Paul Ifill facts for kids
Ifill playing for Wellington Phoenix in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul Everton Ifill | ||
| Date of birth | 20 October 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Brighton, England | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Watford | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Saltdean United | 25 | (5) |
| 1998–2005 | Millwall | 238 | (40) |
| 2005–2007 | Sheffield United | 42 | (9) |
| 2007–2009 | Crystal Palace | 61 | (9) |
| 2009–2014 | Wellington Phoenix | 106 | (33) |
| 2014–2015 | Team Wellington | 8 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Hawke's Bay United | 8 | (3) |
| 2016–2018 | Tasman United | 32 | (20) |
| 2018–2019 | Hawke's Bay United | 12 | (2) |
| 2021 | Wairarapa United | 15 | (7) |
| 2021–2023 | Christchurch United | 11 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2008 | Barbados | 10 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2021 | Wairarapa United | ||
| 2021–2023 | Samoa (women) | ||
| 2021–2023 | Christchurch United | ||
| 2023– | Wellington Olympic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paul Everton Ifill, born on October 20, 1979, is a former professional footballer and a current manager. He used to play as a forward, often on the right side of the field. People described him as an "old-fashioned winger" because of his style of play. Today, he manages Wellington Olympic, a team in New Zealand's Central League.
Paul was born in Brighton, England. He started in the youth program at Watford but didn't get a professional contract there. He then joined Saltdean United, a non-league team. From Saltdean, he was noticed by Millwall, where he played for almost seven years.
After Millwall, he moved to Sheffield United in 2005 and then to Crystal Palace for two seasons. In 2009, Paul moved to New Zealand to play for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. He played there until 2014 when an injury made him retire early from playing professionally. Paul also played ten games for the Barbados and scored six goals for his country.
Paul married Elle Isaac in December 2018. They have two daughters named Romy and Bethany.
Contents
Paul Ifill's Club Journey
Paul Ifill's football journey began after he was not offered a contract by Watford's youth team when he was 16. He went back to his hometown of Brighton. There, he studied physical education at college and played non-League football for Saltdean United, even playing on the same team as his dad.
Playing for Millwall
Paul was discovered by scouts from Millwall and signed with them as a centre-forward. Early in his time at Millwall, he got injured. His manager, Billy Bonds, gave him just one month to prove himself. Paul responded by scoring four goals in his next game and two more the following week!
Later, injuries led Millwall to move him to midfield. A back injury made it hard for him to sprint, which is very important for a winger. After seeing many doctors, a specialist found a problem with his pelvis that was pressing on a nerve. After treatment, he could sprint again. Paul was part of the Millwall team that reached the 2004 FA Cup final in 2004, where they played against Manchester United. Millwall lost that game 3–0.
Time at Sheffield United
In May 2005, Paul joined Sheffield United for £800,000. He had played over 200 league games for Millwall before this move.
In his first season with Sheffield United, the team did very well. They finished second in the league, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League, the top football league in England. However, in the Premier League, Paul didn't play as much. His manager, Neil Warnock, decided to put him on the transfer list. In January, Paul left Sheffield United and signed with Crystal Palace for the same fee of £800,000.
Playing for Crystal Palace
At Crystal Palace, Paul faced challenges with his fitness. Even when Neil Warnock, his former manager, became the coach at Palace, Paul still found it hard to stay fit enough to play regularly.
On August 18, 2008, Paul and his teammate Carl Fletcher were put on the transfer list. Crystal Palace released him on May 6, 2009, along with eight other players.
Adventures with Wellington Phoenix
On July 21, 2009, Paul signed a two-year contract with Wellington Phoenix, a New Zealand team that plays in Australia's A-League. He scored his first goal for the team in his second game, a header that helped them win 2–1 against Perth Glory. His second goal came against Adelaide United.
Just two days after scoring against Adelaide, Paul signed a contract extension to stay with the Phoenix until the end of the 2011–12 season, with a chance to stay an extra year.
Paul's third goal was on October 25, 2009, when the Phoenix beat Gold Coast United 6–0. This was a record for their biggest win in a regular season game. Paul not only scored but also helped set up three other goals in a fantastic performance.
He then scored in three games in a row for the Phoenix, helping the team get two wins and a draw. On December 31, 2009, Paul scored both goals in a 2–0 win against the Central Coast Mariners. This win helped the Phoenix move up the league table.
In his first two games of 2010, Paul helped the Phoenix by assisting a goal against the Brisbane Roar and scoring a goal against North Queensland Fury.
Paul scored his tenth goal for Wellington Phoenix on February 7, 2010, from a penalty kick against Gold Coast United. This 1–0 win helped the team get into the top four spots before the last game of the regular season.
Paul scored two more goals against Central Coast Mariners in the final game of the regular season, helping his team win 3–0 and secure fourth place. With these goals, Paul tied the record for most goals scored in a regular season for the Phoenix, with 12 goals.
In the playoffs, Paul scored in the penalty shoot-out when the Phoenix won against Perth Glory. He also scored an extra-time goal as the Phoenix beat Newcastle Jets 3–1 in the second week. However, the Phoenix lost 4–2 to Sydney FC in the Preliminary Final.
On December 18, 2010, Paul got injured during a game against Newcastle Jets. At first, people worried he had broken his leg. But scans showed it was an ankle sprain with some ligament damage. He was expected to miss about six weeks of the 2010/11 season.
On December 8, 2011, it was announced that Paul had signed another two-year contract extension with the club.
Playing for Wairarapa United
In 2020, Paul Ifill returned to playing football for Wairarapa United, a team in New Zealand's Central League.
Playing for Christchurch United
In November 2021, Paul Ifill joined Christchurch United in the Southern League as both a player and a coach.
Paul Ifill's Coaching Career
In 2015, Paul Ifill started a new role as a player-coach at Wairarapa United in the Men's Central League. He also runs two Paul Ifill Football Academies in Nelson and Masterton, helping young players develop their skills.
In February 2021, Paul was chosen to be the coach of the Samoa women's national football team.
In November 2021, Paul Ifill became the head coach of Christchurch United Football Club. During his time there, his team won the Southern League title two years in a row, in 2022 and 2023. They also won the Chatham Cup in 2023 by beating Melville United in a penalty shootout. Paul left Christchurch United at the end of that season and became the Director of Football at Wellington Olympic.
Paul Ifill's International Career
Paul Ifill played internationally for Barbados because of his parents' nationality. He played in two World Cup qualifying games for Barbados in June 2004 against St Kitts & Nevis.
He was called back to the Barbados team for three games in the Caribbean Nations Cup 2007 in September 2006. On September 24, 2006, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) for Barbados in their 7–1 win over Anguilla.
Paul was called up again for Barbados' semifinal group games, where he scored twice in three matches. Barbados then moved on to the finals in Trinidad and Tobago in January 2007.
All of his international goals for Barbados were scored in the 2006–07 Caribbean Nations Cup, which was the qualifying tournament for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Paul was the captain for Barbados in two 2010 World Cup qualification matches against the USA. Barbados lost those games 9–0 overall.
Paul had to stop playing international football in 2010 because a representative from the Barbados Football Association lost his passport.
Career Statistics
| Barbados | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 6 | 6 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 6 |
| # | Date | Opponent | Stadium | Final Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 September 2006 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Antigua Recreation Ground | 1–1 | Draw | Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07 | |||||
| 2 | 24 September 2006 |  Anguilla |
Antigua Recreation Ground | 7–1 | Win | Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07 | |||||
| 3 | |||||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 21 November 2006 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Barbados National Stadium | 3–0 | Win | Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07 | |||||
| 6 | 28 November 2006 |  Bermuda |
Barbados National Stadium | 1–1 | Draw | Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07 | |||||
| Last updated 1 September 2010 | |||||||||||
Honours and Achievements
Paul Ifill has achieved several honours during his playing and coaching career:
Millwall
- Football League Trophy runner-up: 1998–99
- Football League Second Division: 2000–01
- FA Cup runner-up: 2003–04
Wellington Phoenix
- NE Super Series Championship runner-up: 2012
Managerial Achievements
- Christchurch United
- Southern League: 2022, 2023
- Chatham Cup: 2023
- English Cup: 2023
- Wellington Olympic
- Central League: 2024
- Chatham Cup: 2024
- Individual Awards
- Mainland Football Men's Team Coach of the Year: 2022, 2023
See also
In Spanish: Paul Ifill para niños
