Paddy Lacey
 Lacey in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patrick Sean Lacey[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 March 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Flint Town United | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tranmere Rovers | |||
| Manchester United | |||
| Liverpool | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Bradford City | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Southport (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Vauxhall Motors (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2012 | Droylsden | 12 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Altrincham | 26 | (0) |
| 2013–2016 | Barrow | 89 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | Accrington Stanley | 11 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Southport | 14 | (0) |
| 2020 | Stalybridge Celtic | 7 | (1) |
| 2020–2022 | Chester | 22 | (3) |
| 2022–2023 | Warrington Rylands 1906 | 10 | (0) |
| 2023– | Flint Town United | 12 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 February 2024 | |||
Paddy Lacey | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Middleweight |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 10 |
| Wins | 10 |
| Wins by KO | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Patrick Sean Lacey (born 16 March 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Cymru North side Flint Town United. He made eleven appearances in the Football League for Accrington Stanley.[2] Lacey has since also competed in boxing, with his debut fight occurring in October 2021.[3]
Football career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Lacey started his career in the academy of Tranmere Rovers, before joining Manchester United, where he played alongside players such as Ravel Morrison and Jesse Lingard. After a month with Manchester United, he was given the chance to join Liverpool, the club he had supported as a child, and took up this offer.[4]
Bradford City
[edit]On 8 July 2011, Lacey signed for EFL League Two club Bradford City on a one-year deal following his release from Sheffield Wednesday.[5] During his time at Bradford he had loan spells at Southport and Vauxhall Motors, before agreeing to depart the club by mutual consent on 31 January 2012.[6]
Accrington Stanley
[edit]On 21 July 2016, he joined Accrington Stanley on a one-year deal.[7] He made his debut for Stanley in the club’s 1–0 EFL Cup victory against Burnley on 24 August, coming off the bench in the 83rd minute for Billy Kee.[8] He made his Football League debut, and first league appearance for Accrington, against Morecambe on 27 August, coming off the bench in the 82nd minute for Shay McCartan.[9] He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win over Portsmouth on 17 September.[10]
On 5 May 2017, Accrington announced they had terminated Lacey’s contract after he admitted to a breach of anti-doping regulations. He had been given a 14-month ban by the Football Association having tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, following a game against Hartlepool United the previous November.[11][12]
One month after his contract was terminated, Lacey was arrested at Glastonbury Festival in possession of 20.3 grams of cocaine, 16.8 grams of MDMA, and £520 in counterfeit £20 notes. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a controlled substance, and passing an item as genuine which he knew to be a counterfeit. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in July 2017.[13]
Return to non-league football
[edit]Following his release from prison, on 14 January 2019 it was confirmed that Lacey had joined Southport on an 18-month contract.[14]
In January 2020, he joined Northern Premier League Premier Division club Stalybridge Celtic before later joining Chester in September 2020.[15] After suffering a knee injury in February 2021, Lacey raised funds to pay for the surgery he needed.[16]
On 15 February 2022, it was announced that Lacey had decided to leave Chester in order to take up an offer with an unnamed Northern Premier League club.[17]
On 16 February 2022, Lacey signed for Northern Premier League Division One West side Warrington Rylands 1906 on a short-term deal until the end of the 2021–22 season.[18]
On 29 July 2023, Cymru North side Flint Town United announced the signing of Lacey from Warrington Rylands.[19] Just days later, on 1 August, Lacey’s younger brother Luis joined him at Flint Town on loan from Transmere Rovers.[20] He made his league debut for the Silksmen on 18 August against Ruthin Town, receiving a red card in the 53rd minute of the 1–1 draw.[21][22][23]
Boxing career
[edit]Lacey has also fought as a professional boxer, alongside his semi-professional football career and his day job as a carpet fitter.[24]
Professional boxing record
[edit]
Personal life
[edit]Lacey’s brothers, Luis and Shea are also footballers, playing for Tranmere Rovers and Manchester United, respectively. He also had a older sister Lauren and nephew Zack.[26][27] Born in England, Lacey is of Irish descent.[28]
References
[edit]- ^ "Retained List 2016-17" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Paddy Lacey in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Boxing record for Paddy Lacey from BoxRec (registration required)
- ^ Railston, Steven (4 March 2023). "'I rejected Manchester United Class of 2011 for Liverpool ... went to prison and became a professional boxer'". manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Bradford City sign 18-year-old midfielder Patrick Lacey". BBC Sport. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Lacey makes Bradford exit". Sky Sports. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Lacey signs one-year deal". Accrington Stanley F.C. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Stanley 1 Burnley 0 (aet)". Accrington Stanley F.C. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Stanley 2 Morecambe 3". Accrington Stanley F.C. 27 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Accrington 1–0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Paddy Lacey: Accrington Stanley sack midfielder after 14-month drugs ban". BBC Sport. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "Statement: Paddy Lacey". Accrington Stanley F.C. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ Thomas, Joe (3 August 2017). "Professional footballer jailed after being caught with drugs at Glastonbury". Liverpool Echo.
- ^ "SIGNING | Patrick Lacey". 14 January 2019.
- ^ "Midfielder Paddy Lacey signs for Chester FC". www.chesterfc.com. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Thousands raised as ex-Bantam reaches target required for major surgery". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Paddy Lacey departs the Deva". Chester FC. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ @RylandsFC (16 February 2022). "Rylands FC land themselves a knockout!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Paddy Lacey joins the Silkmen". Flint Town United. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Luis Lacey joins brother Paddy at Flint". Flint Town United. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Flint pegged back, as Lacey sees Red". Flint Town United. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Gresford are back in Cymru North action at Flint following unscheduled break". The Leader. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ davenwsport (19 August 2023). "JD Cymru North - Holywell romp to 5-1 win at 10-man Denbigh". Grassroots North Wales | Championing Local Sport | Dave Jones Sportswriter | nwsport.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "The footballer rebuilding his life in boxing". BBC Sport.
- ^ "BoxRec: Paddy Lacey".
- ^ "Five Tranmere youngsters sign new contracts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Shea-Lacey". www.manutd.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "EP 4: Ex Pro Footballer, now Undefeated 10-0 Pro Boxer | Paddy Lacey's INCREDIBLE Story – Common Sense with Joey Barton". Irish Podcasts.
External links
[edit]- Patrick Lacey at Soccerbase
- Patrick Lacey at Soccerway
- 1993 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Liverpool
- English men's footballers
- English people of Irish descent
- Men's association football midfielders
- Tranmere Rovers F.C. players
- Manchester United F.C. players
- Liverpool F.C. players
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
- Bradford City A.F.C. players
- Southport F.C. players
- Vauxhall Motors F.C. players
- Droylsden F.C. players
- Altrincham F.C. players
- Barrow A.F.C. players
- Accrington Stanley F.C. players
- English Football League players
- National League (English football) players
- Northern Premier League players
- Doping cases in association football
- English male criminals
- English people convicted of drug offences
- English prisoners and detainees
- 21st-century English criminals
- Stalybridge Celtic F.C. players
- Chester F.C. players
- Warrington Rylands 1906 F.C. players
- English male boxers
- 21st-century English sportsmen