with Nottingham Forest. In 1967, he led them to the FA Cup semi-finals. They also finished second in the First Division, right behind his old club, Manchester United.

Between 1955 and 1967, Johnny also managed the Republic of Ireland team. But he didn't have much power, as a special committee chose the team. In October 1970, Johnny returned to manage Blackburn Rovers again. He was let go on June 7, 1971.

Awards and Achievements

Club Honours

Manchester United

• FA Cup: 1948
• First Division: 1951–52
• FA Charity Shield: 1952

Individual Awards

• FWA Footballer of the Year: 1949
• Football League 100 Legends: 1998 (added to the list)