Paul Ince facts for kids
Ince in 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 October 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Ilford, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1986 | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1989 | West Ham United | 72 | (7) |
| 1989–1995 | Manchester United | 206 | (25) |
| 1995–1997 | Inter Milan | 54 | (10) |
| 1997–1999 | Liverpool | 65 | (14) |
| 1999–2002 | Middlesbrough | 93 | (7) |
| 2002–2006 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 115 | (10) |
| 2006 | Swindon Town | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | Macclesfield Town | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 609 | (73) | |
| National team | |||
| 1989 | England U21 | 2 | (2) |
| 1992 | England B | 1 | |
| 1992–2000 | England | 53 | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2006–2007 | Macclesfield Town | ||
| 2007–2008 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| 2008 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2009–2010 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| 2010–2011 | Notts County | ||
| 2013–2014 | Blackpool | ||
| 2022–2023 | Reading | ||
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Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (born October 21, 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Reading. Paul Ince played as a midfielder from 1986 to 2007. He started his career with West Ham United. Later, he played for famous clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Inter Milan in Italy.
Paul Ince spent most of his playing career at the top level of football. After starting with his childhood club West Ham United, he joined Manchester United in 1989. There, he won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup twice. He also won the Football League Cup once during his six years at Old Trafford. After leaving Manchester United, Ince moved to Inter Milan in Italy in 1995. He was a runner-up in the 1997 UEFA Cup. After two years in Italy, Ince returned to the Premier League with Liverpool. He also played for Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Ince played 53 times for the England national team, scoring two goals. He played in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 1996, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2000. He made history by becoming the first black player to captain England. After retiring as a player, he became a manager for several clubs. His son, Tom, is also a professional footballer.
Contents
Paul Ince: A Football Journey
Playing for West Ham United
Paul Ince was born in Ilford, London. He grew up supporting West Ham United. The club's manager, John Lyall, noticed him playing when he was just 12 years old. Ince joined West Ham as a trainee at 14. He made his first team debut on November 30, 1986.
He became a regular player in the 1987–88 season. Paul Ince was known for his speed, energy, strong tackling, and good passing. He also had a powerful shot. He played for England's under-21 team. Ince became a key player in West Ham's midfield. In 1988, he scored two amazing goals in a 4–1 win against Liverpool in the League Cup. West Ham reached the semi-finals of the League Cup that season. However, the team was relegated from the top division at the end of the season.
Joining Manchester United
After West Ham was relegated, Paul Ince moved to Manchester United in September 1989 for £1 million. This transfer caused some controversy among West Ham fans. He made his Manchester United debut in a 5–1 win against Millwall. Ince quickly became a strong presence in the United midfield.
In his first season, Manchester United won the FA Cup in 1990. Ince played at right-back in the final and was named man of the match in the replay. The team continued to win trophies. They won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1991 and the League Cup in 1992.
In 1994, Manchester United won both the Premier League and the FA Cup, achieving the "double." Ince was a central figure in this successful team. However, in 1995, Manchester United missed out on winning the Premier League on the last day. They also lost the FA Cup final that year.
In June 1995, Paul Ince was sold to Inter Milan for £7.5 million. While at Manchester United, Ince won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups. He also won the European Cup Winners' Cup and the League Cup.
Playing in Italy with Inter Milan
Paul Ince moved to Inter Milan in Italy for the 1995–96 season. In his first year, he played well and became an important player for the team. Inter finished seventh in the league that season.
The next year, Ince had another good season. He scored 6 goals in 24 league matches. Inter finished third in the league and reached the UEFA Cup Final in 1997. They lost the final to Schalke 04 after a penalty shoot-out. Ince was offered a new contract by Inter Milan. However, he decided to return to England for family reasons.
Returning to England: Liverpool and Middlesbrough
In July 1997, Paul Ince joined Liverpool, a big rival of Manchester United. Some Liverpool fans were unsure about him because of his past with United. In his first season, he scored important goals, including one against Everton. He also scored twice in a 4–0 win against Arsenal.
Ince played two seasons for Liverpool but did not win any major trophies. He felt that some of his teammates were not as professional as they could be. In 1999, he left Liverpool and signed for Middlesbrough for £1 million. He was signed by his former Manchester United teammate, Bryan Robson, who was then the manager.
At Middlesbrough, Ince played 106 games and scored nine goals. He was known for getting many yellow cards. In July 2002, he left Middlesbrough because of the long commute from his home.
Time at Wolverhampton Wanderers
In August 2002, Paul Ince signed a one-year contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers. This was his first time playing outside the top division. He helped the team get promoted to the Premier League in his first season. They won the play-off final 3–0 against Sheffield United.
Ince and his former Manchester United teammate Denis Irwin stayed with Wolves for the 2003–04 Premier League season. The team finished last and was relegated. Ince continued to play for Wolves until 2006. He made over 100 appearances for the club. He hoped to become the manager of Wolves one day.
Paul Ince: International Career
Paul Ince made his debut for the full England team on September 9, 1992. This was in a friendly match against Spain. On June 6, 1993, he made history by becoming England's first black captain. This happened during a tour of the US, when the usual captains were not playing.
His only international goals came on November 17, 1993. He scored two goals in a 7–1 win against San Marino. Ince was a key player for England in Euro 96. He was known for winning the ball in midfield and helping players like Paul Gascoigne. England played very well in the tournament. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Germany in a penalty shoot-out.
In a crucial World Cup qualifier against Italy in 1997, Ince played so hard that his white England shirt turned red from a cut on his head. England drew the game and qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, England reached the second round but lost to Argentina in another penalty shoot-out. Ince took a penalty in this shoot-out, but it was saved.
He played his 50th game for England in a warm-up match for Euro 2000. He was part of the squad for the tournament. England was eliminated after the group stage. Ince played his last international game in 2000.
Paul Ince: Managerial Career
Starting at Macclesfield Town
Paul Ince became a player-coach for Swindon Town in August 2006. However, he left after a short time due to long travel times. On October 23, 2006, Ince became the new player-manager of Macclesfield Town. The club was at the bottom of League Two.
Ince helped to improve the team's confidence. They managed to avoid relegation on the very last day of the season. In January 2007, Ince was named League Two Manager of the Month. He retired as a player while at Macclesfield, making only one league appearance.
Success with Milton Keynes Dons
Ince was announced as the new manager of Milton Keynes Dons on June 25, 2007. The Dons quickly rose to the top of their division. Ince was named League Two Manager of the Month multiple times.
His first trophy as a manager came on March 30, 2008. MK Dons defeated Grimsby Town 2–0 in the Football League Trophy final at Wembley. A week later, the Dons secured promotion to League One. They then became League Two champions after beating Bradford City.
Time at Blackburn Rovers
In June 2008, Paul Ince was appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers. He became the first black British manager in England's top division. Blackburn won their first game of the 2008–09 season. Ince made several new signings for the team.
However, after winning only three games in 17, Ince was sacked on December 16, 2008. He had been in charge for just six months.
Returning to Milton Keynes Dons and Other Clubs
On July 3, 2009, Ince signed again for Milton Keynes Dons. His second time with the Dons was less successful, and they finished 13th in League One. He left the club in May 2010.
Ince then managed Notts County from October 2010 to April 2011. He later became manager of Blackpool on February 18, 2013. His son, Tom, played for Blackpool at the time. Under Ince, Blackpool had their best-ever start to a league season. However, Ince was banned for five matches by The Football Association for his behavior towards a match official. He left Blackpool in January 2014.
Managing Reading
On February 19, 2022, Paul Ince became interim manager of Championship side Reading. In his first game, the team won 2–1. He successfully guided Reading to safety, ensuring they stayed in the Championship for the next season. In May 2022, Ince was given the manager's job permanently. However, on April 11, 2023, Ince was sacked by Reading. At that time, Reading was in 22nd place in the Championship and had not won in their previous eight games.
Personal Life
Paul Ince's son, Tom, is also a professional footballer. Tom has played for the England national under-17 team and for Paul's former club, Liverpool. In 2010, Paul brought Tom to Notts County on a loan deal. They were reunited again in 2022 when Paul became interim manager of Reading.
Paul Ince is also the uncle of singer Rochelle Humes. His cousin, Rohan Ince, is also a footballer, and Clayton Ince is a goalkeeper from Trinidad.
Honours
As a player
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94
- FA Cup: 1989–90, 1993–94
- Football League Cup: 1991–92
- FA Charity Shield: 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1990–91
- European Super Cup: 1991
Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Football League First Division play-offs: 2003
England
- Tournoi de France: 1997
Individual Awards
- West Ham United Hammer of the Year: 1988–89
- Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1992–93
- Premier League Player of the Month: October 1994
- PFA Team of the Year: 1992–93 Premier League, 1993–94 Premier League, 1994–95 Premier League
- Domestic Team of the Decade – Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02)
As a manager
Milton Keynes Dons
- Football League Two: 2007–08
- Football League Trophy: 2007–08
Individual Awards
- Championship Manager of the Month: August 2013
- League Two Manager of the Month: December 2006, October 2007, December 2007, April 2008
Images for kids
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Paul Ince in 2006
See also
In Spanish: Paul Ince para niños
