Career
He made over 500 appearances in the Football League and Football Conference, notably for Brighton & Hove Albion, Wycombe Wanderers and Ebbsfleet United. Born in Cork, County Cork, McCarthy began his career as a trainee with Brighton & Hove Albion, where he made over 200 league and cup appearances before joining Wycombe Wanderers for a fee of £100,000 in July 1996. McCarthy joined Oxford United on loan in March 2003, joining the club on a permanent basis at the end of the season.
After 35 appearances for Oxford, he was released on a free transfer in summer 2004 and joined non-League club Hornchurch.
He became available after Hornchurch ran into financial trouble and signed for Conference National club Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United) in November 2004. He signed a new one-year contract with Ebbsfleet in June and a year later he was appointed as player–assistant manager at the club
Paul left Ebbsfleet in July 2013 following a change of owner at the club He subsequently signed with Crowborough AFC on 4 August 2013.
He played and scored for the Republic of Ireland national football team at the 1991 Fédération internationale de football association World Youth Championship.
