Dad taught me to be a fighter
McCARTHY BATTLES BACK
JAMES McCARTHY needed his headmaster’s permission to launch his career.
Now he needs Roy Hodgson’s to relaunch it.
Forgotten man McCarthy started his first Premier League game in almost two years last month for Crystal Palace against West Ham.
Weaker men might not have made it back after the horrific double leg break McCarthy suffered blocking a shot from Salomon Rondon in January 2018.
But the Republic of Ireland midfielder gets his fighting spirit from dad Willie, who has battled cancer for years, and he now has a son of his own to help put things in perspective.
McCarthy needed a note from the headmaster at St Margaret Mary’s Secondary School in Glasgow to be allowed to make his debut for Hamilton Academical at 15.
Now he’s hoping to get the nod against Leicester tomorrow as he looks to kickstart his career after a £3m summer move from Everton.
McCarthy said: “I was a kid then but I didn’t have to beg him. The club went to the school, everything was fine.
“Suddenly I was playing first-team football.
“It was a real eye-opener but I had good people around me, good family.
“My dad’s still getting his treatment. He’s made me a fighter, he’s strong.
“In the dark days, he was always there to say I would get through it. For six weeks after the injury I could barely get out of bed. It was a long road back but my dad’s strong character helped.
“I’ve seen what he’s been through all these years and he’s still so positive.
“Now I’ve got a little boy, only seven months old.
“That changes you. You want to make sure that everything’s good. Things look more positive now.”
His injury was so horrific that Rondon, then of West Brom, broke down in tears.
But McCarthy never feared his career was over and with the help of some handmade shinpads and insoles, he hopes to get back to the form that once saw the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United trying to sign him.
Palace boss Hodgson claimed recently that, back then, McCarthy was one of the best midfielders in the country. Now, the 28-yearold wants to prove he still is.
“It’s nice to hear that from your manager,” said McCarthy, who earned his first Eagles start with Luka Milivojevic suspended but has only played one minute of the two games since.
“I want to play but I need to be patient. When I broke my leg, the bone came through, so I had to get a specially made shinpad with a skin graft because I’m more sensitive there.”
Meanwhile, Hodgson has held talks with chairman Steve Parish about a new deal that will keep the 72-year-old at Selhurst Park beyond the end of this season.
■ CRYSTAL PALACE players will be doing a signing session at the new CPFC Store in The Glades, Bromley, on Tuesday, November 5, from 4-5pm.