Born on this day is a former and current Northern Irish internationals, George McCartney and Paddy McNair, the former spent two spells on Wearside, playing over 200 matches in total.
GEORGE McCARTNEY
Born in Belfast, McCartney signed into Sunderland's academy as a trainee in the late 1990s, a promising young left back, he would break into Peter Reid's first team squad around 1998. McCartney would play 117 times in the league for Sunderland between 1998 and 2006, playing a crucial part in the promotion seasons under Mick McCarthy but would also be a regular feature in the record low points seasons in the Premier League. He left Sunderland following relegation to the Championship in 2006, signing for West Ham United, his time at the Boleyn Ground would only be short lived though, 2 seasons to be specific before he returned to the North East for a £4.5m fee.
He would play sporadically in the Premier League for Sunderland under Roy Keane but would fall out of favour when Steve Bruce took the hot seat in 2009, he would spend two spells on loan at Leeds United between 2010 and 2011 before returning to London to West Ham for the 2011/12 campaign. He would return to Upton Park permanently in that summer on a free transfer but struggled to make the first team under Big Sam, he would remain there for the rest of his career, retiring in 2014. Over his 16 year playing career, he was capped 34 times for Northern Ireland, scoring once on his debut in a 1-0 victory over Iceland, this would be his only professional goal in his career until 2007 when he netted for the Hammers against AS Roma in a friendly. He would've been capped more for the GAWA if he hadn't have fell out with then manager Lawrie Sanchez in 2005, subsequently causing him to 'retire' from international duties, although he would return for his country when Nigel Worthington was appointed manager.
PADDY McNAIR
A short lived spell at Sunderland which had mixed emotions for fans, his first season was the disastrous campaign under David Moyes following his signing from Manchester United where he was a highly rated academy prospect but his progress was hindered by injury. McNair was signed by former Man U boss Moyes for £5.5m in a joint deal for him and right back Donald Love. His first season was hindered by injury also but the second relegation in a row, this time from the Championship, he was praised as a light in a pretty awful season.
He would leave the club following the relegation to League 1, signing for Middlesbrough where he initially failed to even get in the squad but has established himself as a first team regular under Neil Warnock. He was first capped by Northern Ireland in 2015, whilst still at Manchester United and has since made 45 international caps, scoring 4 times.
