Paul Ifill Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Paul Ifill
Personal information
Ifill playing for Wellington Phoenix in 2009
Full name	Paul Everton Ifill
Date of birth	(1979-10-20) 20 October 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Brighton, England
Height	1.75 m
Playing position	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)
National team
2004–2008	Barbados	10	(6)
Teams managed
2015–2021	Wairarapa United
2021–2023	Samoa (women)
2021–2023	Christchurch United
2023–	Wellington Olympic
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Paul Everton Ifill (born October 20, 1979) is a former professional footballer from England. He played as a forward or winger. Today, he is a football manager for Wellington Olympic, a team in New Zealand. People often called him an "old fashioned winger" because of his playing style.

Paul was born in Brighton, England. He started his football journey in the youth team at Watford. Later, he moved to Saltdean United. From there, he was noticed by Millwall, where he played for almost seven years.

In 2005, he joined Sheffield United. After two seasons, he moved to Crystal Palace. Then, in 2009, he moved to New Zealand to play for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. He played there until 2014, when an injury made him stop playing professionally. Paul also played ten games for the Barbados national team, scoring six goals.

Paul married his partner, Elle Ifill, in December 2018. They have two daughters named Romy and Bethany.

Paul Ifill's Club Career
Paul Ifill's Coaching Career
International Career for Barbados
Career statistics
Honours
See also

Paul Ifill's Club Career

After leaving Watford's youth team at 16, Paul went back to his hometown of Brighton. He studied physical education at college. He also played non-League football for Saltdean United, even playing on the same team as his father.

Playing for Millwall

Paul was discovered by scouts from Millwall and signed with them as a centre-forward. Early in his time there, he got injured. His manager, Billy Bonds, gave him one month to prove himself. Paul responded by scoring four goals in his next game and two more the week after!

Later, injuries caused 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, he found a specialist who helped him. The day after treatment, he could sprint again. Paul was part of the Millwall team that reached the 2004 FA Cup final in 2004. They played against Manchester United but lost 3–0.

Time at Sheffield United

In May 2005, Paul joined Sheffield United. He had played over 200 games for Millwall before this move. In his first season, Sheffield United did very well. They finished second in the league, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League.

However, in the Premier League, Paul didn't play as much. His manager, Neil Warnock, decided to let him move to another club. In January, Paul left Sheffield United and joined Crystal Palace.

Playing for Crystal Palace

Paul's time at Crystal Palace was a bit difficult. He struggled to stay fit and healthy enough to play regularly. Even when Neil Warnock became the manager at Palace, Paul still found it hard to stay in shape.

In August 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.

Success with Wellington Phoenix

On July 21, 2009, Paul signed a two-year contract with Wellington Phoenix. This team is based in New Zealand and plays in Australia's A-League. He scored his first goal for the team in his second game, helping them win 2–1 against Perth Glory.

Just two days after scoring against Adelaide United, Paul signed a longer contract. This kept him at the Phoenix until at least the end of the 2011–12 season. On October 25, 2009, Paul scored his third goal for the Phoenix in a huge 6–0 win against Gold Coast United. He also helped set up three other goals in that amazing game.

Paul then scored in three games in a row for the Phoenix. On December 31, 2009, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win against the Central Coast Mariners. This win helped the Phoenix move up the league table. In early 2010, Paul continued to play well, providing assists and scoring goals.

His tenth goal for Wellington Phoenix came on February 7, 2010, from a penalty kick. This goal secured a 1–0 win against Gold Coast United. It also pushed the team into the top four spots before the final games of the season. Paul scored two more goals in the last game of the regular season, helping his team win 3–0. This secured fourth place for the Phoenix. He also tied the record for most goals scored in a regular season for the club, with 12 goals.

In the playoffs, Paul scored in the penalty shoot-out against Perth Glory, helping the Phoenix win. He also scored an extra-time goal against Newcastle Jets. However, the Phoenix lost to Sydney FC in the final playoff game. In December 2010, Paul got an ankle injury. Luckily, it wasn't a broken leg, but he still missed about six weeks of the season. In December 2011, he signed another two-year contract with the club.

Later Playing Career

In 2020, Paul Ifill returned to playing football for Wairarapa United in New Zealand's Central League. In November 2021, he joined Christchurch United in the Southern League. He took on a role as both a player and a coach there.

Paul Ifill's Coaching Career

In 2015, Paul Ifill started a new role as a player and coach for Wairarapa United. At the same time, he also runs two Paul Ifill Football Academies, which help young players learn the game.

In February 2021, Paul was chosen to be the coach of the Samoa women's national football team. In November 2021, he became the head coach of Christchurch United Football Club. Under his leadership, the team won the Southern League title two years in a row. They also won the Chatham Cup in 2023. Paul left Christchurch United at the end of that season. He then became the Director of Football for Wellington Olympic.

International Career for Barbados

Paul Ifill played internationally for Barbados. He qualified to play for them because of his parents' nationality. He played in two World Cup qualifying games for Barbados in June 2004.

He was called back to the team for the Caribbean Nations Cup 2007 in 2006. On September 24, 2006, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) for Barbados in their 7–1 win against Anguilla. Paul was called up again for Barbados's semifinal games. He scored two goals in three games, helping his team reach the finals.

All of his international goals for Barbados came during the 2006–07 Caribbean Nations Cup. This tournament was a qualifier for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Paul was even the captain for Barbados in two 2010 World Cup qualification matches against the USA. Barbados lost those games. Paul had to stop playing international football in 2010 because a representative from the Barbados Football Association lost his passport.

Career statistics

Year	Apps	Goals
Barbados
2004	2	0
2005	0	0
2006	6	6
2007	0	0
2008	2	0
Total	10	6

**Paul Ifill International goals**
#	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