Paddy Lacey

Patrick Sean Lacey (born 16 March 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Warrington Rylands 1906. He played in the Football League for Accrington Stanley. He is also a boxer.

Patrick Lacey
Lacey in 2022
Personal information
Full name Patrick Sean Lacey[1]
Date of birth (1993-03-16) 16 March 1993
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Warrington Rylands 1906
Youth career
Tranmere Rovers
Manchester United
Liverpool
Sheffield Wednesday
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Bradford City 0 (0)
2011 → Southport (loan)
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 5 (1)
2020–2022 Chester 22 (3)
2022– Warrington Rylands 1906
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:18, 18 February 2022 (UTC)

Football career

Early career

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.[2]

Professional

In July 2011 he joined Bradford City on a one-year deal following his release from Sheffield Wednesday,[3] during his time at Bradford he had loan spells at Southport and Vauxhall Motors, after failing to break into first team he left the club.[4]

In July 2016 he joined Accrington Stanley on a one-year deal.[5] In August 2016 he made his debut for Stanley in the EFL Cup against Burnley coming off the bench in the 83rd minute for Billy Kee.[6] He made his league debut for them against Morecambe coming off the bench in the 82nd minute for Shay McCartan.[7] He scored his first goal for Accrington in a 1–0 win over Portsmouth on 17 September 2016.[8]

Lacey's contract with Accrington was terminated on 5 May 2017 after he admitted 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.[9][10]

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 as genuine an item which he knew to be a counterfeit. In July 2017 he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.[11]

Following his release from prison, on 14 January 2019 it was confirmed that Lacey had joined Southport on an 18-month contract.[12]

In January 2020 he joined Stalybridge Celtic. Lacey joined Chester in September 2020.[13] After suffering a knee injury, in February 2021 he raised funds for surgery.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16]

Boxing career

Lacey has also fought as a professional boxer, alongside his semi-professional football career and his day job as a carpet fitter.[17]

Personal life

Lacey’s brothers, Luis and Shea are also footballers, playing for Barnsley and Manchester United, respectively.[2]

References
  1. "Retained List 2016-17" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  2. 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.
  3. "Bradford City sign 18-year-old midfielder Patrick Lacey". BBC Sport. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  4. "Lacey makes Bradford exit". Sky Sports. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  5. "Lacey signs one-year deal". Accrington Stanley F.C. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  6. "Stanley 1 Burnley 0 (aet)". Accrington Stanley F.C. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  7. "Stanley 2 Morecambe 3". Accrington Stanley F.C. 27 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  8. "Accrington 1–0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  9. "Paddy Lacey: Accrington Stanley sack midfielder after 14-month drugs ban". BBC Sport. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  10. "Statement: Paddy Lacey". Accrington Stanley F.C. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  11. Thomas, Joe (3 August 2017). "Professional footballer jailed after being caught with drugs at Glastonbury". Liverpool Echo.
  12. "SIGNING | Patrick Lacey". 14 January 2019.
  13. "Midfielder Paddy Lacey signs for Chester FC". www.chesterfc.com. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  14. "Thousands raised as ex-Bantam reaches target required for major surgery". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  15. "Paddy Lacey departs the Deva". Chester FC. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  16. @RylandsFC (16 February 2022). "Rylands FC land themselves a knockout!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. "The footballer rebuilding his life in boxing". BBC Sport.
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